#9/52 Mississippi Pot Roast

I see Mississippi pot roast recommended a lot in different food groups and have never tried it. My dad brought it up in conversation 2 weeks ago and I thought maybe now was the time to try it.

Most all the classic recipes call for packets of seasonings and pepperoncinis. Something inside of me was saying no, just couldnt get into shopping for a packet of ranch and the rest. So I bought a roast and decided I would do it the usual way I do.

Then here comes Friday, when I took my daughter to a birthday party and low and behold a mom brings up making Mississippi pot roast. It sure felt like a coincidence, as she shared the recipe she utilized didn’t use seasoning packets and said she made a classic and this version side by side and honestly couldn’t taste a difference. What a win, I was stoked!

So without further ado, I encourage you to taste this recipe from The Jam Jar kitchen. It was divine and might be my new go-to every time I buy a chuck roast! We paired with yukon gold garlic mashed potatoes and green beans.

INGREDIENTS  

  • 3-5 lb beef chuck roast
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tbsp dried chives
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp dried dill
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 6-8 pepperoncini peppers, whole
  • 1-2 tbsp pepperoncini pepper juice (from the jar)
  • 4 tbsp ghee
  • salt & pepper

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Take the chuck roast out of the fridge. Remove from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. Generously season all sides with salt and pepper. Set aside.Heat a couple tbsp of olive oil over medium-high to high heat in a large skillet until hot and shimmering.Once oil is hot, place seasoned chuck roast in the skillet. Sear for about 1-2 minutes per side to a deep golden brown. Transfer chuck roast to the bowl of the slow cooker.
  • After removing the chuck roast, deglaze the pan over medium high heat with 1 cup of beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan continue to cook for 2-3 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half (doesn’t have to be too exact).Pour the liquid from the skillet over the chuck roast.
  • Sprinkle chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dill salt and pepper over the chuck roast. Arrange peppers around the meat and add a couple tbsp of juice from the pepper jar. Then top with 4 tbsp of ghee (or high quality butter).Cover with a lid and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.The meat will be fork tender when it is done. If it still feels a little tough then put the lid back on and cook for an additional hour or two.
  • Serve over mashed potatoes, polenta, rice, mashed cauliflower or on its own. Enjoy!

#8/52 Homemade Hamburger Helper

Have you heard of SuperCook? It is a website/app that gives you recipe ideas based on what ingredients you have. It has been a week and a half since I have been to the grocery store and let’s just say the pickings are slim. I headed over to the website and got the idea for a homemade hamburger helper. I then looked at several recipe ideas and decided to try out Natasha’s version from Salt & Lavender. Our family is a fan of lower meat ratios, so I opted for a half lb. of ground beef and added a half cup of chopped red pepper. It turned out delightful! Easy to make and quick to clean up. We paired it with a piece of garlic bread and some sautéed green beans.

INGREDIENTS 

  • 1 pound extra lean ground beef (we did a half lb.)
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 1 red pepper chopped (optional – we did half a red pepper with half lb)
  • 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups beef broth
  • 2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Add the beef and onions to a soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat until the beef has browned (about 7-10 minutes), breaking the meat up with your spoon as you go along. If there’s a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out.
  • Stir in the tomato paste, garlic powder, and chili powder.
  • Add in the beef broth and increase the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, add in the macaroni.
  • Reduce the heat so it’s not furiously boiling (a rapid simmer is good). I ended up cooking mine over medium heat. Let it cook uncovered until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed (about 13-15 minutes). I stir it every couple of minutes.
  • While it’s cooking, grate the cheese (this saves prep time at the start of the recipe).
  • Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt & pepper as needed. I let it sit for a couple minutes prior to serving (soaks up the sauce and flavors more), but you can serve it right away.

Also I think I am going to start a “Tomato Paste Recipes” section because every recipe calls for 2 Tbsp and they do not sell it like that….WHY????

#7/52 Tuscan Chicken

A little late posting this, but I made a damn good Tuscan Chicken last week and I’m excited to share the recipe with you!

I decided to try the Creamy Tuscan Chicken recipe from downshiftology, and was so happy I did.

This recipe was very easy to prep, didn’t make a lot of dishes, and was ready to eat within 30 minutes. The flavors of sun-dried tomatoes are becoming a new favorite for me. I’m not sure why I haven’t cooked with them more to this point. We paired this delicious dish with rice and a vegetable mix of brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and broccoli.

Ingredients
● 4 (6-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts
● 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of individual spices such as oregano, thyme, basil, and rosemary
● 1 teaspoon kosher salt
● ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
● 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
● 4 garlic cloves minced
● ¼ cup finely chopped yellow onion
● ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes thinly sliced
● 2 cups baby spinach
● 1 ½ cups heavy cream
● ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan

Instructions
1. Prep the chicken. Season both sides of each chicken breast in Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden. Remove the chicken from the pan to a plate and set aside.
3. Cook the onions. In the same skillet, add another tablespoon of oil and the onion. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion has softened.
4. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the spinach, and saute another minute, until just starting to wilt.
Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stir together, and bring to a simmer.
6. Let it simmer. Place the chicken back in the skillet and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

#6/52 Sloppy Joe Cups

I originally found these on the Instagram page of Delish, upon some other searching I also found the recipe on the Pillsbury website. Let me tell you it’s pretty tasty!

The recipe I have below is a bit of a blend of those two recipes. We used left over sloppy joe mix to make these and I can’t think of a better way to use it! My favorite topping for these was cut up claussen sandwich pickles, omg was it good. My husband decided he was going to start adding pickles to his sloppy joes after these cups!

They were advertised on Delish as a superbowl snack, and in my opinion would be good fresh, not sitting out. So if you have the technology to make that happen this Sunday, do it!

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • All-purpose flour, for surface
  • 1 (8-oz.) tube crescent dough
  • 1 batch sloppy joe filling (about 2 c.)
  • 1/2 c. shredded mixed cheddar and mozzarella
  • Sliced scallions, pickles, relish, and/or yellow mustard, for serving

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° and grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough and pinch together seams. Cut into 8 squares. Place squares into prepared muffin cups.
  2. Sprinkle a little cheese in the bottom of the cup and Spoon about 1/4 cup sloppy joe filling into each cup.
  3. Bake cups until pastry is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and top each with remaining cheese. Return to oven and continue to bake until cheese is melted, 3 to 5 minutes more. Let cool in pan 5 minutes.
  4. Carefully remove cups and arrange on a platter. Top with any toppings you prefer (scallions, pickles, relish, or mustard)

#5/52 Butternut Squash Chicken Chili

We tried a new soup this week, Butternut squash chicken chili, recipe from paleo running momma

The flavors were pretty great, although I’m not sure how I felt about the Butternut squash. Knowing what I am eating is fairly healthy helps me just eat it, but I think in the future I would replace the squash with white beans. Or I would make sure the squash was peeled and cut into much smaller cubes and I wouldn’t use a whole one.

After we ate dinner, I went back through the soup and picked out all the squash and added half a can of great northern beans and froze it like that. The flavors and spices were amazing, but it will not be in our soup rotation. If you try it, drop a comment on your take of the butternut squash

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded*
  • 2 Tbsp ghee or avocado oil
  • 1 medium butternut squash cut into 3/4” cubes (about 4 cups)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 2 Tbsp fresh jalapeños finely chopped
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 3/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder
  • 4 oz can diced green chiles
  • 3 cups chicken bone broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh minced cilantro
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp nutritional yeast optional
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • Garnish: “sour cream” coconut cream see notes** avocado slices, cilantro

Instructions

  1. If your chicken needs to be cooked and shredded, do this first* and set aside. Prepare all ingredients before beginning.
  2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the ghee or oil. Add the butternut squash and sprinkle all over with sea salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes, until just beginning to brown and soften.
  3. Add in the diced onion and sauté for about a minute until translucent. Then, add in the garlic, peppers, jalapeño and spices, stir and sauté for 3 minutes, until fragrant and softened.
  4. Add in the green chilis, and broth , stir and bring to a boil. Stir in the shredded chicken, nutritional yeast cilantro and lime juice and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with coconut “sour cream” (see notes) sliced avocado, additional cilantro and sliced jalapeño if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Notes:

*if you don’t already have cooked chicken, season your chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until cooked through, then shred before using. You can also use a rotisserie chicken, just check ingredients for Whole30 compliance if needed.

** To make Whole30 compliant sour cream with coconut cream, mix 1/2 cup of thick, cold coconut cream with 2 tsp lemon or lime juice and 1/8 tsp fine sea salt. I like to use the 365 brand (Whole Foods) for this as it’s very thick and creamy. Feel free to adjust the salt and lemon to taste.

#3/52 Italian Stuffed Peppers

This recipe from well plated was okay. We opted for ground turkey, and I’m pretty sure my husband didn’t notice it wasn’t beef. In my opinion, turkey doesn’t have much flavor, so I did HEAPING teaspoons of Italian seasoning, doubled the red pepper flakes (would do more next time), and added extra mozarella by accident.

Our peppers were on the thicker side, and I wish I would have cooked them for closer to 50 minutes instead of 35. All in all, these stuffed peppers are on my “OK” list. I think the next time I try stuffed peppers; we might check out a different recipe. Do you like stuffed peppers? What are your favorite ingredients to stuff them with?

Ingredients  

  • 4 large red bell peppers
  • 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or up to ½ teaspoon if you like more spicy
  • 1 can no salt added diced tomatoes with juices, 15 ounces
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice farro, quinoa, cauliflower rice, or orzo (if using orzo, undercook it slightly)
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella provolone (or a mix)
  • ½ cup Parmesan divided
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Instructions 

  1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the bell peppers in half from top to bottom. Remove the seeds and membranes then arrange cut side up in the prepared baking dish.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, breaking apart the meat, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid, then pour in the can of diced tomatoes and their juices. Let simmer for 1 minute.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the rice (or farro) and ½ cup of the Mozzarella and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Mound the filling inside of the peppers, then top with the remaining cheeses.
  4. Pour a bit of water into the pan with the peppers—just enough to barely cover the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted. Top with fresh basil. Serve hot.

#2 of 52 New recipes in 2023 White Chicken Chili

This week was packed with snowy mountain adventures that called for dinner to be finished by time we got back home. In steps this White Chicken Chili Recipe from Iowa Girl Eats. It was so easy to put together my 3-year-old did most of it (huge win). We paired it with cornbread muffins, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro. This will definitely stay in the winter soup rotation at our home!

INGREDIENTS
(Serves 3 to 4)

  • 1lb chicken breasts (~2 large chicken breasts)
  • 15oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
  • 4oz can chopped green chiles
  • 1 – 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded then minced (use 1 made for a mild chili)
  • 1 shallot or 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • big pinch dried oregano
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • juice of 1/2 small lime
  • 1/4 cup milk, any kind
  • 1 Tablespoon gluten free flour (or AP flour if you don’t need to eat GF)
  • Toppings: green Tabasco sauce, verde sauce, lime wedges, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream

DIRECTIONS


1. Add first 12 ingredients — chicken breasts through lime juice — into a 6-quart crock pot then stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until chicken shreds easily.
2. Remove chicken then shred and place in the refrigerator. Whisk flour and milk together in a small dish then drizzle into chili and stir to combine. Cover then cook on high for 30 minutes. Stir shredded chicken back into chili then scoop into bowls and serve with toppings.

Meals for 2+

I don’t know about you, but leftovers are not my favorite to eat. To mitigate having so many, I have started cutting everything in half and it is the perfect amount for our small 3 person family. Sometimes there are even leftovers for me or my daughter to have lunch the next day.

So today I wanted to share our go to meatloaf recipe, a perfect comfort food for those cold day cravings. It’s pretty basic and classic, but it’s how we like it. I also started a food Instagram recently, so if you want more meal ideas then I have time to blog check it out!

—–>> https://www.instagram.com/sahmthingtasty/ <<—–

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of 80/20 ground beef
  • ½ envelope of dried onion soup mix
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 3 ounces water
  • ½ Tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • ¾ cup crushed Ritz crackers
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 to 3 garlic cloves
  • Glaze:
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Mix, and brush evenly on top of the meatloaf before it goes into the oven.

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together onion soup mix, egg, water, and Italian seasoning.
  4. Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onions, and garlic, and mix thoroughly until just combined
  5. Place mixture in the loaf pan, pressing down lightly. It is smaller so you will make a “loaf” shape as it won’t fill out the pan. (it might if you double the recipe!)
  6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes or until the middle reaches at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit
  7. Let it stand for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan and serving

Notes

  • Don’t overmix the meatloaf or try to press down too much when you fill the pan; this will result in an overly-dense, tough meatloaf.
  • I make the glaze twice so I have extra to drizzle on top after we bake it, yum!

Zuchinni All-Star

You’ll need approximately 4 medium zucchinis for this combo recipe. If you plan on making both, shred all your zuchinni first and take out a heaping cup for the muffins and set aside. My future self will be thanking me for this discovery when my garden is growing wild with produce!

Zuchinni Pizza Casserole and Zuchinni muffins. I purchase a 3 lb. package of ground beef and split it into 5 – 1/2 lbs. I had enough time to do this between the zuchinni de-juicing and the first 10 minutes of it baking. This particular recipe left me with half an onion and half a green pepper which I also sealed up. I already have a tasty plan for those, so stay tuned for a future post!

Make sure to get all the zuchinni juice out!

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • .5 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1 can (8 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
  • 1/2 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped
  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
  2. Combine zucchini with eggs, garlic, parmesan and half the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 9×9-in. or 2-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, breaking meat into crumbles; season to taste. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add green pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.

If you’re making muffins, grab that heaping cup of shredded zuchinni you set aside and scroll down.

*Also keep in mind to drop your oven temp to 350°F after you pull the casserole*

leave the zuchinni juice for this tasty morsel

Zuchinni Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ½ cup apple sauce
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup shredded zucchini
  • ½ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups, or line with paper muffin liners.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, apple sauce, oil, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips, and walnuts. Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full.
  3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy these muffins for dessert or breakfast! They’re absolutely fantastic!

I only put walnuts in a few of our muffins so there were no choking hazards for our 1 year old, consider skipping them if you have a child younger than 4. They can be a choking hazard for young children, largely due to children’s inability to grind food properly.

Week 44

Hope you enjoyed your weekend! Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos give us plenty to celebrate. Since we touched on Halloween last week, I wanted to share a healthy snack we made for Dia de Los Muertos.

I turned to Chris, while sipping our morning coffee, and asked him what he wanted to add to the celebration alter for Sunday. A soft smile came across his face as he told me about his dear friend, Mathew Kennen, and how much he liked the Buffalo Cauliflower at Zokas, one of the best restaurants ever in Pine, CO. So week 44, in remembrance of our dear friend Mat, is Buffalo Cauliflower ❤ NFA

Buffalo Cauliflower

  • 1 to 1.5 head cauliflower, cut into florets (you’ll need about 4 to 5 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon Lawry’s Seasoning Salt

Instructions 

  1. Place cauliflower florets in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
  2. Melt butter; stir in olive oil and hot sauce until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pour the hot sauce mixture over the cauliflower; mix around until all cauliflower florets are coated.
  4. In a separate bowl whisk together almond flour, dried parsley, garlic powder, and seasoning salt.
  5. Sprinkle about a handful at a time of almond flour mixture over the cauliflower; gently mix until everything is coated.
  6. Transfer half of the prepared cauliflower to the air fryer.
  7. Air fry at 350˚F for 14 minutes, shaking a couple times during the cooking process. Cauliflower is done when the florets are a bit browned, but not mushy.
  8. Remove cauliflower from the Air Fryer; set aside and keep covered.
  9. Repeat the same process with the remaining cauliflower florets.
  10. Serve with celery or carrot sticks and your favorite ranch dressing.

Dia de Los Muertos is an ancient tradition celebrated in Mexico and other places around the world. During this holiday, people take time to remember and celebrate family and friends who have passed away. Although it’s called “day of the dead”, the celebration lasts for several days! Dia de Los Muertos is for celebrating the beauty of life and death rather than mourn it, it reminds us to enjoy life all year round and to honor our loved ones, this way they stay in our hearts forever.

Popcorn for my Grandma, buffalo cauliflower plus dip for Mat, breakfast essentials for my ride or die Sean, string cheese (and the peacock cloth) for my dear friend Jamie, a Cigar for Chris’s Papi, and dog treats for our furry family. We love you 🖤

We also made Atole to continue our celebration this morning. Atole (ah-toe-lay) is a drink made with masa, finely ground corn flour. When chocolate is added, it becomes champurrado (cham-poor-ah-doe). The word “atole” is derived from Nahuatl, the still-living language of the Aztecs, who were defeated by Hernan Cortez in 1521 in what is now Mexico City. Atole was popular long before Cortez surprised Montezuma with a visit, so the people of Mexico have been drinking atole for many centuries, probably millennia. That’s really no surprise as atole is, in fact, probably the easiest way imaginable to consume corn, a crop first cultivated in the Americas. Just add water to ground corn, and voila: atole.

Atole is like very thin porridge. Served warm, it’s an excellent way to take the chill off a cold morning. Relatively quick and easy to prepare, atole is frequently consumed at breakfast or after dinner, but can be enjoyed any time of day.

ATOLE

  • 3 cups water
  • 9 Tbsp. Turbinado sugar or brown sugar cane
  • 1 whole cinnamon sticks
  • 10 Tbsp. corn flour
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • Nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

  1. Add water, brown sugar cane and cinnamon sticks to large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Bring water to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar.
  2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl using whisk, whisk together masarica, salt and milk until completely smooth. Pour masarica mixture into pot with sugar mixture and bring liquid to boil, whisking occasionally; reduce heat to low. Stir in vanilla extract and continue cooking, whisking occasionally, until mixture is smooth and thick, about 10 minutes more. The atole is ready when the drink coats the back of wooden spoon.
  3. Remove pot from heat. Divide atole evenly among serving mugs. Sprinkle with nutmeg if that sounds nice.. Serve warm.