Shredded Beef and Mexican Rice

Shredded Beef for Tacos

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) frozen rump roast
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 (7.75 ounce) cans Mexican style hot tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons crushed garlic
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Place the frozen roast in the slow cooker. Pour the wine and Mexican style hot tomato sauce over the top. Season with garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.
2. Cover, and cook on Low for 9 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork. Shred the roast into the juices, and mix in the chopped green onions and cilantro.

Mexican Rice

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add rice. Cook, stirring constantly, until puffed and golden. While rice is cooking, sprinkle with salt and cumin.
2. Stir in onions and cook until tender. Stir in tomato sauce and chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

BBQ Meatballs and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

BBQ Meatballs

Ingredients

• FOR MEATBALLS
• 1-½ pound Ground Beef
• ¾ cups Oats
• 1 cup Milk
• 3 Tablespoons Very Finely Minced Onion
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt
• Plenty Of Ground Black Pepper, to taste
• _____
• FOR COOKING MEATBALLS
• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour (coating For Frozen Meatballs)
• Canola Oil
• _____
• FOR SAUCE
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
• 4 Tablespoons (to 6 Tablespoons) Onion
• 1 dash Tabasco

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove meatballs from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty French bread.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• ¾ cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• ½ cups (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• ½ teaspoons (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Pepper

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Note: When making this dish a day or two in advance, take it out of the fridge about 2 to 3 hours before serving time. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.

Chicken Vegetable and Tortellini soup

My old good friend Trenna showed me how to make this soup a few years ago. I really don't follow a recipe, just go off smell and taste. I guess it would be something like...

2-3 chicken breasts (or a whole chicken) boiled.

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 Italian zucchini, chopped

1 onion, chopped

4 sun dried tomatoes

2 bay leaves (remove after cooked)

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 pkg. fresh cheese and spinach tortellini

Cook the chicken in pot of water. Do not drain, but cut up the chicken and put back in pot.

Add sliced carrot and onion. Let boil. Add zucchini, sun dried tomatoes, bay leaves and spices.

Let it boil. remove bay leaves and add tortellini. When tortellini is cooked, serve.

I always like to serve this with homemade rolls. Enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

8 T unsalted butter
2 cups breadcrumbs
Salt
1 pound macaroni
1 garlic clove, minced
1 t dry mustard, dissolved in 1 t water
1/4 t cayenne pepper
6 T flour
3 1/2 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb Colby cheese, shredded (4 cups)
8 oz extra-sharp cheddar cheese (2 cups)
Pepper

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 2 T of the butter and toss with breadcrumbs.

2. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Stir in 1 T salt and add the macaroni and cook according to package directions. Drain the macaroni and leave in colander.

3. Wipe out the pot, add remaining 6 T butter, melt over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, mustard mixture and cayenne. Cook until fragant, about 30 seconds.

4. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a simmer. Cook, whisking often until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 6 minutes.

5. Off the heat, whisk in the cheeses until completely melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the drained macaroni, breaking up any clumps, until combined.

6. Pour into a 9X13 inch dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs. Bake until golden brown and bubbling around the edges, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

To make ahead:
Assemble the casserole as directed through step 6, but do not sprinkle with the breadcrumbs or bake. Store in the fridge, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days before serving. The casserole can also be frozen, wrapped with an additional layer of foil for up to 2 months. Allow the macaroni and cheese to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking. (If frozen, thaw in the fridge for 24 hours before letting sit at room temperature.)

From America's Test Kitchen

(Instead of Colby cheese I used cheddar and jack cheese, mostly because that's what Costco had that was pre-shredded.)

Fiesta Chicken

1.5 lbs chicken breasts or tenders

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can corn, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup fresh salsa

1 Tbs chili powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Assembly: Add all ingredients to a zip lock bag.

To Serve: Cook on low in crock pot until chicken is completely cooked (4-6 hours, depending on your crock pot). Shred or chop chicken. Serve over flour tortillas topped with cheese and sour cream.

Sloppy Turkey Joes

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 package ground turkey breast or lean ground turkey
1/2 red onion
1/2 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend-I usually use more, it depends on how spicy you want them (recommended: McCormick Montreal Grill Seasoning or Mrs. Dash seasoning for poultry)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup tomato sauce,( 8- ounce) can

To the sauce I add mustard and cider vinegar and sometimes ketchup.

Finely chop the onion and bell pepper. Add the olive oil to a hot skillet, add the turkey. Break up into pieces, season with salt and pepper and then add the onions and peppers. Cook until turkey is cooked through.

While the turkey is cooking, in a small bowl mix the brown sugar, seasoning, worcestershire and tomato sauce together (and the mustard and vinegar if you want to add it.) When the turkey is cooked and there is no fat left in the pan, add the sauce and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve on buns.

By Rachel Ray

Beef and Cheese Manicotti

By: Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 pound ground beef
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
• 1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Directions

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil, onion and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns and the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta. Dot entire dish with the butter pieces. Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Asian Noodle Bowls with Steak and Snow Peas

Ingredients

Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (8.8 ounces) soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
1 1/2 pounds skirt steak, cut in half or thirds if too large to fit in skillet
1 pound snow peas, stem ends removed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped
Directions

In a pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until al dente. Drain; set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Season steak with salt and pepper. Cook (in batches if necessary), turning once, until medium-rare, 2 to 6 minutes per side. Transfer steak to a cutting board, and loosely tent with aluminum foil (reserve skillet with juices).
Add snow peas to skillet, and toss with juices. Cook on medium-high heat, tossing occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add noodles, soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons water; cook until warmed through, about 20 seconds. Transfer to serving bowls. Slice steak; place on top of noodles, and add any accumulated juices. Scatter with peanuts, and serve.

*Must blanch snow peas for 2 minutes if you are going to freeze them!

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

From the Kitchen of Lisa Manning or Holly Weaver

6 cups chicken broth

1 pkg. original Uncle Bens wild rice

1/2 cup chopped scallions/ green onions

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

2 cups half and half or milk

1 cup cooked chicken breast

Bring chicken broth to boil. Add green onions and rice. cover and simmer for 35- 40 min.

In another pan melt butter. Add flour and S&P. Whisk in half and half/ milk. cook until thickened. Then add chicken and add to soup.

This is really yummy in bread bowls!

Chicken and Corn Fried Rice

Don't skip the spinach and lemon, it may seem weird, but it is sooo good. This comes from Chef Ming Tsai who responded to a challenge to some of the nation's best cooks: Come up with a meal that is family-friendly, budget-conscious, and delicious.

NOTE: Instead of ground chicken, I used Costco roasted chickens.

Chicken and Corn Fried Rice

1 pound ground chicken
2 eggs
1 large yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 ears of corn when in season, or 1 bag frozen (12 ounces)
1/2 (10 ounces) bag spinach (washed, spun dry, de-stemmed, leaves torn)
2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups cold, cooked long-grain rice, brown and white combination, preferably day-old so it's nice and dry
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Canola oil

Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with oil. When oil shimmers add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and brown, breaking up any large chunks with wooden spoon or spatula. Remove chicken to a plate. Add about 1/2-inch oil to wok and allow to heat; add eggs, which will puff up. Cook scrambled eggs and remove to a paper towel-lined plate. If necessary, add more oil to wok to lightly coat, then add onions, garlic, and powdered ginger, and cook until nicely caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add corn, rice, chicken and egg, and toss to combine. Add naturally brewed soy sauce, toss to combine, and check for seasoning. Place mound of raw spinach in center of four dinner plates. Drizzle with lemon juice and season. Top with fried rice to cover.

FREEZER DIRECTIONS: Heat a wok or pan over medium high heat. Coat with oil and add eggs (not included in freezer meal). Cook and remove to paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the bag of rice, corn and chicken. Cook until heated through. Add more soy sauce if desired. Serve over raw spinach as described above. Enjoy!