A Little Something For Your Slow Cooker

Our new neighbors just moved in this past weekend and I'm baking them a few sweet treats to walk over today after school. My boys have steadily been sitting in the driveway just staring at their house waiting to meet their new "friends".  I've been trying to give them a few days to get settled before walking over, so I think today's a good day to deliver a few goodies and introduce ourselves :) 

When we lived in Dallas the most precious family moved in next door about a year(ish) or so before we moved to Houston.  They were awesome.  Such great neighbors.  And they had moved to Dallas from Michigan.  That was a pretty far distance from home, so we made them this little goodie basket to welcome them to the neighborhood.  

The family who just moved in next door is from the area, so we won't need to include too much other than the food.  My boys are SO excited to meet them!!!

Now let's usher in the new month with a little something for your slow cooker.  

There's nothing I love more than having dinner waiting for me when I get home from school.  I decided to make this recipe last week when my husband had a friend over for the baseball game.  It got rave reviews from BOTH boys...ahem, MEN...so this is definitely a keeper. I highly suggest including the optional slaw.  I loved the crunch paired with the tender pork.  And the sauce?!   Well don't do without that, either!  

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE PULLED PORK WITH AVOCADO RANCH SAUCE

• via Food, Faith, Fitness
• 
  
• PULLED PORK  
• 1 Medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2 Tbsps Fresh garlic, minced
• 3 1/2 - 4 Lbs Pork shoulder removed of excess fat
• 1 Tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp Adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
• 1 Cup Water

• AVOCADO RANCH SAUCE
• 1 Small avocado, mashed 
• 2 Tbsp Fresh garlic, minced
• 1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp Ranch dressing (your choice)
• 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Adobo sauce
• 1/4 tsp Smoked paprika
• 2 tsps Onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder
• Salt/pepper to taste
• 
  
• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Coleslaw mix for garnish (optional)

I know this looks like an awful lot of ingredients, but the prep isn't anything that will kill you.  Truly.  This is coming from someone who wants in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible...unless I'm hiding in the pantry eating all of my kids snacks.

First up, trim the fat off of your pork.  The shoulder is a pretty fatty piece of meat, so you can sub a different cut if you prefer.  Slice the onion and place that and the minced garlic on the bottom of your slow cooker and cover with a cup of water.

Mix together the brown sugar, salt, paprika, cumin, chili powder, and adobo sauce.  This is your rub and you'll want to lather your pork in it as well as possible.  Just rub it all in to cover your pork and then place the pork on top of the onions and garlic in the slow cooker.  

Cook on low for 8-10 hours OR on high for 6-8 hours (or until pork is tender and easily falls apart).  

Once tender, remove pork from slow cooker and shred.

Return back to the slow cooker and mix well with what's leftover of the rub/garlic/onion.  Cover until ready to serve.  

Before serving, whip up the avocado ranch sauce.  Place all of the sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until creamy.  You can season it with salt and pepper if you so desire.

Serve the pork on whole wheat buns (or any other bun of your choice).  Top with the optional slaw (I definitely recommend including this ingredient!) and sprinkle with the avocado ranch sauce.  

There wasn't a bite left when it was all said and done.  The guys tore it up!  The pork was so tender and flavorful.  This will be on repeat in the months to come!  I'm already thinking about different ways I can incorporate the pulled pork into other recipes.  SO good!

Two Meals, One Leftover

If y'all read my post on Monday, you might remember me talking about the abundance of food we had on Easter Sunday.  Food for days.  I was in charge of making the world's most simple and savory pot roast. I only made one, but at the very last minute I got nervous not thinking we would have enough so I sent Mr. Spouse back to the grocery store to grab another.  Between the first roast, the ham, the pork, and the chicken and sausage, we didn't even make a dent in the last-minute-pot-roast I insisted on rushing out to get before the festivities began. 

 #sosorryMrSpouse

My husband isn't usually a leftover kind of a person.  He may be okay to eat leftovers for lunch the following day, but anything more than that probably won't happen.  I, on the other hand, could eat leftovers for days...especially when said leftovers are in the form of pasta.  We had this crockpot full of pot roast that wasn't even touched and I wasn't about to let it go to waste, so you can imagine how elated I was when Mr. Spouse said, "Don't go grocery shopping this week...let's just eat the pot roast for dinner."  WHA?!?!?!  I mean, I was definitely jumping for joy at the though of not having to run out for more groceries, but I also was thinking I might not want 5 full days of pot roast for dinner (as much as I do love leftovers). 

#overkill

I really do love pot roast.  Especially this simple & savory version.  But lawd.  Needless to say, it was of the utmost importance that we repurpose our protein so that we wouldn't tire of it.  Mr. Sposue ended up working late 2 nights this past week (spring sports are always a killer), so I only had to come up with two new-to-us meals.  I enjoyed the pot roast in all it's simple glory the nights he was working, but I was ready to change it up by the time Wednesday rolled around!!!  

If you have some leftover pot roast hanging around, maybe consider repurposing it for either of these two meals!!!  

When I lived in Dallas, I taught in Plano for the first 7 years of my teaching career.  We loved to enjoy Friday Happy Hours at the BEST little restaurant in old downtown Plano...Kelly's Eastside.  They always had the most delicious happy hour fare...for FREE!!!!! GAH!!!  I would always get the brisket quesadillas.  ALL of their food is insanely amazing, but those brisket quesadillas.  LAWD.  That was also one of our go-to post Sunday church meal spots, too.  My whole family loved it.  I miss that restaurant like crazy!

I wouldn't have thought to have brisket in my quesadilla, just like I wouldn't have imagined pot roast in quesadilla form either.  But that's just what I did.  Let's just say I was missing Kelly's and hoping I could kind of recreate that magic in my own kitchen.  I didn't come close, but these pot roast quesadillas were SO good!!!  

POT ROAST QUESADILLAS

2 flour or whole wheat tortillas

Shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese (to taste)

Pico de gallo (to taste) 

Pot Roast

Pot Roast gravy

Cooking spray

I used flour tortillas for this dish and sprayed the cooking spray on one side of each tortilla.  Place one tortilla in a lightly greased skillet and then take some of that gravy from the pot roast (we had tons leftover from the simple and savory recipe) and spread a thin layer on the bottom of the tortilla.  Top with the shredded cheese, pot roast, and then the pico de gallo.  Turn on the heat to a medim/high temperature.  Spread a thin layer of the pot roast gravy on the other tortilla and then place that on top (sandwich style).  Allow time for the bottom tortilla to brown and using two spatulas, carefully turn over to brown the other tortilla.  Heat until both sides are brown and cheese is melted.

Let me just say it again.  These were SO good!!!  I loved the addition of the pico de gallo...I could eat it with everything.  I typically get the pre-made tubs at the grocery store.  This was a definite winner and one we'll be sure to recreate when we have pot roast leftovers in the future!!!

I was considering a pot roast panini of some sort for last night's meal.  I'm sure that would've been great!  But we just had quesadillas the night before, so I wanted something a bit different that would incorporate more than just the pot roast and another helping of cheese and gravy.  I had a box of puff pastry shells I bought for something totally different, but I figured it would be fun to use them for this meal instead.  I also had a tub of mashed potatoes (you know those Country Crock refrigerated tubs?! #cheating) and wanted to use those as well.  Enter the Pot Roast Puff Pastry Bite.  

POT ROAST PUFF PASTRY BITES

Puff Pastry shells

Mashed Potatoes (homemade or refrigerated)

Pot Roast

French Fried Onions (optional)

This is too easy not to try!!!  Bake the puff pastry shells as directed on the package.  While the pastry shells are baking, heat up your pot roast and leftover or refrigerated mashed potatoes.  Remove the pastry shells from the oven and hollow out the center (just remove the tops and the doughy filling).  Place a spoonful of the mashed potatoes in the hollowed out center of the pastry shell.  We filled ours to the top, of course.  Then place a generous amount of the pot roast on top of the potatoes.  We had some leftover french fried onions from the green bean casserole we made on Sunday, so we put those to good use to and crumbled them right on top of the pot roast.  

They really were the perfect little bite!!  The pastry shells stayed intact and we were able to eat them just like we would a sandwich.  Mr. Spouse returned for 3rds and piled his high, so a fork and knife were essential for that serving :)  I absolutely LOVED the different textures of this meal and the flavor...well...OUTSTANDING.  This made the perfect dinner servings, but if you were so inclined, I could see these being served as a generous appetizer, too.  We will DEFINITELY be revisiting this meal in the future!!!  

Simple & Savory

It's Monday and I feel like I'm recovering from a holiday hangover. 

So much food.  And then more food on top of that.  Let's not forget the sweets.  Oh, the sweets.  And then a little more food.  Scratch that...A LOT more food.  And some more sweets.  Did I mention food?!  

 

Of course, there was celebrating, too.  Fellowship...family...friends.  All around just the perfect little weekend with my most favorite people.  

It was also Texas Antiques Week and I headed to Round Top with the girls for a little shopping and some prom fun.  It's only a couple of hours away, but we stayed the night so that we didn't have to rush back.  I had to call Mr. Spouse and ask for forgiveness when I bought my favorite new purse.  I mean, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, right?!  I sent him a picture of my fringe beauty and he asked if I had to kill Snuffleupagus to get it.  He wasn't impressed.

The weekend brought us lots of prepping and planning for our Easter festivities.  The boys loved dyeing their eggs with shaving cream and planting jellybeans for the Easter Bunny.  My kitchen smelled pretty good, too :)

The boys were up before the sun on Easter morning which was perfect for the purpose of getting ready for the early service at church.  They woke us up before scoping out their Easter goodies and picking the lollipops from their jellybean garden.

We hosted Easter this year and had quite a little...err, BIG...crowd.  The more the merrier.  We brought in some extra tables and chairs so that everyone would have a place to eat.  I have to say that I really do love our little house...it's got the perfect floor plan for entertaining!  These are just a couple of the tables at the front of the house.  We also had some in the kitchen and outside.  

I found these cute little eggs at Marshall's and had to have them, but had NO clue what I was going to do with them.  I decided to make little party favors for the ladies and use the eggs as gift wrap.  I just painted the wood circles black and used a white paint pen to write the words.

No Easter is complete without our traditional family confetti egg fight.  Between my brother and I, we had a little over 20 dozen confetti eggs!  It was a MESS!!!!  I'm still trying to get the confetti out of my hair!  HA!

I LOVE this pic...this is what kicked off the crackin' this year.

  #protectthebeverage

Enjoying the chaos :)

#thankgodforthewetdryvac

The kids hunted for Easter eggs...their favorite part of the celebration.  

And this precious love celebrated his birthday.

Speaking of birthdays, my baby turns 6 today!!!  What better way than to celebrate another year than with a slice of cake for breakfast?!  Yes, please!!!

Remember when I was talking about all that FOOD earlier?!  This *might* have ben the star of the show.  This simple and savory pot roast.  W.e had tons of meat from which to choose...ham, pork, chicken, sausage...but THIS pot roast.  Well..it was the best.  Hands down.  We served it with dinner rolls so our guests could make little sandwiches if they were so inclined.   AMAZING.

We have leftovers and plan on repurposing the roast in several different meals.  I'll have to report back on Friday to let you know what we did with it!  In the meantime, you definitely need to try this for yourself!!!!  You won't be disappointed!

SIMPLE AND SAVORY POT ROAST

2-3 lb. boneless chuck roast 

1 packet of Slow Cooker pot roast seasoning 

1 cup of water

1 packet of Au Jus seasoning

1 can of Coke (or Pepsi)

Combine the slow cookier pot roast seasoning with 1 cup of water and mix until combined.  Place your roast in your slow cooker and pour the pot roast seasoning /water mixture on top.  Now pop open a can of coke and pour that right on top, too.  Yes, the WHOLE thing.  Cook on low for 8 hours of high for 4.  I personally prefer the slow method :)  When the roast is ready, shred it all up inside the slow cooker and then pour the packet of Au Jus on top and mix well.  Serve and enjoy!!!  

Take it Easy

Now that my oldest has officially started T ball, it’s time to have a plan of action when planning my weekly menu.  One night of crockpot deliciousness a week is a must. We’re BIG fans of any kind of meat you can put in a taco shell, so when I found this recipe, it immediately made it on the menu.  We don’t have pork near enough in this little house and after eating this little number, I can’t for the life of me figure out why.  AMAZING.  Seriously.  So here’s another crockpot recipe to add to your arsenal of yummies.  Do yourself a favor and take it easy in the kitchen this week.  You’ll be so glad you did!

 

CROCK POT BAJA PORK TACOS

recipe from Chef in Training

1 {3lb} Boneless pork tenderloin

5 {4oz} cans chopped green chiles

2 tbsp. taco seasoning, reduced sodium

1 tbsp. ground cumin

Corn tortillas

Optional toppings

lettuce

cheese

pico de gallo

avocado

Let’s get this party started.  Cut the tenderloin in half and place in crock pot.  In a small bowl, mix together chiles, taco seasoning, and cumin.  Pour mixture over pork, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until pork is tender and easily falls apart.  When it’s about ready, shred pork with a couple of forks.  I didn’t remove the pork from the crock pot to shred it.  I was able to shred it while it was still cooking.  Ohmiword…it was SO tender!!!!!

Place a generous heaping of pork down the middle of your corn tortilla.  First I added my toppings…cheese, avocado, and pico de gallo.  Then the pork went on top.  Mr. Spouse likes to serve tacos like this because he says the meat heats the cheese and helps it melt. So yes, I guess you could say there’s a method to the madness.  Either way, this recipe is all kinds of amazing.  I love me some tacos and know I think this recipe has moved to the top of my list of favorite taco recipes.  SO good!

The best part about this recipe was that it was ready when I walked in the door.  {Minus the two minutes I spent shredding it all up.}  So good, y’all!  And they were even better the next day!!!! 

The Secret’s in the Sauce

Since making these delicious sliders back in December, I’ve been itching to try them again.  When I came across this recipe, I decided to go a different direction.  I’ve always been a pot roast kinda girl, and anything that can be cooked in a crock pot gets my approval sight unseen.  This recipe is pretty much amazing.  Great for dinner…an appetizer…or even something special to take to a party.  We couldn’t get enough.  Truly.  The key to these little sliders is the sauce you MUST make to accompany it.  Don’t skip it.  It’s what makes the slider!!

CROCK POT POT ROAST SLIDERS WITH CREAMY CHIPOTLE SAUCE

(1) 3-4 lb. beef roast

1 cup water

1 cup salsa {I used Joe T. Garcia’s, Mild}

1 envelope onion soup mix {I used Lipton}

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix {I used Good Seasonings Zesty Italian}

1 envelope Au Jus mix

King Hawaiian rolls

Swiss cheese slices

CREAMY CHIPOTLE SAUCE

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tbsp. chili sauce {I used Heinz}

2 tsp. creamy horseradish sauce

Since Mr. Spouse is in charge of all crock pot meals, I didn’t get a picture of the ingredients prior to cooking.  However, this one is pretty dang easy.  Whisk together the water, salsa, and the 3 envelopes {onion soup, Italian dressing, Au Jus}.  Place the beef roast in the crock pot and then pour the seasoning mix on top.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 

Before you’re ready to prep your sliders, mix up the creamy chipotle sauce.  Just combine the sour cream, chili sauce, and creamy horseradish sauce in a small bowl and mix together until combined. 

Slice the rolls in half and place a slice of cheese on one half and then slather on the chipotle sauce on the other.

The swiss cheese was pretty fantastic, but I’m thinkin’ that pepper jack would’ve been stellar, too.  Now, I skipped this step because I wasn’t fully reading the recipe, but you can take the bottom halves of the rolls {with the cheese}, place on a baking sheet, and broil for about 2 {ish} minutes or until the cheese is melted & the edges are slightly brown & crisp.  Like I said, I accidentally skipped that part, but ohmiword…they were still AMAZING. 

Now place a generous helping of pot roast onto on half of each roll.

Place the other half of the rolls on top of the pot roast and get ready to sink your teeth into one of the most delicious little sandwiches your taste buds have ever met :)

Like I said before, DON’T be shy with that creamy chipotle sauce.  I promise you’ll see why when you try it for yourself.  Even though this pot roast is definitely good enough to stand on it’s own, trust me when I say that the secret’s in the sauce!!!!!

A “Gourmet” Crock Pot Meal

So…school just started back up on Monday and talk about being TIRED.  Wow.  Don’t get me wrong…I love being back in a routine…but I am spent by the end of the day.  The last thing I want to do right now is spend hours in the kitchen when I could be spending time being worn out by my boys.  Ummm…actually, an hour or so of *quiet* time in the kitchen is sounding kinda good.  HA!   If you’re anything like me, you are ALL about putting your crock pot to good use while you’re at work.  I’m ALL over it.  For real.  And it’s even better when your crock pot meal tastes “gourmet”.  That’s pretty much how we felt when we had this little number. File this under “Gourmet Crock Pot Meals”…it definitely tastes like one!

 

SLOW COOKER ANGEL CHICKEN

adapted from Cleverly Inspired

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz. pkg. baby bella sliced mushrooms

1 can condensed golden mushroom soup

1 stick of butter

1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 of an 8oz. tub of cream cheese spread with chive & onion

rice or pasta

 

Not too many ingredients.  Just like I like it…

The original recipe called for white wine instead of chicken broth and two different types of mushrooms.  Good ol’ Wal Mart only had these baby bellas on hand and I didn’t have any white wine available that I wanted to waste on food :)  HA!

First things first…

Melt butter in a saucepan and add the Italian salad dressing packet.  Stir in the soup, chicken broth, and cream cheese until it combines and melts.

Place the mushrooms on the bottom of your crock pot and place the chicken breasts on top. 

Pour the sauce mix on top of the chicken, cover with lid, and cook on low for 5 hours!!!! 

Can you smell the deliciousness?!?!?!  I completely forgot to take a picture of the yumminess, but you’ll serve over cooked rice or angel hair pasta.  We had ours with rice because we just happen to have it on hand.  However, it would’ve been AMAZING over pasta!!!! 

If you’re lookin’ to impress Mr. Spouse and spend an insanely SHORT amount of time in the kitchen, whip this one up as soon as you get a chance!!  This is definitely a crock pot meal you need in  your arsenal!

Stuffed to the Gills!

I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE me some barbeque.  If there’s a Dickey’s in my line of vision, there’s a good chance I’m pullin’ over for some brisket.  When I’m in Houston, there’s NOTHING better than bbq from The Brisket House.  Ohmiword, y’all.  Heaven.sent.  Hands down, best there is.  I LOVE their beef brisket stuffed baked potatoes…one of my favorite comfort foods!!!  Since I don’t have a chance to get it very often…even when I am visiting…I start going through withdrawls. Well, I DID go through withdrawls…until I found this recipe!!!  It’ll never be Brisket House, but it comes pretty dang close!!!!!

 

SAUCY CHIPOTLE BARBEQUE PORK STUFFED BAKED POTATOES

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

1 {4-5 lb.} boneless pork butt roast, cut in half

2 tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 {18 oz.} bottle spicy original bbq sauce {I used KC Masterpiece}

1 {12 oz.} bottle Baja chipotle marinade {I used Lawry’s…and I could only find it at Kroger’s!}

4 large baking potatoes

Vegetable oil

Kosher salt

Green onions, chopped

 

Ummmm…once again, no step-by-step pictures, but trust me when I tell you that it’s EASY to prep!  Rub the dry mustard, salt, and red pepper evenly over the pork.  Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over med-hi heat.  Add the pork to the skillet and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s browned on all sides.

Place the onion and pork in a crock pot and add the barbeque sauce and marinade.  Cover and cook on HIGH for 7 hours or until pork is tender and shreds easily. 

About an hour before the pork is ready, wash the potatoes and use a fork to prick some holes in the sides of each.  Now coat each potato with vegetable oil {I used a little kitchen brush},sprinkle with kosher salt, and place directly on the middle of the oven rack.  Place a pan underneath the rack to catch the drippings :)  Bake on 350 for 1 hour.

Now it’s time to serve it up.  Remove your potatoes and slice ‘em open.  Stuff the heck out of it like you’d normally make your baked potatoes.  I like mine with butter {shocker, I know}, sour cream, and cheese.  Now take that aromatic, saucy chipotle pork, shred it, and stuff it right inside your potato…as much, or as little, as your hungry little heart desires.  Lemme just tell you that I didn’t go easy on my serving size.  Garnish with green onions and VOILA!

OH.MY.WORD.  If this doesn’t look good, I don’t know what does.  So flippin’ amazing.  We had SO much pork leftover though. I only ate one potato because it was filling as heck.  We saved the pork and ate it throughout the week…in potatoes, buns, you get the idea.  Or you could always freeze it and pull it out for an easy meal later on.  Whatever the case, you MUST try it soon!!  Especially if you like stuffed potatoes like I do :) 

We really know how to do it in Texas, don’t we?!??!

Why Didn’t I Think of That?!

Have you ever found a recipe that you just love and think to yourself, “Why didn’t I think of that?!”  That’s how I felt after I found this recipe on THIS website {which I big puffy heart LOVE, by the way}.  So easy…SO tasty.  Seriously…why didn’t I think of it first?!?!

CROCK POT PEPERONCINI BEEF SANDWICHES

1-2 lbs. beef chuck roast

1 jar peperoncini peppers

Optional

Cheese {pepper jack or mozzarella…we used pepper jack}

French or hoagie rolls

Combine beef & peppers in crock pot.  Cook on high for 8 hours.  Remove beef and shred with fork {SO tender!}.  Return to crock pot.  Serve on hoagie rolls and smother with cheese.  We used {melted} pepper jack cheese for a kick…and it was DELICIOUS!!!!

This is definitely the kinda meal a man would love…and my man did!!!  I personally could eat peperoncinis all over EVERYTHING.  They’re my favorite turkey sandwich accessory.  I LOVE the way they added a vinegary kick to the beef.  SUCH a good sandwich!!  We’ll definitely be repeating this meal again….in our VERY near future :)  YUM!!!

That Was Easy!

This is one of those recipes that requires the use of the EASY button :)  Honestly it couldn’t have been any easier!!  I originally saw this recipe on my friend, Brittney’s, blog and I’ve had it bookmarked since FOREVER ago.  Mr. Spouse wanted to know why we didn’t try it sooner!!!  HA!!!  I added just a little something extra to give it just a teensy bit more Mexican flavor and we ah-dored the way it turned out!!!  That was EASY!

CROCKPOT SHREDDED BEEF TACOS

2 1/2 lbs. beef roast {chuck roast}

1 onion, chopped

2 cans Rotel

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 tsp. cumin

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Now, the original recipe called for only 1 can of Rotel and no cumin.  I liked the extra Rotel and the cumin was a last minute addition.  I loved the way it tasted without the cumin, but we wanted something that was a little bit more Mexican-y in flavor.  MY.LAWD!!!!  SO dang good!!  We served it on buttered, grilled dinner rolls {AMAZING}...

 

And inside homemade flour tortillas {thank you, Kroger!!} with a little bit of pico and guacamole.  OMG…TO DIE FOR!!!!

Definitely a dish we’ll be repeating soon!!  And seriously…what could be easier than the crockpot?!?!  LOVE IT!

A New Christmas Eve Tradition

Since we spent Christmas Eve by ourselves this year, I decided to make a meal that I knew we’d be eating as “our” Christmas Eve meal for years to come.  One of Mr. Spouse’s favorite meals is pot roast and I typically only cook that on Easter.  The last pot roast I made was a little dry and not so flavorful, so when I found this recipe…boasted how flavor filled it was…I knew I had to give it a shot.  And let’s be real…how wrong can you really go with pot roast?!  Mr. Spouse was beside himself and said this was definitely something I need to make A LOT more!  YAY!  I guess this is one Christmas Eve tradition we’ll be happy to repeat year after year!

FLAVORFUL POT ROAST

2 boneless beef chuck roasts {2 1/2 lbs. each.  We only used 1}

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg. ranch salad dressing mix

1 pkg. Italian salad dressing mix

1 pkg. brown gravy mix

1/2 cup water

Optional

Carrots

Potatoes

Onion

In a large bowl, mix together soup, dressing mixes, gravy mix, and water until thoroughly blended & set aside.  Add chuck roasts to crock pot and pour the dressing/soup mix on top.  Set on low and cook for 7-8 hours.

Since we only used 1 chuck roast, I added 1 large onion {cut into big chunks} and baby carrots halfway through cook time.  I don’t like the veggies to be too smushy and halfway through cooking is perfect! 

I definitely won’t wait ‘til Christmas to cook this again!!!  It’s just TOO good!  The meat was seriously falling apart with every poke of my fork.  SO dang tender!!  And the recipe wasn’t lying.  It was flavorful as all get out!  If you’re a fan of pot roast, you MUST try this variation.  AMAZING!!!!  A Christmas Eve tradition we can’t wait to continue!!!

Cha-Cha-Cha-CHILI!!!!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a BIG fan of chili!!  My dad made the BEST chili growing up!  Truly!!  Then I married Mr. Spouse and he’s always trying to master the chili makin’ art…and he’s pretty dang amazing if I do say so myself.  I LOVE his chili!!!  My cute little school just had a Chili Cook-Off last week and a couple of my sweet parents came in and brought all the ingredients to make their chili with my kids.  As it was cookin’ in my class throughout the day, it was taking EVERY ounce of willpower I had not to open up the crock pot and fix myself a bowl.  It smelled SOOOO good!  And let me tell ya…restraining myself was SO worth the wait because when I finally did dig in, I was in HEAVEN.  I was SURE we’d be the big winners of the cook-off, but we were robbed ;)  I still give it 2 thumbs up and then some…an winner in my book FOR SURE!!!!  Thank you to my sweet parents for this amazing recipe…and thanks to my sweet kids for giving it the PERFECT name!!

MRS. CARROLL’S CHA CHA CHILI

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 lb. ground sirloin

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, chopped {optional…I used ‘em, of course!}

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped {pressed}

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 {15 oz.} can of black beans

1 {15 oz.} can of pinto beans

1 {10 oz.} can of Rotel {we used mild, but next time we’ll use HOT!}

Salt & pepper to taste

Shredded cheddar or monterrey jack cheese

Fritos

Don’t let the amount of ingredients steer you away from this recipe!  See, it’s not that bad!!

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Add beef and cook for 7-10 minutes.  Add onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, & jalapenos and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes.  Add beans {DON’T drain!} and Rotel.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, covered {stirring often}.  Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.  Top with cheese and Fritos and ENJOY!!  I promise you will!!!

Mr. Spouse LOVED it!!!  And when he was finished, he was all, “That Frito Pie was awesome!”    And I was all, “That wasn’t a Frito Pie.  It was chili topped with Fritos.”  And he was all, “Chili…cheese…Fritos.  How is that NOT a Frito Pie??”  Well played, Mr. Spouse.  This is just a MUCH better and beefier version of a Frito Pie than I’ve ever had.  It’s like a Frito Pie on steroids and it’s DANG GOOD!!!!!  Even the kids liked it!!  ALL of them :)  They were even asking for seconds!  It definitely gets a first grade THUMBS UP!!!!

I Stink At Making Crock Pot Meals!!!

I do!!!  I LOVE crock pot recipes, but I stink at preparing them!!!  I always forget to set out the ingredients before I leave for the gym in the morning.  Luckily, Mr. Spouse had a late night at work and I was able to get home in the afternoon and throw everything together for this meal before he got home!  This is SO easy peasy and AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!!!  And it made my house smell so yummy!!  You gotta try it!

CROCK POT SALSA CHICKEN

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup salsa {I used Joe T. Garcia's}

1 pkg. taco seasoning {I used McCormick's}

1 cup sour cream

Place chicken, soup, and salsa in the crock pot.  Pour taco seasoning on top.

Cook on low for 6 hours, or if you're last minute like me, cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours.  Pull the chicken out and shred and return to the crock pot.

Stir in sour cream and heat until ingredients are combined. 

Now, I screwed up.  Shocker.  I mixed the soup, salsa, taco seasoning, & sour cream together and then poured it over the chicken and let everything cook for a couple of hours.  I clearly wasn't paying attention.  Anyway, it was still AMAZING and yummy, but it wasn't creamy enough to serve over rice {the recipe said to serve with rice}.  I'm thinking it might have been creamier if I added the sour cream last?!  I don't know, but I'd screw up the recipe on purpose again because it turned out great!!!!

  Instead of rice, I wrapped up the chicken in tortillas and served these as soft tacos.  Mr. Spouse was IN.LOVE and said we DEFINITELY have to make this again, SOON!  SO, if you decide to whip this up for dinner and follow the recipe the right way, let me know how it turns out!!! 

I Love Friends With Good Recipes

I LOVE crock pot meals.  Love 'em.  I love that I can be slavin' away at work while my dinner is basically cooking itself.  This is, hands down, one of my most FAVORITE crock pot meals to date.  Thank you to my sweet friend, Meredith, for sharing this one!!!  {She makes the yummiest food!!}

Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 pkg. {8 oz.} cream cheese, cubed

1 packet dry Italian seasoning

4.5 oz. can of chopped green chiles

1 cup of milk

In a large bowl, mix together soup, cream cheese, Italian seasoning, green chiles, and milk.  Stir the heck out of it.  I use a mixer to really break up the cream cheese so that the sauce isn’t too clumpy. 

 

Line your crock pot with these handy crock pot liners.  Okay, so that's not a MUST do, but I HATE cleaning the crock pot, so it's a MUST for me!  Place chicken breasts in the crock pot & cover with the sauce.

Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2.  I forgot to get everything ready before I left for the gym that morning, so I crock-pot-cooked it on high as soon as I got home and it took a little over two hours.  LOVE IT!!!

Serve with rice {Meredith said that noodles are good, too!!}

And an added bonus?!?!  This little dish makes the house smell AMAZING!!!!!!!