Corned Beef and Cabbage

It was my first St. Patrick's Day not living near my parents. We have a tradition that every year, whether mom cooks it or we go out and find it somewhere, we must eat corned beef and cabbage on St. Patty's Day. Being that I lived in a town where there aren't many food options, I knew I needed to cook it. Surprise, surprise when I asked Patrick if he liked the dish, "Ew, no, I hate that stuff." So, what do I always do when I know that I want a specific meal and he says he doesn't like it? Cook it anyway... But with a twist. Instead of cooking the cabbage the entire time with the corned beef, I only let it cook in the Crock Pot for an hour. I then took it out about a half hour before dinner, and sauteed it with onions and a good amount of butter. As in the mindset of Paula Deen, butter makes everything taste good. After everything was finished cooking, I watched as Patrick took his first bite. Watched him take another and then realized that he hadn't spit it out. When asking if he liked it, "Yeah, it is really really good. This is the first time I've ever had it." Wait, what? Did he not tell me that he didn't like it beforehand? "Oh, yeah, I just say I didn't like it because of the way the cabbage smelled." Ahh, and there goes all the mystery of what else he "doesn't like."

Corned beef (with seasoning packet), apple juice, water, carrots, onions, small potatoes, bay leaves, cabbage and BUTTER are all the ingredients you will need. Add everything but the carrots and half of an onion. Let cook on low for 8 hours. 7 hours in, add large chunks of cabbage to the Crock Pot.

Chop the last of the onion. Take out the cabbage after an hour (and let your corned beef warm). Try to let the cabbage drain as much as possible then cut it into smaller slices. Add the butter, chopped onion, and cabbage and saute them. Add the sauteed cabbage to your corned beef dish and enjoy!

Recipe

Ingredients

1 corned beef brisket (4 lb) with seasoning packet

4 large carrots

10 small potatoes (preferably baby red)

2 onions (1 1/2 wedged and 1/2 chopped)

1 medium head of cabbage chopped into wedges with core removed

2 bay leaves

1/2 stick of butter

2 cups of apple juice

1 cup of water

Salt

Directions

1. Add everything but cabbage, butter, and the 1/2 chopped onion. Cook on low for 7 hours.
2. Add cabbage after the 7 hours and continue to let cook for another hour. 
3. Take out the cabbage and let the rest warm. 
4. Drain cabbage and slice. Saute with the onion and butter. Add salt to taste.
5. Serve the sauteed cabbage with the corned beef and veggies.

Crock Pot Ham

Ingredients
1 bone-in ham (6-8 lbs)
2 cups of brown sugar


Directions

1. Spread 1.5 cups of the brown sugar at the bottom of the Crock Pot.
2. Place the ham in flat side down and use the last of the brown sugar to spread over the ham. 
3. Cook on low for 8 hours (Try to check on the ham every hour or so to distribute some of the juices to the top of the ham).

***I've also added sliced pineapples to the top of the ham while cooking to give the ham a sweeter flavor. Look at my previous recipes for the directions.

Leftover Pulled Pork: Spicy Asian Noodles

It was that time again, Crockpot pulled pork! Patrick had a guys' day yesterday and BBQ pulled pork is what they requested. Even after multiple sandwiches and giving plenty to take home, we still had a ton left over. I think my most creative side comes out when I have to use leftovers, because having the same thing over and over again can be boring! Nachos, pizza, and tacos have all been made with the leftover pulled pork, but tonight, I was craving Asian food! So, I pulled together what I had in the pantry and voila, it worked really well!


Recipe:

Ingredients
1-2 cups of leftover pulled pork
1 package of Ramen
2 cups of sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons of Sriracha (add more if you can handle it)
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 tablespoon of olive oil



Directions

1. Cook the Ramen according to the package. Drain but reserve one half cup of the Ramen water.
2. Start to cook the mushrooms with the olive oil in a wok.
3. Once the mushrooms are halfway cooked, reduce heat and add the pork and chili powder.
4. Once the pulled pork is heated and mushrooms are cooked, stir in your Ramen, Sriracha, and reserved water. Let cook for several minutes and then serve.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Over the past several days, my friends and family back home in Chicago have been getting a lot of snow. While it was in the 60s here today, I still felt cold overall. Maybe it was me missing(or not missing) those snowy winter days. So, to all my friends and family back home, this one's for you.

 

Here are the ingredients you will need for this soup. All that is missing is a little bit of butter, salt and pepper.

To begin, start to melt your butter in the bottom of a 4 quart pan. Throw the diced onions in and let them cook until they are translucent. Next, add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, salt, pepper, and hash browns. Now, you can use regular diced potatoes, but I was feeling lazy today so I cheated. Let the mixture come to a boil and then reduce heat. Depending on your preference for consistency, you can either use a masher, immersion blender, or leave the hash browns whole to achieve the texture you would like. After letting simmer for ten minutes, add the cream cheese and a cup of the shredded mild cheddar cheese. Once melted, your soup is ready to serve.  Top with bacon bits, shredded cheese, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!

Recipe:

Ingredients
1 bag (30 oz) of hash browns
3 cans of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1/2 to 1 onion, diced
1 package of cream cheese
1 cup (plus a bit extra) of shredded mild cheddar cheese
Salt
Pepper
Sour cream for topping
Bacon pieces for topping


Directions

1. Start to melt your butter in the bottom of a 4 quart pan. Add onions and cook until translucent. 
2. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and hash browns. Salt and pepper liberally.
3. Let cook to a boil and then reduce heat. Cook for ten more minutes.
4. Add cream cheese and shredded cheese. Stir until melted.
5. Serve and top with more cheese, bacon, and sour cream.

Crock Pot Ham with Pineapple

Ingredients
Spiral sliced ham
A can of crushed pineapple in own juices
3.5 cups of brown sugar


Directions

1. Rub one cup of the brown sugar all over the ham and let it marinade overnight.
2. Put the rest of the brown sugar at the bottom of your slow cooker. Add the ham and the can of pineapple. Cook for 8 hours on low. 

Picky PC's Paleo Chili

I love trying new things, but PC, as we know, is the picky one. I decided to try out the Paleo diet and convinced PC to do it with me. So, I will be making a lot of meals geared towards him so that he will be happy. Some of these ingredients are not typical of chili, but it is the only chili he will eat.

Here is what you will need for this recipe.

Cut up the meat and add chili powder, salt, and pepper to the meat and give it a good rub. Add your diced onions, mushrooms, and garlic and let sit with the meat for a bit.

Begin to heat your oil in a pan. Once heated, add your meat mixture to the pan and let the meat brown. 

Once the meat is browned, add your tomatoes, broth, and spices. Give it a good stir, cover, and let simmer for an hour and a half. 

Serve and enjoy!

Recipe:

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of skirt steak

3 (14.5 oz) cans of no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained

3 cups of fat free beef broth

2 cups of diced onions

2 cups of diced mushrooms

3 tablespoons of minced garlic

3 tablespoons of chili powder

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon of thyme

1 teaspoon of cayenne

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions

1. Cut up your meat and add half of your chili powder, salt and pepper to it. Give it a good rub and then add your mushrooms, onions and garlic. Let sit for a bit so that flavors can marinade the meat.
2. Heat your oil in a pan and add your meat mixture. Let cook until your meat browns.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Give it a good stir, cover, and let simmer for an hour and a half.

Nannah's Sloppy Joes

When you think of sloppy joe's, Manwich probably comes to mind. While I may have had a can or two of Manwich in my day, my favorite kind of sloppy joe's is definitely my Nannah's. Not only is this sloppy joe recipe easy to make, it's also easy on the wallet. The sauce is so simple, I bet you have all the ingredients in your pantry. All you will need is a pound of ground beef, hamburger buns, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. All together, this meal cost me just under $4 and it made 6 sloppy joes.

Start by browning your beef in a skillet on medium-high heat.

While your meat is browning, mix together your ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.

Once your meat is cooked all the way through, turn your heat to low and add your sauce. Put a cover on it and let it simmer for several minutes. 

After letting simmer, give it a quick stir and it is ready to serve! You can serve it on the bun alone, with cheese like my dad prefers, with diced onions like PC loves, or with crushed Doritos which is my personal favorite. Enjoy!

Recipe:

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef

2 cups of ketchup

1 cup of light brown sugar

1 tablespoon of mustard

Hamburger buns

Directions

1. Brown your beef in a skillet on medium-high heat.
2. Mix together ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard.
3. Once meat is cooked through, add sauce and cover. Turn to low to let simmer for several minutes. Serve on a bun once finished.