French Dip Sanwiches

Many-o-recipes I have tried...and this is our favorite. The au jus is amazing! We top ours with provolone cheese...pop it under the broiler for a minute to get it melty, crunchy, cheesey, and perfectly heated. Will have to make this again soon. Recipe compliments of allrecipes.com

This is delish served with garlic mayo:

1/2 C. Mayo
1 clover of garlic

Ingredients
1 (3 pound) boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup, undiluted
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef consomme, undiluted
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth, undiluted
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
8 French or Italian rolls, split
Provolone cheese

Directions

Halve roast and place in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the soup, consomme, broth and bouillon; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and shred with two forks. Serve on rolls. Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This is one of my family’s favorite meals…but they don’t get it very often. I call this the “dirtiest” meal I know how to make due to how the kitchen looks afterwards. Expect this to be a 2 dishwasher load meal. It’s worth it…believe me…but only once in a blue moon. Tom and I have an unspoken agreement. If I make this meal…he is MOST DEFINITELY doing the dishes. Both loads.

*I start my rice (long grain, white) at the beginning of the process...the timing is always perfect. I use the typical, 2 to 1 rice ration…with a teeny extra bit of water. I also add a pinch of salt and 1 Tbsp. of butter to the boiling water…because the meal isn’t already unhealthy enough.

Step One: VEGGIES

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 green pepper, cut into medium pieces

1 red pepper, cut into medium pieces

1 onion, cut into medium pieces

COOK carrot in small amount of boiling water for 2 minutes. Add green and red peppers; cook one minute. Drain; rinse with COLD water. Set aside. (pic was post boiling. Do NOT boil the onions).

Step 2: CHICKEN

This can be fried or stir-fried. Let your conscience guide you. Tonight, I ignored my January guilt, pulled out the big guns, and went all out. I will include instructions for both ways.

Stir Fried Chicken:

Cut 1 pound of boneless, skinless, chicken breast into 1 inch, bite sized pieces. Season (I don't measure) with salt, pepper, and ginger powder (you can use fresh).

Heat a couple of teaspoons of oil (I use canola or vegetable) in large skillet or wok. Stir fry chicken for 4-5 minutes, or until no longer pink.

Fried Chicken:

Cut 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast into chunks. I prefer the chicken, bigger, if it’s fried.

Prepare one bowl with flour (about 1 C). Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Prepare another bowl with 3-4 eggs, beaten. In the third bowl...repeat the four mixture in the first bowl.

Heat some oil in frying pan...about 1/2 inch deep.

In batches, dredge chicken with flour (bowl #1)---dip pieces into egg (bowl #2) --- and then dredge chicken in flour (bowl #3).

Fry chicken in oil, turning, until golden brown.

Step 3: SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE (while chicken is cooking)

3/4 C. sugar

1/3 C. ketchup

1 T. Soy Sauce

1/4 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1 (15 oz.) can pineapple chunks

3 1/2 T. Corn Starch

1/3 C. water

1/2 C. white vinegar

COMBINE sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in medium sauce pan; stir well. Drain pineapple, reserving juice; stir pineapple juice into sugar mixture. Bring to a boil.

COMBINE cornstarch and water, stirring until smooth; add cornstarch mixture and vinegar to juice mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and is bubbly.

STIR in vegetables and pineapple chunks.

The Grand Finale

Heat 1 tsp. oil in wok…add veggies and 1 clove minced garlic and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.

Add chicken.

Pour sauce over chicken and toss.

Serve it up! (With Fortune Cookies)

Garlic Parm Rolls

Recipe by Our Best Bites.


Ingredients

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
4-5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh or canned)
20 rise and bake frozen rolls (like Rhodes)

Place the butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe dish and heat until melted. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese.

Place the frozen dough balls in a large bowl. Drizzle the butter/cheese mixture over the dough and then toss quickly to evenly coat the dough in the butter and cheese. Place the dough in a 9×13″ pan and allow to rise until doubled (follow the package directions). Bake according to package directions until the rolls are evenly golden on top and serve as soon as you can pull them apart without hurting yourself. Makes 20 rolls.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Our Favorite Chicken Noodle Soup - Re-post from 2009

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005 - Food Network

Ingredients

• 1 (3 to 4-pound) whole chicken
• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 quarts water
• 2 medium onions, quartered
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 or 6 parsley stems
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces whole button mushrooms quartered
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup small-diced celery
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 pound Amish egg noodles (original recipe calls for dried vermicelli noodles)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Rinse chicken well. Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with the chicken stock and 2 quarts water. Add the onion quarters, roughly chopped carrots and celery, thyme, parsley stems, and the bay leaf. Bring mixture to a boil, partially cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. The chicken should easily pull away from the bones.

Using tongs, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside until cool enough to handle. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine-meshed sieve,discarding the vegetables and reserving the stock. Pull the chicken meat off the bones, discarding the bones, skin, and any fat. Shred and reserve meat.

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add the diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooked chicken. Add reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat.

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add noodles and simmer until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parsley. Serve hot. Duh.