Slow Baked Beef Roast with Vegetables

This beef roast turns out tender and full of flavor. Slow cooking the beef is the way to get a tender cut of meat. The meat and vegetables act together to flavor each other, and you have the flavorful juices to pour over the meat or make into a gravy.  

Ingredients

1 (3 lb.) beef roast
salt
pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
6 potatoes, cut in half or quartered
1 onion, sliced and cut into half rings
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
1 lb. baby carrots
2 c. beef stock or broth or 2 tsp. beef bouillon dissolved in 2 c. water.
1 c. red wine or water
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. rosemary
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf

Directions

Preheat oven to 195° to 200°.  You can also use a slow cooker for this recipe, instead.

 

Season both sides of the beef roast with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder.  Rub the seasonings into the meat. I don't have measurements for these seasonings, as it is personal preference. You can add as much or as little as you like of these seasonings.

 

Place the beef roast in a roasting pan or a large cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven. 

Add the potatoes, onions, celery and baby carrots around the beef roast.

In a bowl, combine the beef stock, wine, garlic, rosemary and thyme. Pour this in with the beef and vegetables. 

Bake for 8 to 10 hours.  The roast is done when the internal temperature reaches at least 145°. 

To serve, cut the beef roast into thick slices or shred with a fork. . 

 

Serve the roast and vegetables with the juices poured over the top of the meat, or you can make gravy. 

 

To make gravy, combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch with equal amounts of water. Mix until smooth. 

Remove the beef roast and vegetables from the roaster onto a serving platter. 

Bring the juices in the roaster to a boil.  Whisk in cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until thickened. You can add more beef broth or water if needed.

Season with salt and pepper

Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Butter Cake

 

This is one cake recipe that we have made several times.  It is that good! However, it is not one to be made and eaten if you are watching calories or on a diet.

Ingredients Crust

1 yellow cake mix
1 egg
1/2 c. butter, melted

Cake Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
2 c. powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease or spray the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.

In a bowl, combine cake mix, egg and butter. Mix with a wooden spoon.  The batter will be very stiff, like a soft dough.  

Press this crust mixture into the bottom of your prepared cake pan. 

In the same mixing bowl that you made the crust in above, add the cream cheese and pumpkin purée. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. 

Pour in the butter, eggs and vanilla.  Mix until well combined. 

Turn the mixer to the lowest setting possible. Mix in the pumpkin pie spice and powdered sugar, until thoroughly combines. 

Pour over the crust mixture. 

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. The cake is done when the outer edges are set, but the middle will still be soft.  If you bake it until the middle section is completely firm, you will lose the ooey gooey center. 

Let the cake cool before serving. You can serve this with whipped cream, if you like.

Juicy Pork Loin with Potatoes, Carrots and Onions

This is an easy meal to make. A tender juicy pork loin baked in the oven with potatoes, carrots and onions. It is a complete meal to serve in just a fraction of the time.  You can also make some gravy with the liquid in the roasting pan to make the meal perfect.

Ingredients

2 to 3 lb. pork loin
1 to 2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. salt
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. rosemary (optional)
2 c. chicken stock
3 or 4 potatoes, halved lengthwise
12 or so baby carrots or 5 large carrots cut in sections
1 onion cut in quarters

Directions

Heat oven to 350°.

Place the pork loin on the prepared pan. 

Rub the olive oil over the pork loin, coating all sides.

In a small bowl, combine salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper, sage, thyme and rosemary.

Sprinkle the seasoning over all sides of the pork loin. Rub the seasonings into the meat.

Place the pork loin in a roasting pan.  

Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion around the pork loin. 

Pour in the chicken stock.

Bake for an hour, or until the internal temperature reads 145°.

Spicy Refried Beans

The refried beans you buy at the store often lack taste. By making your own refried beans at home, you can make them as spicy as you like. This is a simple recipe to make, and it doesn't have to always go with a Mexican style dinner. They are good to eat any time.

Ingredients

1 Tbs. oil 
1 onion, chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 can (16 oz.) pinto beans
3/4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. shredded cheese

Directions

In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapeno peppers. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are tender. 

Stir in the pinto beans, chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chicken bouillon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Using a potato masher or a hand held blending wand, mash the beans to your desired consistency. They should be like mashed potatoes. If the mixture is too thick for you, add a little water to thin it.  

Cook and stir over medium low heat until the contents are heated through. Top with cheese.

Herb Chicken and Gravy

 

This is an easy meal to make that does not take a lot of time.  The chicken is tender, juicy and flavorful. We usually double our gravy because we like to pour extra gravy over mashed potatoes. 

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
1 Tbs. oil
3 Tbs butter
1 onion, cut in half then thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. whole milk
1 chicken bouillon cube, dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. basil
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. mustard powder
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. chicken broth

Directions

In a small bowl, combine onion powder, garlic and Italian seasoning.

Season both sided of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with the onion, garlic and Italian seasoning. 

Heat oil over medium high heat, in a heavy cast iron skillet. Cook the chicken breasts until browned. Then turn them over to brown the other side.  Turn the heat to medium low, cover the skillet with a lid and continue to cook the chicken until it is fully done, or the internal temperature reaches 165° on an instant read thermometer. 

Place the chicken on a plate, cover and set aside while you make the sauce.

Add the butter into the skillet.  Over medium heat, add the onion and garlic. Sauté until tender.  

Stir in the flour.  Cook and stir for a minute or two to remove the flour taste. 

Whisk in the milk, stirring constantly. Add in the chicken bouillon cube dissolved in the hot water, onion powder, garlic powder, basil, oregano, mustard powder, and parsley

Cook and stir until the mixture has thickened.  Taste the gravy and add more salt and pepper if needed.  

Return the chicken to the skillet.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 8 minutes, spooning the gravy over the top of the chicken.

Serve with mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Notes

We like extra gravy to put over mashed potatoes, or noodles.  Simply double the milk and flour mixture for more delicious gravy.

Add about a tablespoon to 1/4 c. sour cream to the milk mixture for more flavor.

BBQ Shake and Bake Chicken or Pork Chops Seasoning Mix

If you love the boxed BBQ seasoning mix that you buy in the store, you will love this recipe.  It is amazing how the cost of those two little packets can cost so much money when you can make your own seasoning for a fraction of the price. Best of all, most if not all the ingredients can be found in your kitchen or pantry.

Ingredients

3 c. dried bread crumbs, ground fine* See notes below
3 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
3 Tbs. cornmeal
3 Tbs. corn starch
3 Tbs. smoked paprika
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 Tbs. cumin
2 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. granulated onion
1 1/2 Tbs. salt
4 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbs. ginger
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. pepper
3/4 to 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 Tbs. creole seasoning.  (Tony Chachere's is the one we like.)

Directions

In a mason jar or a bowl, add bread crumbs, cornmeal, corn starch, smoked paprika, granulated onion, salt, chili powder, ginger, cumin, thyme, oregano, granulated garlic, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly until very well blended. 

If using a mason jar, seal with a lid.  If using a bowl, transfer the ingredients to a container that has a tight-fitting lid.  Store in a cool place. 

Use about 1/2 cup of the shake and bake seasoning mixture to 2 1/2 pounds of chicken or 6 to 8 pork chops.

Hamburger Buns

Nothing tastes better than a great tasting hamburger on a bun. Going to the store to buy buns may leave you in sticker shock when you see the price for a few buns. Of course, you can go out and eat at a local hamburger place, but what you would spend for one meal, you can make a whole meal for your family and have lots of money left over.  You can easily make your own buns at home, and it's a lot cheaper. 

Ingredients

1 2/3 c. warm water
2 Tbs. honey or sugar
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
1/4 c. dry milk powder
2 Tbs. soft butter or oil
4 1/2 cups flour 
1 1/2 tsp. salt 

In a large bowl, combine warm water, sugar and yeast. Set the yeast mixture aside in a warm location for about 8 to 10 minutes. This will show you that the yeast is alive, and your dough will rise beautifully. 

Add the milk powder, 1 cup flour, butter or oil and beat well. 

Stir in the salt. Stir in the flour, one cup at a time, until you have a soft dough.  When the dough becomes too hard to stir with a wooden spoon, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 7 to 10 minutes, adding more dough as necessary.  The dough should be soft and tacky, but not sticky.   You may not need all the flour, or you may need more. It depends on how much humidity is in the air.

On a lightly floured surface, turn dough out an

Lightly oil the bowl that you mixed the dough in. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it over once so all sides of the dough is coated with oil.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel or plastic wrap. Place in a warm location for 60 minutes to 2 hours, or until doubled in bulk.  If you have the time, punch the dough down, and allow it to rise again. This gives you a light and fluffy bread bun

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 8 pieces  for large buns or 12 pieces for slider buns.  Shape each piece of dough into a ball.  With the palm of your hand, flatten each dough ball until it is about 3-inches across.

Place the dough on a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly oil the tops of the dough and cover with a tea towel or a greased sheet of plastic wrap. Set in a warm location until doubled in size.  This takes about an hour. 

Heat the oven to 350°. Bake large buns for 15 to 20 minutes, or the slider buns for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. 

Run a stick of butter over the tops of the hot buns for a soft, buttery crust.  

Allow to cool and then slice them horizontally for hamburgers or your favorite sandwich filling.