Copycat Cafe Rio Shredded Beef

Due to a new baby cousin arriving in October, my sister and I combined my nephew, Carson, and Jacob's birthday parties together.  We figured it would be easier for everyone, and save on food costs.  Shauna had wanted to make taco's for Carson's party, so we kept to that idea, since it's something different than sloppy joe's, and is just as easy.

I've had a recipe pinned for awhile that I wanted to try, even though i have never heard of the store it copycats, but the recipes are alway's popping up and look so good.  Plus, it's made in the crockpot, so can it get any easier??

Cafe Rio Shredded Beef

Ingredients

1	small onion
2	lbs. boneless beef chuck roast
1	c. low-sodium beef broth
1	Tbl. ground cumin + extra to taste
3-5	garlic cloves, minced
1	(8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1	(14 oz.) can green enchilada sauce
1-2	Tbl. tomato paste

Directions

Cut the onion into large, chunky slices; place on the bottom of slow-cooker. Place the roast on top of the onions. Combine broth, 1 Tablespoon cumin, garlic and tomato sauce; pour over the top of the roast. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. Transfer meat to a cutting board; use two forks to shred the beef. Strain the juices from the slow-cooker, reserving the juice. Transfer shredded meat back to the slow-cooker and pour some of the strained juices over the shredded beef (as much as you prefer). Stir in the enchilada sauce and tomato paste.Season with salt and extra cumin, to taste. Serve in taco shells with desired toppings.

This recipe was a HIT.  I literally had about 2 spoonfuls leftover, which my nephew Collin begged me for, so I sent home with him.  Earlier, he said, "Nikki - can you tell my mom how to make this, her's doesnt taste this good!"  Made me laugh. 

I also made a chicken taco recipe.  I threw some chiecken breasts into another crockpot, added 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, and a jar of salsa.

No photos, as i have not uploaded them off of the camera yet, but i will do that soon, and post a link of the construction cake. 

Lemonade Punch & S'mores Trifle

By popular request from the get together we had for our "Holiday Party in July" here are the recipes for the lemonade punch and the S'more trifle, both of which were gone by the time the party was over (and i made a quadruple batch of punch...)

Cucumber Mint Lemondade Punch  (click to see original website)
Ingredients:
1 cucumber
1 lemon
1 can of frozen lemon concentrate
7-Up
2-3 sprigs of mint (i did lots of mint)

Directions:
1. Mix the lemonade concentrate with the 7-Up, set aside.
2. Blend 1/2 of the cucumber and mint in a blender.
3. Whisk the blended mixture into the lemonade/7-up mixture.
4. Slice up the rest of the cucumber and the lemons, add into the drink. Also rip the leaves off the last sprig of mint and add to the top.
5.  We also discovered you can add some adult "supplements" to this for a fun summery adult drink (white wine, rum or vodka)

S'mores Trifle - Look to see some mouth watering pictures...
Ingre­di­ents

• 1 box brownie mix
• 1 large box or 2 small of instant choco­late pud­ding (approx. 4 cups)
• 2 sleeves of gra­ham crack­ers, bro­ken (not crushed), set aside 2 crackers
• 1 tub of whipped topping
• 1 small jar of Marsh­mal­low Creme
• 1 C mini marshmallows
• 1 Hershey’s Bar

Direc­tions:
1. Start by bak­ing a 9x13 pan of brown­ies accord­ing to the pack­age direc­tions. Once done, allow to cool and cut up into chunks. No need to be exact with any of it! While that bakes & cools, you can mix up the pud­ding and break up your gra­ham crackers.
2. In a tri­fle dish add a layer of brownie pieces (for me, this was a lit­tle less than half the pan). Then, top the brownie pieces with about half of the pud­ding.
3. On top of the choco­late pud­ding, add a layer of bro­ken gra­ham crack­ers. I just broke them up in a bag­gie. I wanted small pieces, but not just crumbs. Make sure the choco­late pud­ding is cov­ered well with the gra­ham cracker.
4. Take half of the whipped top­ping from the tub and mix it in a bowl with half of the marsh­mal­low creme. It will prob­a­bly lumpy and that’s totally ok. Spread that mix­ture over the gra­ham cracker layer.
5. Repeat all the lay­ers again. You’ll end with the whipped top­ping mixture…
6.  YOu can broil the marshmellows for about 10-15 sec to get them brown, but i don't know if i would do that step again, kind of a pain.  Otherwise, sprinkle the marshmellows on the top.  Crush the 2 graham crackers, sprinkle over marshmallows, and then break up the candy bar over that.
7.  Chill for a few hours to blend flavors, and serve!

Thanks again to all those who came over on Saturday!  Luckily the weather held out for a bit!  I think these are some of my fav Pinterest recipes!

Hawaiin Ham & Cheese Sliders

Seriously, these little things taste as amazing as they look. 

And suprisingly quick and easy to make.  Which has been a huge priority lately, since Jacob has been underfoot and demanding to be read to, played with and held.  Or all three at once.  Which makes it hard to stand by a stove and try to do something that tastes good, without being labor intensive.

I've made these a couple times, and have frozen the leftovers.  They taste good reheated, but much better if you reheat in the oven then the microwave. 

Here's what you'll need....

1-2 packages of Hawaiian sweet rolls
1 onion, minced
1 stick of butter
3 Tbs of Dijon Mustard
2-3 teaspoons of Worcestershire Sauce
3 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1 pound of shaved deli ham- or more depends how thick you want them
8-10 slices of Swiss cheese

Directions:
In a sauce pan melt your butter. Add onion and cook until soft.
Then add in your mustard, Worcestershire, and poppy seeds. Simmer for 5 mins
Slice your rolls right down the middle. Place them in a pan with foil.
place 2/3 of mixture on bottom of rolls.
Add your ham and then your cheese.
Top with the other side of the rolls and add the rest of the mixture on top.
Bake for 20 mins on 350! Cut where the lines are in the Hawaiian rolls and you know have perfectly melted sliders. Enjoy!!!

Brownie Bites with Choc Chip Dough Frosting

OH. MY. WORD.

These little bites of heaven are to die for. I mean, what can be better then brownies?  Brownies with cookie dough that's what.



I found the recipe on Pinterest (where else??) and Cooking Classy blog.  They are rich though, and i would recommend either making them in mini muffin tins or cutting the cupcake in 1/2.  We like sweets, and neither one of us could eat a whole one. 

The frosting is phenomonal.  It tastes JUST like cookie dough, but no raw eggs.  Not that raw eggs keep me from eating cookie dough, but some people don't agree with me!  Mike and I ended up eating 2 of these total, due to the richness, so I brought them to church and they went over well!

I'm half tempted to just make the frosting and eat that.

Brownie Cupcakes with Cookie Dough Frosting
Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, light-brown sugar and cocoa powder. Pour in melted butter and use a wood spoon to stir until combine. Mix in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in milk. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combine (batter will be thick).
Divide batter among 12 paper lined muffin cups filling each about 2/3 full (about 1/4 cup batter in each). Bake in preheated oven 16 - 20 minutes (lesser for gooier brownies). Allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with Cookie Dough Frosting. Store in an airtight container.

Cookie Dough Frosting

Ingredients:
10 Tbsp salted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp molasses
2-3 Tbsp cream or half and half
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, whip together butter and light-brown sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Mix in flour then add powdered sugar, vanilla, molasses and 2 Tbsp cream and blend together until smooth adding an additional 1 Tbsp of cream to thin if desired. Fold in chocolate chips.

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

Now, I know this is one of the most basic seeming meals, but for all the different cooking and baking i have done, I usually open a can of tomato soup and take some sliced white bread along with a piece of sliced american "cheese".

Which is good, but by no means does it rival real tomato soup or the delicious grilled cheese sandwiches you can get at restaurants.

so, I found some recipes on Pinterest and Voila! delicious grown up grilled cheese and tomato soup, that was surprisingly easy.

Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

Fresh spinach-about 3C

Canned artichoke hearts-about 3 hearts

chopped for about 1/2 C

1T olive oil

garlic salt and pepper

2T sour cream

4 slices cheese-your choice

(Monterrey jack, provolone, cheddar)

4 slices of good bread

butter/margarine

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.

Saute the spinach until wilted. Season well

with garlic salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped

artichoke hearts and heat through. Add a dollop

of sour cream and blend well.

Remove this mixture to a small bowl.

Rinse and dry the skillet and return to the heat.

Buter one side of the bread. Add 2 slices of bread

to the hot skillet, buttered side down.

Top each with a slice of cheese, the spinach

artichoke mixture, the remaining slice of cheese

and the remaining slice of bread,

buttered side up. Grill until golden brown,

Flip and grill the other side until toasted

and the cheese is melted
.

Tomato Basil Soup

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of olive oil

2 - 14 oz. cans of crushed tomatoes

1 - 14 oz. can of whole tomatoes

2 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable)

1 tsp of sea salt

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 cup of heavy cream

Flour/cornstarch

3 tablespoons of fresh basil, julienned

parmesan cheese

In a saucepan, saute garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 1 minute - being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the crushed tomatoes. Add the whole tomatoes one at a time, squeezing them into the pan to break them up. Add the juice from the whole tomatoes, as well. Add chicken stock, salt, pepper and sugar. Add flour and additional cream if you want to thicken the soup.   Cook the soup on medium at a simmer for 10 minutes.

 

Mike doesn't like anything tomato, so I made him some Chicken Gnocchi Soup.  When i was making dinner, he comes into the kitchen and asks "you made yourself a seperate soup?" 

 

:) My response, "No, I wanted tomato soup, and i know you dont' like that, so i made YOU a seperate soup"....   

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

I made this last night, and it was so yummy & easy, I had to share it right away!

When I made it, I doubled the recipe, thinking I would have leftovers.  I do have leftovers, but not as much as i thought i would!  But, will throw the rest in the freezer and have a quick meal when I need it.

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas:
Package of chicken breasts
Can of Enchilada Sauce
1/2 pack of Taco Seasoning  (i used whole pack since i doubled everything)
Shredded Cheese
Green Onions
Flour Tortillas

Optional: 
Corn Bread
Cilantro
Guac
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Black Beans (not optional in our house, Jacob LOVES them)

Throw the first 3 ingredients into the crockpot on low for the day.
Shred the chicken, dump some of the sauce in CP over the shredded chicken, add cheese and onions.

*Since i was making corn bread, i popped the pan of ckn and cheese in the oven for about 10 min to melt the cheese more, delicious, but not necessary)

Put on tortillas, with your favorite toppings.  I love the 100 cal packs of guacamole. Mike doesnt like guac, but I love it.  It's a waste to make it myself, since it doesn't last.  THe packs are the perfect amount, and you can freeze them, so when I put the leftovers in the freezer, I throw a guac pack in also, so i have one for the next time!

Yummy!

Sunday was one of those days where nothing "special" happened, but where the day just seemed like a huge success.  It was a relaxing day, and actually pretty productive.

We made it to church on Sunday morning, FINALLY.  I'm ashamed to admit how long it's been since we've made it.  I can make excuses, and granted, most of them would revolve around Jacob's nap and eating schedule, but still, they are excuses.  The 9 am service is what works best for us on Sunday's.  The 11 cuts way too much into rearranging Jacob's schedule, and on Saturday's there are no services during summer at the WOodbury campus.  You would think that with the campus being in Wdbry, and not driving 30 minutes to White Bear that it would be easier.  But that's not always the case. 

We need to make this a priority, not a secondary thing.  One of my friends is a pastor with EBC, and we got to see her up on stage Sunday morning leading announcements as our regular campus pastor was speaking that weekend.  I can't think of a better person to be in a leader position at EBC.  Kar has motivated and inspired me to be a better Christian and really look at my life and choices.  She is dedicated and passionate about her beliefs, and you can see love when you are with her. 

I also ran into another bible study girl who is getting married in August and joined us for the service.  Her and her fiance were being baptized together yesterday afternoon in honor of their faith, and wanted to be baptized together before their wedding.

It was so great to be back at EBC.  The music, the sermon, the sense of something greater and the feeling of community and love.  Besides, we also get a free hour break of Jacob.... :)  He must have had fun also, little guy was SNOOZING when we picked him up, and was out for the car ride, and still sleeping after I moved him out of the car seat. 

I planted some flowers I had bought while Mike & Jacob mowed lawn.  In between, I had made 2 new fantastic recipes,

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE COOKIES


AND

BASIL LIME CHICKEN



I honestly don't know which I enjoyed more!!  Both are a bit more time consuming than what i have attempted lately, but well worth it!!

Cookies:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (about 9 ounces), divided
3 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, divided (I used 2 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 large baking sheets with nonstick spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 2 minutes. Cool slightly.

Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. 

Add lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).

Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.

 

Chicken:

Ingredients

• 3 Limes (juice and zest) Divided
• 3 T Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 T Dijon Mustard
• 3 T Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 T Soy Sauce
• 6 Green Onions Chopped Divided
• 4 Cloves Garlic Minced Divided
• 2 T Chopped Basil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 3 lbs Chicken Breasts

Instructions

1. Combine the zest and juice of 2 limes, Olive Oil, Mustard, Worcestershire, Soy, 3 onions, 2 garlic cloves salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Cut chicken into even cutlets and place in a gallon sized baggie.
3. Pour marinade over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
4. Preheat grill.
5. Place chicken on grill and grill for 7 minutes.
6. Then flip and cook until internal temp reaches 170.
7. Remove from grill and let meat rest.
8. Meanwhile combine juice and zest of one lime with extra virgin olive oil, 3 chopped onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, basil.
9. Add sauce over top.

It was perfect for the hot summer day!!

Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

These are best right out of the oven!! Just ooey gooey-ness!!

Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

As a working girl who's been picking up more hours, I have realized a few things:

1. I may love my crockpot more than I like some people
2. If I dont have a freezer meal or crockpot meal, dinner will not be done until Jacob is in bed
3. Even though something smells REALLY good, doesn't mean it will taste that way (some of the previous freezer meals where a little lacking in seasoning)
4. Jacob gets his crabbiness if he is not fed NOW when he wants to be, from me.  If i'm hungry, and there is a wait or delay, watch out.  My baby takes after me on that one...

Happy fed baby!

Also, i can't get cooking done with Jacob up.  He "helps" by sitting under foot, yelling at me, and grabbing me as I walk by.  Or crawling to me and demanding attention.

Yep, he's cute, but no help at dinner

This morning I threw another new recipe into the crockpot, slow cooker philly sandwiches.  I'm so excited to try them when I get home.  Jacob is home playing with Gramma Posey while i get some work done, and she said the house is smelling good, so hopefully it's a success tonight!

• 1 1/2 lbs beef round steak
• 1 green pepper, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 1 (14 oz) can beef broth
• 1 envelope Italian dressing mix
• 1 large loaf French bread, siced into sandwich lengths (or 4-6 hoagie buns)
• Provolone cheese slices

Directions:

• Cut meat into strips, place in slow cooker.  (I did not do this, figured the meat will fall apart anyways, why add more work than needed?)
• Add green pepper, onion, broth, and dressing mix.
• Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours.
• Spoon meat mixture onto bread, top with a slice(s) of cheese.
• Another option is to toast bread in a 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, add meat, cover with cheese, then bake an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

Figure with some fresh veggies and chips, you can't go wrong on a hot day!  And gives me more playtime wiht my baby!

Freezer Meals

The past few weeks we have not been eating the best.  I used to cook all the time, but now there's a little poop machine who takes up all my time!  but he is cute...

After our dinner menu consisted of rotating Schwans, eating out, and chicken strips, I decided I needed to take the time to prep some freezer meals.  I did this before Jacob was born, and it was great.  I had made up 15 meals on my own, and did Let's Dish with some other girls to get another 8 meals.  Those meals lasted us thru me returning to work.  Its quick, efficient and way more healthy.

So, I have posted the freezer meals I made below.  Each of these make 2 meals for us.  I did 6 meals in one hour, and did another 2 tonight in about a half hour.  Not only do I love freezer meals, but I LOVE my crockpot, and as you can see, most of these can be made in the crockpot, so it's even better!

Savory Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans stewed tomatoes
4 Tbs white wine
2 bay leafs
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion (I put one small in each bag)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tsp salt
4 cups broccoli

Follow directions above, and put everything (except broccoli) into two gallon freezer bags. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Bag: Cook on low 8 hours, add broccoli during the last 30 minutes.

Newlywed Beeftips

2 lb beef stew meet (diced from deli)

23 oz french onion soup 4 cups water

brozen broccoli

rice or noodles

Split everything (except broccoli and rice) into two containers. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Container: Cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours. Mix in frozen broccoli 30 minutes before it's done, or add steamed broccoli after it's done. Serve over hot rice or noodles

Cilantro Lime Chicken with black beans and corn

6 chicken breasts

3 Tbs olive oil

2 limes, juiced

2 cups cilantro

1 large bag of frozen corn (or two smaller bags)

4 minced garlic cloves

1 finely chopped red onion

2 cans of black beans, rinsed

2 tsp cumin or chipotle powder

salt/pepper to taste

 

Split everything  into two containers. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Container: cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours, serve with hot tortillas or tostitos. Dress with sour cream, guacamole, and/or cheese

 

Chicken Supreme

Lisa @ Onceamonthmom.com

Ingredients:

• 1 lb chicken, ground
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 3.33 cups packaged dressing/stuffing
• 16 oz frozen french style green beans
• 10 oz cream of mushroom soup
• 10 oz cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup colby jack cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup french fried onions
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup almonds, slivered
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

If you haven’t already done so, brown the ground chicken in butter, seasoning it with salt and pepper if desired.  Place 2/3 of the dry dressing in the bottom of ungreased  9×13 baking pan.  On stovetop, cook green beans in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, drain.  Pour beans in a bowl and combine with both soups, french fried onions,milk, and cheese.  Pour over dressing in pan and spread evenly.  Layer chicken on top.  Spread remaining dressing and slivered almonds over pan.  Drizzle with melted butter.  .  
Freezing Directions:
Cover baking pan with aluminum foil and freeze.  To Serve: Thaw and bake 375 for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly.
(When freezing this, I put foil in a pan, add everything, wrap pan in foil, put in freezer til solid, then pull out the food wrapped in foil, bag in freezer bag, and then put back in freezer.  This way you dont have a pan in the freezer, and when you do cook it, your pan isn't messy!)

I found these recipes at:
Onceamonthmom.com  (blog all about freezer meals)
ringaroundtherosies.net
jamiecooksitup.blogspot.com

I have more I plan on making soon, and will post those ones as well!  Note, I label the freezer bags with the meal and the cooking instructions w/ a black sharpie.  THis makes it much easier than diggin out the recipe.

There are also some other new recipes I am excited to try, that are not freezer ones, and will post about those in the next week or two!

Pinterest Recipe

I DID IT!!!

I have finally made something that i have "pinned" from pinterest.  I have been addicted for a few months, and have several boards with recipes, crafts, and other time consuming things to do.  I typically look at the site when I am nursing Jacob at bedtime.  Sometimes though, i don't get a chance to, since his arms are flailing about, and whoops, there goes my phone skidding across the floor. 

As i have been pinning away, I've started wondering, when will I actually do any of this?  Pinterest may be more of a time suck then facebook, and there are days I barely have time to shower, so when would I find time to whip up some amazing dessert, stage Jacob for pics, or make that adorable crafty item that looks SOOO easy.  Because in order to do some of the things, it's not only the time suck of making the item, but also going to the store to get the stuff I need.

Some days, it's a magical feat if I can make it out of the house with Jacob to run errands.  But to do any shopping that requires full attention and time?? That is Mission Impossible.

I decided to start with something small.  I have been in a cooking rut, and figured i would make one of the recipes i pinned. 

Man Pleasing Chicken

To make this chicken, which you should absolutely do immediately, preheat your oven to 450ºF. Then, mix together 1/2 cup of dijon mustard, 1/4 cup of maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.   (I used white wine vinegar)

Put a 1.5 lb package of chicken thighs into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish.  Then, salt and pepper the thighs. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated.   (I used a package of chicken breasts)

Put the chicken thighs into the oven, and let them bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. Sprinkle over some fresh rosemary.

The chicken was good, Mike laughed when I asked him if it was man pleasing.  Since the recipe was so simple, i was able to prep and bake before Jacob went down for the night (or at least for 90 minutes).  Maybe when I get around to doing a craft will be before Jacob's 3.

Dedication & Beef

We had Jacob's dedication this past weekend at EBC in Woodbury (it is SOOO great to have a campus close by!!)

Part of Jacob's life verse put on the cake, see Joshua 1:9 for full verse! :)

Looking oh so cute in his little sweater vest!!

We had fun, and are excited to raise Jacob to be a Christ follower!  He really liked the lights and the music at church, but enjoyed sucking on his fingers even more.  :)

I had made shredded roast beef, and have had a few requests for the recipe.  I feel kinda naughty, cuz the recipe was not hard at all, not even really a recipe.

CrockPot Shredded Beef
Roast
Packet of Au Jus mix
Beef broth
Onion seasoning/cut up onions

I crockpotted (is that a word even?) the roast for 10-12 hours, just plain.  After shredding it, I then added the broth, au jus, and seasoning.  Then had in crockpot for another 5-6 hours. 

The length of time was from throwing it in before work on friday morning, and not gettign to it again until after Jacob went to bed (7ish), then after work on saturday, putting back in the crockpot until we got home from church.

My New BFF

The only thing that helps me get dinner done lately...the crock pot!

I plan on posting recipes as I try them if they are good, not only for you to try, but also so i have a place to find it again, rather than organizing the scraps of paper i have everywhere.  Seriously, this thing is awesome.  Throw in a bunch of junk in the morning, and TA DA!  dinner is done (sometimes overdone if Jacob wakes up a lot)

Mikes favorite recipe:  Chicken & Dumplings
Ingredients:
16-20 oz package of chicken breasts
Can of Cream of Chicken
Can of Cream of Celery
2-3 cans of Chicken broth
2 tblsp butter
1 ½ c carrots
1 ½ c celery
1 can of Buttermilk biscuits


Instructions:

Add to crockpot: cream soups and 2 or 3 cans of broth. If you want really thick, use only 2 cans, if more soupy, do 3 cans. Mix.

Add: Butter, chicken (whole pieces), carrots, celery, and salt/pepper for taste

Cook on low 8 hours

Pull chicken out of crockpot after 8 hours and shred (falls apart really easily). Put back into crockpot. Take biscuits, rip into small pieces and add to crockpot. Cook for another hour or so on low until biscuits aren’t doughy.
Enjoy!