Crock Pot Taco Soup

My kids and I made a tradition last year that on the first snow fall of the season we make sugar cookies and have hot chocolate. It's flurried here and there but nothing I would call "the first snow."

Today has been kind of a nail biter! Is it the first snow fall? Really? Is it going to melt in an hour? Can I for sure give it the first snow label? I can't decide, and the clock is ticking!

In the meantime, taco soup. Need I say more? Warm up with this gem. I served it with the Olive Garden Bread Sticks and it was a big hit! Which is extremely rewarding since it was a typical "threw it together" meal. Whew!

What you will need:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 3 cans beef broth
• 1 1/2 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1 1/2 pkg. ranch mix 
• 1 lb. ground beef

Directions

• Dump all the canned ingredients into the crock pot 
• Mix in the taco seasoning and ranch mix
• Brown the ground beef and add it into the crock pot to mix in
• Cook on low 4-6 hours
• Top with grated cheese and a healthy dollop of sour cream if desired!

Shepherd's Pie Empanada's

Quite a while back I wanted to make some of those little April Fool's Day "cupcakes" with meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I wanted it to taste good, though. I decided to incorporate a pepperoncini gravy into the whole thing and it was crazy good!

Fast forward to now when I have a thing of Puff Pastry sitting in the freezer and I needed something to do with it. I figured why not try out those cupcakes in empanada form? Honestly, there's nothing too outside the box with this recipe aside from the gravy, which I expanded on after doing a roast with pepperoncini's in the crock pot. It just adds that *thing.*

What you will need:

• 1 box Puff Pastry
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• heavy cream
• 2 T butter
• 2 packets McCormick's brown gravy mix
• 2 T pepperoncini juice
• 1 tsp salt 
• egg wash

Directions:

• Thaw your puff pastry according to package directions 
•  Preheat oven to 400*
• Peel and cube your potatoes and boil them until you can stab one with a fork and it just slides right off when you pull it out of the water
• Brown your meat with some onion
• Mash potatoes with heavy cream and butter
• Prepare gravy mix with pepperoncini juice and salt
• Pour half the gravy mix into the ground beef pan and mix together
• Use a pizza cutter to slice puff pastry into even squares
• Brush the edges of each square with egg wash
• Fill with the mashed potatoes and ground beef
• Add an extra drizzle of gravy over the filling
• Bring one corner over to the other corner and press down
• Use the end of a fork to seal empanada
• Cook for 15 minutes

Tin Foil Dinners

Does anyone ever actually really need a recipe for tin foil dinners? You decide what you want in there, cut them up to the desired size, toss in the amount you want and grill away! Thought I'd share ours from last night! Enjoy! 

(ps- totally gluten free, I'm getting the hang of this)

Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwiches and Au jus

I love the Food Network.

I love The Next Food Network Star.

I love Jeff (last seasons winner).

He's the Sandwich King.

Ever since he shared this recipe it has been a favorite!

It does not dissapoint.

Each time I eat this, I am reminded why I'm so happy he won.

Mmmm!

His recipe includes the Sweet Peppers as a topping for the sandwich and his other recipe for the Giardiniera topping (it's always nice to have on hand for all kinds of things) is posted here. They are great together, but as of late have only been doing the giardiniera. 

You will need:

Pot Roast

• 1 boneless beef chuck eye roast 
• 4 soft, hinged or hogie rolls
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T vegetable oil
• 1 T dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 med. onion, roughly chopped
• 1/2 C dry red wine
• 3 C beef stock
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

Sweet Peppers

• 4 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 tsp. granulated garlic
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Pot Roast

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees
• Lightly sprinkle the entire roast with salt and pepper
• Heat olive oil in Dutch oven or over medium-high heat
• Brown the roast on all sides until golden and caramelized (reduce heat if fat begins to smoke)
• Transfer the roast to a plate and reduce heat to medium
• Add in onions and saute', stirring occasionally until just beginning to brown (about 8-10 mins)
• Add in Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and saute' until fragrant
• Add garlic and saute' until fragrant
• Deglaze with the red wine and cook until the alcohol smell diminishes
• Add beef stock and thyme and bring to a simmer
• Place roast back into pot and place into the oven
• Cook roast, turning ever 30 minutes (I turned mine about every 40-45 minutes and it's fine!)
• Cook for 3-4 hours
• Transfer the roast to a cutting board and tent with foil.
• Strain the jus through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl and return back to the pot.
• Bring to a simmer and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
• Once cooled a bit, pull the meat into smaller chunks and reserve for the sandwiches.

Sweet Peppers

• Once pot roast is done, turn up heat to 350 degrees
• Toss the pepper strips in the vegetable oil, garlic and salt&pepper on a baking sheet
• Bake, stirring halfway through until lighter in color and soft, about 20 minutes.

Pot Roast

I laugh every time I look at this picture now because it looks sooooo awfully dry and unappetizing. The good news is that it's the complete opposite. Promise.

What you will need:

• 1 (3-4 lb.) rump roast
• 1/4 C. Vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 1/2 C. red cooking wine
• 1 T tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 C. beef broth
• Salt&Pepper

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Coat both sides of your roast with salt and pepper
• On medium high heat, add oil to a large pan (I used a Cast Iron pan so I could put it straight into the oven later).
• Sear the roast on all sides
• Add onions, garlic and tomato paste into pan and cook until onions are slightly colored
• Add in the red wine and beef stock
• Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pan and place into the oven for 2 1/2 hours
• Let it rest for about 20 minutes after it's done in the oven

Like I said, I used a cast iron pan so it could go straight into the oven, but I'm sure you could transfer the roast and liquid into an oven pan if you wanted. My pan also didn't have a lid that came with it, so I wrap it with tin-foil really tight and it still comes out suuuper tender and amazing and delicious and everything you can think of that's perfect. It's hard to cut it into slices, it falls apart way too easy. (Now you will see the gross picture as proof of my mad skills in getting them into slices right?)

Also, if you'll notice, I don't cook potatoes or carrots with my roasts. I just don't. Deal.

Beef Adobo

There's only a million different ways you can go with this. Which is why I love it. You can add veggies or anything else you want or change the meat up any way you prefer! This is how I've been doing it the past year or so.

What you will need:

• 2 lbs. beef chuck
• 1 yellow onion sliced
• 2 gloves garlic minced
• 1/3 C soy sauce (Use Kikkoman brand if you are nervous about gluten. They are "technically" gluten free but have come out with a gluten-free version)
• 1/3 C vinegar
• 1/3 C water
• Salt&pepper
• White or brown rice
• large Ziploc bag

Directions:

• Cube your meat
• Place meat into large Ziploc bag with all other ingredients excluding the water
• Marinate for 2-3 hours
• Pour everything from your Ziploc bag onto a large sauce pan and brown the meat on medium-high heat
• Once the beef has browned, add 1/3 C water and simmer on low for about 40 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce has reached desired consistency
• Serve over rice

I have been wanting to try this with coconut milk and substituting the water with it. If any of you try it that way let me know how it goes!

Broiled Flank Steak

Tim made this for me, and I fell in love. I don't mean I fell in love as "just an expression." I really fell in love with it. I highly recommend you make this sometime, especially if you're on a date because when your date falls in love with it he/she might fall in love with you, too. Win/win.

What you will need:

• Flank steak or London Broil
• 1/2 C Soy Sauce (Use Kikkoman brand if you're nervous about gluten. It is "technically" gluten free but they have also come out with a gluten-free version)
• 2 T Vinegar
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 T minced onions
• 1 T olive oil
• Creole Seasoning
• Pepper/Salt
• Garlic salt
• 1 Gallon Freezer Bag

Directions:

• Combine soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, onions and olive oil into your freezer bag
• Add your steak into the bag and keep in the fridge to marinate over night
• When you are ready to cook the steak, make a spice rub with Creole seasoning, salt/pepper and Garlic salt to taste and spread over your steak
• Pan seer in a cast iron pan (or any pan that can be used in the oven) on the stove for 2 mins. each side with olive oil on Medium high heat
• Cook in the oven at 450 degrees for 12 mins. per side (for a Medium Well steak)

Fajitas and Homemade Fajita Seasoning

This can be a gluten free meal if you're careful about the tortilla's you use. I am a big fan of just omitting tortilla's all together and putting things on rice instead rather than using a piece of crap tortilla that tastes like cardboard.

You will need:

Fajita's

• 1 lb flank steak
• 1 tsp. Olive oil
• 1 Yellow Onion sliced
• 2 large bell peppers sliced length-wise
• (optional)Shredded Cheese
• (optional) Sour Cream
• (optional) Salsa
• (optional) Guacamole

Fajita seasoning

• 1 T lime juice
• 1 garlic clove finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 T olive oil

Directions:

• Slice steak into strips
• In large pan or griddle, turn heat on high and add 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• Brown the meat
• While meat is browning, mix together seasonings to make fajita seasoning
• Add Onions, peppers and seasoning
• Turn heat to Medium and cook until desired "doneness"
• Serve immediately with choice of filling for Fajita's

The easiest Enchiladas you'll ever make!

I love love LOVE Enchiladas!! This is the recipe I always use because it's so simple but amazingly yummy. Also, because it's so basic there is room to add more of what you like to suit your taste.

What you will need:

• 1-2 lbs. hamburger (depending on how much you want to make)
• 8-10 Tortillas
• Cheese
• 28 oz. Las Palmas Enchilada Sauce

Directions:

• Brown the hamburger and drain
• Warm up Tortillas
• Spread Sauce in tortillas
• Add hamburger meat
• Add grated cheese
• Roll up tortillas and line them up in 8X10 pan
• Pour the rest of the Sauce on top of the Tortillas
• Sprinkle the rest of the Cheese on top of the Sauce
• Bake in the oven at 375 until Cheese is melted

Meatball Sauce

How the heck does anyone even get an appetizing picture of meatballs? It didn't help that I took this after about 10 of the meatballs were already eaten. But you get the idea, right? You'll looove this meatball sauce. Promise!

Typically, I don't make my own meatballs, but I will add a simple recipe you can use to make some easy ones you can elaborate on.

Meatballs
What you will need:

• 2 lbs. beef
• 1 c. seasoned breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• Salt and Pepper

Sauce
What you will need:

• 1 C. Kraft Original BBQ Sauce
• 1/2 C. Grape Jelly
• 1/2 C. Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce (use Kikkoman brand if you're nervsou about gluten. They are "technically" gluten free but have come out with a gluten free version)
• 1/2 C. Heinz Chili Sauce

Meatballs
Directions:

• Shape into balls
• Roll in the palm of your hand
• Cook in Olive Oil until browned
• Mix with Meatball sauce

OR

Directions:

• Use one bag frozen meatballs
• Put meatballs into crockpot while you make your sauce

Meatball Sauce
Directions:

• Mix BBQ Sauce, Dijon Mustard, Soy Sauce, Chili Sauce and Grape Jelly into bowl
• Pour over meatballs in crockpot
• Let cook for about 2 hours