Crockpot Beef Burritos

This beef is absolutely delish. It only requires a few ingredients and is full of flavor. We love using it in burritos (they rival Qdoba and Chipotle) but it would also be great in quesadilla's or tacos!

Ingredients:
1 London Broil or top round roast (about 2 lbs)
1 diced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce – I use 1 or 2 peppers (It’s in a can.)
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder (optional - I omit to keep it kid friendly)

You will also need:
Whole wheat burrito sized tortillas
Anything else you like on burritos –  black beans, sour cream, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole etc.

We also like to add Cilantro Lime Rice to our burritos. All you need to do is make some white rice and add lime juice, cilantro, and salt.


Directions:
Dump all of the ingredients into the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours. I usually throw my beef in while it is frozen and it takes about 8 hours on low.

When the meat is cooked, you will need to strain the juices and add the juice back to the slow cooker. (You want to remove the peppercorns and onions.) Shred the meat and add back to the juice in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes.

recipe courtesy of www.savingyoudenero.com

Roasted Vegetable Macaroni and Cheese

Loaded with veggies, no butter cheese sauce - It's hard to believe this mac and cheese could be good. It wasn't good though - it was AMAZING. Zachary had 3 helpings and said it was the best mac and cheese he has ever had! I felt good fixing this for my family since it was loaded with veggies, whole grain noodles and the cheese sauce wasn't full of awful ingredients! This will definitely become a staple in our house!

Ingredients:

1 cup broccoli florets, chopped into small chunks

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow squash, quartered and diced

10 baby carrots, sliced thinly

2 cups whole wheat pasta (elbow macaroni, rotini, penne, etc.)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk (I use 1%)

2 cups (8 oz.) Sargento® Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tbsp. panko breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat bread crumbs)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set a medium pot of salted water to boil. Prepare a large baking sheet by lining with aluminum foil and coating with a little olive oil or nonstick cooking spray.

Toss broccoli, red pepper, squash and carrots onto the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside.

Once water is boiling, lower heat slightly and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Whisk in flour and cook 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, stirring constantly until mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in cheddar cheese until well distributed and melted.  Add salt and pepper. Add macaroni and vegetables.

Place mixture in a large casserole dish and sprinkle with panko breadcrumbs. Place under the broiler in your oven (500 degrees) for 3-4 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.


We added red pepper flakes to ours at the table to keep it kid friendly. Yum!

recipe courtesy of http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2013/02/spicy-roasted-vegetable-macaroni-and-cheese.html
Comfort of Cooking

Honey Chicken Kabobs

Kabobs are a staple in our house during the summer. They are so colorful, fun to eat and delish! I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew the whole family would love these! They were so full of flavor and the marinade caramelized onto the veggies. So yum!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
2 cloves garlic
1 large white onion, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces (I used 1 orange and 1 yellow - use your favorite!)
skewers

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together oil, honey, soy sauce, and pepper. Before adding chicken, reserve a small amount of marinade to brush onto kabobs while cooking.

Place the chicken, garlic, onions and peppers in the bowl, and marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 hours (the longer the better).

Preheat the grill for high heat.

Drain marinade from the chicken and vegetables, and discard marinade. Thread chicken and vegetables alternately onto the skewers*

Lightly oil the grill grate. Place the skewers on the grill. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until chicken juices run clear. Turn and brush with reserved marinade frequently.

*Don't forget to soak your skewers in water so they don't catch on fire

recipe courtesy of  http://www.allrecipes.com

Beef and Broccoli

Wow! This recipe is SO easy and absolutely delicious! I was skeptical that the steak would end up being tough but it was so tender and full of flavor! The kids devoured it (Olivia had 2nds!) I'm so excited to have another recipe for a take-out type of food that we can make at home!

First, marinate the meat for an hour or more:

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
• 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips (sirloin works great too)

1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

• 1 cup low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty)
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp sherry
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil (I used EVOO)
• 2 heads broccoli, crowns only (I used 4, we love broccoli!)

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, flour and sherry until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.
3. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve with red pepper flakes (optional).

recipe courtesy of  http://rainydaygal.com/2011/02/03/beef-with-broccoli/

Fruit Salsa with Baked Cinnamon Chips

This was so simple to make and yet soooooooooo incredibly good.  We couldn't stop eating it!  The kids absolutely loved it too.   Will definitely make again and again.  The only thing about it is that you can't make it too far in advance so be prepared to eat once it chills for a few minutes!  And trust me, once you start eating it, you can't stop anyway.
Side note:  We made the Baked Cinnamon Chips the first time we had this but we have also found that you can buy Baked Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (we used Stacy's brand that we found at Mar's Grocery Store) if you want to save time.  Just as good!

Ingredients:

for the fruit salsa:
2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples – peeled, cored and diced
8 oz raspberries - chopped
6 oz blackberries - chopped
1 (16 oz) carton of strawberries, diced
8 oz blueberries - chopped (optional)
2 tbsp white sugar (I used splenda)
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp fruit preserves, any flavor (I used strawberry)

for the cinnamon chips:
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray (we used the non fat cooking spray)

cinnamon sugar:
1 cup white sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1.  In a large bowl, thoroughly mix all the fruit, white sugar, brown sugar, and fruit preserves.  Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 15 minutes while the oven preheats to 350 degrees.

2.  Coat one side of each flour tortilla with melted butter or butter flavored cooking spray.  Sprinkle tortillas with desired amount of cinnamon sugar, cut into wedges, and arrange in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Spray again with cooking spray (not necessary if using melted butter).

3.  Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 10 minutes. Repeat with any remaining tortilla wedges. Allow to cool approximately 15 minutes. Serve with chilled fruit mixture. This salsa can also be served with cinnamon graham crackers or cinnamon pita chips. Best when made and eaten the same day otherwise the fruit gives off so too much juice and it gets runny.

Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup



Warm, cheesy, chunks of potatoes and full of flavor.  This soup is so easy to make. I threw it together the night before I was going to serve it and transferred it to the crockpot in the morning. I let it simmer all day while we were entertaining guests and by dinnertime the potatoes were nice and tender and I didn't have to spend the day cooking. Everyone loved it!

 





 

 

Ingredients:

2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
8 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
8 cups low sodium chicken Broth
1/4 c flour
1/2 c butter
1 lb lean ground beef, 93/7
1/2 c 1% Milk
6 - 8 Cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded (depending on how cheesy you want it)
Pepper to taste

Optional 2 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

Brown the meat, drain and set aside.

Melt 1/4 c of the butter in a large 5 qt pot and saute the onions, carrots and the celery until softened. Add cooked hamburger meat and chicken broth.  In another sauce pot, melt the remaining butter add the flour over low heat. Stir until thick and add to the large pot.

Stir well, then add the cheese along with the milk. Stir occasionally until the cheese is melted. Add the potatoes (uncooked).

Transfer the soup to a large crockpot and let it simmer all day on low. About 6 to 8 hours to make the potatoes tender. Depending on how thick you like your soup, towards the end remove 1/2 cup of broth and whisk in 2 TBSP of corn starch. Pour back into the crockpot and stir thoroughly. Let the soup cook without the lid for another hour to thicken.

Serve with a hunk of crunchy bread and season with pepper.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Snack Mix

This is one of those snacks that you will have to force yourself to step away from the bowl. It is so yummy and you can throw it together in under 10 minutes! Perfect for a fall gathering or Halloween party. It makes a TON.

Ingredients:
4 cups Golden Grahams® cereal
2 cups Cocoa Puffs® cereal
2 cups thin pretzel sticks (2 1/4 inch)
1 cup candy-coated peanut butter candies
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
10 oz white chocolate baking bars or squares, chopped
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar


Directions:
In large bowl, mix cereals, pretzels, peanut butter candies and peanuts; set aside.

In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate and butter uncovered on High about 1 minute, stirring once, until melted and chocolate can be stirred smooth. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.

In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, toss half of the cereal mixture with 1/4 cup of the powdered sugar until evenly coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Repeat with remaining cereal mixture and remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker