BBQ Country Style Ribs (Crock Pot)

We are busily cleaning up broken branches and bushes from our 12+ inch snowstorm, so I decided to do something easy for dinner today.  Yesterday was the last day of our farmers market (*sigh*) so I stocked up on meat and winter squash (they were less than $1 each which I thought was a great deal).  Here's what's in the crock pot:

1 package Pork Country Style Ribs (it was about 1.5 lbs)
1 small bottle of BBQ sauce
Water - 1/2 of BBQ bottle (super scientific)
1/2 of one onion
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & pepper

I placed 1/2 of the BBQ sauce and onion on the bottom, added the ribs, and then added everything else.  I put it on high for 2 hours and then low for the remainder (total of about 6 hours).  Also, the pork was still pretty frozen but I don't think that makes much of a difference.

We are having sweet potato fries on the side.  Yum!

Mama Dee's Saurkraut

Well, ladies, the saurkraut is cooking away in my crockpot as I type this - and it smells like heaven! This recipe is not for the fermentation of the cabbage; it is a "doctoring up" of purchased saurkraut. My mom has worked for years to make it just right for our family, so I hope you like it (otherwise, feel free to modify it to suit your taste).

Ingredients
2 bags of refridgerated saurkraut
2 pork chops - bone in
1 baking potato
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 cup water (use the saurkraut bags)

Directions
1 - Roast the pork chops in the oven at 325 degrees for an hour or until they are cooked through.
2 - While the pork is roasting, pull out your trusty crockpot.
3 - Add both bags of saurkraut, the brown sugar, and the bay leaves to the crockpot and start cooking it on low. Also add one cup of water to keep things juicy (I used this as an opportunity to get every last shred of tasty kraut out of the bags).
4 - Thoroughly scrub the potato (this will remove some but not all of the skin) and then shred it (I used my food processor). Add the shredded potato to the crockpot.
5 - When the pork is cooked; remove it from the oven and allow to cool enough to be handled. Remove fatty portions and bone. Shred the meat and add it to the crockpot. Stir thoroughly
6 - Cook on high for two hours and stir occassionally to make sure that it is not browning on the bottom.
7 - Remove bay leaves before serving.

Taco Salad - MN Style

We recently bid adieu to the husband of a Fearless Foodie. It is both sad and exciting at the same time - and it also provided an opportunity to cook (of course)! I made a Taco Salad that my mother and aunts make for summertime parties back home in MN. I say it's MN style, but maybe it's not as regional as I think. Regardless, I hope you enjoy it!

The portions used make enough for Brett and I to enjoy this for lunch plus a snack for him. Granted, this is one of his all-time favorites, so he eats A LOT of it. Everything really is "to taste", so feel free to experiment. It seems to change everytime I make it.

Basic Ingredients
Lettuce - I like romaine for this
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 bottle of low-fat french/catalina-style dressing
1 1/2 packages low-sodium taco seasoning
Shredded cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Fancy Ingredients - not required, just nice to add
Sliced black olives
Corn
Black beans
Tomatoes - chopped
Chopped onions

Directions
1 - Place ground turkey in a skillet, add 1/2 package of taco seasoning, fully cook the turkey while breaking it up into smaller pieces. When cooked through, drain and rinse with cold water.
2 - Wash and chop lettuce, place in large bowl.
3 - Add cheese to bowl and mix with lettuce.
4 - Gently crush tortilla chips in the bag (we actually save the last bits of our tortilla chip bags for this purpose - stale chips are not a problem for the salad), remove the chips from the bag (don't pour it directly on the salad because you'll get a ton of unneccessary salt) and place them in the bowl with the lettuce and cheese. Mix.
5 - Add the remaining taco seasoning to the bowl and mix.
6 - Add the cooled ground turkey to the bowl... and mix.
7 - Pour about 1/2 of the bottle of salad dressing into the bowl and... you guessed it, mix thoroughly. I often resort to using my hands at this point because it becomes a bit unruly/messy.
8 - Taste and adjust ingredients as necessary. I often find that I may need to adjust the basic ingredients, but it is not often that I adjust the fancy ingredients.

Note: This is not really good left over because the lettuce and tortilla chips will wilt and become soggy. Brett is a freak of nature and is happy to eat it the next day although sometimes he adds fresh chips.

Sausage Casserole

This is a dish that my mom made all the time when I was growing up. It's really easy and good comfort food.

1 package Bob Evans sausage

6-8 potatoes (whatever kind you like)

1/2-1 bag frozen peas

3/4 c. milk

6 Tbsp butter

1/2 c. flour

salt and pepper

Brown meat. While this is cooking, peel (if desired) and slice potatoes. When meat is ready, begin layering in a dutch oven: one layer of potatoes, sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper, then one layer of sausage. Repeat until ingredients are used completely. Leave enough room on top for peas later on. Top entire composition with butter cut into individual tablespoons and pour milk over entire pot. Put into a 375 degree oven, covered, for about 35 minutes. Lift top and pour peas into pot. Recover. Cook until peas are warmed through and potatoes are soft. Mix up and serve!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe! It's good served with a simple green salad. :)

Shepherd's Pie

Mmmm... I have never made Shepherd's pie before and this recipe had the largest number of positive reviews... Enjoy!

Ingredients

* 1 small onion
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
* 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
* 1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables or niblet corn, prepared
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 8 to 10 medium red new potatoes
* 1 1/2 cups skim milk
* 6 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup lite sour cream
* 2 cups instant biscuit mix

Directions

Beef Layer: Saute onions in 1 tablespoon butter. Add ground beef. After beef is browned, add tomato sauce; Mix in vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Potato Layer: Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Cook in boiling water for approximately 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Whip potatoes with electric mixer; mix until moderately smooth. Don't over beat them; a few lumps are nice. Add 1/2 cup heated milk, 1/4 cup butter, and sour cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Whip until mixed. Adjust thickness by adding more milk, if desired.

Biscuit Layer: Combine biscuit mix and 1 cup milk. The mix should be thinner than normal biscuit mix but not runny.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 9 by 2-inch pan, or any similar casserole dish. Layer half way up with the mashed potatoes. Next, spread a layer of mixed vegetables or niblet corn on top of potatoes. Then add a layer of the meat. Pour biscuit mix over meat. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over top. Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes until top is golden brown. I doubled the recipe in order to feed 10 adults!

Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen and altered by Molly Elton (aka healthier).

Three Bean Turkey Chili, by MVL Jr.

Three Bean Turkey Chili from Epicurious.com

2 large onions chopped
1 head / 8 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/2 cup olive oil
four 28-ounce & two 15oz cans crushed tomatoes including the juice
two 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chili powder
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2 teaspoon dried orégano
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2lbs ground cooked turkey
2 large green bell peppers, chopped coarse
two 19-ounce cans kidney beans rinsed and drained well
1 can pinto beans rinsed and drained well
1 can black beans rinsed and drained well

coarsely grated Cheddar as an accompaniment if desired

In a large kettle cook the onion and the garlic in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden, add the tomatoes with the juice, the tomato purée, 1 cup of water, the chili powder, the cumin, the red pepper flakes, the orégano, the cinnamon, the salt, and the black pepper, and combine the mixture well. Add the cooked turkey and simmer the chili, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Stir the bell peppers and the beans into the chili, and simmer the chili, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes, or until the bell peppers are tender. The chili may be cooled completely and chilled for 2 days or covered and frozen for 2 months. Serve the chili topped with the Cheddar or sour cream.

Spaghetti & Meatballs

Whole Wheat Spaghetti: 2 boxes for 8-10 people. Follow directions on box. This is hard to mess up!

Jeremiah's Tasty Balls - Recipe compliments of Jeremiah's Blog - Cooking4Kicks
w/ Sara's adjustments

• 2 lbs. of ground beef
• 1 cup of bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup of skim milk
• 1-2 tbs. Ms. Dash Italian Seasoning (I used garlic herb)
  
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
  
• minced garlic (I ran out, so don't expect garlic in your balls)
  

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated (mixing with hands is easiest). Scoop out 1 tablespoon at a time and roll into balls. Place balls on cooking sheet and cook for 15 mins. Turn the balls over and cook for another 15 mins or until brown.

Makes between 26-36 balls depending on size. For consistent ball shape and size use either an icecream scoop or meatball/cookie scoop. I got 42 out of this batch.

Spaghetti Sauce: Homemade this summer from my neighbors garden and farm share. Remove from freezer and thaw. Complete Recipe.

Tater-Tot Hotdish

As a precursor, here is information from Wik.ipedia regarding "Hotdish": "Hotdish is a of a variety of baked casserole popular in the Midwestern United States, and especially in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota. It consists of a starch, a meat or other protein, and a canned and/ or frozen vegetable, mixed together with canned soup. Hotdishes are filling, convenient, easy to make, and well-suited for family reunions, funerals, church suppers, and potlucks, where they may be paired with pan-baked cookies known as bars. The history of the hotdish goes back to when “budget-minded farm wives needed to feed their own families, as well as congregations in the basements of the first Minnesota churches.” And now, what you have all been waiting for, a variation of my little sister's Tater-Tot Hotdish recipe:
Tater-Tot Hotdish
Modified from the Kitchen of Jennifer B.
Oven: 350 degrees
Serves: 6-8 people/pan
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion (or 1/2 large onion), chopped
8 small cloves of garlic (my sister uses garlic-flavored cream of mushroom instead)
1 pound of ground beef
1/2 bag frozen sweet corn
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I use one low-fat and one-low sodium)
1 and 1/2 cans of milk (use empty soup cans)
1 teaspoon pepper
1 bag of tater tots

Directions:
1. Heat large skillet.

2. Add olive oil, onion, and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent.
3. Add ground beef to pan and cook through.

4. Drain (and rinse) fat off of meat.
5. In a 13" by 9" baking pan, mix hamburger with soup, milk, frozen corn, and pepper.
6. Lay tater tots on top of soup/hamburger mixture
7. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees

Serving suggestions: canned green beans if you are going for authenticity; fresh green beans if you want to be fancy; and an iceberg lettuce salad if you are uber-sophisticated. Also, this is probably freezer-friendly, but I have never tried to freeze it.

Beef Stew at The Fowler House

5 lbs sirloin tip beef roast, fat trimmed off, cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 bottles red wine (sugg: Merlot)
3 beef bouillon cubes
8 c. water (approx)
1 bunch celery, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
4 Red skin potatoes, cubed with skin on
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 Tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt to taste
pepper to taste
thyme to taste
hot paprika to taste

Season meat with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven over medium heat brown cubes of meat in olive oil on all sides. Add 1 onion and 3 cloves of garlic. Allow to cook 5 minutes. Add 2-3 bouillon cubes (to taste), 1 -1 1/2 bottles of wine, and enough extra water to cover contents. Cover, and allow to cook until meat is tender checking every half hour to be sure there is enough liquid (add more water if it looks low). Estimated cooktime: 2 - 2 1/2 hours.

When meat is tender add remaining onion and garlic and all vegetables, potatoes and herbs (except parsley). Add enough water to cover and bring to a slow boil. Cook until veggies are tender. Add parsley and let cook five more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe feeds ten adults.

Betty's Meatloaf

Betty’s Meatloaf (serves 6-8, but realistically it should be doubled to serve 10)

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp dried thyme
½ c. ketchup
¼ c. packed light brown sugar
4 tsp cider vinegar
2 large eggs
½ cup milk, plus extra as needed
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp Tabasco
2 pounds ground meat (I used a mix of ground beef and ground lamb but you can also use ground pork)
1 sleeve of crushed saltines or 1 cup breadcrumbs
1/3 cup minced parsley

1. Adjust an oven rank to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile , mix together the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper and Tabasco together.

3. Mix the meatloaf mix, crackers, parsley, sautéed onion mixture and egg mixture until evenly blended and the mixture doesn’t stick to the bowl (if the mixture sticks , add additional breadcrumbs a T at a time until it no longer sticks).

4. Turn the meat mixture onto a foil-lined baking sheet and shape into a 9 x 5 inch loaf. Brush with half of the ketchup mixture. Bake the loaf for 45 minutes.

5. Brush the loaf with the remaining ketchup mixture and continue to bake until the center of the loaf measures 160 degrees n an instant read thermometer, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.