Cheesesteak

Ingredients:

3-4lbs Beef Chuck Pot Roast
1 Medium Onion, cut into small slices
1 Green Bell Pepper, cut into small slices
1 Tablespoon Butter
A few slices of Mozzarella cheese
Rolls (I used hoagies)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
3/4 Cup Water

Jalapenos or banana peppers (optional)

Directions:

Place your meat in your slow cooker and set to low. Pour water over meat then add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cover and cook for 8 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker and shred on cutting board, removing all pieces of fat. Heat the butter in a skillet and add the onion and bell pepper, cook until the vegetables start to become tender. Add shredded meat and stir. Add salt and black pepper if necessary. Cover and turn the heat to low and let the flavors blend together for about 10 minutes while you prepare your rolls.Place on a baking sheet and put under the broiler for about 3-4 minutes, until they start to turn golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven and spoon your meat mixture onto your rolls, then top with cheese.

This recipe made the meat more tender than the cut I tried to use before, but it tastes like pot roast on a bun. Something I did not like. I think I will go to the butcher next time and ask for the thin sliced rib-eye meat. The correct cut of meat they use for cheesesteaks.

Quick Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1 15.5oz Trader Joe's Curry Simmering Sauce
1 med bell pepper cubed
1 half onion sliced
5 small yellow potatoes cut into halfs (if larger, I cut into 3s)
2 med carrots cut into 1/2in chunks
3 med chicken breasts cut into 1/2 in cubes
1 tbl olive oil

Directions:


Heat oil in sauce pot on med heat. Toss in onion, green pepper and carrots. Saute vegatables until they are tender (about 7 mins). Add chicken, potatoes and simmering sauce. Cover pot and let simmer for 15 - 20mins. Add to steamed rice.


M and I liked the dish, it didn't taste like what you would have in a Thai restaurant. There wasn't a lot of seasoning. I think I might added more cumin, tumeric and basil leaves next time.

Seahawks Potatoes

Ingredients:


1 pkg. Orieda frozen diced potatoes – thaw them in warm water in your sink, open the bag and drain the water once thawed
1 12oz pkg. shredded medium cheddar cheese
1 8oz sour cream – do not use non fat
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small ham, don’t use smoked or honey ham, use plain picnic ham – 3 to 4 cups cut up in cubes


Directions:


4 to 6 qt. Crockpot or slow cooker (spray the inside). Place the hash browns in the cooker, mix the cream of chicken and sour cream together first, then mix them into the potatoes.
Now toss in the ham and half of the cheese

Cook slow for 4 to 6 hours depending on the cooker, don’t mix up the mixture as you will mash the potatoes

30 minutes before you are ready to each them mix in the rest of the cheese, I usually just throw about half in and mix gently then put the rest on top to melt

I didn't care for this too much. I accidentally purchased shredded potatoes and I don't think there was enough potatoes. Next time I will try it with diced, hopefully it will taste a bit better.

Weeknight Lasanga Toss

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef
2 green peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1-2/3 cups water
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
12 oven-ready lasagna noodles, broken into quarters
1 cup KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

BROWN meat in large saucepan; drain.

ADD peppers, garlic, spaghetti sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.

COOK on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

Neither one of us really cared too much for it. It was ver saucy tasting, maybe I didn't get a really good sauce to use.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations:

For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

I made this last Halloween and all of my friends and myself loved it. I put it in the oven a few mins longer and used spice cake mix instead of the yellow cake mix. I recommend the spice cake mix.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 drops peppermint oil
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
Chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar, and salt and heat over medium-low heat. When the cream mixture just begins to steam, add the chopped chocolate, and stir, until melted. Stir in the peppermint oil. Divide the hot chocolate among mugs and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

I love peppermint and chocolate anything. I love this recipe during the winter and I add a peppermint stick in it at the end for company. I use only 1 cup of heavy cream and use 2 to 2 1/2 cups of skim milk, it is a little too rich and thick for my taste.

Spice Rubbed Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:

Spice Rub:
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 (3 1/2 to 4-pound) chicken
1 (12-ounce) can beer

Directions:

Heat a gas or charcoal grill with a lid big enough to accommodate the bird. Put a drip pan below the grates.

Mix the ingredients for the Spice Rub until they are well blended. (This will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 week.) Rub it all over the chicken, inside and out.

Open the beer and take a big swig or just pour out a couple of ounces. Sit the chicken on the beer can so the legs are at the bottom and the wings are at the top. Stand the beer can on the grates over the drip pan. Put the cover on and cook over indirect heat until the juices run clear, about 1 hour. (If using charcoal, push the coals to 1 side so the chicken is not over direct heat.)

Note: This chicken can also be cooked in a 350 degrees F oven. Just stand the beer can in a shallow roasting pan and cook about 1 hour or until juices run clear.

M, me and friend's love love love this recipe. The spices are delicious and the beer makes this a very moist chicken, even the white meat. I used a friend's chicken stand the first time. I don't own the chicken stand, so I used cut up pieces and do everything but the beer part and cook it in a 9 x 13 pan. It still come out moist, just not as moist and a slightly different flavor that the beer would add to it.

Jaime's Chili

Ingredients:

1 pound mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper diced
2 cups chopped celery
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
Ground cumin
Chili powder
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 package chili seasoning mix
Shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish
Fritos (optional)

Directions:

In a skillet brown ground beef and sausage, drain and set aside.
Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.

Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

I love spicy chili so I buy the hot seasoning and add a little more cayenne pepper. My friend's and I love this during the cold days. I like to add the cheese underneath the chili.

Apple Pear Crisp

Ingredients:

2 pounds ripe Bosc pears (4 pears)
2 pounds firm Macoun apples (6 apples)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the topping:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel, core, and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch oval baking dish.

For the topping:

Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.
Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly. Serve warm.

I loved this recipe and shared it with friends and co-workers who loved it. The first night you taste it, it is slightly tart. Give it a day or two and the flavors are perfect, not too sweet and not too tart. I can't get enough of the crumble. I used Fuji apples and Bartlett pears. Also I would toss the mixer and use your hands (the BEST mixing tool you have) to really work the topping ingredients. I also ended up making it in a 9 x 13 dish, there was just too much fruit.