Simple Roast Beef Dinner

I love roast beef.  This is a quick and easy dinner that tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.  I used an inexpensive cut of roast and then put it in the slow cooker for a few hours.  The result was tender and delicious. 

Simple Roast Beef Dinner

1 roast

1 can beef broth

1 large onion, sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on high for one hour.  Reduce heat to low and continue to cook 4-6 hours.  Shred beef and allow it to soak up remaining juices.  Serve over toast with mashed potatoes.

Old El Paso “Tackle the Taste” Gift Pack Winner

And the winner is.... MO MO! Congratulations! Please e-mail me at simplecookery@aol.com with your contact information so your gift pack can be mailed to you. And, special thanks to MyBlogSpark and Old El Paso for the Old El Paso "Tackle the Taste" Gift Pack. Don't forget to click here to save $0.55 on one can of Old El Paso Green Chiles today!

Game Day Sliders & Refried Beans

Are you ready for the BIG game?  Even if you’re not a football fan, I bet you like the Superbowl commercials!  And, how about the food??? Every year, I try to come up with something a little different. So, I was very happy when Old El Paso provided me with a ‘Tackle the Taste’ gift pack through MyBlogSpark.  Not only did I receive Old El Paso Green Chiles to try, I also received this great serving platter and table decorations.  I’ve actually used Old El Paso Green Chiles for years in a lot of my recipes.  But, I decided to try something a little different this time. 

I love the idea of ‘sliders’.  This recipe incorporates all the ease of my favorite meatloaf recipe. And, Old El Paso Green Chiles gave it an extra kick.

 

 
GAME DAY SLIDERS
.
1 pound ground chuck
1 can Old El Paso Green Chiles (4.5 oz)
1/2 cup ketchup
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients and form into small patties, about two and a half inches in diameter. Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Brown patties quickly on both sides. Remove to an oven-proof casserole dish. Bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Serve on small rolls.

I also decided to add something extra to my homemade refried bean recipe.  I’ve used dark red kidney beans for years to make refried beans.  I love the flavor they give.  I kept my recipe the same and added Old El Paso Green Chiles.  The results were terrific.  I’ll definitely be doing this again.

REFRIED BEANS
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1 can dark red kidney beans (do not drain)
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 can Old El Paso Green Chiles (4.5 oz)
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Combine beans, water and garlic powder in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil approximately 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked down and beans are soft. You will need to stir the beans once in a while to keep from sticking. Remove beans to a boil and mash to desired consistency. Add chiles and stir well.

How would you use Old El Paso Green Chiles to spice up your recipe? 

Old El Paso, through MyBlogSpark, has provided an additional gift pack to give away.  Leave a comment for a chance to win your very own Old El Paso “Tackle the Taste” gift pack.  If you’re a follower of this blog, you are automatically entered.  Feel free to leave a comment for an extra entry!  Hurry though, because this offer will end on January 27, 2010. THIS CONTEST HAS ENDED. THE WINNER WAS MO MO!

And, click here to save $0.55 on one can of Old El Paso Green Chiles today!

Golden Chicken & Rice Casserole

 

How often do you think about portion sizes?  Most experts say, for proteins, a portion is about the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.  If you go by that measurement, then most chicken breasts are two portions.  But, cut one in half and it doesn’t look like much.  If you boil it and then shred the chicken, it looks like a much bigger serving.  I know it’s just a trick of the eye, but it stretches the budget.  I recently purchased a package of three boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  I boiled them with garlic, pepper and a little salt.  I shredded the chicken and used half of it the first night in a huge portion of stir-fry with rice and vegetables.  I used the other half in this casserole.  So, three chicken breasts that would have been three servings if cooked alone, became dinner for four people over two nights.  How do you stretch your food dollar?

Golden Chicken & Rice Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 can Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 cup cooked mixed vegetables

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 cup shredded Colby cheese

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup French’s Fried Onions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix all ingredients except onions. If you didn't use leftover chicken that was previously seasoned, add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.  Pour into casserole dish.  Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, until bubbly.  Top with onions and continue to cook 5-8 minutes or until onions are golden brown.

Chocolate Pudding

I like instant pudding, but sometimes I want the real thing.  This recipe takes a little extra time, but it is definitely worth it.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup flour

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 cup water, divided

2/3 cup evaporated  milk

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together cocoa and flour and place in a double boiler.  Over medium heat, whisk in 1/2 cup water and blend long enough to make a smooth paste.  Add sugar, egg, 1/2 cup water, and milk.  Mix well and cook over low heat until mixture begins to thicken.  Beat in vanilla and butter until butter is melted and blended in.  Pour into dessert dishes and chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.  Don’t forget to lick the pan!

Check out more great recipes this week at The Grocery Cart Challenge.

Egg-White Mushroom Friatta

 

You could call this an egg-white omelet.  You could also call it friatta.  How about an egg-white pizza?  How’s that for low-carb?  Ideally you want to cook a friatta in an oven proof skillet so you can place it under the broiler.  However, if you cook it until almost set, you can easily slide it onto a baking sheet to finish browning. 

Egg-White Mushroom Friatta

3 egg whites, beaten

2 tablespoons milk or cream

1/2 cup Colby-jack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup canned mushrooms, drained

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 teaspoon olive oil

Turn oven on Broil.  Sauté mushrooms in canola oil until slightly browned.  Drain well on paper towels. Pre-heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in oven proof skillet over medium-high heat.   Stir together egg whites, cream, Colby-jack cheese, mushrooms and seasoning.  Pour into skillet.  Cook until just barely set.  Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese.  Place pan under broiler for about five minutes or until top is browned.

Skipping Breakfast?

I'm as guilty as anyone of skipping breakfast. I'll end up feeling famished an hour later and grabbing something, well, something not so good for me. So, I was pretty excited when General Mills provided me with free cereal, product information and a gift pack through MyBlogSpark.

The timing was perfect since I had baked all those yummy treats in December and was hoping to start the new year off on the right track! Did you know that General Mills has been reducing sugar in their cereals - especially those advertised to kids under 12? For more information, visit General Mills: Cereal Health and Wellness. Their site has some great information on the benefits of cereal. As for me, I also like to have cereal as snack before bedtime and I don't feel one bit guilty about it! What's your favorite time of day to eat cereal?

Fried Cornbread

 

This is not for the meek or mild.  Growing up, we had fried cornbread at suppertime.  My favorite part about cornbread is the crunchy outside, so I think that is why I like this so much.  Sometimes we’d thin the recipe down some extra water, add flour, and make pancakes.  The next time you have some leftover cornmeal on hand, try this recipe.  I use Martha White Self-Rising Buttermilk Cornmeal because I can use plain milk in my baked cornbread rather than keeping buttermilk around. If you are using plain cornmeal, add a little buttermilk in place of some of the water in this recipe.

Fried Cornbread

1 cup self-rising buttermilk cornmeal

1/2 to 3/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup canola oil & 1 tablespoon butter

Mix cornmeal with hot water until well-blended and smooth.  Add a little more water, if necessary, to make batter the consistency of thick pancake batter.  Heat oil (enough to cover bottom) in heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add a pat of butter for flavoring.  Scoop batter into 1/4 cup measuring spoon and pour into pan.  When the batter bubbles around the edge (like pancakes) flip the bread.  Brown another minute or so and remove.  Drain on paper towels and serve hot.

Guest Recipe – Tri-Cookies

 

Here’s another great recipe from Sunflower Sue.  These sound yummy and they’re a great way to use up some of your leftover baking supplies!

Susan’s Tri-Cookies

1 pkg of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1/2 stick of melted butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg
6 oz. chocolate chips

I mix the first 4 ingredients, then add the chocolate chips.

Spoon them onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 7 min. at 375 degrees. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 3 - 4 min. then move to a cooling rack.