Dutch Oven Pot Roast

I have usually made my pot roast in a crockpot and let it cook most of the day. Today I tried cooking it in my 5-quart Dutch oven. I put the roast into the oven at 8:30. We eat our large meal at noon, and a smaller meal at night. That way it is not sitting there making fat as we sleep.

I bought a 3-pound Top Round roast last week. I cut it into three small 1# pieces and wrapped each piece in Saran Wrap and then put them into a quart sized freezer bag. Since the roast was on sale, I saved money on two future meals.

Thaw roast in refrigerator the day before you plan on cooking it. Pre Heat oven to 300 degrees. Spray the Dutch oven with Pam to help with the clean-up. Place flour (about 1/2 cup) onto a large flat plate. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cover roast with flour on all sides. This will help thicken the gravy that is created with the water you add. Add 2 cups of water or beef broth into the pan. Whisk in one envelope of Onion soup mix. Place floured roast into the broth. Peel and cut 3 carrots. Pieces should be about 1″ long. Peel and cut up 2 potatoes. I add only one large one as I tend to pass on the potatoes. Cut up a small onion into 1/4s. Place cover on Dutch oven and place into pre heated oven.

After one hour, check doneness of carrots and potato. If close to done, drop temperature to 250 degrees. Lower, if you feel that the veggies are done enough. The meat will need a little longer to cook. I turn the roast over when I check after 1 hour. I also stir the contents to be sure they are not sticking to the bottom of the pan. At 2 hours, I added 8 to 10 Brussel sprouts. I had them left over in the fridge so I thought they would taste good with the other veggies.

You can mix up a little cornstarch with water to thicken the gravy if you prefer. If you do this, take the gravy from the Dutch oven with a ladle and put into a small pan on your stove. Bring it to a boil and slowly incorporate it with the cornstarch mixture. Stir constantly as gravy thickens.

I serve the veggies in a large bowl and slice the roast on a small plate.

Enjoy!

NEEDED INGREDIENTS

3 + Pound Top Round Roast

3 carrots peeled and cut.

1 to 2 potatoes quartered

1 small onion quartered.

2 Cups water or beef broth

1 package Lipton Onion Soup mix

Salt, Pepper and garlic powder mixed with 1/4 to 1/2 cup flour.

Any veggies you want to add: Brussel Sprouts, turnip, cabbage, etc.

Meatball Sub Casserole

This is a recipe that takes just a little time. It is made with premade ingredients so it makes it a great dinner after a long day or a warm lunch after shoveling snow. And….it makes the house smell good. If you are just a couple of people, you can cut the recipe in half.

1 (16 ounce) package frozen garlic bread

2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

40 Italian-style frozen meatballs

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

Heat garlic bread with spread side up on a baking sheet in the preheated oven until warm and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Bring spaghetti sauce to a boil in a large pot. Place frozen meatballs into sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer until meatballs are heated through, about 20 minutes.

Tear garlic bread into bite-size pieces and spread into bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Pour spaghetti sauce and meatballs over garlic bread, coating bread with sauce and distributing meatballs evenly.

Spread mozzarella cheese over top in a layer, followed by a layer of Parmesan cheese.

Bake casserole until cheese has melted, 20 to 25 minutes.

New Years Nachos

This recipe is two in one. One it is a nachos recipe. Two it is made with Chili. The Chili recipe is on this site under “Beef”. It is easy and you can always have two different meals with it.

The first step is to make the chili. Then it is a matter of just putting the Nachos together.

You will need the following:

A bag of Tostito’s Scoops

Chili

Grated Cheese (I use the Mexican blend)

Additional toppings if you desire are chopped onions, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, black olives, etc.

Lightly spray a 9 x 13″ baking pan with Pam. Place scoops along bottom of pan trying to keep the scoops up so you can fill them with chili. Then place another layer to be sure all the holes are covered and you do not see the bottom of the pan. Place scoops into a 350 degree oven to allow to crisp up. Remove pan from oven.

Fill scoops with chili and drizzle more chili over the top of the scoops. Cover with the grated cheese. Add any other toppings you want. Place back in oven. Heat for 5 to 8 minutes. Turn oven off and place pan under broiler to allow cheese to melt. (about 6 minutes). Top with sour cream if desired.

Jan’s Smothered London Broil

This is the new recipe I tried this week. It is so good. And so easy. It calls for 2 cans of Cream of Mushroom soup, but I made it with one. I added a little more than 1/2 cup of water it asked for too. That is the fun with cooking. you can make any recipe your own. The recipe originally said cube steak. Well that is hard to find at this time of low choice of selections. And cube steak is not a favorite of ours. So my friend “Jan” uses London Broil. It is a cheaper cut of meat but oh so tasty in this recipe. So, The recipe you see is the one I made. Enjoy!

1 pound of London Broil steak

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 Package Lipton Onion Soup mix

1/2 to 3/4 cup of water.

You can double the recipe if you need more meat. The recipe originally said 2 cans of the mushroom soup. And you may want to use two if you double the meat, but it was a delicious dark gravy with just one. I will add small onion sliced into the mix next time. My friend adds potatoes and carrots to hers. See what I mean about making it your own. I served mine with mashed potatoes and glazed carrots. The recipe for the carrots can be found in the vegetable section of this blog. I bet is you have someone who is not a fan of carrots, you will change their mind with these.

Chili

This is a simple recipe, like most of the recipes on this site. I use as many shortcuts as I can as long as it does not hurt the flavor of my meals. This blog is to help you eat healthy with less costs of going out and to have easy recipes to make so you don’t spend forever in the kitchen.

Chili is a favorite of mine because you can use it for so many other dishes. I make chili, but it is not just chili to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love a bowl of chili with some shredded cheese sprinkled on top. But I also love to use the chili for tacos. I find the taco mixes are just so salty. It can also be put on a salad for a taco salad. On hot dogs to make chili dogs. In a hamburger bun for a Sloppy Joe. Your imagination will take you to different dishes where chili is going to be the right thing to use.

You will need 1 package of chili mix. You can use McCormick’s or another brand name, but I find the generic (or store brand) is just as good. As with packages of gravy mix, I always have a couple of these envelope mixes on hand.

1Package of Chili Seasoning Mix (I use the less sodium mix.)

1 can (14 1/2 oz.) of diced tomatoes or 2 – 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce. If using the diced tomatoes, think about blending them into a sauce so there are no lumps.

1 can red kidney beans. I blend half the can and put the juice and remaining beans into the chili whole. This works like a thickener so that the chili is not too loose and runny.

Brown the beef in a medium saucepan (with onions if you like them. It adds a little more flavor).

Stir the seasoning mix in a bowl with the tomatoes or sauce and the blended kidney beans. Mix well to be sure the seasoning mix is well blended in. Add the rest of the kidney beans you left whole.

Put this mixture into the saucepan with the beef (or turkey) when it is browned and mix together. Let it simmer on very low heat for about 10 minutes. If you like a little kick to your chili, I add 5 to 10 drops of Red Hot sauce.

Let this cool a little and store in the refrigerator. I wait over night so that so that the flavors all meld together. If you are hungry now, by all means just dig in.

Zucchini Boats

You have choices for the protein in this. I used hamburger, but the original recipe called for Turkey Sausage. You can also use ground pork, chirizo, or ground chicken. This recipe is for 6 servings. I usually cut it in half as I am the only one in this house that will get close to a zucchini. It makes great leftovers.

6 medium zucchini

1 lb. Protein (turkey sausage, hamburger, ground chicken etc.)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1 small onion finely chopped

1 stalk of celery finely chopped

1 cup salad croutons (I use seasoned bread crumbs)

1 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. You will need a 13 by 9 baking pan Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Chop this up and put aside for later. Leave 1/4 inch or more in shell.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook your meat, onion, celery, garlic and seasonings. Cook until meat is no longer pink. About 6 to 8 minutes. Be sure to break up large chunks into crumbles. Stir in bread crumbs or croutons, 1/2 cup of the cheese and the chopped pulp and seeds from the zucchini.

Place halved zucchini onto an ungreased 13 x 9 inch pan. Fill with meat mixture. Add 1/4 inch of water in bottom of pan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese on top is melted.

This full recipe will give you 12 halves. Great for a dinner with guests. Serve with a lightly tossed green salad or fresh sliced tomatoes.

Baked Ziti

I have tried several Ziti recipes. This one is probably the easiest and my husband’s favorite. I made mine in an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. As my husband can eat pasta every day, I elected not to freeze half. But you can do that easily. I prefer to bake it before freezing and then after it is cooled, I put it in containers to freeze. It is easily thawed and reheated in the micro for lunch or for those nights where you want something warm, but don’t want to waste a lot of time cooking. Also great when you don’t have to turn on the oven during the warm summer days.

1/2 of a 16 oz. box of ziti or penne pasta

12 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese*

8 oz. finely shredded Mozzarella cheese

1 beaten egg

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/3 pound cooked hamburger if desired.

Bring to a boil 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon oil. When water is boiled, add 1 teaspoon salt and pasta. Cook for about 12 minutes until pasta is soft, but not mushy. It will cook in the sauce so you don’t want it overcooked.

If you decide to add hamburger to your mix, cook it in a small fry pan with 2 teaspoons chopped onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/8 tsp. garlic powder. Drain before adding to sauce mix.

While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, mix hamburger (if using) spaghetti sauce, egg, ricotta/cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and 6 oz. of the shredded Mozzarella. When ziti is cooked, drain and add to the sauce mixing well. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water when draining. After everything is mixed, if you feel like the mixture is not moist enough, add a little of the pasta water until it is a little moist.

If you like it really cheesy, mix all the shredded Mozzarella into sauce mix. then lay 4 thin slices of mozzarella over top. This gives you a nice cover and also adds more cheese to the casserole.

I always use cottage cheese with pineapple. It adds a little sweetness to your sauce and also, if I don’t use the full container, it makes a great afternoon snack. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese so this works well for me.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until cover cheese is browned and bubbly.

Chili Grape Meatballs

This is a super easy recipe. It takes minutes to put together and can be partially done the night before. I use a crockpot, but if you don’t have one you can put it on the stove in a heavy duty pot and let it simmer until meatballs are cooked. You can also use frozen meatballs. They are a great time saver and taste great in this sauce. Serve it over rice, quinoa, noodles or mix it up and serve as a meatball sandwich using a crusty sub roll. It makes extra, so plan on using the rest as a leftover meal.

If you want to save time, make the meatballs the night before and place on a platter so they do not stick together.

2 Lbs. hamburger

1 egg, beaten

1 small onion, finely chopped

Salt & pepper to taste (1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper)

1 (14 oz.) jar of grape jelly

1 small jar of chili sauce (You can find this in the grocer in the condiment section)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice.

Mix the hamburger, salt, pepper, onion and beaten egg in a mixing bowl. Shape into meatballs using your hands or a 2″ cookie scoop. Set aside.

When the meatballs are shaped, turn the crockpot down to medium and place meatballs into sauce. They may not be completely covered, but stir them gently to coat. Be careful that you do not make meatballs crumble.

Cook slowly for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until sauce is mixed and meatballs are cooked through. You can stir gently a couple of time during the day, but it is not needed.

Shephard’s Pie

1/2 Lb. Hamburg 1 Can Creamed Corn

2 Medium Potatoes Salt & pepper

¼ Cup Chopped Onion or 2 teaspoons Onion Powder

Peel and cube two potatoes and put in small saucepan. Cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until soft (about 10 minutes +/-.

Brown hamburger in frying pan with onions or onion powder. Drain. Place in casserole dish sprayed with Pam. Add salt & pepper to your liking.

Drain the cream corn to remove some of the extra juice. Cover hamburger. Do not mix together. You are looking for layers.

When potatoes are done, drain and replace into saucepan. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and a “gob” of sour cream. You want the potatoes to be a little dry so don’t put too much sour cream in at first. Add as needed. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash until creamy with no lumps.

*Spraying top of casserole with butter spray or dabs of butter are optional.

Bake in n 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Serve with fruit and fresh bread

Cover corn with potatoes. Do not stir these together. Layer one on top of the other. Put little dabs of margarine on top of potatoes or spray with a butter spray. *

You may also add peas or peas and carrots with the layer of corn. ��

Melting Bean Pot

This is a favorite of ours. It is made in a large fry pan or saucepan. It is similar to Mac and Cheese, but adds protein in the hamburger and baked beans. You can change up the flavor of the baked beans depending on your personal taste.

This is also listed as a meatless recipe. You just need to omit the beef and change the canned beans to a vegetarian style instead of Pork and Beans. It will still be a very tasty meal.

You may think that 2 teaspoons of chili powder is too much, but you will be surprised with the flavor. Try it with 2 at first and increase or decrease to your liking.

1/3 Lb. Ground Beef 3 Cups Cooked Macaroni*

1/4 Cup Onion Chopped 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/8 Cup Diced Green Pepper 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 Cup Milk 2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 Can (8 oz.) Pork & Beans

In saucepan, brown beef and onions and peppers with chili powder until tender. Add beans, cooked macaroni, cheese, milk and salt. Pour into small sprayed casserole dish.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes about 6 cups.

By leaving out the hamburger, you could make this a vegetarian meal.

* 1 ½ cups raw macaroni makes 3 cups cooked.

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To Cook Macaroni

Take a medium sauce pan and fill about ½ full of water. Add 1 tsp oil. Bring to a boil. When boiling, add 1 tsp of salt. Always salt pasta water. Add pasta. Stir and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes until soft but not mushy. Macaroni will cook with the other ingredients in the oven. rain using colander and add to beef mixture.