French Dip Sandwiches

These were a household hit last week. The ciabatta rolls I got from Wildflower Bread Co.- they were perfect for this sammy.

French Dip Sandwiches

1 3-lb. beef roast

2 T. olive oil

S & P

1 packet lipton onion soup mix

2 C. water

2 cans beef broth

ciabatta rolls

sliced provolone or swiss cheese

Season roast well with salt and pepper. Sear in oil in large pan over med-high heat, just a couple minutes on each side. Place roast in crockpot, add soup mix, water and broth. Cover and cook for about 10 hours on low. When sufficiently tender, shred beef. Arrange shredded beef on rolls and top with cheese. Broil in oven for just a minute or two- you can't watch too carefully. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping. Oh so good.

Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

A friend made this a few years ago, and I HAD to have the recipe. It's been a family favorite ever since! For the best mashed potato recipe, go here.

Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

1 package beef stew meat
2 cans beef consumme (next to the beef broth)
4 or 5 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 packets brown gravy mix

Flour stew meat, then place in large skillet over medium heat. Add beef consumme and cook for about 2 hours until meat is tender, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and cook about 30 minutes or until carrots are soft. Mix gravy packets with 2 cups water, then add to skillet and stir until sauce thickens. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

When deciding upon this menu, I went back and forth between two steak recipes for a long time. Ultimately, Giada won out, and holy smokes am I glad she did. THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST RECIPES I'VE EVER TRIED. I can't say enough about the amazingness of this filet and the flavors of the cheese and balsamic syrup, so I'll just say- please try it. Please.

Filet Mignon with Balsamic Syrup and Goat Cheese

1 1/2 C. balsamic vinegar
3 T. sugar
2 T. butter
6 (5 to 6-ounce) filet mignon steaks (each about 1-inch thick)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

Boil the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400. Melt the butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Sear the steaks for one minute per side- on top, bottom, and sides. Transfer whole skillet to the oven for about ten minutes. Remove from oven and preheat the broiler. Crumble the cheese over the steaks and return to oven to broil just until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with pepper.
Transfer the steaks to plates. Drizzle the balsamic sauce around the steaks and serve.

The Best Pot Roast

I realize this isn't much to look at, but this is hands down the best pot roast ever. I'm not a big meat eater, but I could eat this all the time! You must try it. I shredded mine to put in tacos and it shreds so easily with one fork because it's so tender. You could also serve it as is with a side of mashed potatoes. Yum!

Pot Roast

• 1 (3-pound) boneless chuck roast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons House seasoning, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup oil (vegetable or olive would do)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 or 4 beef bouillon cubes, crushed
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Sprinkle roast on all sides with house seasoning. Using a skillet over high heat, sear roast until brown in oil. Place roast in a slow cooker, and layer onions, bay leaves, crushed bouillon cubes, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup. Add enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Cook on the low setting for 8 hours.

House Seasoning:

• 1 cup salt
• 1/4 cup black pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

Green Chile Burros

Filled our freezer with these last week (Marilee style) so on the days I don't make Chris a lunch he can grab one of these and still have something half-way decent. He comes home telling me how for lunch he had a giant slice of somebody's birthday cake, or a couple candy bars or something, and it makes me ill. Just trying to give you options, dear.
Recipe from friend/chef Tatum.

Green Chile Burros

1 large can refried beans
about 2 cups leftover shredded pork or roast beef
1/2 C. salsa
1 C. green chile sauce
1/2 C. grated cheddar or jack cheese
tortillas

On stovetop or in crockpot, place beans, beef, salsa, sauce and cheese. Cook on med-low for a couple hours til warmed through. Place tortillas with some grated cheese under broiler for a few seconds. Fill with green chile mixture. If eating right away, add sour cream and guacamole before rolling tortilla up.

Really, I just wanted to make these so I could purchase a 7 pound can of beans from Costco. (Note, the flat of small cans of beans from Costco costs about $7, this 7 pounder cost $3.29. Great one!)

When making lots to freeze:

I didn't really do exact measurements when doing 24 burritos, just used lots more of everything. I used all 7 pounds of beans, 2 small pork roasts from Costco, 1 jar salsa, 1 large can green chile enchilada sauce, and 2 small blocks of cheese, shredded. It filled 24 large tortillas with some to spare. I just froze the extra (2 cups) in a separate ziploc for another time. Wrap finished tortillas in tin foil and freeze. When Chris leaves for work, he grabs one, leaves it out for the morning, and then by the time lunch comes around, it is defrosted enough to zap in the micro and eat. Hope you can follow the haphazard directions. :/

(My favorite) Tin Foil Dinner

Let's just acknowledge the elephant in the picture before anything else... I know sitting right on top of that otherwise tempting dinner is a big fat horrible slice of onion. But I've had a bunch sitting on my counter (I can't even remember why I bought them) and decided to put a slice on top of each foil dinner, for flavor and moisture. Unneccesary. Naturally, I forcefully disposed of it before consuming the meal, and I didn't notice that it even added anything. So, you make the call as to whether you will allow the onion into the packet or not, but as for me and my family, from here on out, we say NO to onions. That being said- these are very tasty... and the kids scarfed them.

Tin Foil Dinners
serves 4

lots of tin foil (you always need more than you think)
1 lb. ground beef
3 russet potatoes
4 large carrots
1 pkg. frozen corn
1 small can cream of mushroom soup

Tear a double layer of tin foil for each packet. Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots into approx. uniform size. Boil both in water for 10 minutes or so, til starting to get tender. Divide beef evenly among packets, shape into a patty, and place down first on the foil. Salt and pepper. Top with potatoes and carrots, then a dollop of soup, and finish with a sprinkling of corn (I love the corn in this... so mine has lots). Lightly salt and pepper again. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes-1 hour, or til meat is cooked through. Don't forget the s'mores for dessert!

*My childhood friend Amanda Martin shared this fun idea with me years ago: Mini S'mores. With a bowl of Golden Grahams cereal, a bowl of mini marshmallows, a bowl of chocolate chips, a few toothpicks and a votive candle, you can make mini s'mores around a mini campfire. Toast the marshmallow over the flame of the votive, and with a chocolate chip, sandwich between two golden grahams and pop in your mouth. Cute, no?

Pot o' Chili

Tried a new chili recipe last week. Realized I like my old recipe best. I usually make this in the crockpot.

Pot o' Chili

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2 ribs finely chopped celery
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 (15-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
3 (15-oz.) cans red kidney beans, drained
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vinegar
2 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1 T. chili powder (if you like it spicy, do 1 1/2- 2T.)

Brown ground beef and celery, drain. Combine all ingredients in crock pot. Cook 8 hours on low or 2-3 on high. Serve with warm cornbread, cheese and sour cream. And OLIVES! (Much to Chris' disgust.)

Taco Salad

This recipe is from The Best 30 Minute Recipe (from the editors of Cook's Illustrated). I highly recommend this cookbook. Everything is quick and easy and they have lots of good tips. The cilantro-lime vinaigrette makes the dish. Candice made this a while ago and told me she wanted to drink the dressing. Now I know why.

Taco Salad

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced ( I omitted this)
2 tablespoons chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
1 recipe cilantro-lime vinaigrette
10 cups romaine lettuce
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and cubed
1 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese blend
Tortilla chips, sour cream, salsa (for serving)

1. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and chili powder and cook until onion is softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Stir in beef and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool slightly (While beef cools, make vinaigrette).

3. Toss lettuce with 1/2 cup of vinaigrette. Portion beef on top of salad and sprinkle with tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Sprinkle remaining vinaigrette over top of salad, or pass separately. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa.

Cilantro- Lime Vinaigrette

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 shallot, peeled
1 jalapeno chile, stemmed and seeded
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Process lime juice, shallot, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, cumin, and salt in blender until shallot and garlic are finely chopped, about 15 seconds. With blender running, add cilantro, then oil, and continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds.

Shredded Beef Tostadas

OH my dang- these were so good. Fresh and Easy has mini corn tortillas (not to mention the best pizza dough... Chrystal:) which I used for the base. I fried them- and don't feel a bit bad about it, because I honestly can't remember the last time I fried anything. So I went for it. We topped them with shredded slow cooker beef, guacamole, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, shredded carrot and sour cream. The carrot was an experiment- it was colorful and added another veggie and no one seemed to mind it on there.

The shredded beef was sooooo tender and juicy. I have tried roast a dozen different ways- and finally found a method that ensures succulent results.

STEP 1- sear the roast in a couple Tbsps veg oil in a skillet on the stovetop over high heat, one or two minutes each side.
STEP 2- place roast in crockpot with desired seasonings and liquids.
STEP 3- cook all day (10 hours) on low.

The searing step I learned from Paula Deen. When I first heard of it, I thought- that is the REASON you cook in a crockpot- so you don't have to dirty another pan or skillet! But it is worth the step. I just did the roast plus a packet of taco seasoning mix, and covered it all with water. The meat was really yum, but didn't taste a whole lot like taco seasoning. The flavor of the seasoning all got tossed out with the water. When I make these again I'll try at least two packets. I have also tried the non taco-seasoning packet route- the Tyler Florence from scratch shredded taco meat route, and it wasn't anything spectacular, I liked this one better for sure.