Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Prep: 30 minutes + cooking time

INGREDIENTS
2-4 lbs beef roast (shoulder or chuck roast)
4 carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
3 red potatoes, chopped
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS
1. Salt and pepper the beef roast. Brown/sear all sides of the meat in a skillet with oil on high heat.
2. Add meat and all other ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or 3 hours on high and then 3 hours on low. Meat should fall apart when ready.

Suggestion: Serve with cornbread.

Balsamic Pork Loin Roast

*From allrecipes.com here.

Prep: 1 hour + time to marinate
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp steak seasoning rub
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS
1. Dissolve steak seasoning in balsamic vinegar, then stir in olive oil. Place pork in resealable plastic bag, then pour marinade overtop. Squeeze out air and seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 2 hours to overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pork into a glass baking dish with marinade. Bake, basting occasionally, until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees, about 1 hour. Let the roast rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Suzanne's Sauteed Zucchini

Prep: 15 minutes
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup diced onion
2 tsp garlic
4 zucchini, sliced
1 can petite chopped tomatoes
oregano, to taste
basil, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Saute onions and garlic in olive oil on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add zucchini, can of tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. Cook until zucchini is crisp tender, about 5 minutes.

Suzanne's Bacon Rice

Prep: 1 hour
Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

2-3 strips of bacon

1/4 cup finely diced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1.5 cups rice

1/2 tsp turmeric

3 cups chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

Cut up bacon into little pieces and cook on medium high heat in a coverable pot or skillet for 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic to pan and continue to cook until bacon is crisp and onion is translucent. Add rice, turmeric, and broth. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

Carolyn's Saucy Chicken

Serves: 4
Prep: 1.5 hours


INGREDIENTS
4 chicken breasts
10 oz apricot preserves
1 cup Russian dressing
1 packet dry onion soup mix


DIRECTIONS
Put chicken breasts in shallow baking pan. Combine apricot preserves, Russian dressing, and onion soup mix; then pour over chicken. Bake at 325 degrees, uncovered, for 1.5 hrs.
Serve over rice. 

Nicole's Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Serves: 4

Prep: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup jalepeno jelly

1/4 cup minced white onion

1 can of drained and rinsed black beans

1 tsp ground cumin

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush the chicken all over with oil and transfer to a shallow roasting pan. Season chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper. Combine the beans, jelly, onion and cumin and mix. Spoon mixture over the chicken. Cover with foil and bake for 15 min. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Suggestions: Serve with Spanish rice.

Pasta E Fagioli Soup (like Olive Garden's)

*Found on Pinterest from here.

Serves: 6
Prep: 1 hour (or all day in a slow cooker)

INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can cannellini beans (or white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
4 cups beef stock
1 jar (25 oz) spaghetti sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (or other small pasta shape)
salt, to taste (about 1/2 Tbsp kosher salt)

DIRECTIONS
Brown ground beef in a large pot and drain excess grease. Add all ingredients except the pasta and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes. Add pasta and a little additional water or broth if desired. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes:
1. This recipe could very easily be doubled to serve a large group or freeze the extra.
2. You can also make this in a crock pot by browning the ground beef in a skillet then combining it with all ingredients except the pasta and cooking on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Add the pasta 30 minutes before serving.