Pioneer Woman's Drip Beef

I love sandwiches. I really don't think there's much in the world that is more satisfying. Luckily, my husband agrees and is usually in at the mention of a sandwich.

I also love using my crockpot, especially when I use it in ways most Minnesotans don't. This drip beef sandwich recipe is a great example of this. I loved how I started this in the morning and it was all ready to go when I got home from work. My house smelled so good when I walked in the door and the meat could not have been more tender. Our one complaint is that the soy sauce flavor was a bit strong, so if I were to make this recipe again, I would probably cut the amount of soy sauce by about half.

Drip Beef

Recipe from Pioneer Woman, adapted

Serves about 6

INGREDIENTS

1 whole 3-4 lb chuck roast

1 large onion, sliced thick

3 cloves garlic, crushed & peeled

1/2 cup soy sauce (try to get low sodium)

1 cup Sherry (cooking Sherry is fine)

2 cups beef broth

1-2 cups water

3-4 sprigs Rosemary

1-2 TBSP whole peppercorns

deli rolls

sliced cheese (we used Muenster)

DIRECTIONS

Spray the ceramic part of the crock pot with cooking spray. Put onions and garlic on the bottom. Place the roast on top of the onions. Pour the soy sauce, Sherry, beef broth, and water in the crock pot. Add rosemary and peppercorns.

Cook on low for about 8 hrs.

At the end of the cooking time, take the roast out of the crockpot and pull with two forks.

Put the meat on the deli rolls, pour a bit of the liquid from the crockpot on top, and place cheese on top. Put in the oven to melt the cheese for about 5 minutes, if desired.

Serve with a bowl of the liquid for dipping.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

This recipe had been on my to-make list literally for years. For some reason, I shied away from making it. I'm pretty sure it's because I have a subconscious prejudice against Campbell's soup recipes. However, my current arsenal of quick recipes is dwindling so I decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did - this was delicious! The chicken had a great seasoning combination and it paired really well with the gravy. As an added bonus, it took less than 20 minutes to make, start to finish.

Paprika Chicken with Sour Cream Gravy

Recipe from Campbell's Kitchen

Serves 2

Cook & Prep Time - 15-20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tsp butter

1 tsp oil

1 can Cream of Chicken soup (try to get the low sodium healthy request stuff)

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream (low fat works well)

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Combine the flour with the paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat and combine with the oil.

Pound the chicken a bit. Pat dry. Dredge in the flour mixture and cook the chicken until cooked through, about 5-7 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, in another skillet or saucepan, combine the soup & sour cream. Bring to a low boil. Season with salt & pepper. (The original recipe said to do this in the same pan as you that you used to cook the chicken after you cook it, but I did it in a separate pan to save time).

Serve the sauce over the chicken. I served it with egg noodles, but I can imagine it would also be good with rice or a green vegetable.

Meatball Subs

Over the past month and a half, my cooking has taken a bit of a different turn. I've been working later hours, so I've had to concentrate on preparing things that can be made in about 25 minutes or less. On weekends, I still try to spend some quality time in the kitchen.

I made these meatball subs on a weekend, and could easily be made ahead of time and then re-heated before you actually plan on eating them. And, they're delicious. You'll love them.

Meatball Subs

Serves 4

Prep Time - 15 minutes

Cook Time - 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 - 1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp oregano

1 TBSP tomato paste

1 jar marinara sauce

hoagie rolls

Muenster cheese

DIRECTIONS

Mix together all meatball ingredients until combined. Roll into medium-sized meatballs (about 1" in diameter) and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until browned. Take the meatballs out of the oven, but keep the oven on.

After you take them out of the oven, put them in a pot with the marinara sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Place meatballs and a bit of sauce on the bottom of each roll and cover with cheese (3 meatballs and 2 slices of cheese worked great on the size roll we used). Place in the oven and bake for about 5-7 minutes, or until cheese melts. Serve with extra marinara sauce on the side, if desired.

Pioneer Woman's Rosemary Rolls

To go with my turkey dinner, I wanted to make fresh bread. I'd been eying Pioneer Woman's Rosemary Rolls for some time and thought they'd make a nice accompaniment.

They were great, and they couldn't have been easier. They were almost like little mini focaccia buns. They were great on their own, and I'm sure they'd be great with marinara as well, and they were delicious accompanying my gravy. You really should make them.

Rosemary Rolls

INGREDIENTS

Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls

melted butter

coarsely chopped rosemary

coarse sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Spray a small cast-iron skillet with cooking spray. Place frozen rolls in the skillet and leave room for rising. Cover and let rise for several hours. Mine rose for about 4 1/2 hrs and could've used at least another hour.

After rising, brush the rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with rosemary and just a little sea salt.

Bake according to package directions, usually 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are a deep golden brown.