The Captain and I went to my mom and dad’s for dinner a couple of weeks ago and had the most amazing meal! I don’t know why I’d never had this before, but it was a new recipe for my mom. Come to find out, it’s actually been around awhile. It’s super easy and very tasty! After I had it there, I immediately craved it so I had to make it myself. Mmmm…perfect for this cold week!
Ingredients
3-4 pound chuck roast
1 packet ranch seasoning
1 packet Au Jus seasoning
5-6 pepperoncinis (or sliced banana pepper rings)
¼ cup pepperoncini juice (or banana pepper juice)
1 stick butter
Instructions
Place the roast in crock pot.
Sprinkle the ranch and Au Jus seasoning over roast.
Place the pepperoncinis around the roast and then add the juice.
I’m forever looking for ways to use ripe bananas. This is a GREAT option! Plus, if you or the kiddos need breakfast on the go, this will do! (they’r easy and yummy, too!) Oh…and these could also be made with applesauce instead of bananas. If you do that, swap out the chocolate chips for raisins or cinnamon chips.
INGREDIENTS
2cupsquick oats
1tspcinnamon
½tspbaking powder
½tspbaking soda
½tspsalt
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
½cuppeanut butter (or another nut or non-nut butter)
2 TBS honey
1tspvanilla
½cupchopped pecans, or your favorite nut
¼cupchocolate chips (or raisins)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat to 350°F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Dump oats, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl; whisk to combine.
Stir in mashed bananas, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, pecans, and chocolate chips.
Scoop dough to form cookies and flatten the top
Bake for 14 minutes or until set.
Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheet before storing in an airtight container.
When someone says “meatloaf” it conjures up all sorts of thoughts and memories. Some good, some bad! But my mom’s meatloaf was literally the BEST! She got it from our favorite local cookbook author Deanna House. Well, I figured not everyone can get out for a Valentine’s Date, so here’s an option to bring the LOVE to the table! Super easy! And it can be done with any meatloaf recipe. But I think you’ll love my mom’s and this will become your new favorite!
Mix first 4 ingredients together well. Press into pan in the shape of a heart.
In the original recipe, Deanna says to press into 9″ round microwave-safe dish (like a pie plate) and to cover with wax paper. Microwave on high 8-10 minutes, drain juices. Spoon topping over meatloaf and microwave again 3-5 minutes until cooked in center.
What I do, is bake in the oven at 350 about 45 minutes until set in center. Mix up the topping and spread it on the meatloaf and bake until fully cooked in the center.
Brook’s Valentine’s Day Cherry Chip Chocolate Chip Cookies This is the recipe that inspired the “Cookin With Brook” section when I passed it along several years ago. (got the recipe from my mom in 1997!) Overwhelming requests from listeners for the holiday recipe launched our recipe section. Enjoy. They’re amazing and taste like NOTHING else!
1 box Cherry Chip Cake Mix
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
Milk
2 cups chocolate chips
(I add some red food coloring!)
Preheat oven to 350. Mix half the dry cake mix with butter, vanilla, eggs, and milk (if needed so they’re not too dry). Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 9-11 minutes or until firm on the edges and soft in the middle. Cool 2 minutes before removing from sheet.
I’ve had chicken tortilla soup many times at restaurants, and I just assumed it was WAY too hard to make at home. And then I found a few recipes that I combined to make this delicious and super simple warm-you-from-the-inside-out recipe! And you don’t have to make the tortilla strips yourself, but I think you’ll find them way better than the store bought ones!
Ingredients
1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (48 oz) box chicken broth
2 cups shredded chicken
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans with chili sauce
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, drained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
Just put it in the crockpot all day on low or simmer on the stove-top after work! Simple.
I used to request this for dinner all the time when I was growing up. I’m not sure why it’s called “senate bean soup”. My mom says that’s how the recipe was given to her! Anyway, I still love it. Tastes like my youth.
1 pound dry navy beans
5 quarts water
Ham bone with meat
3 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup diced onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Rinse beans and soak covered with water in saucepan overnight
Drain beans
Add 5 quarts of water and ham bone (with meat)
Simmer 2 hours
Add mashed potatoes, onion, carrots, and garlic powder
Simmer 1 hour
Remove ham bone and trim off meat
Return meat to soup
Heat and serve with 1 Tbls pepper juice
