2 Meals in One...Meal 1: Zippy Beef Roast

Wegmans had Organic, Grass-fed beef onslae today, so, I picked up 3 lb chuck roasts for about $14.00 a peice. I found a recipe online that I thought I would spin to create 2 nights worth of meals. The orginal recipe uses basically 3 seaoning envelops from the store to create the flavor, but those things are chuck full of all kinds of sodium and chemicals. So, simplified it a bit and it turned out deiciously! Here is my 2-4-1 special!

Crockpot Zippy Beef Roast
2-3lb chuck roast
1 cup Brown gravy with onion
Italian seasoning: 1t garlic powder, 1t oregano, 1 1/2t parsley, 1/2 t basil. 1/4t thyme, 1/4t celery
Salt and Pepper
12 oz jar of Hot Organic Salsa


1. Brown the roast in a skillet (I used cast iron). Remove the roast and place in the crockpot. Saute 1/2 onion until carmelized (Shh! Don't tell my hubbie!), then I removed and pureed (so the big guy wouldn't fuss). In the pan I then, whisked together 1cup beef broth with 2T corn starch. Stired the onion puree back in and let it simmer until it was adequately thick. While thickening, I added my Italian seasoning (instead of the junky dry envelop). Finally I poured it over my beef in the crockpot follwed by the jar of salsa.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours. It should fall apart. I served with potato (and other veggie rounds). Save leftover beef for Meal 2: Zippy Sliders

***This can all be made ahead and frozen also.

Potato (and other Veggie) Rounds: Cut baking potatoes into 1/4" slices. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in single layer cookie sheet for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees. After 10-15 minutes, add a second pan of sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Again, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake and additional 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake until melted. *you can also add bacon peices her also if you so choose.

Soy Ginger Back Ribs

Today, we found a particularly good deal on beef back ribs. There were packs of 4-5 big back ribs marked for approximately $2 a pack. I picked up the last 4 packs and knew exactly what was for dinner...

Soy Ginger Back Ribs
1/4c soy sauce
1/2c orange juice (or apple)
1T olive oil
1 1/2t ginger (I forgot to get fresh ginger at the store!)
1/4t chili powder
1/4t red pepper flakes

Put the ribs in a casserole dish. Whisk everything together and pour over the ribs. Bake for 2-2.5 hours at 300 degrees. Baste ever hour for added flavor.
***This would be super easy in a slow cooker too. Mine was in the process of making apple butter so stove it was! Just cook low for 3-4 hours.

Served over a Basmati Pilaf. I made a rice in the rice cooker and added very finely diced zucchini and yellow squash. It was a delicious meal!

Glazed Butts and Fried Toes

Another change in the menu...no chicken equals more pork. I was at Sweetbay a few weeks back and they had some really nice (smaller) pork butts on sale for between $2-3 bucks! I couldn't pass them up so we bought like 6 of them. Hence, tonight we are having...

Glazed Butts (Honey Glazed Pork Roast)

Season Rub: Onion powder, Black pepper, Salt, Red pepper flakes (I was out of Cayenne), Paprika

1. Rub Roast generously with your seasoning rub. Turn on oven to 350 degrees
2. In an oven ready pan, melt 3T butter along with 2T honey (or maple syrup) and 1T garlic. Once butter is melted, add Roast. Brown all the sides.
3. Cover pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven. Cook 15-20 minutes per pound. Turn the Roast half way through. (This can also be placed in the crock pot on low for 4-6 hours)

Fried Toes (Potato Croquettes)

Mashed Potatoes (1 tub or about 1 lb)
Garlic, minced/crushed
2 eggs
bread crumbs

1. Season your potatoes if not already and mix in the garlic. Next, lightly beat 1 egg and then combine with the potatoes.
2. Roll the potatoes into 2 inch logs that are about the thickness of a quarter. (if you have cubed cheese, it is super yummy to slide a cube in the center of the potato roll before coating)
3. In a new bowl, lightly beat the other egg. In a separate bowl, add the bread crumbs. (I like to spice things up a bit add a bit of Tabasco in with the egg)
4. Roll each potato roll (or croquette) in egg and then in breadcrumbs. Fry or bake until crispy. Serve with sour cream.

Crockpot: Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken a la Crock pot

3 chicken breasts
1 package dry italian dressing mix (I use Good Seasons)
4 T melted butter
1 small onion chopped (optional)
2 garlic clove chopped (or use the jarred already minced variety)
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup chicken broth (or water if you are out of broth...drop in a boullion cube if you have one!)

Spray your crock pot with Pam and then add your chicken. Sprinkle the seasoning packet over the chicken piecesand then dump 2 T melted butter over top. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Mlt the 2 remaining T of butter in saucepan. Saute onions and garlic. Then, add the soup, cream cheese, and chicken broth; stir until melted & smooth. Add the soup mixture to the crockpot and cook on low for 1 additional hour.

Serve over Rice or noodles or even mashed potatoes!!! Yumm!