Garlic Rosemary Roast

We had this tonight for dinner and it was amazing!!  At first when we saw how much garlic was in this we were a little skeptical, but it was delicious!  We adapted the recipe from Our Best Bites because we wanted to use the crock-pot  so we had to add a few things, but this is definitely a new family favorite.

Garlic-Rosemary Roast

Ingredients:

1 (3 pound) beef roast

¼ cup minced fresh rosemary (if you are using dried rosemary use an 1/8^th of a cup)

¼ cup minced garlic

1 Tbsp salt

1 ½ tsp pepper

1 can beef broth

2 cans sliced mushrooms, drained

Instructions:

Spray your crock-pot with non-stick spray.  Put the roast in the crock-pot.  Combine rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and mix together.  Put the rosemary mixture onto the roast and gently rub it into the roast.  Pour the broth into the crock pot and pour the mushrooms on top of the roast.  Cook on high until it boils then turn to low for 6 to 8 hours.

This recipe was adapted from Our Best Bites it is in their Savoring the Seasons cookbook in the winter section. They use rib roast and they roast it in the oven.  They are also using a 7 to 8 pound roast where we only used a 3 pound roast.

Cafe Rio Recipes

The Cafe Rio chicken is so easy to make.  It is done in the crock pot and takes just a few ingredients!  We make this about once a month or so.  We have also made it on many occasions when we have taken meals to people and they rave about it!

Cafe Rio Recipes

Scalloped Potatoes

If anyone asks what kind of potatoes are my favorite my answer will always be these potatoes.  I love them!!

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

4 cups raw potatoes, cubed

2 Tbsp butter

1 can evaporated milk

1 can warm water

½ tsp salt

Dash pepper or to taste

½ cup cheese

Instructions:

Peel and cube potatoes.  Melt butter in frying pan.  Add potatoes.  Cook and stir over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter is absorbed.  Add water to milk, then pour over potatoes.  Cook over low heat until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add seasonings.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Stir until cheese melts.

Beef Curry

My brother, Cody, text all of our siblings one day and asked what were some of the meals we had often growing up.  He said it was interesting to hear everyones' different responses, but we all had a few dishes in common that we remembered.  This was one of them.  Everyone loves my Mom's curry!

Beef Curry

Ingredients:

1 ½ Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 to 3 tsp curry powder

1 ½ pounds lean steak cut into 1 inch cubes

½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 tomato, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

About 2 cups water

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp water

3 cups cooked rice

Instructions:

Heat oil in heavy pot or skillet.  Saute onion over medium heat, just until tender.  Stir in curry powder; cook 1 minute.  Add beef cubes and next five ingredients in order listed.  Continue cooking until beef cubes are lightly browned.  Add enough boiling water to barely cover beef (about 2 cups)  Cover pan and simmer gently about 1 ½ hours or until beef is extremely tender.  Thicken with cornstarch-water mixture.  Serve over rice.

Brazilian Pancakes

My brother, Derek, served his mission in Brazil and when he came home he shared this recipe with our family.  It is definitely a different dish, but I really enjoy it!

Brazilian Pancakes

Ingredients:

4 eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup water

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp butter, melted

2 tsp sugar

1 cup flour

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

1 green pepper

1 large onion

8 ounces mozzarella cheese

1 jar spaghetti sauce

Instructions:

Make pancakes: Beat together eggs, milk, water, salt, butter, and sugar.  Add flour a little bit at a time.  Beat well.  Strain if necessary to remove lumps.  Heat a fry pan and spray with non-stick spray.  Pour a little of the batter into the pan and tilt it to make a thin pancake.  Make 12 pancakes.

Brown ground beef, onions, and green pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.  Grate cheese if necessary.  Put a little filling on each pancake and sprinkle with some of the cheese.  Roll and put in a large dripper pan.  Pour a little spaghetti sauce on top of the pancakes and sprinkle some cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.  Just till heated through.

Spaghetti Sauce

This is my second favorite dinner of all time.  I know it's spaghetti, but this sauce is what makes it amazing!  Even Andie loves this sauce and she doesn't usually want sauce on her pasta.  I know, I think it's weird but she doesn't like tomatoes.

Mom's Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil

½ cup onion, diced

1 pound lean ground beef

2 – 1 pound cans of crushed tomatoes

2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce

1 – 4 ounce can sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup dried parsley, chopped

1 tsp salt

1 bay leaf

1 ½ tsp oregano

¼ tsp thyme

1 cup water

8 ounces spaghetti noodles

Instructions:

In a large pot cook onions and meat until lightly brown.  Drain the meat and add remaining ingredients.  Simmer uncovered for *2 to 2 ½ hours or till sauce is nice and thick.  Stir occasionally.  Remove the bay leaf and serve over hot cooked spaghetti.

*Note:  It tastes better if you make it in the morning and let it simmer all day long, but it is still super good if you make it and only have a hour or so to let it simmer.

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

12 large cabbage leaves

1 ¼ pounds of ground beef

2 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 cup cooked rice

1 onion, chopped

1 egg

½ tsp poultry seasoning or sage

2 Tbsp oil

2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce

1 Tbsp brown sugar

¼ cup water

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes or until limp.  Drain leaves.  Combine next 7 ingredients.  Put a spoonful of filling on each leaf and roll up.  Secure with a toothpick.  Brown in oil.  Mix sauce by combining the next 4 ingredients.  Pour sauce over cabbage rolls and simmer about 1 hour, basting occasionally.

Meatloaf

I think most people are a little leary of meatloaf.  This is my Mom's recipe for meatloaf and I love it!  The green chiles really make this dish.  Sometimes we add 2 cans of green chiles just because we are a little crazy like that!

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds of very lean ground beef

2 eggs

1 ½ cups bread crumbs

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup warm water

1 package onion soup mix

1 – 4 ounce can green chiles

Instructions:

Combine all of the ingredients very well in a large bowl.  Pack into a 9x5 loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Rice Pilaf

This is not your typical rice pilaf and to be honest I'm not sure it should technically be called rice pilaf, but that's what we call it.  This is a super easy recipe and I could seriously eat half the pan of this stuff by myself because it is just that good!

Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 cups rice

2 can beef consommé soup

2 cans French onion soup

¼ cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Put rice in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Pour soups over rice.  Pour melted butter over it.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

French Breakfast Donuts

This recipe takes me back to my childhood.  I loved making these with my Mom and rolling them in the cinnamon and sugar.  Seriously delicious and can be addictive!

French Breakfast Donuts

Ingredients:

1/3 cup shortening

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1 ½ cup flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup milk

½ cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ cup butter, melted

Instructions:

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Grease 12 muffin cups.  Mix shortening, ½ cup sugar and egg thoroughly.  Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg alternately with milk.  Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.  Bake 20 minutes.  Mix ½ cup sugar and cinnamon.  Roll hot donuts in melted butter, then in sugar mixture.  Serve warm.  You may need more butter.

Crepes

When I think of crepes I think of my Grandma Miller.  She always loved a good thin pancake.  I miss her, her humor, and zest for life.  Love you Grandma!

Crepes

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 cup flour

½ cup milk

½ cup water

½ tsp salt

2 Tbsp melted butter

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Instructions:

Measure ingredients except flour into large mixing bowl.  Beat the electric mixer on low speed gradually adding flour, until all ingredients are combined.  If small lumps are still in batter, pour through a strainer.  Pour batter into a hot pan and cook until brown then turn.

Cherry Swirl

I haven't made this in such a long time.  I love this recipe and I think it is my favorite dessert from my childhood.  So easy to make!

Cherry Swirl

Ingredients:

2 sticks margarine

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp almond flavoring

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 can cherry pie filling

Instructions:

Beat margarine, sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond flavorings together until foamy.  Add flour 1 cup at a time.  Beat until smooth.  Spread ¾ of dough on a heavy cookie sheet.  Spread the pie filling over dough.  With a spoon carefully put dollops of remaining dough on top of the pie filling.  Bake about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serves 15

Banana Cream Pie

This pie is what my Mom has always made for us on holidays.  We love it!

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients:

¾ cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

2 Tbsp flour

½ tsp salt

2 cups milk

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup heavy cream (divided)

1 tsp vanilla (and a little more to sweeten topping)

Powdered sugar

3 bananas

Pie Crust Recipe

Instructions:

Mix first four ingredients.  Gradually stir in milk, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil.  Cook until thick.  Stir a little hot mixture into eggs.  Return the mixture to the hot mixture and stir.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cool then chill.  Beat well.  Whip ½ cup heavy cream until semi-stiff peaks form. Fold in the whipped cream and vanilla into the filling mixture.  Line a baked pie shell with the *bananas.  Top with filling.  Beat ½ cup cream and sweeten with powdered sugar and vanilla.  Spread whipped cream over filling and decorate with more bananas if desired.  Chill for an hour before serving.

*Note if you want the bananas to not turn brown toss them in a little fruit fresh before you line them in the pie pan.

Here is a wonderful Pie Crust recipe that is very simple and easy to make it is from Our Best Bites.