Crockpot Roast with Potatoes

Last year for Mother's Day my sister was asked to speak in church on what she had learned from our mother.  My sister is a wonderful writer and has a real talent for putting her thoughts into words.  I have always admired this about her.  Anyway, the way she wrote the talk was to talk about how my mother did not necessarily preach to us, but through everyday things she taught us about life and about the importance of faith.  One of those everyday things she used as an example is making a roast.  The first step to a good roast is to heat a skillet as hot as possible and brown the roast on all sides until it is ALMOST burned.  You don't have to do it, but the roast will taste so much better if you do.  She compared this to life.  How often we have to be "burned" to learn the lessons we need to learn and to have the greatest "flavor" and wisdom.  Ever since my mother told me about the talk I can not cook a roast without being reminded of this great lesson in life.  So I am passing it on to you.

Crockpot Roast with Potatoes (printer friendly)
3-4 lb roast
1 onion sliced
 salt & pepper to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 C beef broth
4 med-large potatoes, cut into large pieces

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat.  Using tongs brown the roast on all sides until dark golden brown (almost burnt)

Looks good already doesn't it.

Even better

2. Slice the onion.  Place 1/2 the slices on the bottom of your crockpot.

3.  Add the seared roast and sprinkle with seasonings.

4. Add potatoes and remaining onions and pour over the broth.

 

5. Cover the crockpot and cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4.
6. Next remove the roast from the crockpot (leave the potatoes in to stay warm until you are ready to serve them)  to a plate and pour some of the remaining sauce over the roast and allow to sit for at least 10-15 minutes.  I always worried about this because I HATE cold food, but it really makes a difference.  The roast has a chance to cool enough to hold the moisture in, instead of it all escaping as steam when you cut it.  When you serve it, pour some more of the remaining broth over it and enjoy!

BBQ Ribs and Beans

We love BBQ Country Style Spare Ribs, but who doesn't?  But today I was looking for something a little different to do with the ribs other than just BBQ sauce then served with a potato and veggie.  As I was thinking I came up with this.  It felt very cowboy-like.  It was delicious.  I ended up just serving it with carrots and canned apple pie filling as sides.  It was a wonderful meal and everyone ate it up.

BBQ Ribs and Beans (printer friendly)

3 1/2 lbs country style spare ribs
1 can chili beans
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans*, drained
1 1/2 C BBQ sauce**
1 T A1 steak sauce

1. Add the ribs and beans to the crockpot

2. Pour in the BBQ sauce and A1, and stir

3. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8.  Use a slotted spoon to get the beans out of the crockpot so you don't end up with a lot of sauce.

*I used the ones I had frozen earlier
**I used 3/4 of a bottle of Kraft Original

Twisty (kind of) Cheese Sticks

The other day I decided to make the Cowboy Beans from the "A Year of Slow Cooking."  After a disastrous issue with soaking the beans overnight with the crockpot on (can you say ready to be refried) and then forgetting to soak them I finally got around to successfully making it.  The soup was pretty good, not amazing, but good.  However, the Cheese Sticks I made to go with the soup were fabulous.  I only wish I would have realized my oven wasn't heating all the way and they would have worked even better, and I should have cooked them just a bit longer to get even more crunch (I finally figured it out on the 3rd pan in the oven - 1 GF pan, and 2 regular).  I was a little worried my dough was too soft since they didn't twist great, but I think it is because I didn't twist them enough to really stay twisted, instead they just folded.  I think I got this recipe from the Family Fun magazine, but I'm not sure since I cut it out and placed it in my "to try" binder, and I really should have "tried" it before.  Even though I made GF & regular sticks, I could have just done GF (cost aside) and no one would have known the difference.  You really need to try these the next time you crockpot.  They are really easy and don't take too much time.  Since you already made dinner in the crockpot it makes it even easier.

Twisty (kind of) Cheese Sticks (printer friendly recipe)

1 C rice flour blend
1/2 C sorghum flour
6 T butter, softened
2 C grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C grated Parmesan &/or Romano cheese
1 egg
1/4 C milk

1. Heat oven to 400-degrees and grease 2 cookie sheets
2. In a food processor add the flours, butter, and cheeses.  Pulse for about a minute or until all the cheese, flour, and butter and well combined.

3. Add the egg and pulse until its combined well.  With the processor running, add the milk through the feed tube and blend until the dough forms a ball (about a minute).  Add more Parmesan if it seems really sticky.

4. Place 1/2 the dough on a floured surface (I used parchment paper) and roll to about 1/8 inch thick.  Cut into 1/2-inch strips that are 4-inches long.  Twist the strips and line them up on the prepared cookie sheet.

 

5. Bake the strips for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week (if they last that long).

Country Ribs in BBQ Gravy

I love ribs done in a crockpot with BBQ sauce smothered over them. I also like them this way done in a Dutch Oven as we did last week while camping. That said, I was looking for another way to cook them today. I went searching at allrecipes.com for something and found this recipe. I thought I'd try it with a few teaks and it turned out delicious, it reminded me a little of swiss steak.

Country Ribs in Gravy (printer friendly)

3 lbs country style pork ribs (bone-in or boneless)
1 C water*
1/2 C ketchup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground mustard
1 beef bouillon cube*
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a hot skillet sear each rib until it is nicely browned. Use tongs to get the ends and any sides that won't sit on their own.
2. Place ribs in a slow cooker. Combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the ribs. Cook on high for 1 hour and then reduce to low for 3-4 hours. Or just place on low for 8 hours.
3. Remove ribs and cover with tin foil to keep warm and thicken the liquid for gravy. Pour over ribs and potatoes or rice.

*Or 1 C beef broth

Grandma's Baked Beans

Growing up we lived far away from my Grandparents most of the time. Consequently, we only visited a couple times a year usually for holidays or other important family events. As a child I never really got to know my grandparents and as an adult I moved even further away from her, and there were times when I wondered if she knew me. Usually when we visited my dad's parents my Grandmother would make Baked Beans which I tended to eat the whole weekend. Once I was grown and moved out I called my Grandmother and got the recipe. It has become my go-to recipe for potluck picnics and it is always a hit. When my Grandmother passed away and our family gathered we all talked about the food we loved that Grandma made and we realized that whenever we visited she always had our favorites. I realized then that my Grandmother not only knew me but cooked food just for me (she also made these pecan bar cookies that were to die for) because she knew I liked it. Anyway, whenever I make this recipe I think of her and I feel loved. I hope you enjoy it also.

Grandma's Baked Beans
1 lb ground beef*
1 small onion, minced*
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can butter beans, drained**
1 can pork and beans
1/2 C barbecue sauce
2/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C molasses or honey***
1/2 C ketchup
2 tsp mustard
1/2 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled****

This is my quick method.
1. Brown ground beef and add onion, cook until tender.
2. While browning drain beans

Don't they look pretty

TIP: When opening a can of beans, open from the bottom, then you don't need a spoon or spatula to get the beans off the bottom of the can, the can just drains cleanly.

3. Measure sauces & seasonings

I use a 2-cup measuring cup and just add all the (except sugar) to that, starting with the BBQ sauce. Then I just take a spatula & clean it out. It is a lot easier than finding different measuring cups. If you notice, my mustard is approx.

4. Dump the ground beef mixture, bean mixture, pork & beans, sugar, sauce & seasoning mixture together & stir well.

OVEN DIRECTIONS:
Pour into a 3 qt casserole dish, top with bacon. Bake at 350-degrees covered for 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake for 15 more minutes

CROCK-POT DIRECTIONS:
Pour into a crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours.

*I often replace this with a can of black beans drained, or if I double the recipe I do 1/2 ground beef & 1/2 black beans. If you use black beans either sub onion powder for the onions (which I did this time) or saute some onions and toss in. You can also add a beef boullion cube if you would like
**I didn't have butter beans so I used Great Northern
***I have used either. Molasses gives it a deeper flavor and a little more smokey, honey makes it sweeter. Whichever you prefer. For me, it just depends on the day.
1 can pork & beans, undrained
****TIP: When frying a lot of bacon, if you use a griddle and cover the bacon with tin foil, the bacon grease doesn't splatter everywhere and you can fry the whole pound quickly.

Pineapple BBQ Chicken

Last night I had planned to try a new chicken recipe from Artsy-Foodie, however, my husband decided we should paint most of the upstairs this week. Since I have been wanting to do this for 3 years, I was very excited and had to come up with something else that was quick and easy. It also needed to have chicken since I had chicken in the fridge that desperately needed to be eaten. On the Glutenfreerecipeswap YAHOO! group someone had posted a recipe for pineapple beans which sounded divine, and I was inspired to do a similar thing with chicken, except I used bottled BBQ sauce instead of making my own. We ate this with Almond-Rice Pilaf and the kids LOVED it. My son, who has decided he hates everything he used to love, said when I told him what we were having "I love rice! I love chicken!" and ate everything on his plate.

Pineapple BBQ Chicken
4 boneless-skinless chicken breasts cut in half so you have 8 smaller pieces*
1 Bottle BBQ sauce
1 can pineapple tidbits drained

In a large oven proof pan (about 11x7) lay chicken breast pieces out. Pour about 3/4 bottle of BBQ sauce over the top. Dump drained pineapple over them. Cook in a 350-degree oven for 1 to 1-1/2 hours (depending on when the chicken is ready to eat and you are ready to eat it).

Or just dump in a crockpot and cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

Rocky Mountain Bean Storm

I made this a few nights ago and have been meaning to post it since. I got this recipe from my good friend Valerie. Apparently, it was a recipe from her college roommate days, and when she got married her husband felt "Hot Bean Dish" was a boring name so he renamed it. It is more of a base recipe and you can modify it how you want.

YUM!

Rocky Mountain Bean Storm (printer friendly)

1/2 lb Bacon
1 lb Ground Beef*
1/2 C Onion*
1/2 C Ketchup
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
3/4 C Brown Sugar
1 tsp Salt
2 Tbsp-1/4 C Dijon Mustard
3 cans of different beans, with juices**
4 C cooked rice (brown is especially good)***

1. Fry bacon until crisp. I like to do this in the oven on 350. Line the pan with tin foil for less mess.
2. Brown hamburger and onion and drain.*
3. Add next 6 ingredients and simmer on stove for 1 hour. Or on high in a crock-pot for 4-6.

*If you don't want/have hamburger, substitute 1-2 cans black beans, drained and saute onions in a little olive oil
**Original recipe calls for baked, kidney, & lima. I usually use black, kidney, & pork and beans. My friend uses pinto a lot. This time when I made it I didn't have pork and beans so I used chili beans and it was equally delicious.
***When we ran out of rice (the kids wanted some plain) I ate it over some leftover baked potatoes and it was yum!