Italian Beef Sandwiches

-- from “Best of Country Slow Cooker Recipes Vol. 2”
published by Taste of Home

1 jar (11 ½ oz) pepperoncinis
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 ½ - 4 lbs)
¼ cup water
1 ¾ tsp dried basil
1 ½ tsp garlic powder
1 ½ tsp dried oregano
1 ¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 large onion, sliced and quartered
10-12 hard rolls, split

Drain pepperoncinis, reserving liquid. Remove and discard stems of peppers; set peppers aside. Cut roast into large chunks; place a third of the meat in a 5-qt slow cooker. Add water.
In a small bowl, combine the basil, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper; sprinkle half over beef. Layer with half of the remaining meat, then onion, reserved peppers and liquid. Top with remaining meat and herb mixture.
Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender. Shred beef with two forks. Using a slotted spoon, serve beef and peppers on rolls.

Yield: 10-12 servings
Editors note: Look for pepperoncinis (pickled peppers) in the pickle and olive section of your grocery store.
My note:  Very tasty.  Pepperoncinis are not spicy, so this is not a spicy dish (although I did leave the pepperoncinis off my kids' sandwiches).

Fiesta Beef Bowls

6 Servings
Prep: 25 min.
Cook: 8-1/2 hours

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds boneless beef top round steak
1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups hot cooked rice
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons sliced ripe olives
6 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
6 tablespoons guacamole

Directions:
Place round steak in a 3-qt. slow cooker. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic and seasonings; pour over steak. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove meat from slow cooker. Add beans to tomato mixture. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until beans are heated through. When cool enough to handle, slice meat. In individual bowls, layer the rice, meat and bean mixture. Top with cheese, olives, onions and guacamole.

from May 2010, Simple and Delicious magazine

A few notes:  This was so tasty and easy!  I don't think the meat needed to cook for 8-9 hours though.  Mine probably went for seven, and it was plenty.  I loved it the way it was, but am always thinking about ways to possibly improve.  I think it might be good over flavored rice.  Or maybe adding another can of tomatoes if I was serving it over rice.  I think the meat/beans would be a great burrito filler as is.

Steak Chili

I got this recipe from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook book, and I love it with either the steak, like in this picture, or with just hamburger as a more traditional chili!

1 1/2 pounds stew meat (or 1 1/2 pounds hamburger)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper (optional)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15-16-ounce cans kidney beans, pinto beans, and/or black beans, rinsed and drained
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspooon black pepper
Shredded chedder cheese (optional)
Dairy sour cream (optional)

Brown meat in a bigger pan (it will eventually hold all the chili), half at a time (I did it all at once) in 1 tablespoon hot cooking oil. Remove meat, reserving drippings in pan. Cook onion, sweet pepper, and garlic in drippings until tender; drain fat. Stir in kidney beans, undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, chili powder, basil, and black pepper. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, about 1 hour or until the meat is tender. If desired, top each serving with cheese and/or sour cream.

The only differences for hamburger is add 1 full cup of water instead of 1/2, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes instead of an hour.

Makes 8 servings

Steak and Seseme Seed Aspharagus

I kind of improvised a lot of this, so I don't have exact measurements, so sorry if this isn't the easiest recipe to follow!

Steak seasoning: (I just sprinkled as much on as I wanted of each of these)
Salt
Pepper
Powdered Garlic
Onion Salt
Marjoram (dried)
Basil Leaves (dried)
Rosemary (dried)

I forked the steak before adding the seasonings, and then I cooked the steak in a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat until it was cooked to my liking.

Asparagus
After washing it and cutting the bottom inch or two off, I sauteed it over medium heat in olive oil for about 6-8 minutes, turning every few minutes. Then I added sesame seeds (again, I just sprinkled however much I felt like) and continued cooking for another minute or two. Then I sprinkled with salt, rotated, and sprinkled with salt again. Then I added some soy sauce; I tried to make sure I got some on all the asparagus. I'd say it was probably about 2-3 tablespoons total. I let it simmer for just a minute or two more, and then served!

Italian Cream Cheese Chicken

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
(8 oz) package cream cheese
1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix

Mix all ingredients and put into crockpot. Cook 3-4 hours on high. Just before serving take a fork and break up the chicken into smaller pieces. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

**We made this for Father's Day and it was really good. The chicken is very tender and has lots of flavor.

Feta-Topped Chicken

4 boneless chicken breasts
2 tbs. balsamic vinegarette dressing
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. seasoned pepper
1 large roma tomato (cut into 8 slices)
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese

Set oven to broil. Mix dressing, italian seasoning, and pepper. Brush both sides of chicken with mixture and place on rack of broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for about 10 minutes, turning once. Top with tomato, then cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.


I cooked my chicken for about 10 minutes on each side, but I am really paranoid about not cooking chicken long enough. It was still tender and juicy after cooking that long, but the 10 minutes might be enough. I guess it will depend on the size of your chicken breasts. I also used about double the feta it called for, but that's just my personal preference. :)

Yogurt Baked Chicken

2 c. crushed Ritz crackers (1 pkg. is just under 2 cups)
3 tbs. Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. garlic salt
8 small (or 4 large) chicken breasts
1/4 c. butter melted
1 small carton plain (or lemon) yogurt

Rinse chicken, pat dry. Coat in yogurt. Dip in mixture of crackers, cheese and salt. Place chicken on a greased baking pan. Drizzle melted butter over chicken. Bake @ 350° for 1 hour (about 45 minutes if using 4 large chicken breasts)

Chicken Chile Verde

- submitted by Nell -

4 chicken breasts (if frozen omit water)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can black beans - drained
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 small can diced green chilies

Cook on low in crock pot 5-6 hours.
@ hour 5 shred chicken, return to pot, and let sit until ready to serve.

Serve on tortilla shells with cheese, lettuce, & tomatoes.

As a side note to this recipe, I sometimes don't have as much time so will cook on high about 3 hours.

Easy Roll-up Cannelloni

3 Tlbs olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage
1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chicken broth
1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp salt, plus 1 Tlbs for the pasta water
½ tsp black pepper
15 oz part-skim ricotta
1 cup mozzarella
1/3 cup Parmesan, plus extra for sprinkling
1 egg
Pinch of Nutmeg
1 package no-boil lasagna pasta (Barilla brand)

1. Heat oven to 375 and bring a large pot of water to boil.
2. Heat a Tlbs of the olive oil in a medium pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook it until it loses its pink color, breaking into smaller pieces with a slotted spoon, about 10 minutes. Using the spoon, transfer the sausage to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Add the onion and cook it until it is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook it until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Mix the cheese, egg, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper and the nutmeg with the bowl of cooked sausage. Stir to combine well, then set aside.
5. Add the Tlbs salt to the boiling water, then drop in the lasagna pasta. Boil for 1 minutes, stirring every few seconds to keep it from sticking. Drain the pasta and rinse it under cold water until it’s cool enough to handle. Separate the pasta sheets and lay them out on a clean, dry kitchen towel.
6. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with 1 cup of sauce. Spread about 1/3 cup of filling across a short end of a pasta sheet and roll it up. Put it in the prepared pan. Repeat. You should have enough for about 12 rolls.
7. Top the cannelloni with the rest of the sauce and bake until heated through, about 30-40 minutes. Severe hot with Parmesan for sprinkling. Serves 6.

Costa Rican Beef and Chayote

2 Tlbs canola or olive oil
1 meduim onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound lean ground beef (or turkey)
½ tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¾ cup diced green pepper
2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
2 Tlbs tomato paste
1 large chayote, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ inch dice, or zucchini cut into ¼ inch dice
½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
3 Tlbs finely chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for a few more seconds.
2. Add the meat, curry powder, salt, and pepper to the mixture. Continue to sauté until the meat loses its pink color, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the green pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, chayote and corn. Lower the heat, cover and cook until the chayote is tender, about 15 minutes (zucchini will take about 5 minutes to cook.)
4. Stir in the cilantro or parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with rice and refried beans or as a taco filling. Serves 4.

Crock Pot Lasagna

1 lb hamburger or Italian sausage (or both)
1 pkg (10 oz) lasagna noodles
12-16 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup water
1 onion, diced (or some minced onion)
1 carton (16 oz) low fat cottage cheese
1 large can (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
salt and pepper

Brown meat and onion. Add spaghetti sauce, water, salt and pepper. Break uncooked lasagna noodles in half to fit in crock pot. Lightly grease the crock pot and layer noodles, cottage cheese, meat sauce and cheese. Repeat. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours.

Pasta and Veggies

This would be especially tasty during the summer with garden fresh vegetables.
(It was a little oily when I made it this time because I'm not the greatest at eye-balling my EVOO. :) I also just used whatever cheese we had.)


8 oz uncooked spaghetti
2 zucchini, halved and sliced
1/3 c chopped onion
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
4 medium tomatoes, quartered
1 c (4 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese


Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the zucchini, onion, Italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper in oil and butter for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cheeses; cover and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Drain spaghetti; serve with vegetable mixture.


Serves 4.

Baked Parmesan Fish

5 Tbs. flour
5 Tbs. cornmeal
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbs butter
6 fish fillets (fresh or frozen whatever is available) I used Red Snapper
1/3 c grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Combine flour, cornmeal, and seasonings. Melt butter in shallow baking dish. Dredge fish in flour mixture and place in baking dish, Turn fish to coat with butter; then sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 8-10 minutes (my fillets were thicker so it took 20 minutes) or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Even McKay liked this and he doesn't like fish.

Easy as Pie, Pizza dough

2 cups flour
1 TBSP yeast
1 TBSP sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. basil (optional)
1 cup "comfy" hot water
2 TBSP oil
another 1 c flour as needed

Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
Mix flour, yeast, sugar, basil and salt. Then add water, oil (and extra flour if dough is too sticky). Makes a soft dough but not sticky. Knead for 5 minutes, then let it rest for 5 minutes. It should raise a bit in this time. Roll onto a pizza stone or a baking sheet. Cook for 2-3 minutes to set the dough. Then take out and add toppings of your choice. Cook for another 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
We have also found you can use this dough on the BBQ grill. It makes a great grilled pizza.

Grilled Veggie Wraps

Good to eat and good for you!

2 teaspoons Olive oil
1/2 c. chopped white onion
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. chopped red or green pepper (I like red best)
1 1/2 c. chopped zucchini
1 c. spinach
1 1/2 c. chopped yellow squash

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and bell pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes. Add spinach and season with black pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool before assembling the wraps.
Spread a nice layer of cream cheese over the entire tortilla. Add the vegetables and roll tight. Cut each wrap in half.
Each wrap has about 200 calories and provides a whole serving of vegetables. Plus all those great vitamins and minerals we need.

Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos

This one is EASY and sooo good.

4 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 (16oz.) jar of salsa
1 cup sour cream
6-8 flour tortillas

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Pour salsa over the top and let it cook (approx. 8 hours on low). One hour before serving, add sour cream and stir. Before serving, shred chicken with fork. Serve on tortillas with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, or whatever sounds good.

Cream Cheese Chicken

2-4 frozen chicken breasts
1 package Italian dressing mix
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese -- not frozen

Put first 3 ingredients together in a crock pot for 6-8 hours on low. Pull out chicken (carefully because it has a tendency to fall apart) and mix in cream cheese. Thin sauce with water or milk to desired consistency and stir well. Serve over noodles - I like bow tie.

**You can leave the chicken in the crock pot when you mix in the cream cheese. The chicken will break apart and then you can serve all of it over the noodles. However, this looks less appetizing (though it tastes the same), and I prefer not to do it.

Kahlua Pork

This recipe is delicious if you are a pork fan! And it is very easy. We love to throw it together on Sunday morning and let it cook all day. It makes the house smell soooo good! Hope you enjoy it.

1 large pork shoulder or rump (3-4 pounds)

Mix the following ingredients:
1 T. sea salt
1 t. worchestershire sauce
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. powdered ginger
2 t. crushed garlic
1 T. liquid smoke (yes,it is called liquid smoke..most grocery stores have this)
A splash of teriyaki sauce

Marinate pork for 1 hour. (Cut the pork first into smaller chunks...they don't have to be real small just smaller) Place meat into crock pot with juice mixture. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.. Shred the pork and serve over rice.

Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake

Okay, so I've totally been into casseroles lately. They're just easy and the kids seem to really like them. Plus, it kind of hides the veggies which makes them more likely to eat them. This is one of our favorites!

1 pkg. Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed and cooked
1 bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed and drained (I've also done them frozen and it turned out fine.)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1&1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook chicken and set aside.
3. Prepare stuffing mix.
4. Mix chicken and broccoli in baking dish. Stir in soup, milk and cheese, top with prepared stuffing.
5. Bake 30 min. or until heated through.

Mexican Lasagna

The recipe was given to me back in my Elem Ed days by my friend Jana. I like this meal because it's nice every once in a while to have a meal without meat. :)

In a frying pan add:

1/2 chopped onion

1 chopped green pepper

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

3/4 cup salsa

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp ground cumin

Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in two 15 oz cans of black beans (drained and rinsed). Lightly "pamize" 9x13 pan and layer the frying pan mix, tortillas (flour), and Monterrey Jack cheese. Bake at 350* for 35-40 minutes.

Can top after cooking with lettuce, tomatoes, and black olives.

I saw Rachael Ray make something similar once where she added ground beef and used flavored tortillas instead of flour.