Because Mama is Gonna Lose Her Sh*t

Now living in this household: one person living a lowcarb lifestyle, one person starting a paleo lifestyle after being told they may have a food  allergy/intolerance, a carnivorous tween that would eat red meat all day every day if I'd let her, and a tween in training that trends towards a more vegetarian lifestyle. I have one kitchen and NO desire whatsoever to turn it into a restaurant- this mama is not gonna be cranking out four different meals for four different people seven days a week! I've got to figure something out, or I'm gonna lose my mind 😖

Super Simple Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients
2-3 pound beef roast (it's going into the slow cooker, so you don't need to spend a ton of money)
1.5 cups of water
packet of brown gravy mix (I used lower sodium)
packet of Italian dressing mix
packet of ranch dressing mix
1 pound of carrots, cut (or you can use baby carrots)
2 pounds of potatoes (I like Yukon Gold because they don't get all starchy in the slow cooker)

Instructions
1. Chop potatoes into 6-8 pieces each and place in the bottom of the slow cooker
2. Place roast on top of the potatoes
3. Tuck the carrots around and on top of the roast
4. Mix the water, packet of Italian dressing mix, packet of ranch dressing mix and packet of brown gravy mix.  Pour over the roast and veggies.
5. Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on high. 

Simply the Best Mealoaf EVER!

So awesome I have to double the recipe and make two at a time!

Ingredients (for one meatloaf)
1 cup crushed round butter crackers
5 Tbsp. Onion Onion™
3 Tbsp. Bayou Bourbon™ Glaze
2 beaten eggs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork

Directions
Combine all ingredients except meats; whisk to blend. Add beef and pork; blend well. Press mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 65-70 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°. Drizzle with additional Bayou Bourbon™ Glaze if desired. Makes 5-6 servings. 

You can find this, and other recipes that feature Tastefully Simple products, at www.tastefullysimple.com/tryourrecipes

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Slow Cooker Bacon-Wrapped Apple BBQ Chicken

 

 

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup lemon juice
5 apples (I used nice, big gala apples)
8 slices of  bacon (or two slices of bacon for every piece of chicken you are using)

 

 

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine BBQ sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice and peeled/chopped apples.
2. Wrap each chicken breast with two slices of bacon and place in a greased slow cooker. (I used a sprayed slow cooker liner - I hate cleaning up!)
3. Pour BBQ-apple mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.

Brat & Beer Cheddar Chowder

Ingredients

2  tablespoons butter or margarine

1  medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 medium carrot, coarsely shredded (1/2 cup)

3 cloves of garlic

14oz of chicken or vegetable broth

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole milk (you can use a lower-fat milk, but it may not thicken as nicely)

1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

10 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

4 cooked smoked brats (about 12 ounces), halved lengthwise and chopped into chunks

1 12-ounce bottle of beer

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic; reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, about 10 to 15 minutes or until the onion is very soft and golden.

2. In a large screw-top jar, combine broth and flour. (If you don't have a jar you can use, just put it all in a bowl and whisk it until it's smooth)  Cover and shake until combined and smooth. Stir into the onion mixture. Add the milk, caraway seeds and ground pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Gradually stir in the cheese; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until cheese melts, but do not boil. Stir in the bratwurst and beer. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through. Makes 4 to 6 meal-sized servings 

Crab Rangoon Dip

 

 

Ingredients:

2 cans crab meat (I used lump crab meat - it costs more, but it is perfect for this recipe)
16 oz. cream cheese (2 blocks)
1/2 cup sour cream
4 green onions, chopped

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about a minute. I did this on low, but I have an older microwave

2. Chop your green onions.  Add them and your two cans of crab meat (drained) to the softened cream cheese along with the the sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, powdered sugar, garlic powder and lemon juice.  

3. Mix all the ingredients

4. Bake for 30 mins at 350 degrees.  Serve hot with chips or fried wontons.

I love to order crab rangoon from restaurants, and this dip did NOT disappoint! We ate it with baked Scoops and it was still good.

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Enchilada Pasta Casserole

 

 

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

5 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1 can (10 oz.) enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided (couldn't find it so I used a white queso blend)

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used 1 can of corn, drained)

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles

12 ounces egg noodles

Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large pot, bring water to boil and cook egg noodles according to package instructions.
3. In the meantime, in a very large skillet, brown your ground beef then drain the fat. Then add the chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine.
4. Add in the cream cheese until melted and combined.
5. In a large bowl, combine sour cream, enchilada sauce, half the cheddar cheese, half the monterey jack cheese, corn kernels, and diced green chiles. Stir to combine.
6. Pour mixture over the beef and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. In the meantime, drain your pasta. After you’ve drained it, add the pasta to the beef mixture. Make sure everything is coated in the sauce.
8. In a large casserole dish (I used a large, throw-away cake pan because I was doing a lot of cooking the day I made it), pour in the pasta mixture and top with the remaining cheese.
9. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese has completely melted.
10. Serve hot. 

This was awesome even after I froze half of it and reheated it later!