Slow Cooker Beef and Potato Au Gratin

This recipe came up in one of those Facebook adds and I had to try it. It looked so yummy and hearty! I can eat au gratin potatoes by the plate full.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
3 lbs. peeled potatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 7 cups after being sliced)
1 cup thinly sliced white onion
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheese
1/2 cut chicken broth(or beef broth)

Instructions:

1. Brown the ground beef on the stove top. Add a touch of salt and pepper to season. 
2. In a small bowl combine the paprika, garlic powder, parsley, salt and pepper. 
3. Add half of the potatoes in the slow cooker. Sprinkle over half of the onions, half of the seasonings, half of the meat and half of the cheese. Repeat layers again. 
4. Drizzle broth evenly over the layers. 
5. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. Do not open lid during the cooking time or the potatoes will not get soft. 

Tupps Tidbits:  Good idea to line the crock pot for easy clean up!

We really enjoyed this recipe. We took it over to friend's house and served with a warm french loaf of bread that was dabbed with butter and garlic. The potatoes in the slow cooker came out perfect.I like them without the skins. Go heavy on the salt and pepper and also add a bit more garlic powder. This is also Gluten Free!!!  This recipe is a KEEPER in our house!


Where did we find this? www.themagicalslowcooker.com

Bacon-Wraped Applle Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

We really love simple dishes especially during the  summer,  when we do not like to spend too much time cooking.  You could even do this one in the slow cooker and in the end just broil it quick so the bacon gets some color. Quick, easy, and perfect for any occasion.  

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin, silver skin removed
Salt and pepper
300 g bacon slices
Filling
1/2 lb apples, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small portobello mushroom, stem removed and diced
1 tbsp. freshly chopped sage leaves
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup white wine

Instructions

1. Add butter to a large frying pan over medium-high heat. 
2. When bubbling, add in mushrooms and onion. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onions begin to color. 
3. Stir in garlic, sage, and apples. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Continue cooking for 3-5 more minutes. 
5. Pour in wine to de-glaze. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until wine has dissipated. 
6. Remove from heat.  

Assembly:

• Butterfly pork tenderloin and pound flat. Season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into center of meat. Carefully roll the meat up. Secure by wrapping bacon slices around the meat one at a time, working from one end to the other.
• Place into preheated 400F oven and cook for 15-18 minutes. 
• Finish by broiling bacon until crispy (and internal temperature reaches 145F.)
• Move meat to cutting board and cover with aluminum foil to rest for 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve!

Tupps Tidbits:  Cook time will vary on thickness of meat, pork loin is really easy to overcook so be careful!

We were not a fan of this one.  It really lacked flavor. We are giving it a thumbs down and NOT A KEEPER at our house!

Where did we find this? www.thecookiewriter.com

Soy Dijon Pork Tenderloin

Some dinners are more difficult to get together during the week than other.  For us, it's really tough to find the time for meals with tons of ingredients and prep work.  But sometimes with a little advance work, you can whip up a quick but delicious entree that just makes it seem like you took a long time getting it ready.  I think this pork tenderloin fits exactly that mold.  This is kind of a fancy recipe, It's super easy to make.

 Ingredients

1.3 pounds pork tenderloin
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic minced
10 cranks freshly cracked pepper

Pan sauce (optional) or use some of the marinade to make the pan sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 cup  vegetable broth

Instructions

1. Stir together the Dijon mustard, soy sauce, 2 tbsp. olive oil, brown sugar, pepper and minced garlic in a bowl. Place the pork tenderloin and prepared marinade into a zip top bag. Massage the bag to make sure the marinade covers all the surface of the tenderloin. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
2. Heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Preheat oven to 400. Remove tenderloin from the marinade, add the tenderloin to the skillet. Cook the tenderloin for about 5 mins on each side.
3. Transfer the browned tenderloin to a baking sheet covered in foil. Bake the tenderloin in the preheated oven for 30 mins.
4. While the tenderloin is baking, prepare the pan sauce. Using the same pan you browned the tenderloin in. Either add 1/4 cup of the marinade with 1/2 cup broth or add the butter, Dijon, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup broth. Over medium heat simmer until the volume has reduced by about half. NOTE: Never re-use the raw uncooked marinade.
5. When the tenderloin is finished, aloow it to rest for 5-10 mins before slicing. Spoon some of the sauce over the top and slice into 12-16 pieces. Serve with more pan sauce.

Tupps Tidbits:  We roasted carrots & sweet potatoes and they took the same amount of time to roast as the pork, making it an easy meal

Pork tenderloin is one of our favorite go-to weeknight meals. It's affordable, delicious & fairly lean. This seems to have too much soy sauce flavor. We could try adding some lemon juice or more brown sugar to balance it out. I am going to say THIS IS A KEEPER meal in our house but needs some tweaking next time!

Where did we find this? www.budgetbytes.com

Raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce

Summer is here and so is grilling season! This Sweet, tangy and spicy sauce looks easy to make and packed with flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 med yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 8 oz. tomato Sauce
• 1 c raspberry jam
• 1/4 c cider vinegar
• 1 pepper + sauce chipotle peppers in adobo

Directions:

1. Finely dice the onion and garlic. Cook both in a sauce pan with vegetable oil over medium heat until soft. Meanwhile, roughly chop one chipotle pepper and reserve 1 Tbsp of adobo sauce from the can.
2. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir everything well and bring up to a simmer. Continue to simmer for about 45 mins. Allow the sauce to cool after simmering (It will thicken upon cooling)

Tupps Tidbits:  The left over chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be frozen.  Divide the pepper and adobe sauce up into small portions and freeze. 

Even though this was inexpensive to make in comparison to Sweet Baby Ray's you might want to stick with paying the higher sticker price.  We tried this on ribs and chicken and we are not a fan.  We did not like the chipotle peppers.  Maybe replace them with jalapenos?  This was not a hit in our house and this recipe it NOT A KEEPER!

Where did we find this? www.budgetbytes.com

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American dish made from chicken cutlets, mushrooms and Marsala wine. It is an economical dish to make. The fundamental rules of making a good pan sauce apply here. Also there is not heavy cream in this recipe to keep the calories down.

Ingredients

Boneless and skinless chicken breasts (cutlets)
2 cups onions
2 cups mushrooms
1 cup all purpose flour for dredging
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup Marsala wine
1 tbsp. olive oil
1-2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp onion power

Directions:

1. In a glass dish combine the flour with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Mix well. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and set on a plate.
2. In a deep skillet, over moderate heat add in the 1 tbsp butter and olive oil. Let this come up to heat where you see the butter start bubbling. Add the chicken to the pan and cook a couple of minutes on each side until nice golden brown. Remove to a platter and process all the cutlets the same way. 
3. To the same pan add 1 tbsp. butter add in the onions garlic and mushrooms. Stir well and cook for about 4-5 mins.
4. Add the wine and de glaze the pan. Stir well. Allow this to cook for about 4 minutes to let the alcohol burn off. Add in the chicken broth, stir well and cook until you have reduced the broth by 1/3.
5. Add the chicken back to the pan. Coat the chicken and cook for about 6 mins. Serve with vegetable or pasta.

Tupps Tidbits: You can buy thin boneless skinless chicken breast cutlets, or you can buy normal boneless skinless breast and pound them down to about ¼ inch thick.

Quick and easy, this Chicken Marsala was packed with flavor. This was a good alternative to restaurant Chicken Marsala and very simple to make. I think by using fresh grated garlic and sprinkling some Parmesan on top would make this dish perfect. This recipe is a KEEPER at our HOUSE!

Where did we find this? Cooking on a budget - www.pattyandersonsblog.blogspot.com

Fig-Glazed Pork Tenderloin with roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots

If you like to experiment with unique flavors and try to make food look photo-worthy as well, this one is for you!  One unique ingredient in this recipe is fig preserves. Figs can be eaten fresh or dried and used in jam-making.  You may know figs from such cookies as "fig newtons".  The widely produced fig newton cookie with a filling made from figs.

Ingredients:

2-3 carrots
8 oz Brussels sprouts
2 shallots
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 lbs)
1/2 cup red cooking wine
1/4 cup fig preserves
1 oz goat cheese
olive oil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees
• Peel, trim, and cut carrots into 1/4 pieces on an angle
• Trim bottoms off Brussels sprouts and halve
• Peel and slice shallots into 1/4 inch rounds, mince a few slices, resulting in 1 Tbsp. minced
• Pat pork tenderloin dry, and season all sides with salt and pepper
• Toss carrots, Brussels sprouts, and shallot rounds with 2 tsp. olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper on a baking sheet that has been covered with foil and cooking spray. Roast 7 minutes in preheated oven.
• While vegetables are roasting, place a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tsp. olive oil and pork tenderloin to hot pan. Sear until lightly browned on all sides, 2-3 mins per side. transfer pork to baking sheet with vegetables. Reserve pan; no need to wipe clean.
• Place vegetables and pork in oven and roast until vegetables and tender and pork reaches a internal temperature of 145 degrees, 8-12 minutes. Remove from oven and rest pork 5 minutes.
• Over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tsp. olive oil and minced shallot to hot pan and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add red wine and fig preserves and cook until it thickens into a thin syrup, 3-5 minutes. Remove pan from burner.
• Slice pork tenderloin into 1/2 inch slices. Place vegetables on plate and garnish with goat cheese (breaking up with your hands if needed.) Add sliced pork and spoon red wine-fig glaze over pork.

Tupps Tidbits:  We used feta cheese instead of goat cheese. Feta cheese and goat cheese are both made from the milk of goats. The difference is that feta is also made using sheep's milk.
FYI - We found the fig preserves at Walmart - who would have guessed! Ha!

This was a beautiful dish!  It looked so fancy bu the taste was just "ok",  edible but nothing to brag about. I was hoping for more of a sweet and tangy glaze.  It's super simple to make with a few ingredients which is perfect for weeknight cooking. I doubt we will make this recipe again..so it is NOT A KEEPER in our house.

Where did we find this?  www.homechef.com

Cheddar, broccoli, and rice casserole

I  challenge the "title" of this recipe because normally a casserole involves meat and vegetable proteins and carbohydrates in every pan.  A casserole is a complete and packed meal in itself. This is definitely not a not a Minnesota "hot dish"  because it does not use any potato  base, like potato chips, hash browns, tater tots or any type of cream soup.  This is just a hearty side dish! We paired it with oven roasted chicken breasts.

1 shallot
5 oz Broccoli
1 oz Cheese and Garlic Croutons
1/4 cup Parboiled White Rice
3 fl. oz Heavy Whipping Cream
3 oz cheddar Cheese.

• Peel and slice shallot.
• Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces.
• Crush croutons in to coarse crumbs.

Place a small pot over medium heat. Add 1 tsp. olive oil and shallots to hot pot. Cook until slightly softened, Add rice and 3/4 cup water to pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender, 12-15 mins. Stir in cream and 1/3 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Add broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3-4 mins. Removed from burner and season with 1/4 tsp salt. cut cheddar in to small pieces and stir into pot until melted.

Tupps Tidbits: Don’t text and broil. Pay close attention while the broccoli casserole is in the broiler.

We both enjoyed this side dish. It was not over creamy, which was good.  It will pair well with lots of different meals and probably a good one to bring to Thanksgiving or Christmas.  This recipe is a KEEPER at our house!

Where did we find this?  homechef.com