Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

Ingredients:
4 T. butter
1 lb. ground beef
1 c. onion, diced
3/4 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. carrot, diced
1 t. garlic, minced
1 t. dried basil
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. milk
3 c. chicken broth
2 c. russet potatoes, peeled, diced
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
ketchup
mustard
dill pickles, chopped

Directions:
Melt butter in a saute pan. Add hamburger and cook until meat begins to brown. Stir in onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and basil; cook 5 minutes.
Add flour, stirring to coat meat; cook 1 minute. Stir in milk until mixture is smooth. Bring mixture to a boil; cook 2 minutes. Transfer soup to a 3 to 4 qt. slow cooker.
Stir in broth and potatoes. Cover soup; cook until potatoes are tender on low heat setting for 3 to 4 hours.
Add cheddar just before serving, stirring until cheese melts. Season soup with salt and pepper; garnish each serving with ketchup, mustard, and pickles.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 3-4 hours.

Verdict:
When I got our bowls of this ready I put chopped pickles on top knowing that Blake wouldn't do it on his own. I had mustard on mine and Blake put ketchup on his. This makes such a difference. You really need to put the condiments on the top even though it seems weird. I kid you not. This was good and we both liked it a lot. Blake took leftovers to work and ate it two days in a row. He loves this stuff.

Shrimp Tikka Masala

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

3 T. fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 T. garlic, finely grated

2 t. tomato paste

2 t. garam masala

1/2 t. chili powder

1 c. water

20 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 c. plain yogurt

Directions:

Heat oil in a dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Cook onion until golden, about 20 minutes.

Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, garam masala, and chili powder, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Add water and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are opaque and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in yogurt. Season with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:

I am in search of the best home made tikka masala. I have yet to find it. This one is not good.

Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 c. provolone, shredded (or chunks if that is easier)
1 1/2 c. whole milk
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
2 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
1 t. dry mustard
2 c. elbow macaroni
8 oz. sour cream

Directions:
Combine cheddar, provolone, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and mustard in a 4 to 6 qt. slow cooker.
Cover; cook on low heat setting for 1 hour.
Stir in macaroni and sour cream. Cover; cook on low heat setting for an additional 1 hour.

Makes 6 cups. Total time 2 hours.

Verdict:
DO NOT USE THAT MUCH SALT. It has a really good flavor but the saltiness of it really overshadows this dish. I would make this again but probably only use 1/2 t. at the most if any. I cooked mine on high the whole time and it turned out perfect except for the salt debacle.

Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast, split, pounded thin

1 T. olive oil

3-4 T. butter, separated

1/4 c. shallots, minced

juice of 2 lemons

3/4 c. chicken broth

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T. olive and 1 T. butter in a large skillet until butter foams. Add chicken, and saute on 1 side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Flip and saute chicken until cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Raise heat to med-high and repeat with remaining chicken.

Add shallot to skillet, ad cook over medium heat, adding oil or butter as needed, stirring often, until golden about 1 minute. Raise heat to medium high .

Add lemon juice, broth, and any plate juices, and deglaze the pan, scraping brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 3 minutes.

Gradually stir in 2 to 3 T. cold butter until just melted. Season to taste.

Makes 2 to 4 servings. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:

We served this with egg noodles, which I think helped tone down the lemony flavor. I liked it. Blake did not but said that it was good the next day for left overs.

Crockpot Chicken Chili Verde

Ingredients:
3 poblano chile peppers
1 1/2 lbs. tomatillos, chopped
1 c. onion, chopped
1 c. fresh cilantro, chopped, loosely packed
2 T. garlic, minced
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. sugar
1 lb. bone in chicken breasts, skin removed, chicken seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper
1 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T. lime juice
Crumbled queso fresco cheese

Directions:
Roast poblanos over gas burner until blackened. Transfer poblanos to a bowl; cover in plastic wrap. When poblanos are cool enough to handle, remove skin and seeds. Chop poblanos.
Layer poblanos, tomatillos, onion, 1/2 c. cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, and sugar in a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker. Place chicken on top, meaty side down; add broth.
Cover; cook until chicken is tender, on low heat setting for 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken from slow cooker; allow it to cool slightly. Shred meat, discarding bones. Add chicken, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 c. cilantro to the slow cooker to high heat setting; cook 10 minutes. Serve chili with crumbled cheese.

Makes 4 servings. Total time: prep- 30 minutes. Cooking time 4-5 hours.

Verdict:
Slow cookers make life so easy. I never cook on low though. I guess I just don't have enough faith in my crockpot. So I cooked this for 3 hours on high. I was a little scared about the bone in chicken however it was really good. We ate this as a soup with tortillas on the side. I think as leftovers this would make some good enchiladas.

Menu

Mon: Crockpot Chicken Chili Verde

Tue: Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce

Wed: Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese

Thur: Shrimp Tikka Masala

Fri: Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup

Stuffed Savoy Cabbage

For the tomato sauce:
1 can (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes, with juice
2 T. olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped (1 c.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
coarse salt

For the stuffed cabbage:
coarse salt
1 large head Savoy cabbage (2 to 3 lbs.)
12 oz. ground chuck
12 oz. ground pork
2 c. cooked brown rice (from 1 c. dry)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 c. fresh flat leaf parsley
1 T. hot paprika

For the sauce:
Pulse tomatoes with juice in a food processor until finely chopped. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thick, about 20 minutes. Season with salt. Let cool completely.

For the cabbage:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add cabbage head, and cook until outer leaves are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Peel outer layer of leaves, and drain. Return remaining cabbage to water, and repeat until all leaves are cooked and removed.
Pat each leaf dry with a kitchen towel.
Preheat oven to 375.
Gently combine beef, pork, rice, onion, parsley, paprika, and 1 T. salt.
Working with 1 leaf at a time, trim thick part of rib with a paring knife, leaving leaf intact. Arrange about 1/2 c. filling (less for smaller leaves) in center of each leaf. Fold stem end of cabbage over filling. Fold in sides of cabbage. Carefully roll cabbage over to form a package, overlapping ends to seal. Transfer each, seam side down, to a large shallow baking dish.
Spread sauce over stuffed cabbage leaves. Cover with foil and bake until cooked through and cabbage is tender, about 1 hour.

Makes 12 servings. Total time 2 hours + cooling time.

Verdict:
Things wrapped in cabbage seem so fancy. It was a good dinner but it takes a long time. If it didn't take so long I would make them again but because it is so time consuming I probably wont.

Egg and Avocado Sandwich

Ingredients:
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white
coarse slat and ground pepper
1 t. olive oil
1 small green onion, chopped
1 whole wheat English muffin, split and toasted
hot sauce (optional)
1/4 avocado, thinly sliced

Directions:
Beat together egg and egg white; season with slat and pepper. In a small nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium. Cook green onions until softened, 1 minute. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until almost set, 1 to 2 minutes.
Fold edges of egg mixture in to form a patty about the size of and English muffin. Continue to cook until set, about 20 seconds more.
Place egg on bottom half of English muffin and season with salt and pepper, and hot sauce. Layer with avocado, then other half of muffin.

Makes 1 muffin. Total time 10 minutes.

Verdict:
Just a glorified Egg Mcmuffin. I added bacon to mine. It was like a breakfast burrito on a muffin.

Potato Gratin

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, halved
1 1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. whole milk
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg
coarse salt and pepper
3 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Peel potatoes. Rub inside of a 9 by 12 inch oval baking dish with cut sides of garlic.
Heat cream, milk, nutmeg, and 1 1/2 t. salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat until bubbles form around edge. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
Meanwhile, slice potatoes 1/8 inch thick; transfer to a bowl. Pour warm cream mixture over top. Mix well, using your hands to separate and coat potatoes, and transfer to prepared baking dish.
Gently push potatoes down, and pour cream mixture from bowl over top. Sprinkle with Gruyere. Bake (with a baking sheet placed on the rack below to catch drips) until potatoes are fork tender and top is bubbling and brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 1 hour 45 minutes.

Verdict:
Using a mandoline to cut the potatoes is the fastest and easiest way. It also helps them to cook evenly when they are sliced to the same thickness. These potatoes are rich and creamy and oh so yummy.

Hot Asian Ribs with Cucumber Salad

For sauce:
1 jar hoisin sauce (8oz)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. chili garlic sauce
1/4 c. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. toasted sesame oil
2 T. garlic, minced
2 T. fresh ginger, minced

Heat; Season; Saute:
2 T. vegetable oil, divided
8 bone in country style pork ribs (about 3 1/2 lbs.)

Directions:
Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Heat 1 T. oil in a large saute pan over med-high; season ribs with salt and pepper. Saute 4 ribs until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and saute remaining oil and ribs.
Return ribs to the pan; add half of the sauce and bring to a simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, turning occasionally to coat with sauce. Reduce heat to low. Simmer an additional 15 minutes, turning often.
Serve with remaining sauce.

Makes 8 ribs. Total time 1 hour.

Verdict:
I think I have mentioned before that I am not a fan of meat on the bone. Blake on the other hand loves ribs. So you have to take one for the team on occasion. I think that these all around were praised. I liked the sauce and the meat. I think if I make these again I will probably try them with boneless pork chops or even a pork loin.

Falafel Meatball Wrap with Tzatziki

For the meatballs:
2/3 c. canned chickpeas, rinsed
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg
1 T. olive oil
1 T. dried oregano
2 t. garlic, minced
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. ground black pepper
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. onion, minced
1/4 c. fresh bread crumbs

For the wraps:
lettuce leaves
1 c. tomatoes, diced
store bought tzatziki

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400.
Puree chickpeas, parsley, egg, 1 T. oil, garlic, and seasonings in a food processor. Combine hamburger, onion, and breadcrumbs. Divide mixture into 12 portions and shape into golf ball sized meatballs.
Brown meatballs in a nonstick ovenproof skillet with 1 T. oil.
Finish in oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
Prepare lettuce and tomatoes for the wraps. To assemble place 3 meatballs in a lettuce leaf, drizzle with tzatziki and garnish with tomatoes.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
These were good. I like the turkey meatballs that I make better. I definitely think that these need tzatziki to go with them.

Menu

What?! you ask. How can there be a new menu when you haven't posted the recipes from last week? Good question.

The answer: It was a busy week. My little boy had a birthday party this weekend and we had his birthday to celebrate on Friday. For some reason we ate out a lot this week or just had really easy things like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We didn't really stick to the menu. So I am going to use this menu again. Hopefully that doesn't put a monkey wrench in someones plans.

Thanks.

Menu

Mon: Falafel Meatball Wrap With Tzatziki

Tue: Hot Asian Ribs

Wed: Turkey Patties With Potato Gratin

Thur: Egg and Avocado On English Muffins

Fri: Stuffed Savoy Cabbage

Red Wine Braised Beef Brisket

Ingredients:
2 T. plus 2 t. olive oil
3 1/2 lbs. beef brisket, cut into 3 inch pieces
coarse salt and pepper
8 shallots, halved
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
3 c. dry red wine

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, heat 2 T. oil over med-high. Season brisket with salt and pepper; In batches, cook turning occasionally, until dark brown on all sides, about 20 minutes total.
Transfer brisket to a plate and discard fat from pot. Return pot to heat and add 2 t. oil and shallots; cook, stirring, until shallots are browned, 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, 1 minute.
Add wine and simmer rapidly until reduced by three-fourths, about 15 minutes. Return beef to pot and add just enough water to cover meat (5 to 6 cups). Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven.
Cook until beef is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

Makes 6 servings. Total time 4 1/2 hours.

Verdict:
For all of you that may be leery of cooking with wine, I did a little reading. Most sources say that alcohol is cooked off once it is boiled. Upon further reading I read that some alcohol needs to be cooked for longer than 2 hours to have no alcohol. (My assumption from reading is that the ones that need to be cooked longer are the ones that have a higher alcohol content.) I don't mind cooking with alcohol as long as it is not heavy liquor and/or boiled. For those of you that don't like cooking with alcohol there are normally substitutes or you can normally omit it all together. This is not one of those recipes.
I won't lie, I felt a little weird asking my sister to pick me up a bottle of wine from the State liquor store. I was a little surprised at how inexpensive it was. The bottle cost no more than 4 dollars. With that said, dinner was so good. It was like a really good pot roast. Although it does have a long cooking time, very little time is spent on prep. I cooked mine the full 4 hours. One more thing. When browning the meat make sure that you don't crowd the pan. It will help the meat brown better instead of boiling it.

Shrimp and Grits with Tomato Cream Sauce

For the sauce:
1 T. butter
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 1/2 c. tomato, diced
1/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. green onions, chopped (green parts only)
1 T. dry sherry
salt and pepper to taste

For the shrimp:
1 T. butter
1 c. kielbasa, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1/4 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. red bell pepper, diced
1/4 c. yellow bell pepper, diced
1 T. garlic, minced
16 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails left on)
2 t. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 t. each cayenne, kosher salt, and black pepper
2 T. dry sherry

For the grits:
1 c. white or yellow grits
salt and pepper to taste
4 t. butter, divided
milk

For the sauce:
Saute tomatoes in butter in a small saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes, then add cream and broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in scallions and 1 T. sherry. Season with salt and pepper, simmer 3 minutes. Keep sauce warm over very low heat.

For the shrimp:
Saute kielbasa in butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 1 minute. Add onion, peppers and garlic; saute until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.
Season shrimp with old bay, cayenne, salt, and pepper, then add to kielbasa. Saute 3 minutes, or until shrimp are fully cooked. Deglaze with 2 T. sherry and cook 1 minute, or until sherry evaporates. To serve, divide grits among 4 bowls, then top with shrimp and kielbasa. Serve sauce on the side.

For the grits:
Prepare grits according to package directions (use equal parts milk and water for the liquid.) Season and keep warm.
Top each serving with 1 t. butter.

Makes 3 c. shrimp, 2 c. sauce, 3 c. grits. Total time 30 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake specifically asked that we not have grits. Grits give him the willies because of some field trip he went on to the Provo sewage treatment plant. Don't ask. Anyhow...no grits, so we had polenta instead. Polenta and grits are like siblings so feel free to use either. This meal reminded me of something from the South. It has a lot of different flavors, each one unique on its own, but they seemed to work well together.

Salami Panini With Giardiniera Pesto

Ingredients:
1 c. bottled giardiniera (pickled vegetable mixture)
1/4 c. pepperoncini peppers
1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted
1 T. pesto
4 kaiser or hamburger buns
8 oz. genoa salami
1 c. fontina cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 or panini grill according to manufacturer's instructions.
Combine giardiniera, pepperoncini, olives, and pesto in a food processor; pulse until minced.
Tear a small amount of bread from the top half of each bun. Fill each bun cavity with 1/4 c. of the giardiniera mixture.
Divide salami evenly among the bottom of the buns. Top each with 1/4 c. fontina. Place top bun on top of fontina.
Grill sandwiches in a panini maker or on a cookie sheet coated with nonstick spray. Cook until fontina is melted, about 5-8 minutes.

Makes 4 sandwiches. Total time 20 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake and I went back and forth about buying the Griddler from Costco. We decided not to. But then I wished I had had it for these sandwiches. Oh well. Cookie sheet work well. When you are baking them in the oven use one baking sheet on top one on the bottom. Half way through cooking press down on the top baking sheet to press the sandwich together. When I made these I didn't use fontina. I used provolone instead. I couldn't find fontina. They were still good but I have had one that is similar that I liked better.

Stuffed Squash with Sausage and Gruyere Cheese and Red Grape Waldorf Salad

For the squash:
2 acorn squash, about 1 lb. each
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. pork sausage
1/2 c. onion, diced
1/4 c. sherry
4 c. fresh spinach
1 1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs
3/4 c. Gruyere cheese, shredded
balsamic vinegar
1/2 t. rubbed sage

For the salad:
1 c. red grapes
1/2 c. celery, sliced thinly
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped, toasted
1/4 c. sour cream
2 t. honey
1/2 t. lemon juice
pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425.
Slice each squash in half horizontally; scoop out the seeds. Cut a thin slice off of the bottom of each half to allow squash to sit flat.
Drizzle squash flesh with oil; sprinkle with salt. Place squash halves on a baking sheet, flesh side down. Roast squash 15 minutes. Flip squash and roast 10 minutes more, until the flesh is tender and the edges begin to brown and caramelize. Remove squash from oven. Heat broiler to high and place an oven rack 2 inches below broiler.
Heat 1 T. oil in a skillet. Add sausage to the skillet.
Saute sausage, breaking up chunks with a wooden spoon, sprinkle sage over meat and cook until meat is browned and cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Add onion and cook until onion is translucent about 3 minutes.
Deglaze with sherry; simmer mixture until most of the liquid is evaporated, 2-3 minutes. Add spinach to skillet; stir and toss until spinach leaves are wilted, 2-3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in bread crumbs and 1/2 c. of the Gruyere.
Scoop 1 c. of the sausage mixture into each squash half.
Sprinkle remaining Gruyere over sausage mixture. Return stuffed squash to the baking sheet.
Broil until Gruyere melts, 2-3 minutes. Remove squash from oven and drizzle balsamic vinegar lightly over each squash half.

For the salad:
Combine grapes, celery, and walnuts in a bowl. Whisk together sour cream, honey, lemon juice, and salt. Toss with grape mixture.

Makes 4 servings. Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
Blake thinks I am crazy making him try all these things with squash. But he didn't think I was crazy once he tasted it. It is so good. We even ate it the next day. My squash took longer to cook than the directions say. I would just test the squash with a fork to see if it is tender in the thickest part. I think mine could have cooked a little longer but they were still good. Acorn squash doesn't have a ton of flavor. I would almost liken it unto a potato. So don't be a hater. Try it. The salad reminds me of family reunions when I was little. It made me happy.

Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Gravy

For the meatballs:
1/2 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/3 c. Parmesan, grated
1/4 c. fresh parsley, chopped
1 t. salt
1 t. black pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/4 lb. ground turkey
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. chicken broth

For the gravy:
2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 c. orange juice
1 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. sugar

For the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 450.
Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add turkey. Mix by hand until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
Add milk and 1/4 c. broth to bowl; stir to combine. Form mixture into 2-inch balls (about 2 Tbsp. each).
Coat a nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Saute meatballs over high heat until browned all around. Transfer meatballs to a baking sheet. Bake meatballs until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

For the gravy:
Combine all ingredients for gravy in the skillet used to cook the meatballs. Simmer gravy over high heat until liquid is reduced by half and berries pop, 7-8 minutes. Serve with meatballs.

Makes 4 servings (16 meatballs and 1 1/2 c. gravy) Total time 45 minutes.

Verdict:
I love these. They are so good. Blake is not a big fan of meatballs but he really likes these. Well he likes the meatballs not the gravy. I, on the other hand, could and have eaten the gravy by the spoonful.

Menu

Mon: Turkey Meatballs with Cranberry Gravy

Tue: Stuffed Squash with Sausage and Gruyere Cheese

Wed: Salami Panini

Thur: Shrimp and Grits with Tomato Cream Sauce

Fri: Red Wine Braised Beef Brisket