Sweet Crock Pot Roast

from the kitchen of Christine

1 (3-5 lb) beef roast
garlic salt to taste

Garlic salt the roast and place in the crock pot.

1  (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup (I use healthy request)
 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 (10 3/4 oz) can beef gravy
1/2 c brown sugar
3 T  vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 T Worchestershire sauce
8-16 oz fresh mushrooms (opt)

Mix together and pour over roast.  Cook on low for 12 hours or high for 6-7 hours.  Take the roast out when cooked, strain gravy to get rid of the lumps and thicken with cornstarch and water mixture.

I actually added a package of fresh mushrooms to the sauce and did not do the cornstarch thing.  You just have to see if it is thick enough for you when done cooking.

Pesto Chicken

from the kitchen of Christine
chicken breasts
eggs, beaten
bread crumbs
mozzarella cheese
pesto

Flatten the chicken by pounding it between two pieces of plastic wrap until even thickness throughout. Spread pesto on one side of the chicken breast and put mozzarella cheese on top of pesto (you can use shredded, sliced or a string cheese). Start at one side and roll up the chicken breast. You can put a toothpick in to secure if you want. Dredge in egg wash and then in the bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 35 - 40 minutes.

Feta Mandarin Asian Quinoa

from the kitchen of Christine
1 Cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 Cup “Feast from the East” Sesame Dressing from Costco (this is such a great dressing)
1/4 Cup green onions, chopped (the green parts)
1/2 Cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 Cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 Cup fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Transfer to a large bowl. Mix in dressing, onions, feta, peppers and cilantro. Cover and chill until serving.

8-10 servings

Super YUMMY Chocolate Chip Cookies

from the kitchen of Christine

2 sticks butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup oats
1 pkg instant vanilla pudding (not prepared)
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips - about a 11-12 oz pkg (Ghirardelli milk chocolate are the best!)

Cream first five ingredients. Add the rest and mix together. I use a 2 TBSP ice cream scoop to form each cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. These are so YUMMY!!!! ENJOY!!!

Taco/Burrito/Nacho Meat

from the kitchen of Michelle & Christine

1 lb pinto beans
1 - 3 lb bone in pork loin roast
2 - 4 oz cans green chilies
2 garlic cloves
1 Tbsp Chili powder
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 - 32 oz box chicken broth
1 - 10 oz can tomatoes with lime and cilantro and green chilies

Clean and sort beans. Place beans in the crock pot. Add the roast and next six ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast. Cover and cook on HIGH for 1 hour; reduce to LOW and cook for 9 hours. (you can also just cook on HIGH for 6 hours). Remove bone from roast and pull into large pieces with two forks. Stir in can of diced tomatoes. Cook UNCOVERED for 1 hour until liquid is slightly thickened.

Serve as tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, etc.:
Tortillas, tomatoes, cheese,
Salsa, sour cream

Crockpot Green Chili Chicken and Rice with Blue Corn Chip Crumbles

from the kitchen  of Christine

3-4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed
2 cans 98% fat free Cream of Chicken soup
4 0z can chopped green chilies
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s garlic salt with parsley
6 Cups steamed rice of choice
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips, crumbled for garnish

1. Place chicken, soup, cumin, salt, pepper and garlic salt into crockpot on low. Let cook for 6-8 hours or until chicken is fork tender and falls apart easily. With 2 forks, shred chicken in the sauce and season with additional seasonings if desired. Spoon over bowls of rice then garnish with crumbled tortilla chips.

4 servings

Adobo Peach BBQ Chicken

from the kitchen of Christine

18 chicken tenders
1 1/4 Cups Peach preserves
¼ Cup adobo sauce (canned chipotle sauce), add more if you like it spicy hot!
½ Cup BBQ sauce
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1. Place chicken tenders into a large zip lock bag. Pour in peach preserves, adobo sauce, BBQ sauce, salt and garlic. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat indoor grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat. Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken for 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through.

Peanut Butter Balls

from the kitchen of Christine

1/4 lb soft margarine (not melted)
2 cups peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
36 (2 cups) crushed graham crackers

Mix and form into walnut sized balls. Chill for about an hour or longer. Dip in melted chocolate (Ghiradelli milk chocolate is the best!!) and place on a tray to let the chocolate harden. During the winter it is easy to put them outside for a couple of minutes for the chocolate to harden. ENJOY!!!

Taco Soup

from the kitchen of Christine
This soup is so easy and has amazing great flavor:

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped well
1 (15 oz ) can of black beans
1 (15 oz ) can of pinto beans
1 (15 oz ) can of kidney beans
1 (15 oz ) can of chili beans
1 (28 oz ) can of peeled, diced tomatoes
2 (15 oz ) soup cans of water
1 (16 oz ) jar of mild salsa (choose a salsa that has great taste to your liking; it adds a lot of flavor)
1 (16 oz) can of Italian seasoned tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro leaves (or more to your liking)

Brown ground beef and onion in a LARGE pot (this makes a ton so be prepared to share with a neighbor or freeze some leftovers for a busy day!). Drain fat. Add the rest of the ingredients (liquids and all) to the pot. Heat through. In a bowl layer shredded lettuce, sour cream, grated cheese, crushed tortilla chips, olives, etc. Pour soup over the top and Enjoy!

Paula Dean's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

from the kitchen of Christine

So easy and YUMMY!

Ingredients
Cake:
1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.