My Little Sous Chef

I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was sometime right before Christmas. Out of the blue, little man came to me and said "Mommy, will you teach me to cook? Like, cook for real?" Sure, he's been in the kitchen with me since before he could even sit up on his own, and he's always been a fantastic helper, but now he was wanting more. He didn't want to just stir and pour. He wanted to learn how to make dishes from beginning to end. 

Well, you can imagine how excited I was to share my passion with my son. So, we started with some simple things he could easily do 90% on his own, and take the credit for. That first night his dad came home and he proclaimed "Dad, I made supper", the smile on his face said it all.

It's so funny how things work out, because it was only a week or so after he asked me to start teaching him, when the pregnancy test turned positive, and soon after that food became my number one enemy. Little did he know when he asked to learn, just how quick he would be getting some true hands on experience. 

There were many evenings during that first trimester I would give directions to him from my recliner, and he would handle most of the meal. He was such a trooper. Sure, I made sure I planned simple meals he could easily conquer, but still, there he was making sure we still had supper, with only a little help from me. 

Then at Valentine's Day his aunt and uncle got him a kids crock pot cookbook and he dove right in. Marking page after page of things we just had to try. By this time I was feeling a little more human like, so I could direct him a little more, and/or change the recipes a bit to fit our schedule. 

This was the first recipe he wanted to make, and I'm so glad he did. These are super easy, not to mention delicious. Plus, it makes a ton which you can use for leftovers all week, or freeze for another time.

I've always referred to him as my little sous chef, but little did I know just how true that would become over these past few months!

Crock Pot Barbecue Beef Sammies

2 lbs. ground beef

2 TBS dried onion

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 c. ketchup

4 TBS brown sugar

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large skillet, brown beef until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add to slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, dried onion, garlic powder and brown sugar. Mix well. Pour over ground beef. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 1/2 hours. Take lid off for last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve with a slotted spoon on buns. Top with pickles if desired.