Crock Pot Pulled Barbecue Beef Sandwiches

Want a quick and delicious barbecue sandwich? You got it! It can't get any easier than this!

from the kitchen of

Allison Miller

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Ingredients

1 beef roast

1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce

1-2 c. water

salt and pepper to taste

hamburger buns, bread slices, or Oroweat Sandwich Thins for serving

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Directions

1. Remove frozen or thawed roast from package. Salt and pepper, then place in a crockpot.
2. Add 1-2 c. water, depending on the size of your crockpot. The water should be about 1/2 inch deep so the roast can stay moist.
3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours on low or until desired meat temperature.
4. Carefully remove the roast from the crockpot and into a large bowl. Take two forks and pull the meat apart until it is shredded to your liking.
5. Add about half to two-thirds of the barbecue sauce to the beef and stir together well. Add more sauce if the meat looks too dry.
6. Add desired amount to each sandwich and enjoy!
   

*Garnishes such as dill pickle and cheese taste great on this sandwich as well! You can also substitute pork or chicken for the beef.

Copycat Bowtie Festival from Carino's

Back by popular demand! This recipe has been shared on my blog and through Facebook. For those who enjoy Carino's Bowtie Festival and want a similar recipe, this is a great one!

from the kitchen of

Megan Lavin

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Ingredients

10-12 oz bowtie/farfalle pasta

3-6 strips bacon

1 tomato, diced

3 c. boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked and diced

1 Tbsp garlic, fresh or minced or garlic powder

1/2 tsp Tony Creole's seasoning

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. chicken broth

2 Tbsp flour

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Directions

1. Start with the bacon. Depending on how crispy you want the bacon: For crispy, start by placing baking slices on a foiled cookie sheet. Or if you have a cookie cooling rack, place that in the cookie sheet on top of the foil then place the bacon on top of that. This way the grease drops off through the cooling rack. Place in the oven on 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until desired crispiness. If you don't care if the bacon is crispy, cook the bacon in a saute pan on the stove top.
2. In the meantime, cook the pasta as directed on the box. When bacon is done, remove from pan and pat dry. Set aside. Add the chicken to the same pan to cook. Add garlic and mix together. When the chicken is cooked, add the tomatoes and bacon (chopped). Mix together.
3. When the pasta is finished cooking, drain the water and rinse with cool water. Put the pasta back in the pot. Pour the chicken mixture in with the pasta and stir.
4. Add chicken broth and heavy cream to the mixture. Stir together and add Tony Creole's seasoning, plus a little extra garlic.
5. Stir together well and heat. Add flour to thicken the sauce. You can add more than 2 Tbsp if desired.

*You can also add artichoke hearts and/or red onion to this dish for a yummy meal! Or if desired, sundried tomatoes instead of roma.

**If you don't like the mess of cooking bacon, Oscar Mayer Real bacon bits also work great!

Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos

Pour some salsa on top of these yummy chicken rolls and you've got yourself a tasty dish! Did I mention they are low fat?

from the kitchen of

New Better Homes and Gardens 75th Anniversary Edition Cook Book

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Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/3 cup flour

3 Tbsp cornmeal

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 egg

1 Tbsp water

1 4-ounce can whole green chile peppers, rinsed, seeded, and cut in half lengthwise (6 pieces total)

6 slices of Monterey Jack cheese cut into 2 x 1/2-inch sticks

2 Tbsp snipped fresh cilantro or parsley

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

1 8-ounce jar green or red salsa

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Directions

1. Place a chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly in a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breast halves.
2. In a shallow dish combine the flour, cornmeal, and cayenne pepper. Place egg in another shallow dish; add water and beat lightly to combine.
3. For each roll, place a chile pepper half on a chicken piece near one of the ends. Place a stick of cheese on the chile pepper. Sprinkle with some of the cilantro and black pepper. Fold in the sides so the cheese doesn't melt out; roll up, starting from the end with the cheese and chile pepper. Secure with a wooden toothpick.
4. Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture; coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls, seam side down, in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with melted butter or margarine.
5. Bake, uncovered, 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks. Heat salsa and serve over chicken.
   

* I use a small can of chopped green chiles and sprinkle them on the chicken. They work great. It also cuts out the work of cutting the chiles and scraping out the seeds.

** I don't use a meat mallet to pound the chicken. I use a saute pan. It works great and seems to pound the meat pretty evenly!

Zucchini Bread

It's the time of year for zucchini bread! Most have a recipe for zucchini bread already. But just in case, here is another yummy recipe! This simple recipe is also delicious when apple sauce is substituted for the oil.

from the kitchen of

Jana Countryman

Ingredients

2 c. zucchini, grated

3 tsp vaanilla

1 c. nuts (optional)

3 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

3 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Mix eggs, sugar, and oil together well.
2. Sift dry ingredients and add to the egg mixture.
3. Add zucchini and vanilla, blend well.
4. Pour in well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Yields 2 loaves.
   

* Makes 4 mini loaves (bake 45 minutes). If muffins are also made with this recipe, bake for 20-25 minutes.

Saucy Stuffed Shells

You'll love the meat filling of these shells! Fennel seeds are the secret to the flavor.

from the kitchen of

New Better Homes and Gardens 75th Anniversary Edition Cook Book

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Ingredients

12 dried jumbo shell macaroni

12 oz ground beef or ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper

1 clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp)

1 beaten egg

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 jar of meatless spaghetti sauce (15 1/2 oz)

1/4 cup finely shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions

1. Cook macaroni according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain again.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook ground meat, onion, sweet pepper, and garlic until meat is brown. Drain.
3. In a medium bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, fennel seeds, salt, and black pepper. Add the meat mixture and 1/4 cup of the spaghetti sauce; mix well. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the meat mixture into each macaroni shell. Arrange the filled shells in a 2-quart square baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the filled shells. Cover the dish with foil.
4. Bake 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.
   

*I substituted the medium onion for onion salt. And I completely left out the green pepper. It still tasted great!

Texas Sheet Cake

My husband wanted this cake for his birthday. He likes this one better than regular cake because it falls right in the middle of the brownies and cake categories. This is a low-rise cake and it is delicious!

from the kitchen of

Rhonda O'Connor

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Cake

1. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 or 12 x 17 pan (a cookie sheet).
2. In a bowl, combine 2 cups flour and 2 cups sugar.
3. In a sauce pan, melt 2 sticks of margarine, 5 Tbsp cocoa, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil stirring well. Add to the flour and sugar mixture.
4. In another bowl, beat 2 eggs. And 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/8 tsp salt. Add to the flour and sugar mixture.
5. Mix everything together well and pour into pan.
6. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
   

Icing

1. In a sauce pan, melt 1/2 stick of margarine, 1 1/2 Tbsp cocoa, and 3 Tbsp milk. Bring to a boil and add 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and nuts (optional).
2. POUR ICING ON THE CAKE WHEN THE CAKE IS HOT. This frosting is like fudge and cools really quickly. I also like to double the frosting. It covers more of the cake when doubled.

Thank you to Google Image for the photo!

Bruschetta al Pomodoro

This yummy vegetarian appetizer is perfect for a party or get-together!

from the kitchen of

The Olive Garden

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Ingredients

4 roma tomatoes, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 garlic clove, cut in half

salt and black pepper to taste

10 medium fresh basil leaves, chopped

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

one loaf sliced Italian bread

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Directions

1. Combine diced tomatoes and chopped garlic in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add half of chopped basil and all of the extra virgin olive oil.
2. Slice the bread loaf into desired amount of slices and grill or broil to crisp.
3. Rub bread with cut half of garlic clove to infuse with flavor.
4. Pour tomato mixture in a bowl and garnish with remaining chopped basil, or top each bread slice with tomato mixture. (Serve immediately if the latter is chosen.)