Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

Crock Pot Beef and Broccoli

1 pound boneless beef chuck roast
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, optional
1 cup beef stock or broth
1/2 cup soy sauce (next time, I might try low sodium for this)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Korean pepper paste (or a squirt of sriracha), optional
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons sauce from the crock pot after being cooked
fresh broccoli florets (as many as desired)
In a large skillet, brown the chuck on both/all sides. Then remove from pan and slice into thick strips or cut into chunks. Place beef in the crock pot, along with the mushrooms. Pour in the beef stock, soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, pepper paste or sriracha (if using), and garlic. Pour over beef and mushrooms. Stir to combine, and cook on low for six hours.In a small bowl, stir cornstarch and some sauce from the crock pot together until smooth. Add back to the crock pot. Stir well to combine. Also, add the broccoli to the crock pot, and stir gently to combine. Cover and cook an additional 30 minutes on high (the sauce has to boil for it to thicken).

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Candy

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispie Candy
2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
2 cups dry roasted peanuts
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup peanut butter
2 pounds white chocolate chips (2 12-oz packages plus 1 1/3 cups)
In a large bowl, combine cereal, peanuts and marshmallows. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and peanut butter on High for 1 minute and then in 30 second intervals until fully melted. Stir chocolate into cereal mixture. Mixture will be slightly runny. Drop by tablespoons onto waxed paper. Let set until firm, 2 hours. Store in an airtight container. 

Cajun Muffaletta Casserole

Cajun Muffaletta Casserole

1 lb. penne pasta

1/2 lb. grated Mozzarella cheese

1/2 lb. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. smoked ham, chopped into thick strips

1/2 lb. genoa salami, chopped into thick strips

1 cup olive salad mix, (I used Boscoli)

1 small can, sliced black olives, drained

 Cajun seasoning to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse, and allow to cool. Combine the cheese in a medium bowl. Place pasta in large mixing bowl and add ham, salami, olive salad mix, Cajun seasoning, and half of the combined cheese.  Place in a greased casserole dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes until bubbly and cheese melts. Sinfully good!

Black Eyed Pea Dip

Black Eyed Pea Dip

1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas

1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine

1/4 cup Sour Cream

8 slices Jarred Jalapenos

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

3 Tablespoons Salsa

Hot Sauce, to taste

Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.

Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.  Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.  Serve with tortilla chips!

'Dorito Chicken Casserole'

'Dorito Chicken Casserole'

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (divided)

1 can cream of chicken soup (10 oz)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

1 can Ro-tel tomatoes, drained

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1 large bag Doritos, coarsly crushed

Shredded lettuce (optional)

diced tomato (optional)

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix together shredded chicken, 1 cup of cheese, cream of chicken soup, milk, sour cream, Ro-tel tomatoes, and taco seasoning. Mix well.  Grease a 2-quart casserole dish and add a layer of crushed Doritos across the bottom. Top with half of the chicken mixture. Add another layer of crushed Doritos followed by the remainder of the chicken mixture. Top with remaining cheese and Doritos  Cover and place into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 30-25 minutes until bubbling hot. Remove from the oven and top with lettuce and tomato if you choose.

Cowboy Corn Dip

Cowboy Corn Dip

3 cans sweet corn with diced peppers, drained (also called Fiesta corn...11 oz each)

1 can chopped green chilies (7 oz)

1 can chopped jalapeno peppers, drained (6 oz)

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (16 oz)

2-3 bags of Frito Scoops

In a LARGE bowl, mix all ingredients except for the chips.  Cover and chill two hours to overnight. Serve with your favorite chips Frito scoops or your favorite tortilla chips.

Pecan Pie Bars

Pecan Pie Bars

1 can of refrigerated crescent rolls

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup (dark or light, doesn't matter)

1 Tbsp butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg, beaten

Unroll dough and separate into 2 long rectangles; place in an ungreased 13x9" pan and press along the bottom and 1/2" up the sides, pressing the perforations firmly to seal. Bake for 8 minutes in a 350-degree oven.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the pecans, sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, vanilla and egg. Pour over crust and bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool completely before cutting, and store at room temperature.

Clam Chowder Casserole

Clam Chowder Casserole

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked elbow macaroni

2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of potato soup

3 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice

2 eggs, beaten

1 green onions, diced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place macaroni in the pot, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  In a large bowl, mix the cooked macaroni, 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, potato soup, clams with juice, eggs, green onions, onion, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and pepper. Transfer to a large casserole dish, and top with remaining cheese.  Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Baked Bean Casserole

Baked Bean Casserole

2 large cans of baked beans

1lb of any meat (I’ve used hamburger and sausage, not together though)

4-5 potatoes

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup ketchup

diced onions and green peppers (if on hand)

Boil potatoes until they are just soft but not falling apart. Drain water from potatoes. Add baked beans, cooked meat, brown sugar, ketchup, onions and peppers. Let it simmer together, about 20-30 minutes.

Hillbilly Enchiladas

Hillbilly Enchiladas

1 10 count pkg of beef and bean burritos

1 sm can of enchilada/red sauce

1 pkg of shredded cheese

Preheat oven set at 350-400 degrees.  Arrange the burritos to fit into a 13×9 pan then pour entire can of sauce on top.  Bake for 15min then take it out and put the cheese on top then put it back in and bake it for another 15min/until cheese is thoroughly melted.  (optional)Top each one with sour cream.

Tomato Dumpling Stew

Tomato Dumpling Stew

1 (14 oz size) can diced tomatoes

1 tsp sugar, more or less to taste

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp butter

1/2 cup biscuit baking mix*

3 Tbsp milk

In a soup pot, put the diced tomatoes (along with all liquid in can), add the sugar, salt, black pepper, and butter, stir.  Put on medium-high heat and bring mixture to a gentle boil, then turn down, cover, and simmer slowly for 15 minutes or until creamy and bubbling hot, stirring often.  Prepare the dumplings in a separate bowl by mixing together the dry biscuit mix with milk until just combined – don’t over mix – the dough should be slightly lumpy.  Uncover pot and divide the biscuit dough into 4 sections and drop onto the tomatoes. Cover pot and continue simmering slowly for 10 minutes – do not peek! Uncover and test dumplings for doneness by inserting a toothpick into a dumpling; it should come out clean.  Spoon into 2 bowls, each bowl getting 2 dumplings.

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

1/2 pound of medium short cut pasta (elbows, shells)

3 cups of cooked shredded or chopped chicken

8 ounces of Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 (10.75 ounce) condensed Cheddar cheese soup

1 cup of milk

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 (3/4 ounce) packet of Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix (like Hidden Valley)

1/8 to 1/2 cup of hot sauce, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 2 quart casserole dish; set aside. Add pasta to boiling salted water, cook to al dente; drain well and add to casserole dish. Stir in chicken.  Heat the Velveeta and soup together until cheese is melted. Blend in the cheddar cheese and milk. Stir in the Ranch dressing mix and hot sauce; pour over chicken and pasta and stir. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.  Cook's Notes: I use 1/4 cup of hot sauce which leaves a nice, pleasant burn on the tongue and is plenty of heat for me. You may want it with more or less fire. May also substitute drained, canned chicken - you'll want a larger sized can of a good quality chicken, two is even better, or substitute chicken you've pulled from a rotisserie chicken. Top with buttered bread crumbs and crumbled bleu cheese on top, rather than green onion and bacon.