Week 3 Recipes

Week 3!

Just like the last week, I have tried to include substitutes for those who don’t eat beef or pork. I don’t include the substitutions in the grocery list – so you’ll have to pay a bit of attention there. Also, I’m a bum – ALL of this week’s recipes are crock pot recipes. Don’t judge me.

• Day 1 – Chicken Cacciatore
• Day 2 – Baked Potato Soup
• Day 3 – Crockpot Steak Roll-ups (There will be a separate sub recipe for this: Chicken Cordon bleu for the crock pot)
• Day 4 – Barbecued Pulled Pork
• Day 5 – 16 bean soup
• Day 6 – Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Day 7 – Beef Stew

Day 1: Chicken Cacciatore!

You need:

4 chicken breasts

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 c yellow onion, diced

1 lg can whole tomatoes, mashed

1 can tomato paste

6 oz sliced mushrooms

2 tsp minced garlic

¼ c red wine

1 c green pepper, diced

2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried thyme

1 pkg angel hair (or spaghetti)

Directions: Spray your crock pot with cooking spray. Put the chicken at the bottom. Mix all the other ingredients together and then throw them in the crock pot.  Cover and cook LOW for 7-9 hours.  10-20 minutes before serving, cook pasta according to directions on package.

*I don’t suppose you really need the red wine – though it certainly adds to the flavor! Also  - I usually just guess at the mushrooms – add enough to your taste.

Day 2: Baked Potato Soup!

You need:

6 baking potatoes, peeled and diced

1 lg onion, diced

1 quart chicken broth

3 tbsp minced garlic

¼ cup butter

2 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 c cream (or half and half)

1 c shredded cheese

3 tbsp chives (or green onions) chopped well

1 c sour cream

8 slices bacon

Directions: Combine the first 8 ingredients, stir well. Cover and cook LOW 8-10 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours.

10-15 minutes before serving, sauté bacon until crispy and crumble. Use shredded cheese, chives, sour cream and bacon to top soup.

Day 3: Steak Roll Ups!

You need:

1 ½ lbs flat beef

½ c red wine

¼ c soy sauce

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp minced garlic

1 pkg provolone cheese, sliced (or use blue cheese, or whatever other cheese tickles your fancy)

1 lb fresh spinach

Directions: Make a marinade with all the wet ingredients and add the garlic. Throw the beef in the marinade and allow to sit overnight. In the morning, dump the marinade into your crock pot. Lay the beef out flat, then put a layer of cheese and spinach. Roll. Place in crock pot, seam side down. Cover and cook LOW 4-5 hours.

*I serve this with sautéed asparagus or green beans (whole, fresh). Might be good with some couscous too…..

*I’m sure you could sub out chicken here, and if you were to sub chicken you’d probably want to use flattened chicken breast halves and maybe cook a little longer (an hour or so). I’m not sure about the flavors though, so I’m not responsible if you do. HOWEVER, I have added a recipe for Chicken Cordon Bleu to this week’s recipes that would be a great sub for this. If you do that though, you’ll probably have to eat left over bean soup for dinner on the day that I put the Cordon Bleu recipe in.

Day 4: Barbecued Pulled Pork!

You need:

4 lbs boneless pork shoulder (use chicken  boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead)

1 onion, diced

2 cups ketchup

¼ cup mustard

½ c warm water

¼ c apple cider vinegar

¼ c brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire

1 tsp Tabasco/hot sauce

1 tsp salt

Directions: Trim your meat up – or don’t (if I’m feeling like there’s tons of fat on the meat I’ll trim it, if not – ehh, leave it.) then throw it in the crock pot. Dump the onion in on top of your meat. Then mix everything else together and dump it on top of the meat. Cover and cook LOW 8-10 hours. Shred with a  fork before serving over buns/rolls/toasted bread.

Day 5: 16 Bean Soup!

You need:

1 pkg 16 bean soup

1 onion, chopped

3 tbsp minced garlic

1 can Italian style tomatoes

1 pkg polska kielbasa (or sub out some chicken sausage)

1 pkg onion soup mix

Water and salt

Directions: THROW AWAY the seasoning packet that comes with the bag-o-beans. You don’t need it. Slice up your sausage, and throw the sausage, bag-o-beans, onion, soup mix and tomatoes into the crock pot. Cover the beans completely with water. Cook LOW 8-10 hours.

*Sorry about the water measurements – or lack thereof. Just make sure the beans are covered!

Day 6: Chicken Cordon Bleu

You need:

4 chicken breast halves – flattened

4-8 slices of ham

4-8 slices of swiss cheese (or provolone, or muenster)

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 tbsp low fat milk

Directions: Flatten the chicken breast halves. This is important – if you don’t flatten them well enough your cook time may vary….. And your chicken will be hard to roll. Put a slice of ham and then a slice of cheese on top of each chicken breast half. Roll and place in crock pot seam side down – then add a slice of ham and cheese on top of each roll. Mix soup and milk together, then pour over the chicken rolls. Cover and cook LOW 6-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours.

Day 7: Beef Stew!

You need:

2 lbs stew meat (or use a whole cut up chicken or maybe even chicken sausage)

¼ c flour

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 ½ c beef broth (or chicken broth)

1 tsp Worcestershire

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 bay leaf

2-3 large potatoes diced

1 onion chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

Directions: Toss meat with flour, salt and pepper to coat. Dump meat (without flour) in crock pot. Throw everything else in on top of that and then stir to mix well. Cover and cook LOW 10-12 hours or HIGH 5-6 hours.

I usually serve beef stew over rice, or with mashed potatoes.

GROCERY LIST!

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

5 onions (a bag of yellow onions would probably work)

1 can whole tomatoes

1 1lb pkg white mushrooms

minced garlic

1 green pepper

6 baking potatoes

3-5 white (or yellow) potatoes

1 qt chicken broth

1 sm carton heavy cream/half and half

Sour cream

Shredded cheese (cheddar)

Bacon

1 1lb pkg spinach

Soy suace

Worcestershire sauce

1 pkg provolone

1 pkg swiss

1 pkg ham

Thin steaks

4lb (or less) pork shoulder

Ketchup

Apple cider vinegar

Brown sugar

1 can Italian style tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1 pkg polska kielbasa

1 pkg 15/16 bean soup

1 pkg onion soup mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can beef broth

1 can tomato paste

2lbs stew meat