Slow Cooker Steak Soup

Let's try a recipe that crocks! The sirloin tip roast is lean and tender and the most luxurious roast, simply a four-star!  In this recipe, the sirloin is simply cut into 1-inch cubes and then slow cooked for hours. The hard part is always the waiting 7-8 hours when it smells delicious in your house all day.

2 1/4 lb sirloin tip roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 (1oz) envelope dry onion soup mix
4 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 cups uncooked medium egg noodles

• Combine roast, flour, salt and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Seal and shake to coat beef.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove beef from ziplock bag, discard any excess flour mixture. Sauté beef until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Place meat into slow cooker. Add onion soup mix, beef broth, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on LOW for 8 hours, until beef is tender.
• Add noodles to slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 15-30 minutes, until noodles are tender.

Tupps Tidbits: you could prep everything the night before so it would be super easy to get started prior to heading out to work

This is an extremely hearty soup. I would not change a thing with the recipe, it was perfect.

This soup was EXCELLENT! Slow cooker recipes are such an easy dish for a cold night. 

This recipe is a KEEPER in our house (we will make this again and again)!

Where did we find this?  www.plainchicken.com

Mexi-Mac Skillet

We picked out a super easy and quick dinner that would work great for any busy weeknight.  It has a Mexican twist on goulash.  The ingredients are ones you would normally have on-hand already or are an easy add to the grocery list.

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1/2 c water
1-1/4 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese


Directions:

1) In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef into crumbles. Drain.

2) Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, water and seasonings; bring to a boil. Stir in macaroni. Reduce heat; simmer, covered 15-20 minutes or until macaroni is tender. Sprinkle with cheese.

Tupps Tidbits:  There's no need to pre-cook the macaroni.  Everything comes together in one skillet.

It was a beefy, cheesy and filled with pasta and the ultimate comfort food, but we suggest to stick with your favorite goulash recipe. If you grew up eating hamburger help you might like it. It was edible and it filled us up but probably would not make its again.  This recipe is NOT A KEEPER in our HOUSE!

Where did we find this one? tasteofhome.com

Chewy Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Are gingerbread man cookies just for Christmas? When I viewed this recipe the bars looked incredibly soft and chewy and looked like a great alternative to making individual gingerbread men.
Let's give them a try....

Ingredients
2/3 cup butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
14 cup butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, an molasses using an electric mixer.
3.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.
4.  Stir in flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, and slat unit just combined.
5.  Use a rubber spatula to spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 25 0- 30       minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6.  Cool complete before frosting.
7.  To make the frosting, beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
8.  Spread frosting over the cooled bars and serve.
9.  Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tupps Tidbits:  this made way too much frosting, I would cut the frosting recipe in half

This is the first dessert recipe I have ever made and did not like. Do not get me wrong, the frosting was awesome but the bar was too strong of a gingerbread flavor.  NOT A KEEPER in our HOUSE!

Where did we find this one?  I did not save the exact location on the web, but does it matter, the recipe is not a keeper! LOL!

Minnesota Wild Rice Soup

As far as soup goes, it does not get more Minnesotan than Chicken Wild Rice Soup.Wild rice grows in abundance in Minnesota and is very populat in recipes.   Due to the harsh winters, we crave satisfying comfort food and nothing warms you up faster than a bowl of soup.  A co-worker brought this into work last year and it was fabulous.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onions
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup flour
3 cans chicken broth
1-2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup half & half
chicken, duck, goose or turkey



Directions:

1.  Saute carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms in butter
2.  Add flour to absorb the butter thereby making a roux
3.  Add chicken broth slowly & stir rapidly to prevent lumps.  Add rice & meat & simmer 20 minutes
4.  Add half & half slowly, return to a simmer, do not boil, season to taste

Tupps Tidbits:  How to cook wild rice?  Using the "oven" method - wash 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice thoroughly. Combine with 1 cup water in a covered casserole. Cover and bake at 350 F for 1 hour. Check wild rice. Ad more water, if needed, and fluff with fork.  Continue baking for 1/2 hour wild rice should be moist, not dry. (this makes up to 1 1/2 to 2 cups)

The aroma of wild rice while it cooks is amazing. I am sitting here blogging awaiting the the deep savory taste of this soup! To save time you could cook the chicken & wild rice and cut up vegetables the day before.

As expected, this was so delicious!  It is absolutely comfort food! This recipe is a KEEPER in our house!  I can't wait for the leftovers.

where did we find this?   Sara B. (Deanna's co-worker)

New Year - New Recipes!

It's January 6th..."Honey do you want to try and continue with the new recipe blog this year?"...

Hi!  I’m Deanna, food eater & writer of the blog.  Sean (Tupps) is your cook. We are into our 6th year of blogging and we made yet ANOTHER New Years (Jan. 6th) resolution together to try and attempt to make and share with you 52 NEW recipes.   We have came close to completing the resolution over the past years but have not quite made it yet!

The recipes are either original, family recipes, or have been adapted from magazines, cookbooks, newspapers, and internet. The majority of the recipes comes from sources, which we always credit when we can! 

We are the photographer’s and the IPAD 2 is our camera of choice.

Email us and let us know something fabulous that you think we should know or if you tried a recipe listed in the blog and if it was a “Keeper” in your house!

Again, it is January and it is COLD in MN.  We decided to start off the New Year with a warm & hearty Minnesota soup... coming soon! 
Stay warm everyone!

Fresh Cherry Pie

Bake an All American Cherry Pie!  That is what we are going to do.  We were lucky enough to get LOTS of cherries on our tree this year.  If you pick the cherries at the height of the season they are more flavorful, require less sugar, and make the most of delicious pie.

Wash the berries, drain well
Pick them over
Remove stems and hulls

Make pastry for Two-Crust Pie. I used, Betty Homes & Gardens: Pastry for Double Crust Pie.

2 cups flour, 2/3 cup shortening & 6-7 Tbs. cold water. Divide the dough in half and the roll each out between 2 pieces of wax paper. Line a pie pan with one.  

Pie Crust Help - See nanarecipes.com

For 9" Cherry Pie

• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 5 Tbs. flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 4 drops of Almond extract
• 4 cup fresh cherries

1. Mix all together, then add cherries, mix lightly through and pour into pastry lined pie pan.
2. If fruit is dry, sprinkle with 2 Tbs. water over it.  Cover with top crust.
3. Bake 425 degrees, 35 to 45 min.   Bake until crust is nicely  browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in crust.  Serve slightly warm, not hot.

Tupps Tidbits:  Use the small or larger amount of sugar according to the sweetness of the fruit. Very tart fruit may require even more sugar ( up to 1 1/2 cups for 1 qt.).

Never had a cherry pie this good!  Light and flaky crust, and vanilla ice cream to top it all off. KEEPER IN OUR HOUSE!!!!!

Where did we find this recipe? Betty Crocker, first edition cookbook

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites

Pineapple + bacon...Really?  When I read this sweet and salty recipe combination I had to try it! It looked like a quick and easy appetizer to make for guests if you were having them over for a grill out this summer.

Ingredients

• 24 1" inch chucks of pineapple
• 8 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into thirds (or 12 regular bacon, cut in half)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 24 wooden toothpicks

Instructions

1. Cut the pineapple into 1 inch cubes.
2. Line a baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and place cooling rack onto the lined baking sheet.
3. Wrap each piece of pineapple with piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.  For thick cut bacon, 1/2 slice is enough.  For regular bacon, us 1/2 of a slice for each piece of pineapple.
4. Dip each bacon wrapped pineapple bit into some brown sugar, patting it on as needed.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, until bacon is slightly crispy and the sugar has caramelized.
6. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Tupps Tidbits:  Fresh pineapple is always best and for these bites it is no exception. Foil lining the pan is a must!  Check out our picture of the mess you would have had to clean up if you did not do this!

We did cook this about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for but is all about how crispy you like your bacon.  The pineapple was definitely done in 25 minutes. For a healthier option, we also tried Canadian Bacon, but the brown sugar did not adhere to the Canadian Bacon as well as bacon.   The taste was amazing with sugar caramelizing on the bacon and pineapple.  Is is a keeper? Well it was definitely yummy, but not sure if we would make it again unless we had some leftover pineapple and bacon to use up or something.  But who has left over bacon right?  It was a nice treat!  NOT A KEEPER at our house!

Where did we find this?  www.delishdlites.com