Ultimate Pot Roast Recipe

When juicy pot roast simmers in garlic, onions and veggies, everyone comes running to ask, "When can we eat?" The answer? Just wait—it will be worth it. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 55 min. Bake: 2 hours YIELD:8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 boneless beef chuck-eye or other chuck roast (3 to 4 pounds)
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup dry red wine or reduced-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
• 4 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• 1. Preheat oven to 325°. Pat roast dry with a paper towel; tie at 2-in. intervals with kitchen string. Sprinkle roast with pepper and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown roast on all sides. Remove from pan.
• 2. Add onions, celery and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the same pan; cook and stir over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until onions are browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaves; cook and stir 1 minute longer.
• 3. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; stir in broth. Return roast to pan. Arrange potatoes, parsnips and carrots around roast; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, until meat is fork-tender, 2-2-1/2 hours.
• 4. Remove roast and vegetables from pan; keep warm. Discard bay leaves; skim fat from cooking juices. On stovetop, bring juices to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced by half (about 1-1/2 cups), 10-12 minutes. Stir in vinegar and parsley; season with salt and pepper to taste.
• 5. Remove string from roast. Serve with vegetables and sauce. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts

3 ounces cooked beef with 1 cup vegetables and 3 tablespoons sauce: 459 calories, 20g fat (7g saturated fat), 112mg cholesterol, 824mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate (8g sugars, 6g fiber), 37g protein.

© 2017 RDA Enthusiast Brands, LLC

Oriental Coleslaw

Uncooked ramen noodles, almonds and sunflower seeds add crunch to this side salad. Quick to prepare and easy to tote, it's an obvious choice for potlucks and camping.

 Ingredients

• 1 16 - ounce package shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 3 - ounce package chicken-flavored ramen noodles, broken up
• 1/2-3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/2-3/4 cup sunflower nuts
• 1/2 cup salad oil
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Sliced green onion (optional)
• 
  
• Makes 12 servings

Directions

1. Combine coleslaw mix, green onions, ramen noodles (set aside seasoning packet for the dressing), almonds, and sunflower nuts in a salad bowl. Chill, covered, until serving time, up to 1 hour.
2. For dressing: In a screw-top jar, combine oil, vinegar, sugar, pepper and seasoning from the package of noodles. Cover and shake. Chill until serving time.
3. Before serving, shake dressing; pour over salad and toss to coat. If you like, garnish salad with additional sliced green onion.

Nutrition Facts

(Oriental Coleslaw)
Servings Per Recipe 12, fiber (g) 2, sodium (mg) 136, Cobalamin (Vit. B12) (µg) 0, calcium (mg) 37, pro. (g) 4, Potassium (mg) 160, sugar (g) 3, vit. C (mg) 14, vit. A (IU) 874, iron (mg) 1, Fat, total (g) 16, Riboflavin (mg) 0, cal. (kcal) 192, Thiamin (mg) 0, sat. fat (g) 2, Pyridoxine (Vit. B6) (mg) 0, chol. (mg) 0, Niacin (mg) 1, Trans fatty acid (g) 0, carb. (g) 10, Folate (µg) 34

Fried Brussel Sprouts

Like fried cabbage? Then you are in for a treat. This is easy and most kids are actually surprised that it tastes better than it looks! I add about 2 tablespoons sugar simply to soften the taste and make my kids happy. But it is delicious without the sugar, and when I leave it out, I don't tell them and they never say a word!"

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 (12 ounce) package fresh Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced
• 2 tablespoons white sugar, or to taste (optional)
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Place bacon pieces in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels, leaving grease in the skillet.
2. Cook onion in the bacon grease in the skillet until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add Brussels sprouts and toss to coat in the bacon grease. Cook and stir until browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, salt, and black pepper; sprinkle in bacon pieces.

Chai-Spiced Pound Cake

Featuring our newest blend of aromatic baking spices, this perfectly tender cake mimics the flavors of a cup of ever-popular chai tea. Just lightly sweetened with both brown sugar and honey, it's an ideal treat for a cold autumn afternoon.

Notes for others:  bake in a bundt pan as the recipe calls for.  50 minutes may be too long.

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chai spice; or 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons cardamom, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon clove, and 1/2 teaspoon coriander
• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup sour cream or yogurt, full-fat preferred
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and honey until smooth and somewhat lightened in color; this will take about 2 minutes at medium speed of an electric hand or stand mixer.
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute or two and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.
4. Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and chai spice blend (or spices).
5. Measure the flour by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. Gently but thoroughly stir half the flour into the butter/egg mixture. Add the sour cream (or yogurt) and vanilla, stirring to combine. Finally, stir in the remaining flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat briefly, to incorporate any sticky residue.
6. Thoroughly grease a 9- or 10-cup Bundt pan. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a cake tester, bamboo skewer, or long toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning it out onto a rack to finish cooling.
8. Cool completely before slicing. Store any leftovers, tightly wrapped in plastic, at room temperature for several days; freeze for longer storage.

Chicken Fajitas

4 Chicken Fajita Twists

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Chuck Roast Recipe

My notes:  Bill really liked this.  I made it with a london broil and added noodles to the crock pot in the last half hour.  I think it would be better with mashed potatoes.  Very spicy, cut down a little on the crushed peppers, they seem to strengthen in the crock pot.

My husband and I like well-seasoned foods, so this slow-cooked recipe is terrific. You'll also love how flavorful and tender this comforting roast turns out. —Bette McCumber, Schenectady, New York

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. Cook: 5 hours YIELD:6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 1 medium green pepper, halved and sliced
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1 boneless beef chuck roast (2 to 3 pounds)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

• 1. Mix first10 ingredients. Place onion, green pepper and celery in a 5-qt. slow cooker; place roast over top. Pour tomato mixture over roast. Cook, covered, on low until meat is tender, 5-6 hours.
• 2. Remove roast. Strain cooking juices, reserving vegetables. Transfer juices to a small saucepan; skim fat. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes. Serve roast and vegetables with gravy.
  Freeze option: Place sliced beef and vegetables in freezer containers; top with gravy. Cool and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through slowly in a covered saucepan, stirring gently and adding a little broth or water if necessary. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts

4 ounces cooked beef with 1/3 cup gravy: 362 calories, 15g fat (6g saturated fat), 98mg cholesterol, 880mg sodium, 26g carbohydrate (18g sugars, 2g fiber), 31g protein.

© 2017 RDA E

No-Peek Chicken

Ingredients
1 box Uncle Ben’s Long Grain Wild Rice (original recipe)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can water
(You can add another can of water for moister rice.)
chicken breasts or tenders

Instructions
In a greased 9 x 13 pan, mix the box of rice, cans of celery and mushroom soup and
one can of water.  I always add the extra can of water because I like moist rice.
Arrange the raw chicken on top of the rice mixture….
Cover and seal with foil……
Bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours and “Don’t Peek!”

Quick Tip: Set your oven to about 215 degrees and allow this chicken bake to cook while you are at church or gone for the day.