Crock Pot Roast

 

Crockpot meals are lifesavers after 8-hour workdays.  In order to have a home-cooked meal AND catch a movie by 6:30, I prepared Paula Deen's recipe for a slow-cooked pot roast.  The flavors were very good, but I didn't find anything extraordinary about this recipe.  I modified her version to match my love of potatoes, and I also used a beef bottom round...The meat was not falling apart after slow-cooking it on low for 8 hours.  I think my next pot roast attempt will need a different cut of meat.  Paula also suggests searing the meat before placing it in the Crockpot, but after this experiment, I don't think that that's necessary!


Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients

• 1 3lb. boneless chuck roast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Paula Deen's house seasoning (recipe below)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 basil leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup Chardonnay
• 1 carton (32 oz.) beef broth
• 4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 cups baby carrots
• water

Directions

1. Sprinkle and rub roast on all sides with house seasoning.  Place roast in Crockpot or slow-cooker.
2. Add onions, potatoes, carrots, bay leaves, garlic, and cream of mushroom soup.  Add the Chardonnay and beef broth.  Then, add enough water to cover all of the ingredients.
3. Cook on LOW for at least 8 hours.

House Seasoning

• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/4 cup ground pepper
• 1/4 cup garlic powder

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Butter + Oats + Chocolate = AMAZING.  Enjoy with a tall glass of milk! :)

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal-Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Brown-Eyed Baker's Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. In a large mixing bowl, use a wooden spoon to cream together the butter, PB, and sugars.
3. Using an electric mixer, add vanilla and egg to the butter mixture.  Once combined, gradually add the flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Using the wooden spoon, mix the oats and chocolate into the dough.
6. Using an ice-cream scooper, scoop mounds of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  There should be 13-14 mounds.  Wet your hands and slightly flatten each mound.
7. Bake the dough for 14-15 minutes and allow to rest and cool on pan.

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies

Cheesecake Swirl Brownies
from Good Housekeeping The Great Bake Sale Cookbook 

Ingredients

• 1 stick butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (see below for substitute)
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 packages cream cheese, chilled
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter on low heat.  Add unsweetened and semisweet chocolates, stirring frequently, until smooth.  Remove saucepan from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth.  Then add 1/2 cup sugar and continue beating.  Beat in almond extract, 1 egg, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until combined.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5. Remove chocolates from sauce pan into a large mixing bowl.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar and mix with a fork.  Add 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Next add 4 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla; mix well.  Gradually add flour mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Spray a 13" x 9" baking pan with cooking spray.  Spread 1 3/4 chocolate batter in prepared pan.  Then, spoon cream cheese mixture in 6 large dollops on top of chocolate batter.  Next, spoon remaining chocolate batter in 6-7 dollops over and between cream cheese mixture.  With a tip of a butter knife, pull and swirl through mixtures to create a marbled effect.  
7. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of pan comes out almost clean, 35-40 minutes.  Cool completely in pan before cutting and serving.

Unsweetened Chocolate Substitute

1. In a small bowl, use the microwave to heat 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to melted butter and stir until combined. 
3. For this recipe, 4 tablespoons of butter were used with 12 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

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Cinnamon Blondies

Cinnamon Blondies 
Recipe from Foodbuzz

Ingredients

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 large egg plus one egg yolk, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter; then, immediately add brown sugar.  Stir until combined and cook for 1 1/2 more minutes.  Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. 
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cinnamon.  Set aside. 
4. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla to the brown sugar mixture and whisk. Pour sugar mixture over flour mixture.  Use a fork to combine ingredients.
5. Spray an 8" x 8" baking pan with baking spray.
6. Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the edges are slightly golden brown 1-2 inches into the pan on all sides.  Try to not over bake!  Allow blondies to cool completely before serving.  I cut mine into 25 mini-sized bites.