Brisket Tacos

Miss F loves tacos and watching Pioneer Woman. When she saw the episode that included brisket tacos, she knew she wanted to have them for dinner as soon as possible.  She was obsessed with these tacos.  We used the leftover meat for quesadillas and tacquitos, I think she had the leftovers lunch and dinner the following day.  This recipe couldn't be any easier and would be great to feed a crowd at a party, just leave the shredded brisket in the crockpot with it set to warm and set out all the fixings, it's taco party time!

Brisket Tacos

2 cloves garlic
1 onion sliced
2 pound brisket, trimmed of most of the fat
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 15 ounce can red enchilada sauce
12 tortillas
Guacamole


Place the garlic and onions on the bottom of the crockpot and place the brisket on top. Sprinkle the chile powder and salt over the brisket, pour in the enchilada sauce. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Remove the brisket from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the meat to the crockpot and toss with the sauce. Serve on warm tortillas with guacamole.

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Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

Crockpot Hatch White Chicken Chili

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
¾ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
3 cups chicken broth
3 to 4 roasted hatch chiles, chopped
1 package frozen corn
4 ounce cream cheese, softened
¼ cup half and half
sliced avocados
tortilla strips
shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Add chicken breasts to bottom of slow cooker, sprinkle with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Top the chicken with the onion, garlic, broth, Hatch chiles and corn, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken and cut into chunks. Return the chicken to the crockpot, add the cream cheese and half and half, stir, cover and cook on high for 20 minutes more. Serve with avocadoes, tortilla chips and cheese.

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Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

This recipe was a massive hit in our family. Miss F, C and I all really enjoyed this meal. I didn't partake in the beans, but I was just as happy to have the beef over rice alone.  Make sure you add a generous squeeze of lime juice before you eat it, it makes a huge difference.  We used the leftovers in quesadillas the next night, but the qould be equally good in tacos, burritos or taquitos. The meat is amazingly tender, thanks to being cooked low and slow all day.  Next time I will try and prepare it in the Instant Pot, for a dinner when I don't have time to mess with the crockpot in the morning.  Thanks to Little Spice Jar for the amazing recipe.

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

2 to 2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast
6 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon oil
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon white vinegar
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup chopped cilantro
white rice
black beans
1 lime, cut into wedges

Using a paring knife, score three small “X” marks into the meat, press one garlic clove into each “X”. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the roast and sear on each side for 5 minutes.

Chop the remaining cloves are garlic. Add the chopped garlic, tomato sauce, bell pepper, onions, chilies, tomato paste, oregano, salt, cumin, vinegar, red pepper flakes and cilantro to the crockpot. Add the seared roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the beef with two forks and stir into the sauce. Serve with white rice, black beans and lime wedges.

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Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

I knew I wanted to have white chicken chili on Halloween before we went out trick or treating. I wanted something creamier than my usual and could be made in the crockpot. The only wrench in the plans was the 80+ degree weather Halloween night!  We all had large servings and there was plenty left over for lunches and lunchboxes for the remainder of the week.  Miss F was a huge fan and I think she had it for lunch nearly every day of the week.  This recipe is adapted from Lovely Little Kitchen.

Crockpot Creamy White Chicken Chili

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
14.5 ounce can chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup salsa verde
2 cups frozen corn
2 15.5 ounce cans Great Northern beans, drained
½ cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado
tortilla chips, for serving

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Add the sauce to the crockpot. Add the chicken breasts to the crockpot, sprinkle with the chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Add the salsa, corn and beans. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred with two forks, return the shredded chicken into the crockpot, stir in the sour cream. Serve with cheddar cheese, diced avocado and tortilla chips.

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Chick-fil-a Tortilla Soup

Miss F is obsessed with the tortilla soup at Chick-fil-a. She can devour it by the bowl full. It is only available in the winter months, which means I needed to find a way to make it year round. This recipe is a mash up of a ton of recipes I found online, some very much like the soup, some nothing at all like the soup.  The soup is much creamier than the tortilla soups I am used to in restaurants, but it is really delicious.  You can also make this in the crockpot, just add all the ingredients into the crockpot except the half and half.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, then stir in the half and half 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

Chick-fil-a Tortilla Soup

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 ounce) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can creamed corn
1 cup frozen corn
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup flour
¼ cup water
¾ cup half and half

Add the chicken, black beans, great northern beans, Rotel, creamed corn and frozen corn to a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the broth, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and salt. Stir to combine. In a one cup measure, whisk together the flour and water. Stir the flour slurry into the soup. Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Shred the chicken with two forks, stir in the half and half. Serve.

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Hula Chicken Sandwiches

By far my favorite use for the crockpot is to make shredded meat. It is so easy to throw everything in the crockpot in the morning and come home to perfectly tender meat by day's end.  These Hula Chicken Sandwiches were a great spin on my usual Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches.  I served them on my most favorite brioche buns along side sweet potato waffle fries, which are the only sweet potato fry that Miss F will touch.  It's nearly the same with regular fries, she doesn't love them, but she will inhale waffle fries.  This recipe was inspired by Betty Crocker.

Hula Chicken Sandwiches

½ cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons grated ginger
1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
1 cup crushed or diced pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 sandwich rolls
4 slices of Provolone cheese

In a two cup measure, whisk together the pineapple juice, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, sugar, garlic, ginger and Sriracha. Pour the mixture into a crockpot and add the pineapple. Place the chicken breasts on top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the chicken and shred, return to the crockpot and increase the heat to high. Cook, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is thickened; if the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pineapple juice. Toast the split sandwich rolls under the broiler for 1 minute. Serve the shredded chicken on the toasted bun topped with a slice of cheese.

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Crockpot Pot Roast

It seems like there is never enough time for dinner on nights when Miss F has dance class. By the time we get home from dance, it is nearly 6 pm and dinner still needs to be made. Enter the crockpot. I am a huge fan of the crockpot for soups, any sort of shredded meat and one dish meals like pot roast. The best part of this meal is that it lasts for a couple days worth of meals.  C had a last minute happy hour, so Miss F and I enjoyed the first serving of it and C had leftovers the next night when I went out.  This dish was inspired by Yummy Healthy Easy.

Crockpot Pot Roast

6 to 8 new potatoes, quartered
6 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 onion, cut into chunks
3 pound chuck roast
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup red wine
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf

Spray the liner of the crockpot with cooking spray. Add the potatoes, carrots and onions to the bottom of the crockpot. Coat the roast with the flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Sear the roast on both sides, about 5 minutes a side. Place the roast over top of the vegetables. Deglaze the skillet with the red wine and cook for 2 minutes, until reduced by half. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire and basil; bring to a boil. Pour over the roast, cover and cook on low for 10 hours. Serve.

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Tomatillo Pulled Pork Tacos

I love using the crockpot for shredded meats, it really is the easiest way ever to make tacos. Lately, I have been obsessed with tomatillos, they provide the perfect "tang" for TexMex dishes.  I used fresh tomatillos for this, but canned would work just as well if you aren't able to find them fresh.  To even further simplify things, you could easily use premade tomatillo salsa in place of the tomatillos, onion and jalapeno.  Miss F was a big fan of these tacos, especially since I served them in crunchy shells, which is a treat for her.

Tomatillo Pulled Pork Tacos

2 pound pork loin
6 tomatillos, husked and quartered
½ onion, chopped
½ jalapeno, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed
¾ cup chicken broth
½ lime
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Place the pork in the bottom of your crockpot. Layer the tomatillos, onions, jalapenos and garlic overtop of the pork. Pour the chicken broth into a 1 cup measure. Add the juice from half a lime, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper to the chicken broth; stir to combine. Pour the chicken broth over the pork in the crockpot. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. Remove the pork from the crockpot and shred with two forks. Return the shredded pork to the crockpot and cook for 30 minutes more. Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, guacamole, cheese and tomatoes.

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Crockpot Italian Chicken and Peppers with Parmesan Polenta

We didn't get to enjoy this meal the night is was planned for. I had just loaded up the crockpot and not 30 minutes later, got a 5 pm showing request for our house (which is currently for sale.) So we headed out for dinner, Pappasitos, Miss F's choice, and I transferred the fully cooked meal to the refrigerator. Luckily, it was completely delicious a day later.  The bell peppers get so tender and sweet, which is perfect over the rich polenta.  I still cannot convince Miss F to try more than the tiniest bite of polenta, but she inhaled this chicken.  The recipe was heavily adapted from Budget Bytes.

Crockpot Italian Chicken and Peppers

2 bell peppers, seeded and sliced
½ onion, sliced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Lay half of the bell peppers and onions in the bottom of the crockpot and place the chicken on top. Sprinkle the chicken with the basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with the remaining bell peppers and onions, then pour the crushed tomatoes and brown sugar over top. Place the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Use tongs to shred the chicken and toss well with the sauce. Serve over pasta, rice or polenta.

Parmesan Polenta

2 cups water
2 cups milk
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup polenta
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Make the polenta about 30 minutes before ready to serve. In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring milk, water, and salt to a boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 20 minutes, until creamy, lifting the lid and stirring every 3 or 4 minutes to prevent sticking. Remove pot from stove, stir in pepper and butter. Gradually stir in cheese.

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Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder

This recipe originated from Damn Delicious, but I kept very little except the ingredients the same.  I didn't see any need to prep the bacon hours in advance, especially since whenever I cook bacon I smell bacon for hours and I want to eat everything in my sight.  I was also wary of adding cut up chicken to the crockpot, it's much easier just to shred it after it is done simmering away all day.  Chop up some carrots, onions and potatoes is all the morning prep work necessary and you come home to a warm crock of soup.  It couldn't be any easier!

Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
12 ounces red potato, diced
½ onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups corn kernels, frozen, canned or roasted
4 cups chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup half and half
2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 slices bacon, chopped
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Add the chicken, potato, onion, carrots and corn to the crockpot. Stir in the broth, garlic, thyme, oregano, cayenne, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours.

30 minutes before done, remove the chicken breasts and shred with two forks and return to the crockpot. In a small bowl, whisk together the half and half and corn starch, stir into the crockpot. Raise the heat to high if you have been cooking on low. Sauté the bacon in a small skillet over medium heat, drain. Serve, topped with bacon and cheese.

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Crockpot Rosemary Chicken with Butternut Squash

I like to have butternut squash at least once a week in the fall. It is one of my most favorite vegetables and even though it is still in the 80s here, it still makes it feel a bit more like autumn.  Miss F firmly rejects butternut squash, even though I involved her in the prep of this meal.  She ate a ton of green beans and chicken, only trying the tiniest bite of squash.  This is the perfect fall meal.  I adapted the recipe from GI 365.

Crockpot Rosemary Chicken with Butternut Squash

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
1 large butternut squash, peeled and seeded
1 small onion, chopped
1½ pounds chicken thighs
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Parmesan, for serving

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in flour; keep stirring until smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and add the chicken broth and milk, a little at a time, stirring to keep smooth. Return to heat. Bring sauce to a gentle boil; cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens

Cube the butternut squash into 1 ½ inch chunks. Add the squash and onion to the crockpot, top with the chicken thighs. Pour the broth and milk mixture over top, then sprinkle with the rosemary and salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Serve topped with grated Parmesan.

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Crockpot TexMex Chicken Stew

One of Miss F's most favorite meals is crockpot chicken enchilada soup. She requests it nearly weekly.  I adapted this recipe from Tracey's Culinary Adventures, but Miss F insisted it was just crockpot chicken enchilada soup, which was quite fine by her.  This recipe was much easier than her favorite, you don't really have to bother with much before it all goes into the crockpot to simmer all day.  I am going to use the trick of microwaving the onions in other crockpot meals, it was a really easy step, but yielded great results.

Crockpot Tex Mex Chicken Stew

½ onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can Rotel
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
2 cups frozen corn
1 (14.5 ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
1 avocado, pitted and sliced

Stir together the onion, garlic, tomato paste, oil and chili powder in a microwave safe dish. Microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Transfer the mixture to the crockpot. Whisk together the broth, Rotel, corn starch and brown sugar; pour into the crockpot. Add the corn and beans to the crockpot, stir to combine. Salt and pepper the chicken thighs, add to the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot, shred with two forks and return it to the crockpot. Stir in the chipotle chile, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, topped with avocado slices.

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Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

I had planned to make my usual Bolognese, but our life had other plans.  There was just no way to make the cook time work with our schedule.  We had a house showing and not enough time to get the sauce made, not to mention we had a huge TexMex lunch.  So Bolognese was pushed off until the next day, which necessitated finding a recipe for the crockpot...and one that also aligned well with the ingredients I had purchased for my usual recipe.  I used a Skinnytaste recipe as my inspiration, but I made quite a few changes.  It was a huge hit and I loved that it simmered in the crockpot all day instead of simmering on the stove for a couple hours...much easier for me.

Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

3 slices bacon, cut into lardons
½ white onion, minced
2 carrots, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound lean ground beef
¼ cup white wine
1 - 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper
¼ cup half & half

In a skillet, cook the bacon on low heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add onions and carrots, cook on medium low until soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomato paste, sauté for one minute more. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef and sauté until browned. Drain off the fat, then add the wine, cook for 3 minutes more. Add the meat mixture to the crockpot, along with the tomatoes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the half and half, taste and add any additional salt and pepper needed, then serve over pasta.

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Crockpot Guinness Beef Stew

I am doing a fantastic job imagining it's fall around here. Even though the thermostat reads in the 90s. And I am pretty sure that after we close on our new house this week, we will go swimming in the pool this weekend.  Crockpot stew is an easy way to pretend it's fall.  I loved making it in Aspen, it was perfect to come home to after a day of skiing.  Though here in Houston, it is more like a day of swimming, in October.  I adapted this recipe from Blissfully Delicious.

Crockpot Guinness Beef Stew

1 pound stew beef
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
½ onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
¾ cup Guinness Draught
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 mushrooms, quartered
2 cups frozen peas
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Toss the stew beef with the flour, turning well to coat. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the beef and crown on all sides. Transfer the beef to the crockpot. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth, Guinness, tomato paste, sugar, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the skillet contents to the crockpot and add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, stir in the peas for the last 20 minutes of cook time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve.

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Chipotle Honey Chicken Tacos

I don't know why it took me so long to make this recipe from The Brewer and the Baker.  It has been on my list for nearly a year now.  Now that school is in full swing, things have been a lot busier around here, so crockpot meals are a staple.  Miss F doesn't get home from art class and dance until past 5 pm, which usually involves me picking her up.  This leaves very little time for dinner prep, you know with trying to work in a bath and homework each evening.  Miss F and I were huge fans of this chicken, C was not as impressed.  He said they were "too sweet" and didn't touch the leftovers.  I think I may reduce the honey to a tablespoon or two next time I make them.

Chipotle Honey Chicken Tacos

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ small onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
Dash Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup water

Tortillas
Guacamole
Shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
Tomatoes

Place chicken breasts in a crockpot. Add the chipotles, honey, onion, garlic, oil, Worcestershire sauce and water in a blender or mini food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour the sauce over the chicken, cook on low for 4 hours. Remove the chicken and shred using two forks, return to the cooking liquid and stir well to combine. Serve on warm tortillas with guacamole, cheese and tomatoes.

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Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork

I entered a Fantasy Football game for the first time ever this year. Shawnda hosted the draft party and served her amazing margaritas. We had so many delicious snacks, but the standout was this pulled pork. I wanted to make it straight away, the recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen.  This is quite possibly the best pulled pork recipe I have ever made and I am going to use the fat separator method from here on out for all pulled pork recipes.  I had delicious margaritas, amazing pulled pork and drafted Tom Brady in the late rounds.  Total win.  And so far, I am #1-0 in fantasy football (shout out to Tom Herman!)

Crockpot Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork

2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon chile powder
¾ cup pineapple juice
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 (3-pound) boneless pork butt roast, trimmed and halved
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus extra as needed
Tortillas for serving

Purée chipotle chiles, chile powder, pineapple juice, garlic, sugar, cumin and cloves in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to slow-cooker. Season pork with salt and pepper, add to slow-cooker and coat evenly with sauce mixture. Cover and cook until pork is tender, 9 to 11 hours on Low, or 5 to 7 hours on High.

Transfer pork to large bowl, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces, discarding excess fat; cover to keep warm. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using a large spoon.

Toss shredded pork with 1 cup braising liquid; add more liquid as needed to keep meat moist and flavorful. Stir in lime juice and season with salt, pepper and additional lime juice to taste. Serve in warm tortillas.

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Short Rib Ravioli

I have had the Kitchenaid Pasta attachment for awhile now, but I wasn't able to make pasta sheets with it. The few times I have made ravioli, I have borrowed a hand crank machine from a friend. We used the pasta roller attachment in our cooking class at Quattro and I have been wanting one ever since. I finally got one as a birthday gift last week and I was so excited to try it out. I used the pasta recipe that came with the machine, but next time I am going to try the recipe from Quattro. Miss F was a huge help in making the raviolis, her job was to wet the pasta so that I could seal the two pieces together, she was a great assistant.

Short Rib Ravioli

1 pound boneless short ribs
½ onion, diced
1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
¾ cup red wine
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt

4 eggs
3 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon salt

Place the short ribs and onion in a crockpot. Stir together the tomatoes, tomato paste, red wine, sugar, oregano and salt together and pour over the short ribs. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Remove the meat and shred with two forks. Reserve the tomato sauce.

Place the eggs, water, flour, and salt in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and
mix for 30 seconds. Exchange the beater for the dough hook, turn to speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand for 2 minutes more. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a dish towel and let rest for 20 minutes. Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Flatten the dough, then run through the pasta roller at setting 1. Fold in half and run through the roller twice more, folding in half each time. Change the roller setting to 2, run through two more times, folding in half between each run. Repeat for setting 3, 4 and 5. Flour a cookie sheet and the work surface. Use a 2”circle cutter to cut 16 circles of pasta. Add a tablespoon of the meat to half of the circles and brush the edges with water. Top each circle with another pasta circle, being careful to push out the air and create a tight seal. Lay the prepared raviolis on the floured cookie sheet and cover with a dish towel. Repeat for the additional 3 balls of dough.

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the reserved tomato sauce and any shredded meat not used to fill the ravioli bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the raviolis and boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the raviolis to the Dutch oven once they are done cooking. Add ¼ to ½ cup of the pasta cooking water to the sauce to create the desired consistency. Serve with fresh basil.

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Southwest Shredded Beef

I am going through a crunchy taco phase right now. Miss F and C had these on soft tortillas, but I chose to have mine in hard taco shells.  The nifty stand and stuff taco shells are genius, though they are a bit harder to eat than the regular taco shells.  This beef is fantastic.  We had tacos the first night and empanadas the second night.  I bought premade Goya empanada dough, not realizing they had to be fried instead of baked.  The house smelled like a fast food joint for awhile, though boiling some vinegar and water cleared it up a bit.  The beef would also be great in enchiladas, burritos or on a taco salad.  I adapted the recipe from Budget Bytes.

Southwest Shredded Beef

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup beef broth
3 pound boneless beef rump or shoulder roast

In a 2 cup measure, whisk together the tomato paste, garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, cornstarch, and beef broth. Trim the roast of any large pieces of fat and cut it into 2” chunks. Place the meat into a crockpot, pour the sauce over top and cover. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred the meat with two forks and return to the crockpot. Serve in tacos, burritos or in enchiladas.

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Crockpot Creamy TexMex Chicken

As soon as I saw this recipe on Cheese Curd in Paradise, I knew that it would be a huge hit with C and Miss F. This is exactly the kind of meal they love and I was not wrong. Miss F helped shred the chicken and she couldn't resist stealing a taste.  This is also one of those meals that isn't pretty, but it is delicious.  It is very easy, the most complicated part is cooking the rice.   And on that note, why is rice so hard for me to cook?  I have always had trouble with it.  I never seem to get it right, I always have rice stuck to the bottom of the pan, no matter what.  Any great rice cooking tips?

Crockpot Creamy TexMex Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can of black beans
1 can of Rotel, diced tomatoes with chiles
1 package frozen corn
1 packet taco seasoning
4 ounces cream cheese
2 cups cooked white rice
½ cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
1 avocado

Put the chicken in the bowl of the crockpot, top with the black beans, Rotel and corn, sprinkle the taco seasoning over the top, stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crockpot, shred with two forks, then stir it into the beans, tomatoes and corn. Cube the cream cheese, add it to the crockpot and stir until it has melted into the chicken. Serve over rice topped with shredded Colby jack cheese and sliced avocado.

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Crockpot Barbecue Pork Ribs

I will confess that I have never made ribs before. Even though they are my most favorite barbecued meat. When I saw a full rack of ribs for under $3, I knew ribs were going to be attempted at my house. Even though we don't have a barbecue grill. My mom has always boiled them for a few hours, then finished them off in the oven or on the grill. I had a busy day, so tending to a boiling pot for a few hours wasn't going to work. I adapted a recipe from All Recipes, it was really quite easy. And the ribs couldn't have tasted any better.  I used bottle barbecue sauce because I am tired of C whining that the homemade kinds makes the house smell too vinegary.  I will definitely be buying ribs again, though I am hoping for more great sales on them this summer.

Crockpot Barbecue Pork Ribs

1 full rack of ribs, broken down to fit into the crockpot
½ cup water
½ onion, peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
your favorite barbecue sauce

Season the ribs generously with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the crockpot, layer the ribs on top. Layer the onions and garlic on top of the ribs. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Transfer the ribs to a baking sheet, discarding the onion slices. Brush the barbecue sauce all over the ribs to coat. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, serve.

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