Massaman Curry

For the longest time, I have thought that my husband hated Thai food. In fact, that is what he told me when we were first married. So I never pressed the matter. We never went to any Thai restaurants and I never attempted to make a Thai dish. A few months ago, our neighbors had us over for dinner and served the most amazing Massaman curry and now he is obsessed with it. We have eaten this curry three times already in the past month. 

There are a few things for this recipe that need to be purchased at an Asian market, although if you have a good international section in your grocery store, you may find them there. I have marked these things with an asterisk. Although you will probably be able to find coconut milk in your local grocery store, you may opt to buy it at an Asian market if you want a more authentic brand. Mae Ploy and Chaokah are some of the best. 

Another great tip that my friend gave me was to make this curry and refrigerate it overnight before serving it. That allows the flavors to more fully penetrate the meat and potatoes - kind of like a marinate. Reheat over the stove or in the oven. 

Preparation time: 30 minutes active, 45-60 minutes passive

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil

3 Tbsp massaman curry paste* (more, if you want it spicier) 

1 can coconut milk* 

1 - 11/2 lb chicken or beef, cut into chunks

3 Tbsp fish sauce*

3 1/2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate*

1/3 cup roasted peanuts or cashews

2-3 medium potatoes, cut into chunks

2 carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

Directions:

Preheat canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add Massaman curry paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/3 can of coconut milk and continue to cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes. Add meat and cook, stirring, until it is cooked through, then add the rest of the coconut milk and 3/4 can of water.

If using chicken, you can add potatoes and carrots now. If using beef, simmer for 30 minutes or until beef is tender, then add potatoes and carrots.

Add fish sauce, sugar, tamarind concentrate, and nuts. Stir to combine and simmer for 30-45 minutes. If curry sauce is too thick, add a little water. If it is too thin, simmer longer.

Stuffed Red Peppers

This recipe is almost exactly the same as Paula Deen's recipe for Stuffed Red Peppers. Her recipe got 5 stars, according to the Food Network. When I sat down to eat this, I think I was expecting something a little bit more spectacular - especially because it got such great reviews. I would probably give it a 4 or 4.5. 

Preparation time: 30-45 minutes (active prep) 45-50 minutes (bake time)

Serves: 2-3 people

3 red bell peppers (depending on size)

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp beef bouillon granules

salt and pepper to taste

3/4 cup cooked rice

1/3 cup salsa

1/4 cup nacho cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

2 tsp soy sauce

3/4 cup hot water

Prepare the peppers by cutting them in half, cleaning them, and removing the seeds and ribs. Do not remove the green stems.

Preheat a skillet over medium high heat. Saute beef, pork, onion, garlic, and 1 tsp beef bouillon until meat is fully cooked and onion is soft. Stir in the rice, salsa, cheese, sour cream, green onions, and soy sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Use this filling to stuff the peppers.

Mix 1 tsp beef bouillon with hot water and pour into a medium casserole dish. Place stuffed peppers into this dish and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for about 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and spoon the juice over the peppers. Continue baking for another 15 minutes.

Zuppa Toscana

When I lived in Honduras, people ate soup frequently throughout the year - even though it was always very hot outside. Whenever anyone served us soup, they would usually make a joke about who was going to start sweating first. Here in the states, soup is more of a fall or winter dish. I guess sweating just isn't as well-accepted as part of everyday life.

Anyway, my brother and sister-in-law eat soup a lot. This is one of the recipes that they sent when I asked them for some of their best recipes. We also enjoyed it quite a bit.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 4-6 hours

Serves: 6 people

5 cups chicken broth 

2 cups whipping cream (I prefer evaporated milk)

1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, diced

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

4 to 5 cups chopped kale or spinach

3 to 4 potatoes, washed and cut into small chunks

1 lb mild Italian ground sausage

Cook bacon, cool and crumble into small pieces. Chop vegetables. Place everything in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Chicken Stuffed with Ricotta and Bacon

This was one of the best meals that my husband and I have had in a long time. For months now, I have been wanting to try some sort of stuffed chicken breasts. There are tons of different recipes out there, but I always imagined that the preparation would be so difficult and time consuming that I wouldn't be able to handle it, especially with a baby that wants to be held constantly. I finally decided to do it and it actually wasn't too bad! I felt like it went pretty well - definitely worth the extra time. The only thing I would change next time is that, rather than trying to pound out the huge chicken breasts that I had, I would first slice them in half (like a hamburger bun) so they were already pretty thin, then pound them out. Even after pounding for quite a while, I feel like I still didn't pound my chicken thin enough.

Prep time: about 1 hour

Serves: 4

2 large chicken breasts, sliced in half and pounded out

2 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/8 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/4 cup spinach, chopped

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp basil

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp olive oil

Prepare chicken breasts so that they are thin (about 1/4"). Then, in a medium skillet, cook the bacon. Drain bacon grease from skillet and add tsp olive oil. Saute onion, green onions, and garlic until onion becomes translucent. Remove from skillet and allow mixture to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine bacon, ricotta, Parmesan, spinach, oregano, basil, and parsley. Stir in onion mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon prepared mixture onto the center of chicken breasts. Roll them up and secure them with toothpicks. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet that you used for the bacon and onions mixture. When it has preheated, place the chicken rolls, seam side down, in the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes. Continue to cook, carefully rolling the chicken breasts so all sides are golden brown and fully cooked, another 10 minutes approximately. 

When the chicken is fully cooked, allow it to rest for about 5 minutes, and then slice and serve.

Shredded Pork Burritos

When I first got my Crock Pot, I didn't use it very often because I felt like a lot of the slow cooker recipes were pretty much the same. Over time, I have found a lot more ways that I can use mine, which have allowed me to use it a lot more often. I actually have two slow cookers now: a small one and a large one. One of the biggest advantages to using a Crock Pot during the summer is that it allows me to slow cook meat so that it is nice and tender, without having the kitchen heat up along with the oven. I make a lot of my most delicious and easiest Mexican-style recipes with meat that I cooked in my slow cooker.

1 1/2 lb pork roast

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Place roast, chicken broth, onion, cilantro, and spices in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred meat with two forks. 

Other great recipes for these burritos are:

Black Beans 

Cilantro Lime rice 

Guacamole

Pico de gallo

Carne Asada Tacos

My husband had an extremely busy week on the week of my birthday. I know that he wanted to make my birthday special, and would insist on making me dinner even though he was working 12 hours a day so I chose something that would be quick and easy and that wouldn't have too much clean up. I found this amazing Carne Asada recipe and knew it had to be my birthday dinner. I put the marinade together the night before so all my husband had to do was grill the meat on his barbecue (one of his favorite activities). We worked together to make pico de gallo and guacamole and had the dinner ready in no time at all.

Prep time: 10-20 minutes (and marinate over night)

Serves: 4 people

1 1/2 lb flank steak

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp oregano

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup lime juice (or juice of two limes)

1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a Ziplock bag, mixing thoroughly before adding flank steak. Marinate for between 6 and 24 hours.

Over a preheated barbecue, grill until the meat reaches your desired level of doneness. Remember that the meat will keep cooking for a few minutes after you have removed it from the heat. Let the meat rest for several minutes before slicing across the grain.

Serve over corn tortillas with pico de gallo, guacamole, and hot sauce.

Teriyaki Meatball Lettuce Wraps

I don't often use or buy pre-prepared foods. They usually don't taste as good as things that are homemade, but there are some days when I just don't have time to cook. And days that I just don't want to. So I usually have a few easy meals in my freezer that I can pull out and have on the table in just a few minutes. These Aidells Chicken Teriyaki Meatballs are one of those things. I tasted them for the first time at Costco about a month ago and I was instantly converted. Costco has some of the best pre-prepared food available and these meatballs were so amazing that I couldn't help but share this "recipe." Here is a link the original recipe.

Here is a picture of the meatball package:

Prep time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2-3 people

1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

1/2 lb Aidells teriyaki meatballs

2 carrots, cut into small pieces

2 green onions, thinly sliced

hoisin sauce, to taste

2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

Romaine or green leaf lettuce, rinsed

Preheat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cut meatballs in half and saute until brown and heated completely. Add carrots and green onions and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. 

To serve, place meatball mixture into center of lettuce leaves. Sprinkle with cilantro and drizzle desired amount of hoisin sauce over top. Enjoy!

Mandarin Orange Chicken

Another successful Asian recipe! I think I might finally be getting the hang of this Asian stir fry thing! This recipe came from motherthyme.com, a site that I plan to visit frequently now that I have discovered it. Plus, she is really good at photography. The amazing picture definitely helped convince me to make this recipe. The only thing I added to the recipe was more vegetables. I love cooking with fresh veggies! Part of what made it taste so good was that I served it over Coconut Rice, which I will be posting later this week.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp prepared orange juice

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp corn starch

2 Tbsp canola oil

1 red pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

1 medium sweet onion, sliced

1/2 cup sugar snap peas

1/2 cup broccoli

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

2 Tbsp hoisin sauce

1 can mandarin oranges with juice

3 Tbsp vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place chicken pieces in a medium bowl. Add orange juice, 1/4 cup corn starch, salt and pepper and mix until the chicken is evenly coated.

In a medium skillet, preheat oil over medium heat. When oil begins to glisten, add chicken and stir fry until it is golden brown on all sides. Then add vegetables to skillet and cook until they are tender. Mix soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and remaining corn starch. Add sauce mixture, mandarin oranges with juice, vinegar, and sugar to skillet. Continue to cook, stirring constantly for another 3 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Chicken & Broccoli Stromboli

We eat some type of pizza in our house almost every week, so I am always looking for new and interesting combinations of toppings just so we can mix it up a little. For this meal, I used my regular pizza dough recipe, but cut it in half. We really enjoyed this stromboli. It was fun to eat and was even a little bit (dare I say) healthy.

I seasoned the chicken using Chef Todd's Pit Seasoning. It is a great blend of spices that I use all the time. If you don't have this seasoning mix, you can use a combination of garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. It won't be exactly the same, but that is what I used to do before I discovered my new favorite seasoning.

Pizza dough

3/4 lb chicken, cut into small pieces
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 of a medium onion, finely chopped
Chef Todd's Pit Seasoning, to taste
1 red pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
fresh broccoli florets
fresh spinach leaves
mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce for dipping

Prepare the pizza dough. While it is raising, preheat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil glistens, add onion and saute for 4-5 minutes or until it starts to become transparent. Then add chicken and seasoning and cook until the chicken is done.

Roll out pizza dough (between 1/8" and 1/4" thickness) in a rectangle about 18" long and 11" wide. Layer spinach, chicken and onions, red pepper, tomato, broccoli, and then mozzarella cheese down the center of the dough. Fold each side of dough over and pinch to close. Bake on 400° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and spread a small amount of butter over the surface of the crust to add flavor and maintain moisture. Cut into pieces and serve with Alfredo sauce or marinara sauce.

Authentic Mexican Tacos

Lately, my husband has been obsessed with going to taco stands. He goes to a taco stand for lunch at least once a week. So a few weeks ago I decided that I would try my hand at making them myself. Two of my brothers in law were over for dinner that night and WOW what a reaction. Everyone loved them; they even went back for seconds and thirds. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

2 1/2 lb. beef roast

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp chili powder

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tsp cumin

2 bell peppers, chopped (I used red and green)

1/2 cup beef broth

1 can Mexican style diced tomatoes

Salt, to taste (about 2 tsp)

corn tortillas

Combine chili powder, garlic, and cumin and rub on outside of roast. Place roast in slow cooker and top with chopped onions and diced tomatoes. Pour beef broth over top. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shortly before serving, shred beef and stir in salt. Serve over warm corn tortillas with pico de gallo, hot sauce, and guacamole.

Spicy Basil Chicken

This is an Asian-inspired dish that I will definitely make again. When I saw the recipe on For the Love of Cooking, I knew that it had to be good (does she even make something that isn't good? I love that blog!) I still wouldn't say that it tastes like something out of a Chinese restaurant, but my husband and I both liked it a lot.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time 15 minutes

2 tsp canola oil

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 cup chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp hot chili sauce

1 tsp water

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced

Preheat canola oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add green onions and cook, stirring, approximately one minute. Add chicken and cook, stirring often, until completely cooked. Then add garlic and cook for another minute.

Combine Oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, water, and cornstarch. Pour mixture over the chicken and cook until the mixture thickens, approximately 1 minute. Then, remove chicken from heat and stir in basil leaves. Serve over rice.

Cafe Rio Salad

My husband and I love Cafe Rio and we love copycat recipes, which made this one of our ideal meals. Even though it wasn't identical to Cafe Rio, we were impressed with how close it was. We had been talking about making this meal for several months, but never got around to doing it, so last week I decided to surprise my hubby with it. When he found out what was for dinner he got so excited! I think that is my favorite thing about cooking. I love making things that make other people happy. I created this recipe by taking ideas from a couple of different reciepes that I found online.

Serves about 10 people (depending on how much meat you like on your salad)

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 12 hours

Meat:
2-3 lb pork roast
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp cumin
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1 can Dr. Pepper
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 large onions, chopped
1 1/4 cup brown sugar

Other Salad Ingredients:
Romaine lettuce
Large tortilla (freshly cooked is best)
Pico de Gallo
Tortilla strips
Guacamole
Black beans
Rice
Cilantro
Cilantro Ranch dressing

Combine brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic and salt, and rub on roast. Cook on low for 3 hours, then add Dr. Pepper, chicken broth and onions and cook for another 8 hours. About an hour before serving, shred roast and add brown sugar; if desired, add more sugar and salt to taste.

Prepare the salad by first placing a large tortilla in a shallow bowl, then add rice, beans, meat, lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacamole. Garnish with tortilla strips and cilantro.

Easy Vegetable Lo Mein

Ever since having this baby I have been on the lookout for fast and easy recipes that I can throw together as my husband is driving home from work. This is a great one that only took about 20 minutes to make. We ate it with  pot stickers that we bought from Costco. This is an easy one to to alter according to the ingredients that you have on hand. Try adding chicken, different oriental sauces (Panda Express has a whole line of sauces that you can buy at the grocery store) or vegetables to make it your own.

Servings: 4

2 packages oriental flavored Top Ramen
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 16 oz package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 tsp soy sauce (or to taste)
2 tsp oyster sauce (optional)

Boil water and cook Ramen for about 3 minutes then drain. In a medium skillet, preheat oil. Cook vegetables, stirring frequently until they are tender, then add noodles, sauces, and the seasoning packet that came with the noodles. Cook until everything is heated thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Crock Pot Roast

The other day I went to Macey's, a local grocery store and was looking for a good Sunday dinner. Every week they offer a crock pot meal for a great price. This time, the meal was a roast (which would normally cost $15 all by itself) with all of the ingredients to make it, plus a dozen rolls for only $15 total. I decided it was worth a shot, especially because I have been interested in using Campbell's Golden Mushroom soup again. It turned out amazing! If you are looking for a hearty home cookin' type of meal, this is a great one to try.

Serves: 6-8 people

2-3 lb beef chuck roast

2 cans (10.75 oz) Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup water

2 oz dry onion soup mix

1 lb baby carrots

5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

Mix golden mushroom soup, onion soup mix, and water. Place roast in the crock pot and coat with soup mixture. Add vegetables and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Recently, I went to a mini-class about healthy cooking. They asked us to bring copies of healthy recipes that we make at home. Because I had just made this recipe, I decided to bring a copy of it and share it with the class. When I made this, I was surprised at how easy it was. It sure seems like it would take a lot longer and be a lot more difficult. This will definitely become a lasting addition to our family recipe book.

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:
4 poblano peppers
1 cup uncooked rice
½ lb sausage or chorizo (optional)
1 15 oz. can black beans
1 cup frozen or canned corn
1 can petit diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese

Combine 1 cup rice with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until rice is soft. While rice is cooking, prepare peppers by slicing them in half and removing seeds and ribs. Preheat oven to 400°

Preheat a skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Add sausage and cook until meat is no longer pink. Stir in rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, salt and pepper, and a bit of the shredded cheese and simmer for 5-7 minutes.

Place peppers skin side down on a baking sheet and spoon mixture into each half. Bake them for approximately 25 minutes or until peppers are tender and slightly browned. In the last few minutes, sprinkle shredded cheese over top and continue to cook until cheese is melted. Garnish with cilantro.

Tortellini Salad

This is an excellent pasta salad (my husband's favorite) and is quite easy to assemble. I use Chef Todd's seasoning, but it is also really good with Italian seasoning. Also, because there are only two of us, I make a smaller portion by choosing a smaller package of the refrigerated tortellini, but when I make it for larger groups I use two packages or a larger package - preferably with multi-colored tortellini. I don't think it tastes any different, I just like the way it looks.

Recipe Yield: 4 servings

1 9 oz package cheese tortellini, prepared according to directions on package

1 red pepper, sliced

1/2 can black olives

Chef Todd's seasoning (to taste)

Salt, to taste

Olive oil

Feta cheese

Combine pasta, olive oil, and seasonings and stir until the pasta is completely coated. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. If the pasta soaks up the olive oil before you eat it, add a little bit more.

Simple Chicken Cacciatore

There are some recipes that I have heard of dozens of times, but never had myself. I often think of them as  "gourmet" or "fancy." This was one of those recipes. I wanted to cook something Italian and so I decided to make it. Once I read through a couple of recipes completely, I realized that it is pretty much just chicken with spaghetti sauce. There is another recipe by Giada de Laurentiis that is somewhat different and I really want to try it in the future. The sauce completely homemade and it looks really good (and gets great reviews). Still, this one was decent, quick to make, and I would definitely make it again.

Yield: 4 servings

4 chicken breasts

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1-2 tsp minced garlic

4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups pasta sauce

1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 tsp oregano

Preheat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil for about 15 minutes or until it is thoroughly cooked and is crispy and golden on the outside. Add onion and garlic during the last five minutes of cooking. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Serve over spaghetti, prepared according to directions on the package.

Cabbage Patch Stew

This is a type of soup that my mom made when I was growing up. I am always a little bit nervous to make soups because my husband has told me a number of times that he doesn't like soup, but when I got cabbage from my Bountiful Basket, I just decided that he would have to suck it up and eat whatever I was making for dinner. I was actually surprised when he said he liked it a lot and that he would be willing to have it again. Maybe because it was a pretty thick, meaty soup. 

I also have to give you one word of caution. Worcestershire sauce smells really good and you might feel tempted to add in a little extra. Don't do it. It has a really strong flavor.

Recipe Yield: about 7 servings (I cut the recipe in half and we had enough for dinner and then lunch for both of us the next day)

2 lbs. hamburger

1 onion, sliced

1 cup diced potatoes

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 28 oz can tomatoes

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp chili powder

1 15 oz can kidney beans

1 cup celery, diced (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat and drain grease from pan. Add onion, potatoes, cabbage, water and salt. Simmer for 15 minutes. Then add remaining ingredients and simmer for 35 more minutes.

Pizza Rolls

These were actually just a little experiment that I decided to do for the Super Bowl. They turned out to be a huge hit! Even though I layered the sauce, pepperoni, and cheese and rolled it all up together, I think it would also work if you just rolled up the dry ingredients and dipped them in sauce. I actually used the same dough to make cinnamon rolls as well.

Yeild: about 10 servings (I often cut the dough recipe in half and my husband and I still always have leftovers)

1 recipe pizza dough
Spaghetti Sauce
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni

Prepare dough as directed. Preheat oven to 375°. Roll dough out into a rectangle that is approximately 18"x12" and about 1/8" thick. If you use the entire dough recipe, this will be enough to make two or three different rolls. Cover dough with a thin layer of spaghetti sauce, then pepperoni (I like to put the pepperoni slices so close to each other that they are nearly touching) and a layer of cheese. Then roll it up and use a sharp knife to cut the rolls into 1" slices. Place on a greased baking sheet and cook for about 20-25 minutes.

Shepherd's Pie

This is another dish that is catered to my husbands specific preference for barbecue sauce. It definitely isn't the traditional Shepherd's Pie, but it tastes great and he loves when I make it. Over the past few years, we have been experimenting with a few different types of barbecue sauce. Recently, a friend recommended Stubb's, so we thought we would try it. Stubb's original has a spicy, smoky flavor that is quite different from any other barbecue sauce that we have had. For this recipe, we added brown sugar to the sauce and made it a little sweeter. We thought it went really well with the potatoes and green beans.

1 lb chuck roast

1 tsp minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup water

Barbecue Sauce

1 can cut green beans, drained

5-7 red potatoes

butter

milk

salt and pepper to taste

garlic powder

onion powder

cheddar cheese

Place roast, garlic, onion, and water in a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. When you are ready to make final preparations, boil potatoes until soft. Using a potato smasher, mash them and add butter, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper until you have the desired flavor and consistency for good mashed potatoes.

Remove meat from slow cooker and shred using two forks. Mix desired amount of barbecue sauce in with meat. Layer meat, green beans, and mashed potatoes. Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350° for about 20 minutes or until everything is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.