Peppered Chuck Roast

1 12 oz. jar of banana peppers
1/2 juice from banana pepper bottle
1 pkg. Good Season Italian dressing
1 can beef broth
Chuck roast
Provolone cheese
Hogie rolls

Combine all ingredients into a crock pot and slow cook for about 8 hours.  To serve, melt provolone cheese on a hogie bun and add meat.  It will shred when you stir it.  You may also add peppers to the sandwich.

Karyn and Steve love this one.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1  lg can chicken (white meat)             ¼ cup Louisiana Hot Sauce or Frank’s Red

8 oz Spicy Ranch Dressing                             Hot Sauce

12 oz. Cream Cheese                          1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese  

Combine first 4 ingredients.  Pour into a deep dish pie plate.  Top with grated Cheddar.  Bake at 350° for 20 minutes until bubbly.

Serve hot with Fritos, crackers, celery, etc.

Sausage and Cheese Tartlets

1 lb Owens mild ground pork sausage            1 8oz. bottle Ranch Dressing

1 ¼ c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese         1 4oz. can chopped ripe olives, drained

1 ¼ c. shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese          1 tsp. ground red pepper

5 2oz. pkgs. Mini phyllo shells (sometimes    in the frozen food section)

Cook sausage in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain on paper towels.  Combine sausage and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Fill each shell with a heaping teaspoonful of sausage mixture and place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese melts.  Serve warm.  Makes about 6 dozen.

Note:  To save time, you can fill and freeze unbaked tartlets in their original tray and slide into a Ziploc bag.  When ready to bake, transfer to ungreased baking sheets and add 2 to 3 minutes to the original baking time.

Pork Carnitas Tacos

·           1 ½  lbs. pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 1 ½  inch pieces

·           1 tsp. salt

·           2 tsp. black pepper

·           2 tsp. dried oregano

·           ½ large onion, cut into 4 pieces

·           2 garlic cloves

·           ½ tsp. ground cumin

·           1 or 2 avocados, halved, pitted, sliced

·           Fresh cilantro sprigs

·           Corn tortillas

·           Tomatillo salsa

·           Lime wedges to garnish

1.    Toss pork in bowl of slow cooker with salt, pepper, dried oregano and cumin.  Place onion pieces and garlic cloves on top of the pork.  Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 6 hours or until meat is very tender and falling apart.

2.     Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to cutting board.  Discard onion and garlic pieces.  Using fingers or fork, shred pork; transfer pork to platter.  Wrap corn tortillas in a damp kitchen towel; microwave until warm, about 1 minute.

3.    Serve carnitas wrapped in warm tortillas; top with avocado slices, cilantro sprigs and tomatillo salsa.  Use lime wedges to garnish.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 (10 oz.) box frozen, chopped spinach, thawed

1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup cream cheese

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 t. garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix together Parmesan cheese, spinach & artichoke hearts.  Combine remaining ingredients and mix with spinach mixture.  Bake 20 – 30 minutes.

Spinach & Pine Nut Couscous

1 T. olive oil

Salt & black pepper

1 10-oz. box couscous

1 garlic clove (recipe calls for 2 but I was happy with 1) thinly sliced

¼ cup pine nuts

2 cups baby spinach, chopped

¼ cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

2 T. fresh lemon juice

Cook the couscous according to the package directions.  (I made with chicken broth and added an extra 1/8 – ¼ cup of broth).  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and sauté the garlic and pine nuts until golden, 2 – 3 minutes.  When the couscous is done (about 5 minutes), fold in the spinach, feta, lemon juice, pine nuts & garlic, and ½ t. each salt & pepper. 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Filling:
8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Confectioner's sugar

Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
5 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  Smooth the plastic wrap tightly around the log, and reinforce with a piece of foil.  Transfer to the freezer and chill until at least slightly firm, at least 2 hours.

To make the muffins, preheat the over to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda; whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree, and oil.  Mix on medium-low speed until blended.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend.  Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well with a small amount of batter, just enough to cover the bottom of the liner (1-2 tablespoons).  Slice the log of cream cheese filling into 24 equal pieces.  Place a slice of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin well.  Divided the remaining batter among the muffin cups, placing on top of the cream cheese to cover completely.  Sprinkle a small amount of the topping mixture over each of the muffin wells.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before serving.