Beef Stew

Beef Stew

serves 4
from Everyday Food Magazine

1 1/2 Pounds Stew Beef, Cut Into 1-Inch Pieces
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Medium or Large Russet Potato, Cut Into 1-Inch Pieces
1/2 Bag Baby Carrots
1/2 Bag Frozen Peas
32 Oz. Beef Stock

Preheat the oven to 375.  In a large heavy pot, toss beef with flour. Add potatoes, carrots, beef stock and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and transfer to the oven.  Cook for 2 hours until beef and potatoes are tender.  Stir in peas and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.  Perfect with popovers.

One wintry night last year I made a pot of beef stew and watched a Downton Abby marathon.  Since season 4 is coming out in January, I thought I should post this stew since stew and Downton are synonymous in my mind now.  Finish the meal with some tea and pumpkin bread pudding!

Jambalaya

Jambalaya
serves 4-6

1 Large Onion
1 Large Green Pepper
2 Stalks Celery
1 Pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Raw
1 Pound Andouille Sausage
1 (28) Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 Cup Chicken Broth
2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
2 Teaspoons Dried Parsley
2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (Or More To Taste)
1 Cup Rice, Dried

Chop onion, green pepper, celery, chicken, and sausage.  Place all ingredients, except rice, in a dutch oven and bake at 300 degrees for 2 1/2 hours until chicken is no longer pink (or in a slow cooker low for 7-8 hour or on high for 3-4 hours).  When the chicken is done, transfer the dutch oven to the stove top and bring the jambalaya to a boil.  Add rice, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes until rice is done.  Serve with corn bread muffins.  If you are using a slow cooker, add cooked rice to the jambalaya  and serve.

I've wanted to make jambalaya since M and I lived in our campus apartment and they made it all the time on Food Network.  However, every recipe I found was a mile long and I never found the perfect one.  Two to three years later Pinterest came to the rescue!  I actually had all the veggies already chopped waiting for me in my freezer.  I have to say, this recipe was worth the wait!

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Olive Garden Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
from copykat.com
serves 8

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Celery, Diced
1 Cup Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
4 Tablespoons Flour
1 Quart (4 Cups) Half-and-Half
1 Cup Carrots, Shredded
1 Cup Chicken, Cooked and Shredded or Diced
2 (14) Oz. Cans Chicken Broth
1 Package Gnocchi
1 Cup Fresh Spinach
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Thyme, Dried
1/2 Teaspoon Parsley, Dried

In a large pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.  Add celery, onions, and garlic and saute until onions become translucent.  Add flour to make a roux.  Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute then add the half-and-half.
In a separate pot, cook gnocchi according to package directions.  Set aside.
To the half-and-half add the carrots and chicken.  Once the mixture is thick, add the chicken broth.  Once the mixture thickens again, add the gnocchi, spinach and seasonings.  Serve when spinach is wilted and gnocchi is heated through.

My husband loves this soup from the Olive Garden.  So I had to make it for him right away when I found this recipe!  I served it with Italian Olive Oil Balsamic Bread Dip and french bread; however, if you wanted to, I bet you could Google an Olive Garden bread stick recipe.  The soup came together really fast because I used cooked rotisserie chicken from the store, used preshredded carrots, and used diced onions and celery from my freezer.  

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork
from sweetandsavoryfood.com

Pork Butt
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
1 Can Cola
1/2 Bottle BBQ Sauce (About 1 Cup)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Generously coat pork butt with seasoning salt.  Place the seasoned pork, cola, and BBQ sauce in a dutch oven and cook for 4-5 hours or until the temp reaches 145 degrees.  Shred the meat with two forks and serve on a bun with extra BBQ sauce if needed.

Simple. Fast.  Delicious.  Melt in  your mouth goodness.  Use whatever cola you have in your fridge, even diet.  You could also do this in a crock pot on low for 4-5 hours.  Serve with whipped potatoes and a side of delicious veggies.  Enjoy!

Fabulous French Dip with Whipped Potatoes

Fabulous French Dip with Whipped Potatoes

French Dip
adapted from Betty Crocker

Roast (Such As Arm Roast)
2 Cans Beef Broth
1 1 Oz. Packet Onion Soup Mix
Your Favorite French Dip Bread

Heat the oven to 300 degrees.  In a dutch oven, place roast, 1 can of beef broth and soup mix.  Cover and cook in the oven.  My roast was pretty small, only about a pound, and it was done in 4 hours.  A two or three pound roast would take 6 or more hours.  Check for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the thickest part of the meat and it's done when it reads 165 degrees.  To serve, take out roast and add the last can of beef broth to the juice in the dutch oven and heat on the stove or put back in the oven.  Shred the meat with two forks and distribute on the bread.  Serve the warmed juice in little bowls for dipping the sandwiches.

I don't even think I can describe how good this is... Literally one of the best meals I have ever had!  You'll just have to take my word for it... so good...  You could also prepare this in a crock pot, same method just cook on low 6 - 8 hours.


Whipped Potatoes
serves 4

2 Russet Potatoes
1 Tablespoon Butter
2 Oz. Cream Cheese
Milk
Chicken Stock
Spoonful of Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper, to Taste

Pierce the potatoes with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes, flipping them over half way, until they are fork tender.  While the potatoes are cooking, melt butter and cream cheese together in a medium pot over low heat.  When the potatoes are done, give them a rough chop and add them to the pot.  Add a good splash each of milk and chicken stock (start with a little liquid, you can add more later) and add the sour cream and salt and pepper to taste. Let it all heat up for a few minutes then whip the potatoes with a hand mixer until desired consistency is reached, adding more liquid if needed.  Serve with Fabulous French Dip!

This is another example of a recipe that I thought was scary but turns out is incredibly easy.  I didn't even use a recipe, just threw together whatever I had in my fridge.  The key here was eyeballing.  You could use all chicken stock and Greek yogurt for a healthier mash, or all half-and-half and cream cheese for a more sinful smash.   I ended up leaving the skins on because A) they're healthy B) because I'm lazy or C) both.  The answer is B!  

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup

Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
from Chef Mommy
serves 6 as a main course

1 Cup Diced Carrots
1 Cup Diced Celery
1 Pound Raw Chicken Breasts
1 Package of Rice-A-Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice
4 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) Butter
3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cups Half-and-Half

In a dutch oven, combine carrots, celery, chicken, rice (and seasoning packet), stock, and water.  Cover and cook on medium-low for about an hour, until chicken and rice are cooked.  Take the chicken out and shred with two forks, then place back in the soup.  Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper.  Whisk in the flour by the tablespoon to form a roux.  Whisk in cream, a little at a time, until fully incorporated and smooth.  Stir cream mixture into soup and cook on low for an additional 15 minutes.  Dish up and enjoy!

I've never been much of a fan of chicken wild rice soup, but when I found this recipe on pinterest, I thought I would give it a shot.  And I hated it.  Just kidding.  It was awesome!  The roux adds a 'gravy' flavor that makes it very comforting and perfect for a chilly night. This dish would also be perfect to use up some leftover Turkey from Thanksgiving instead of the chicken!  Next time I think I'll add some diced onion and a nice woodsy herb like rosemary to step it up a notch.  You can also prepare this in the slow cooker, just combine the first 6 ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.  Happy Thanksgiving! 

Penne With Chicken Thighs

Penne With Chicken Thighs
from thepioneerwoman.com
serves 4

1 Pound Chicken Thighs, Bone-In, Skin On
Salt and Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Small Onion, Diced
2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 (24 Oz.) Jar Marinara Sauce
8 Oz. Penne

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Sprinkle thighs with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Brown chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.  Remove to a separate plate.  Add onions and garlic to pan and stir around to cook, about 2 - 3 minutes.  Pour in marinara sauce to heat.  Add chicken thighs back into sauce.  Cover and place into the oven for 1 1/2 hours or simmer on the stovetop on the lowest heat setting.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Serve one chicken thigh with sauce over pasta.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This is another one of those recipes that will be in my busy soccer mom recipe rotation. I could see children really enjoying this dish and it is a great substitute for boring spaghetti and meatballs. This recipe is very simple and easy to put together.  Even though it takes a while to cook, the end result is definitely worth the wait!  The chicken is so tender it practically falls off the bone.  For some extra veg, I think this would be really good with some zucchini and red bell peppers!

Braised Short Ribs

Braised Short Ribs
serves 4

from thepioneerwoman.com

8 Whole Beef Short Ribs
Salt and Pepper To Taste
1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Pound Turkey Bacon
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Whole Medium Onion, Diced
3 Whole Carrots, Diced (Or Half A Bag Of Baby Carrots)
2 Whole Shallots, Peeled And Finely Minced
2 Cups Red or White Wine (I used Chardonnay)
1 Can Beef Or Chicken Broth
1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
1 Teaspoon Dried Rosemary

Salt and pepper the ribs, then dredge in flour.  Set aside.  In a large dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and the fat is rendered.  Remove bacon and set aside.  Do not remove grease.  Add olive oil to pan with grease and raise heat to high.  Brown ribs on all sides, about 45 seconds per side.  Remove ribs and set aside, turn heat to medium.  Add carrots, onions, and shallots to pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Pour in wine and scrape bottom of pan.  Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous amount of pepper.  Add ribs to liquid (they should be almost completely submerged).  Add rosemary and thyme to to liquid.  Put on the lid and place in the oven.  Cook at 350 degrees for 2 hours, then reduce the heat to 325 and cook an additional 30-45 minutes.  Ribs should be fork tender and falling off the bone.  Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for at least 20 minutes, lid on, before serving. 

These ribs are not low-maintenance.  They require patience and a lot of time.  But they are so deliciously savory.  The original recipe uses pancetta instead of bacon.  I actually used turkey bacon, which I wouldn't recommend.  First of all, I burned the turkey bacon and in the final product the bacon seamed fairly rubbery.  I'd suggest regular bacon or omitting it all together... the ribs really didn't need it.  The original recipe also suggests serving the ribs on mashed potatoes, which to me mashed potatoes seem like a lot of work (I've never attempted them).  So I diced some red potatoes and drizzled them with olive oil and salt and pepper and dried onion soup mix and stuck them in the oven.  I realized later that I could have just thrown the potatoes in the pot with everything else and saved a dish.  Maybe next time I'll attempt the mashed potatoes because you NEED something to soak up all the succulent juices and a bun didn't really cut it.  This was my first time trying a recipe that requires a dutch oven, and overall it was a huge success!  (Although my arteries might not agree)