Classic Beef Pot Roast

This recipe is originally from Cooking Light (oct. 2008)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Fresh thyme leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender.

Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth, and bay leaf to pan; bring to a simmer. Cover pan and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours or until the roast is almost tender.

Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard.

Shred meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired.

Honey Salmon Kebabs

I made these for the kids the other day; Noah loved it (we even ran out)...Hannah not so much.  

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless salmon fillets skinned and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• sesame seeds (optional)
• 2 tbs honey
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Mix together marinade ingredients and add salmon.  Let marinate for 1 hr.  Skewer salmon.  Broil in oven, turning skewers occasionally.  Reduce marinade in saucepan.  Serve with rice and spoon reduced marinate over.

Whole Wheat Pancake/Waffle Mix

From weelicious.com

The mix gets stored in pantry and you just grab it the morning of pancake/waffle day.  So much easier than making the mix every time you want pancakes/waffles.

The Mix (makes 6 batches of approx. 4 pancakes/waffles)
Ingredients:

• 6 c white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 c sugar
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tsp salt

Mix together. Store in pantry in closed container.

The Pancakes/Waffles
Ingredients:

• 1 large egg, whisked
• 1 cup milk (or buttermilk; or 1 c milk w/1 tbsp lemon juice to make buttermilk)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup pancake/waffle mix

Whish together egg, milk, oil.  Whisk in mix.  Use waffle iron or pour onto griddle for pancakes.

Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients:

• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1 c milk
• 2 tbsp butter ,melted
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c peanut butter

Combine all ingredients.  Spread in greased 9 X 13 pan.  Bake 350 for 25 min. 

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls

I've heard these referred to as Buckeyes as well.  Whatever you call them, they are delish!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 3/4 c confectioners sugar
• 1/2 c melted shortening
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4-1 c chunky peanut butter
• 1 bag semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 T shortening

Combine in large bowl and mix well the graham cracker, sugar, melted shortening and peanut butter.  Form into balls and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Put in fridge 3-4 hrs or freezer 1 hr.  In small saucepan melt and stir until combined the chocolate chips and 2T of shortening.  Dip balls in chocolate sauce and place back on parchment cookie sheet in fridge/freezer until chilled and chocolate is hardened.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

From Nestle Toll House.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 cup nuts (optional)

Combine flour, baking soda, salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, sugars and vanilla in large bowl; add eggs, slowly and beating well after each egg; gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chips/nuts.  Bake 9-11 min in 350 oven. 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Who doesn't love banana bread?  My kids like it better with...chocolate, of course.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350.  Spray loaf pan with cooking spray.  Beat sugar, eggs, & oil in large bowl.  Add banana and vanilla and mix at low speed.  In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Beat into banana mixture just until combined.  stir in chocolate chips. Spoon batter into pan.  60-70 mix.  Cool and enjoy!

No Bake Cookies

Everyone has their own spin on these cookies.  Really, they are no bake...just stovetop and cooling time.  Yum!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• waxed paper

Come in sauce pan over med. heat, sugar, cocoa, milk & margerine.  Bring to boil.  Stir occasionally.  Boil for 1-2 min and then remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter & oats.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Let cool for at least 1 hr. 

Sticky Breakfast Ring

This is easy for a weekend breakfast.  It looks pretty and the kids (and adults) love it.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits or 1.5 to 2 tubes Grand buttermilk biscuits
• 3 tbsp butter melted
• 1/2 c pancake syrup
• 1/3 c packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped mixed nuts (whatever you have on hand) 

Spray a fluted bundt pan with non stick spray.  Combine butter and syrup in small bowl and set aside. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts.  Place 1/2 syrup mixture in bottom of pan.  Sprinkle 1/2 sugar mixture on top.  Lay biscuits on bottom, overlapping edges closely together to form a ring.  Top with remaining syrup and sugar mixtures.  Bake 20-25 min in 375 oven.  Cool, invert and eat!

Baked Ravioli

Another one kids like; a different take on ravioli.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup  sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 package refrigerated cheese filled ravioli
• 3/4 to 1 cup marinara sauce·      

 Heat oven to 375F.  Combine bread crumbs and Parm cheese in a medium bowl. Combine sour cream and milk in another small bowl.  Dip ravioli in sour cream mixture first and then bread crumbs mixture . Place coated ravioli onto baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until ravioli are crisp and lightly browned. Serve immediately with pasta sauce either on top or in small bowl for dipping.

Ham Hash Brown Casserole

The kiddos like this; its a good brunch potluck dish; and it makes a great freezer meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 (32 oz) package frozen hash brown potatoes
• 8 oz cooked ham, diced
• 2 10.75 oz cans condensed cream of potato soup
• 1 16 oz container sour cream
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1.5 cup parm cheese

Grease 9X12 baking dish (I generally split this into several bread loaf pans).  Mix all the ingredients except for parm cheese.  Spread evenly into dish.  Sprinkle with the parm cheese.  Freeze or bake 1 hr.

Chicken Packets

Quick and easy; great for kids.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups shredded chicken
• 8 oz package cream cheese
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tbsp. chives
• onion powder (optional)

Combine ingredients.  Put small heaping into separated crescent rolls (sometimes I combine two crescents to make more of a rectangle).  Bake in oven for 15-20 min. at 350 degrees.  


I usually serve this with some steamed broccoli and a salad.