Supper-Time Sunday!

This week contributed some very tasty eats to our pallets and I am excited to share these gems with you!

MAPLE LEMON SKIRT STEAK

Recipe + Photo Courtesy of Prevention.com

We don't eat a whole lot of beef around here so it is always kind of a special treat when we do. Plus, petite sirloin was on sale this week so that is just an amazing excuse to pull out one of my beef pins to try out. I have never heard of skirt steak so if any of you have... enlighten me!

I also don't know why they call it petite sirloin - these babies were huge! I sliced mine in half BOTH ways and they cooked up quickly. Besides the baked potatoes that I served on the side of this the whole meal came together in a half hour. I also served it with roasted red and green peppers and yellow onion. Very delicious.

We particularly liked the sauce which I didn't change anything about. It is a bit on the sweeter side of things with a tiny bit of a kick from the dijon mustard. Cute hubster loved it.

Pin it!

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SWEET POTATO-PEANUT BISQUE

Recipe + Picture Courtesy of Eating Well

Not kidding, this is one of my new favorite soups. Now, granted, I am not much of a soup person. Maybe that is more comforting to you because I am really picky about the soups that I like. But we loved this. I will admit that I balked at the recipe list... when you look at it it just doesn't seem possible that it would all come together but it does and it just... works!

I thought that this soup was extra tasty fresh but it is still quite good as leftovers. And it is filling too. One bowl was plenty for me to feel satisfied 

The only changes that I made to the recipe were that I used olive oil instead of canola, we used the tomato-vegetable juice blend, and we didn't garnish with cilantro. Cute hubster doesn't like cilantro so I leave it out when it is optional. 

Pin It!

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CAULIFLOWER CRUST PIZZA

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Beth at Eat.Drink.Smile.

UPDATE!!!

This week I made this crust again for our pizza eats on Monday. 

I used ~3 cups riced, cooked cauliflower (1 large cauliflower worth), 1 1/2 cups part skim mozzarella, 3 whole eggs, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 3 tbsp nutritional yeast, and 3 tbsp ground flaxseed. I oiled my pan and spread the whole thing on a cookie sheet and baked for about 17 minutes. I then proceeded to top the pizza and cook for 5 minutes more. 

It was FABULOUS! Best time we have had it yet with the best texture. And this way you can do a whole pizza and have the family separate it out into individual sections instead of having to do little pizzas individually. 

Pin it!

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Have you made anything delicious this week that you can share with me? I LOVE getting new ideas! I am particularly looking for a single serve pizza crust that you can cook in a frying pan and is gluten free... too much to ask? 

Loves...Shayla

What I Ate Wednesday

You see these around the web all the time and I wanted to join in the fun! The eats that I chose to share were from Sunday, February 17th. Weekend days can be scary and don't usually reflect the normal eating patterns you follow but Sundays aren't really like that for me. Now if we were talking Date Night Fridays... :0)

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BREAKFAST 9:55 AM

Tone it Up Protein Pancake topped with homemade almond butter and 1/2 banana (sliced), "lemonade"

I put "lemonade" in quotations because all it really is is 1/2 lemon squeezed into 24 ounces of water with a little bit of stevia to help take the super sour edge off. And I am just not sure if there is a way to make protein pancakes look really pretty; however, they taste so delicious that it doesn't even matter. This has been my go-to breakfast for the last couple of days ever since I got a new protein powder:

I am loving this stuff and since it is not sweetened with any artificial or refined sugars it is great for me! The scoop that it came with was HUGE so I replaced it with a smaller scoop that I had from a previous protein powder. This recipe is courtesy of SarahFit. The only things that I do differently are that I just use the whole egg instead of only the egg whites and I add water if I need to to thin it out. 

I don't like wasting the egg yolk but also... here is a bit from Livestrong about Egg Yolks:

"An egg yolk provides almost 2 mg of highly absorbable lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids beneficial for eye health. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University suggests consuming 6 mg of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin daily. An egg yolk provides 27 percent of the adequate intake, or AI, of choline for adult women and 21 percent of the AI of choline for adult men. An egg yolk also offers 17 percent of the RDA of selenium and 9 percent of the RDA of phosphorus."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/544071-calcium-and-egg-yolk/#ixzz2LCIf1ULM

Anyways... onto the eats!

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SNACK 12:35 PM

1 can low-sodium V8 Vegetable Juice, 1 rice cake with lowfat cottage cheese

This is one of my favorite snack combos. I get the low sodium Quaker rice cakes and I love the Darigold 2% fat cottage cheese that you can buy in a big tub at Costco. The V8 juice is refreshing and a wonderful way to get 2 servings of veggies during a snack.

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LUNCH 2:20 PM

1 small bowl leftover Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup topped with lime juice and green onions, 1 small braeburn apple (sliced) with ~1 tbsp all natural peanut butter, 1 organic carrot

I almost always start lunch and dinner with a carrot. I have a big bag sitting in a very accessible place in my fridge and I munch away at it while I am prepping food. It helps me to not mindlessly munch on other less healthy things and helps to take the edge off of my hunger. I also really like the Braeburn apples because they are a bit sour instead of super sweet like the Red Delicious or Jonagold apples. 

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DINNER 5:45 PM

Kyle's Favorite Beef Stew

My lovely mother made us this wonderful stew for dinner. The recipe is from Allrecipes.com. It was DIVINE! The broth had an almost sweet taste to it and it was hearty and delicious with the beef tender. YUM!

She didn't dredge the meat in flour at all so that it would be gluten free for me. She didn't use any of the real onions (just the onion soup mix) and just added 1 tsp onion powder. She used red wine vinegar instead of the burgundy and just poured the onion soup mix on top of everything in the crock pot.

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DESSERT 6:20 PM

Chili Maple Cinnamon Popcorn

My friends who know me really well know that it wouldn't be a "What I Ate" any day without some popcorn. I LOVE popcorn. Love love love it. I air pop the popcorn and add melted coconut oil. This particular popcorn is sprinkled with pure maple syrup, cinnamon, chili powder, and sea salt. I definitely had more than just this one small bowl. 

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WATER INTAKE (Whole Day)

24 ounces "lemonade" + 84 ounces normal water = 108 ounces total

Not my best water intake but pretty good for a weekend day. It is harder to drink water away from home when I don't have my trusty orange cup with me. 

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QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Is there something that you eat regularly? A favorite meal or snack? Share your ideas with me!

Loves...Shayla

Cranberry Sauerkraut Meatballs

Sound nasty? Well guess what? IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! Love love love love love. Not only did I love it, but so did my husband, mother, father, brothers, little sister, 3 year old toddler and 9 month old baby! It was great fresh, it was great as leftovers and it was REALLY easy to put together. 4 ingredients for the sauce? I can handle that.

If you have ever bought bagged meatballs you will know that they are expensive. I was interested in eating this for dinner, not in making this for a party. So I did homemade meatballs. I think I ended up with.... probably about 15 meatballs. What this means is that the sauce to meatball ratio was MUCH higher. But we loved the sauce so much. My kids ate no meatballs - just sauce over brown rice.

The nutritional information I have included with this recipe is based on the 66 servings you can get from the bag of meatballs that you buy. This is assuming you are taking this to a party. I made my meatballs homemade style and I have included my recipe for basic meatballs as well.

The recipe and picture are courtesy of Taste of Home and can be found at this site here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cranberry-Sauerkraut--Meatballs?pmcode=IMADV01T&_mid=2325232&_rid=2325232.558202.228586

CRANBERRY SAUERKRAUT MEATBALLS

From Taste of Home

·         1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce

·         1 can (14 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained

·         1 bottle (12 ounces) chili sauce

·         3/4 cup packed brown sugar

·         1 package (32 ounces) frozen fully cooked homestyle meatballs, thawed

In a 4-qt. slow cooker, combine the cranberry sauce, sauerkraut, chili sauce and brown sugar. Stir in meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through. Yield: 5-1/2 dozen.

Nutritional Facts1 meatball with about 1 tablespoon sauce equals 53 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 11 mg cholesterol, 142 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1/2 starch.

HOMEMADE MEATBALL RECIPE

From Shayla's Kitchen

Servings 15

1 lb. hamburger (or pork, chicken or turkey)

1/2 cup oats

1 egg, slightly beaten

3/4 tsp salt

Few grains pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup milk

Mix together all ingredient and roll into balls. Preheat a skillet over medium high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Place meatballs in skillet and brown on all sides. Drain meatballs on a paper towel. Place browned meatballs in sauce in slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff (Slow Cooker)

I grew up eating wonderful beef stroganoff that my mom would make for Sunday dinner on occasion. The biggest problem with my mom's original recipe is the amount of time and effort that it takes to make. This recipe is a slow cooker recipe that allows for much less effort; however, my mom would never make this recipe because it calls for mushrooms and onions. If you don't like mushrooms and onions than this probably isn't the recipe for you but if you do it is great!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Mel's Kitchen Cafe and can be found at this site here: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/04/the-ultimate-beef-stroganoff.html

The Ultimate Beef Stroganoff
from melskitchencafe.com
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Ingredients:
2-3 pounds stew meat (or a 3-pound chuck roast, cubed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 medium yellow onion, diced
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups beef broth or stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1/3 cup flour
6-7 tablespoons apple juice or water
4-8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup light or regular sour cream

Directions:
Place the stew meat, salt, pepper and onion in the slow cooker. Stir to distribute the seasonings and onion. In a small bowl, combine the garlic salt, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth and ketchup. Pour over the meat. Cook for 7-9 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. About 30 minutes before serving, combine the flour and apple juice in a small bowl, whisking vigorously to combine well. The roux should be thick but still pourable so add a tablespoon of apple juice or water at a time to thin, if needed. Pour the flour mixture into the slow cooker, whisking quickly to mix in the roux with the stew meat and juices and to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir in ½ cup sour cream right before serving. Serve over pasta, rice or baked potatoes.

*Freezable Meal: The leftovers of the stroganoff can be frozen. I store the leftovers in a freezer-safe container and then thaw in the refrigerator (usually takes about a day) and reheat over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove.

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

I don't know if I have mentioned it before or not but on Tuesdays I always try and plan slow cooker meals. Why? Because I teach piano lessons until 6:30 pm and have to be to my church mutual activities by 7. And between those two times I need to feed my baby. *PHEW!* So if I can have dinner all ready to go and just have to have my sweet husband dish it up and bring it to me it works so much better.

This was an incredibly flavorful meal. We loved it as did my extended family (my mom made it the same night I did.) My dad raved and raved about it and my husband did as well. The only thing I wish had been different was that the onions had been more crunchy. I didn't add the green peppers until near the end so they would stay tender crisp but I am trying to figure out how to do that with the onions while still allowing them to contribute their flavor... any suggestions?

This recipe and picture are courtesy of Allrecipes.com (photographer abapplez) and can be found at this site here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-pepper-steak/detail.aspx

SLOW COOKER PEPPER STEAK

Adapted from Allrecipes.com

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2 lbs. beef sirloin, cut into 2-inch strips

Garlic powder to taste

3 T vegetable oil

1 cube beef bouillon

¼ c hot water

1 T cornstarch

½ cup chopped onion

2 large green bell peppers, roughly chopped

1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid

3 T soy sauce

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 t white sugar

1 t salt

Sprinkle strips of sirloin with garlic powder to taste. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil and brown the seasoned beef strips. Transfer to a slow cooker.

Mix bouillon cube with hot water until dissolved, then mix in cornstarch until dissolved. Pour into the slow cooker with meat. Stir in onion, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and salt.

Cover and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.

When the slow cooker gets down to 1 hour left on high or 2 hours on low, add in the green peppers and stir. (If you add them in the beginning they will be mushy.) During the last 30 minutes of cooking mix an additional 1 Tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup cool water and stir into the slow cooker. This will form a nice gravy.

Serve over rice, noodles or potatoes.

Philly Cheesesteaks

I love a good Philly. They are so delicious. This one? It was okay - too much cream cheese for our taste and not enough flavor. Next time I make it I will probably eliminate the cream cheese entirely and add banana peppers for a little kick. That will definitely make it better suited to our tastes. But, if you are a cream cheese lover - this is the recipe for you!

Thanks to Favorite Family Recipes for the recipe and the picture. You can find them at this site here: http://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/2011/07/easy-philly-cheesesteaks.html

PHILLY CHEESESTEAKS

From Favorite Family Recipes

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2 c. beef broth
1 pkg onion soup mix
1 lb. Black Angus rare roast beef (regular roast beef works great too, just make sure it's from the deli and thinly sliced)
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large white or yellow onion, sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
sliced provolone cheese (2 slices per sandwich)
3-4 hoagie rolls

Bring beef broth and onion soup mix to a boil. Add roast beef, reduce heat, and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. In the meantime, in a large skillet saute onion and green pepper. When beef is done simmering, drain juices (you can keep the juice if you want to make an "au jus" dip.. we did and it was awesome!) Add roast beef to skillet along with about 4 oz. of cream cheese. Spread remaining cream cheese on each hoagie roll. When the cream cheese in the skillet is all melted, generously portion beef mixture onto each hoagie roll. Top with provolone cheese and place sandwiches, open-faced on a large baking sheet. Broil on high for about a minute or until cheese becomes bubbly and bread becomes slightly toasty. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Steak with Onion-Bleu Cheese Sauce

Wow! This was an amazing meal! I have never cooked steak before and so I was pretty nervous about making the attempt but I will be nervous no more! I found a great website that gives tips for perfect cooking methods for steak. If you would like to check it out as well the site can be found at this link here: http://startcooking.com/blog/276/3-Ways-to-Cook-a-Great-Steak. Just make sure that when you do follow the method suggested for grilling that your steaks are thin - like no more than 1/2 inch. Some of our bigger steaks turned out pretty pink in the middle. Personally I like my steak to still be mooing but it was a bit too rare for my husband in some parts. BUT! Considering it was my first attempt at cooking steak by myself I will call it a successful attempt.

This meal can't be found on any kind of healthy meter but it is so delectable that you can forgive yourself for indulging. Plus, the sauce is rich and filling so I don't think you could eat more than one good sized steak anyways. My hubby absolutely loved this sauce and still could only get down one steak! If you know my Jake that is just short of a small miracle.

Now I know that the recipe calls for ribeye steak but you don't have to use ribeye. Ribeye is an excellent cut of meat and is generally regarded as the most tender and desirable BUT that also means it is generally the most expensive. I saw it on "sale" at my local grocery store for $5.99/lb. We weren't about to pay that price so we picked up some beautiful looking top sirloin on sale for $2.99/lb. And it was still delicious!

This recipe is so easy to make and has so few ingredients that you should DEFINITELY make it unless you are severely anti-onion. This one is going into our favorites and will be repeated at our house again and again!

The picture and recipe are courtesy of The Pioneer Woman and can be found at this site here: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/

STEAK WITH ONION-BLEU CHEESE SAUCE

From The Pioneer Woman

• 2 whole ribeye steaks
• 2 Tbsp. butter (unless you are grilling your steaks in which case you should just brush the grill with a bit of oil before setting your steaks down)
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1 very large yellow onion, sliced into relatively thick slices
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 Tbsp. butter until cooked to your liking (medium-well is my favorite). Saute onions in 4 Tbsp. butter over high heat for 5-7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. (Be careful not to let them BLACKEN too badly. A little black is okay.) Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve a generous portion of sauce over steaks.

*NOTE: A very easy method to follow for slicing your onion is to first cut it in half from root to tip, leaving the ends in tact. This helps to hold it all together and makes slicing it a breeze!

Maple Meatballs

Are any of you frequent potluck-party-goers out in the grand blogosphere familiar with Lil' Smokies? They are miniature sausages in a barbecue sauce - normally heated in a slow cooker. They are quite popular here in Utah and frequently grace a potluck table. Well my confession is... I am not a fan. It is probably because I am not a big fan of sausage but I like sausage a WHOLE lot more than I like Lil' Smokies.

But I always like a nicely flavored meatball and so when I ran across this recipe I knew it was one that I wanted to try. I have had it saved for a long time because it is not a recipe that calls for ingredients I would normally have on hand. If you have pure maple syrup and chili sauce on hand - props to you. I have actually never even purchased either of those. The chili sauce bottle looks just like a ketchup bottle and it tastes a lot like it too (with a slight kick to it). I was expecting a lot more heat and was pleasantly surprised when I tested it before dumping it into my pan. Not that I don't like heat but when it calls for as much maple syrup as it does chili sauce you have to worry a bit... If you have an aversion to heat, this is not a recipe that you need to avoid. The finished product is nothing I would consider "hot."

Everyone loved these meatballs and the aroma they gave off drove everyone mad with longing. Everyone talked about how good they were and praised my cooking abilities.

We'll just keep it as our secret about how simple this recipe really is. Now I just need to make some more meatball meals to use up the other 4 pounds of meatballs I have....

The picture and recipe are courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen and can be found at this site here: http://realmomkitchen.com/456/maple-meatballs/

Maple Meatballs
Real Mom Kitchen (I doubled the recipe - meatballs and sauce.)

1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 teaspoons dried chives (or 2 tablespoons fresh chives)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
26 (1 pound) frozen, fully cooked meatballs, thawed

In a saucepan, combine syrup, chili sauce, chives, soy sauce,and ground mustard. Bring to a low boil. Add meatballs and then return to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until meatballs are thoroughly heated. Serve as an appetizer with toothpicks or over hot cooked rice. Makes 5-6 servings. 

Swiss Steak

For a good portion of my marriage up to this point I have only ever purchased two kinds of meat: chicken and ground beef. (And occasionally ham) Both are easy to come by and very inexpensive. Well you may not have noticed like I have, but ground beef hasn't gone on sale in a really long time. And if it isn't on sale then it is just as expensive (or more) than some more tasty cuts of meat: i.e. steak, pork, roast, etc. Because of this dilemma I have really branched out and explored a lot of different meats lately.

Am I the only one that gets really nervous when cooking a roast? It is so easy to dry them out and then they get to be unpleasant to eat. But only practice makes perfect and I am getting better about judging the best cooking time. I cooked my roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes on high and 3 hours and 30 minutes on low. I also cooked this meal in my big slow cooker (6.5 quart) and it filled it COMPLETELY. This is another one of those meals that would be great to share with some friends.

A good tip to remember when using a slow cooker is that it should be at least 1/2 to 3/4 full. If the recipe you are using does not fill your slow cooker this much you should use a smaller slow cooker. This will help to avoid burning and uneven cooking.

This is a great and traditional American meal. Meat, potatoes, carrots.... serve it up with some barbecue sauce and it is delicious and comforting. The tomatoes, garlic and Worcestershire sauce give it just enough of a flavor without being too overwhelming and it is a nice change from the normal onion flavored roasts. The only thing that I would change when making this recipe again is that I will remove the fat and sear my roast before putting it in the slow cooker. We used this method when we made the Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches and I think it made the roast 10 times better. It helps seal in all of the wonderful juices and promotes a tender finished product.

This recipe is courtesy of my good friend Merideth at Mer's Kitchen Creations and can be found at this site here: http://merskitchencreations.blogspot.com/2010/12/swiss-steak.html

The picture is courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens and can be found at this site here: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/beef/swiss-steak/

*NOTE! The Better Homes and Gardens version of this recipe has methods for cooking this dish on the stove or the oven instead of in a slow cooker. If that is something you are interested in you may want to check out the site I listed above for the location of the picture!

SWISS STEAK

From Mer’s Kitchen Creations (Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

• 1 medium-size pot-roast, OR 1 lb. boneless beef round steak
• 3-4 large carrots, cut into small 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 14.5 ounce can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste

Lay meat on bottom of the crock pot and sprinkle with carrots, onions, and potatoes. Pour tomatoes, worcestershire sauce and garlic over everything. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and cooked through. Serve and add salt and pepper to taste.

Optional: Omit the potatoes and serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or cooked pasta noodles.

Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

OH.MY.YUM!!!! I must say that even writing about these sandwiches is making me want to make them again for dinner tonight even though we just had them. This recipe is so easy to make with so few ingredients that it is almost a crime that it is also SOOO good. I honestly can't wait to make this one again. I have another roast in my freezer waiting to be used for a different recipe but I may just have to postpone that one and have some more of these delicious sandwiches!

If you are afraid of the spice factor here you really shouldn't be (unless you are a major spice wimp). Pepperoncinis are mild peppers and the flavor is more tangy than spicy. This is the spice label on the pepperoncini bottle:

The pictures and recipe are courtesy of Our Best Bites (LOVE THEM!) and can be found at this site here: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/06/pepperoncini-beef-sandwiches/

 Pepperoncini Beef Sandwiches

Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Allrecipes

1/2+ tsp. kosher salt (you really could use normal salt...)
1/2+ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of olive or cooking oil
3 lb. beef roast, trimmed of excess fat
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 16-oz. jar sliced pepperoncinis, undrained
Crusty sandwich rolls (for sandwiches)
Sliced provolone cheese (for sandwiches)

Heat oil in a pot or high-sided skillet over high heat. While the oil is heating, combine the salt and pepper and rub it into the meat. Add more if necessary. When the oil is hot, sear the roast on all sides so the outsides of it is browned and a little crispy. Transfer the roast to a slow cooker and add the minced garlic and the entire jar of pepperoncinis. If possible, cook on high until the liquid comes to a boil and then turn it to low and cook until the roast shreds easily with a fork, for a total cooking time of about 6-8 hours. If not possible, cook on low for 8-10 hours or until the beef is fork tender. 

For sandwiches, slice the rolls and spread lightly with mayonnaise and then top with the shredded beef. Add a slice of provolone cheese and then place under the broiler for 1-3 minutes or until the bread is toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Makes 12 large sandwiches.

TIPS!
*In our slow cooker we cooked our FOUR pound roast on high for 1 hour and then on low for 5 hours. It was PERFECT in tenderness and shred-ability. Make sure you experiment with the cooking time to find out what works best for your slow cooker - unfortunately they are all a bit different.

*I would recommend toasting the rolls first all by themselves. Then place mayo, beef and cheese on one side and set the other half to the side. Broil until the cheese is melted. If you do it this way you will have 2 toasty sides instead of one toasty side and one soggier side.

Dripping Roast Beef Sandwiches with Melted Cheese

I may have mentioned already that the two cravings I cannot kick this pregnancy are lemonade and sandwiches. I am ALWAYS craving those two things. When I got this recipe in my inbox one day I knew right away that it would be a keeper around here. And boy was I right! It is extremely flavorful despite the very small ingredient list and came together super fast. I was definitely wishing that I had more room in my stomach for these bad boys! 

I have listed my adapted recipe below but if you would like to view the original you can find it and the link to this lovely picture here.

DRIPPING ROAST BEEF SANDWICHES WITH MELTED CHEESE Adapted from Campbell’s Kitchen Reminder Recipe! One Year Ago: Chicken With Lemon Sauce 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup

1 tablespoon reduced sodium Worcestershire sauce

3/4 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef

4 soft hoagie rolls

1 cup shredded mozzarrella cheese

1/2 - 1 cup drained hot or mild pickled banana pepper rings

1. Heat the broiler on your oven. 2. Heat the soup and Worcestershire in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat to a boil. Add the beef and heat through, stirring occasionally. 3. Divide the beef evenly among the rolls. Top the beef with the shredded cheese and place the sandwiches onto a baking sheet. 4. Broil for 2 - 3 minutes or until the sandwiches are toasted and the cheese is melted. Be careful to watch your sandwiches so they don't burn! Top each sandwich with amount of pepper rings that will best suit your taste buds. (Let's be honest though... banana peppers are AWESOME!) 5. Place remaining soup in a mug or small bowl. Dip sandwiches into sauce like you would a French Dip sandwich. TIP! You can also spoon the soup over your sandwiches. This sounded like soggy sandwiches to me so I opted for the dipping strategy. Good thing too because my husband loved the sandwiches by themselves so much he didn't want anything to do with the extra soup! Makes: 4 sandwiches.

Barbecue Beef Cheese Melts

I will admit up front that I wasn't the biggest fan of this recipe - but it definitely has potential to be a lot better. I really liked the roast beef mixture on top but the bread mixture on the bottom was too thick for my liking. It was almost like eating an American version of a Navajo Taco - and I have never been a fan of those. For my taste buds I would prefer a more thin and crispy crust. In fact, next time I make this I will either make this into a pizza or use a pre-refrigerated pizza crust to line the bottom of my pan.

The picture and recipe are courtesy of BettyCrocker.com and can be found here.

BARBECUE BEEF CHEESE MELTS

From BettyCrocker.com
Reminder Recipe! One Year Ago: Taco Rice Bowls

2 cups Original Bisquick® mix

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup barbecue sauce
3/4 lb cooked roast beef (from deli), chopped
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir Bisquick mix, mustard, milk and egg until mixed. Pour and spread in pan.
2. Bake 15 to 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Top will not brown.)
3. Meanwhile, in 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper and onion; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Stir in barbecue sauce and beef. Cook until hot.
4. Spread beef mixture over baked bread base. Sprinkle evenly with cheese.
5. Bake 4 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cut into squares.

Makes 8 servings

Green Chile Chicken Lasagna

This fantastic recipe comes from BettyCrocker.com. I LOVED it! I loved the taste and the textures and probably could have eaten the entire pan by myself if it wasn't also very filling. Jake really liked it as well although he said it still tasted a little too much like chicken. LOL. Funny boy.

I had to alter a few things on the recipe because some of the original directions just didn't work. Also, keep in mind that this meal takes a while to cook. You can easily make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge. I have listed the adjustments in the cooking time at the end of the recipe. And don't be afraid to use oven-ready lasagna noodles - they are FABULOUS! My final dish didn't look a whole lot like the picture because I like to end with my sauce on top. I was afraid if I didn't that the oven-ready noodles wouldn't get cooked enough and I didn't want them to be crunchy.

The picture and original recipe are courtesy of BettyCrocker.com and can be found here.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN LASAGNA
Adapted from BettyCrocker.com

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
¾ - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cans (10 oz each) Old El Paso® green enchilada sauce
2 cans (4 oz each) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1 package (8 oz) oven ready lasagna (12 noodles)
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese; set aside. In another medium bowl, mix chicken, enchilada sauce and green chiles.
2. In ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish, spread 1 cup of the chicken mixture. Top with 4 uncooked lasagna noodles (3 going horizontally, 1 with about 1 ½ - 2 inches broken off the bottom going vertically); press gently into chicken mixture. Spread with 2/3 cup of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese and ½ cup of the cheddar cheese. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with a layer of the sauce on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to your tastes. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10 to 15 minutes longer or until lasagna is tender, cheese is bubbly and edges are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 servings

*NOTE! If you make this ahead of time it can sit in the fridge with no problems. Just reduce covered cooking time to 35 minutes. Make sure you still bake it uncovered for 10 – 15 minutes to give it the nice golden brown color.

FYI FINAL LAYERS: Sauce, Noodles, Ricotta mix, Cheese, Sauce, Noodles, Riccotta Mix, Cheese, Sauce, Noodles, Riccotta mix, Cheese, Sauce, Remaining Parmesan

A Few Extra Tips:

The lasagna noodles won’t cover the entire baking dish; they expand as they absorb liquid and cook, so when the dish is done, the lasagna will fill the pan. Look for oven ready lasagna with the rest of the dry pasta in the grocery store.


Green enchilada sauce is more mild than red enchilada sauce. Red enchilada sauce can be substituted, but the flavor will be spicier.

Beef Stroganoff

This is another recipe that I grew up with and it is SOOO delicious. It is a lot more involved than my normal recipes but it is great for special occasions when you want something fancier. The sauce is just a little bit tangy which makes it GREAT! The picture is courtesy of IFood and can be found here.

BEEF STROGANOFF

½ c. chopped onion
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp salad oil
1 ½ - 2 lbs. round steak
3 Tbsp. flour (heaping)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. chicken bullion (1 c water – 1 cube chicken bullion)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
2 Tbsp. tomato sauce
1 tsp. lemon concentrate
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ pt. sour cream (1 cup)

Melt butter; add onions – sauté for 5 mins. While sautéing, cut meat - cut fat off first. After onions are sautéed, take out and put in bowl and set aside. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Dip meat in flour, making sure to cover completely. Brown in oil – brown on one side and then turn over and brown on other side (if you have more mat than will fit in pan, brown both sides then push it to the side). You may need to add a little oil if it gets too dry while browning meat.

Dissolve bullion cube on heat. Put in blender and add left over flour. After blended, add to meat. Add onion and butter mix. Add cream of mushroom soup and 1 can water. Mix well. Add tomato sauce, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour, starting from time you brown meat – covered.

25 minutes before done, start cooking rice (long grain). For every cup of rice add 2 cups water and 1 tsp salt. Bring water to boil, add rice. Cover. Turn to low. Cook until water is gone – approximately 15 minutes.

When meat and rice are done turn off pans and add sour cream.