Back To School Rush

We are two weeks in folks, and I'm already counting down the days until Christmas break. Okay, so maybe it isn't quite that bad, but I can say for sure I know when Labor Day is...and every other day off is circled on the calendar in red! 

Not only do I want my boy back home with me, but I'm just tired. Exhausted. We both are. I know we will get back into the swing of things and it won't always seem so overwhelming, but I don't know if we will ever welcome that early morning alarm. What can I say? We like our sleep. 

Once again I'm trying to find ways for supper to be easy and stress free. By the end of the day, after homework is done (and there is A LOT of it this year) I'm simply too fried to have to think too hard about what I'm making for dinner; and I know so many parents out there feel the same way. 

On days like this we need all the help we can get, and our slow cookers can be our best friend. I love these because if you have a programmable Crock Pot, you can put them on in the morning so they can cook and shut off while you're gone at work, or busy at home. Or, the other option for folks like me, who don't have one that fancy, they only have to cook a couple hours, so you can put them on when you get home and still be eating at a decent time. Or, the third option, cook them when you are home, chill and then reheat the next day! 

Anyway you decide to do it, you will be a rock star to your family. These are cheesy goodness on a bun. Think sloppy joe, but with melted, ooey gooey cheese! Liquid gold right there! Add your favorite burger toppings, some fries and dinner is served! 

School days are a blur sometimes, but we still need to eat. Make it as easy on yourself as possible. Don't stress. Just sit down with your family, hear about their day and enjoy a meal!

Crock Pot Cheeseburgers

Originally Developed for The Children's Museum

2 lbs. ground beef

2 tsp. onion powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 c. dill pickle slices, finely chopped

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

3 TBS yellow mustard

8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Pretzel Buns

Sliced Tomatoes

Lettuce

Ketchup

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Spray Crock Pot with nonstick spray. Add beef mixture. Add cheese and pickles. Stir well. Cook on LOW for 2 hours until cheese melted. Serve on buns with toppings, or add your own!
*NOTE* I like to put the lettuce on the bottom of the bun to act as a barrier as to avoid squishy buns. And I use a little dollop of ketchup as “glue” for the tomato!

Shared at Weekend Potluck

I Can't Help Myself

No matter how hard I try, I can't stay away from the potatoes. They call out to me in the produce section. Even if I have something else planned on the menu, the taters sense me walking by and entice me with their wicked ways.

Okay, I can't lie. That scenario only takes place in my mind. (In case you hadn't figured that out for yourself!) And honestly, I don't really try that hard to stay away from them. In fact, I don't try at all. They are a staple in the Marshall diet, and we can't get enough!

I think one of the reasons I gravitate towards them so much, besides the delicious factor, is no matter when it is, I can almost always find them on sale at one store or another, especially red potatoes. From the regular size to the "baby B's", they are budget friendly year round.

This recipe came about after I had once again purchased some red potatoes out of the bulk bin that were on sale for $.99/lb. I had them. I had supper to make. It was time to figure out what to do; and this is what happened. A little of this. A little of that and wah-lah a new potato recipe is born.

One of my favorite things about this preparation, is you can easily split the work into two stages. Precook the potatoes in the morning before work, or even the night before. Then you have a great head start at the end of the day. Plus, you can easily add whatever herbs and spices you feel like at the moment. Just be sure not to move them around too much in the beginning. This will give you the brown "crusty" edges you see in my picture, which is most definitely the best part!

If you have an addiction to potatoes like me, don't make apologies. Embrace it! Love it! Enjoy every single bite! 

Skillet Red Potatoes

7 medium-large red potatoes, cooked and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

4 TBS canola oil

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Parsley, for garnish 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes in single layer. Do not move. Allow to cook/brown for 3-4 minutes. Stir. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Continue to fry and stir for 15 minutes until browned on all sides. Remove to serving platter, and sprinkle with parsley *NOTE* To precook my potatoes I microwaved them for 10 minutes, until just fork tender. 

Shared on The Country Cook Oct. 31, 2014

Car Repairs and Recipes

Not two things that normally go together, right? But last week, they did for me, and the result is going to be something yummy for you!

I hate car repairs. Ugh. They are so annoying. And more often than not, so expensive. Luckily, this time was a "planned" visit, not unexpected, so it was a tad less painful. 

So as I sat there in the waiting room, finding ways to pass the 3 hours it was going to take for them to finish my car, and I found myself talking food with a couple other ladies also waiting. We were watching Food Network  and discussing what the chef was making, which turned into things we love to make, which then turned into us swapping ideas and recipes. 

One of the ladies said she had just made a recipe for her boyfriend, who is pretty picky, and he loved it. She works weird shifts, and is always looking for ways to use her slow cooker to make meals easier. She said it was great because she could have it cooking while she worked, he could eat when he got home, and it was still just as delicious when she got home later. With our busy schedules, dishes you can eat out of all night long are a must!  

If you love chicken pot pie, you're going to adore this. It's like the inside of a chicken pot pie your grandma used to make, turned into a comforting bowl of soup. Think pot pie without the crust. Which, for me is quite appropriate since when I was a kid I always left the crust on the plate after I ate the entire middle out.

This makes the perfect "set it and forget it" fall supper. It's full of flavor and will warm your family up in no time. I can't say I'm ever going to enjoy getting the car repaired, but at least this time I came out of it 

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew 

3 boneless chicken breasts, cubed

3 c. frozen mixed veggies 

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

1 can water

3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. dried parsley

2 tsp. cornstarch

Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except cornstarch in slow cooker. Mix well. Cook on HIGH for 6 hours. Combine cornstarch with 3 tsp. liquid from stew. Stir well, Pour back into stew. Cook until thick, about 10-15 minutes.

Shared on The Country Cook Sept. 26, 2014