Week 27

*Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

*Chicken Fajitas

*Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

*Hashbrown Waffles

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich

• 3 lb chuck roast
• 1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix
• 8 oz. pepperoncini pepper slices + splash of juice
• 8 oz. Giardiniera (Chicago style Italian sandwich mix), drained
• 1 can beef broth
• White American (or provolone) cheese slices
• hoagie buns

Place Chuck roast into the bottom of a crock pot then sprinkle with salad dressing mix. Add pepperoncini peppers plus a splash of juice, Giardiniera, and beef broth then lift up the roast to get broth underneath. Place a lid on top then cook on low for 9 hours or high for 5 or until meat shreds easily with a fork. Shred and place meat back into crock pot and cook on low for 1 more hour.

Split buns in half and put on a large baking sheet with middles face up. Put cheese on one half of the bun. Put in oven on broil and watch them constantly until they are golden brown. Take them out and spoon meat mixture on top and add additional cheese if desired.

Variation: cook meat as above and then drain and spoon off everything else leaving only meat. In a skillet sauté sliced onion in avocado oil until them are cartelized and then add sliced bell peppers (whichever color you prefer) for a few more minutes. Combine with meat and serve same way as above.

Chicken Fajitas (can be made with steak)

• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 3 chicken breasts cut into strips (or steak)

Combine spices in a large ziplock bag and toss and then add chicken (or steak) that has been cut into thin strips and shake and massage the bag until all the meat has been coated with the spices.

• 1 onion sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 orange bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper sliced (or green if you prefer)
• juice of one lime
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup water or broth

In a medium skillet, heat a Tbsp of avocado oil and add the onions and cook until they becomes translucent and then add peppers just for a couple minutes. Set aside when they are done.

In a large skillet, Heat 2 Tbsp avocado oil and add the contents of the ziplock bag and saute until meat is cooked through. The steak will cook faster than the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir for 1 minute. It should be a little pastey. Add the lime juice (more if you'd like) and the broth and stir until it makes a tiny bit of sauce. Add the onions and peppers to this skillet and toss until mixed together. Serve on fresh tortillas with lime wedges and sour cream and add some cheese if you'd like.

Instant Pot Country Style Pork Ribs

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 8-10 country style boneless pork ribs
• Spice rub (recipe below)
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp. liquid smoke
• homemade BBQ sauce (recipe below)

Spice Rub

• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 TBSP pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• 1 TBSP smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 pinch nutmeg

Combine in a bowl and mix well. Make this spice rub and rub each rib with the rub. It makes quite a bit, so either cut it in half or put what you don't use in a ziplock for next time. It will keep for a few months.

Turn the instant pot onto the saute mode or heat a pan over medium high heat if you don't have that mode. Add the oil and a few ribs at a time, turning to each side to brown slightly. Remove to plate and repeat until all ribs are seared.

Turn it off Saute mode and add the apple juice and liquid smoke into the bottom of the instant pot and stir, scraping up the remains from frying the ribs. 

Add the trivet and place the ribs on it. Attach the line and set the valve to seal. Turn the instant pot to high pressure and set for 45 minutes. Allow for 10 minutes natural release then turn the valve to do a quick release. 

Carefully, the ribs will be falling apart, remove the ribs to a baking sheet. Drizzle some of the homemade BBQ sauce over them and then serve the rest on the side for those that want more.

BBQ Sauce

• 2 1/2 cups ketchup
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP honey
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP mustard (honey mustard if you have it)
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp molasses
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium high heat and stir together. Heat just to a boil and then turn down to a low simmer and allow to cook for 30 min.

Hashbrown Waffles

• 2 cartons dehydrated hash browns rehydrated OR 1 Pkg frozen shredded hashbrowns
• 1 egg per waffle stirred with a fork
• shredded cheese
• cooked bacon crumbled or cubed pieces of ham or ground sausage cooked

Heat a waffle iron. Spray it really well. Sprinkle a thin layer of hash browns, then top with a raw scrambled egg and then sprinkle with cheese and meat and salt or seasoning salt and then top with another thin layer of hash browns. Close lid and cook until crispy.

Week 6 -

*Ham and Veggie Fried Rice/Potstickers

*Slow Burn Chili
*Pasta Carbonara

*Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ham and Veggie Fried Rice

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 TBSP oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. fresh chopped ginger
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped brocoli
• 4-6 slices of ham chopped into bite size pieces
• 4 green onions
• 2 TBSP soy sauce

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add cooked rice and stir fry until heated through.  In a separate skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add chopped onion. Stir Fry until golden brown.  Add ginger and garlic and stir fry 1 more minute.  Add to rice skillet.  Make a hole in the middle of the rice and crack egg.  Cook egg in center by gently mixing. When cooked, mix into rice. Steam the carrots and brocoli for 4 minutes and then add to rice skillet.  Add ham and green onions.  Drizzle soy sauce over rice and gently mix together.  Do not OVERSTIR or it will become mushy. Serve immediately.

We love to eat this with Pork/Veggie Pot Stickers that you buy at Costco. 

Slow Burn Chipotle Chili

• 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 pound ground sausage, browned and drained
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced green pepper
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 2 TBSP chili powder
• 1 tsp. chipotle chili powder
• 1 tsp. chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce, or more
• salt, brown sugar and water as desired

Place all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 8 - 12 hours.  Adjust seasoning, sweetness and thickness as desired with salt, brown sugar and water.

Pasta Carbonarra

• 1 cup parmesan
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and cut into small slivers
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 eggs
• 16 oz. fettucini pasta 

Cook bacon and cut up.  Sautee onion and garlic in butter. Beat cream and eggs together and set out to room temperature. Cook Pasta according to package directions, drain, and IMMEDIATELY toss cream and egg mixture into noodles until eggs are cooked.  Then toss in onions and garlic and then toss in parmesan cheese and bacon.  Serve.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 4 - 5 boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• garlic powder
• 2 eggs beaten
• bowl of flour

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3 1/2 TBSP ketchup
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1 TBSP soy sauce

Combine sauce ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved. Set aside. Place chicken strips on a plate and sprinkle with garlic powder. Heat 1 cup of canola oil in a lg skillet.  Take one chicken strip at a time and dip in the egg and then dredge through the flour - coating both sides of the strip.  Put strips in the oil until the pan is full, turning them once, just until they turn golden brown.  Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate.  Then transfer them to a 9 x 13 pan.  Continue with this until all the chicken strips are fried. Pour sauce over strips in pan and bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350.  If you like the sauce you may want to double it. Serve with rice.

Week 1 -

*Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad
*Pizza bagels
*Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
*Baked Rotini

Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad

• Romaine Lettuce
• Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blend - Meat Magic (blue label)
• 4 chicken breasts
• 4 TBSP butter
• Caesar dressing (I prefer Brianna's Caesar or Paul Newman's light CREAMY caesar, but truth be told, I always eat the good old fashioned HOMEMADE Ranch (bottled isn't acceptable!)
• Caesar salad croutons
• Fresh shredded parmesan Cheese

Cut up Romaine Lettuce. Preheat oven to 350. Melt butter in a large skillet. Pat chicken breasts dry and sprinkle one side until completely coated with Chef Paul seasoning. Lay chicken breasts seasoning side down in the butter and quickly coat other side with seasoning. Sear each side only for a minute and then place on a baking sheet. Pour remainder of butter over chicken breasts and bake for 30 minutes. Slice chicken and serve on lettuce that is tossed with parmesan cheese and croutons and dressing.

Pizza Bagels

• 6 regular bagel thins
• Mozzarella Cheese
• pepperoni
• spaghetti sauce

Cut bagel thins in half and place open face on a cookie sheet. Spread spaghetti sauce on each bagel side, top with cheese and pepperonis and cook until cheese is melted.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 TBSP chili powder
• ½ tsp. garlic powder
• 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 2 10-oz cans green enchilada sauce
• 1 cup half and half
• flour tortillas
• shredded Colby jack cheese

Stir together honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder until combined. Add chicken and let sit in marinade for at least 30 minutes. (I put it in a Ziploc bag). Mix enchilada sauce with half and half. Spread roughly ¾ cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Take a flour tortilla and spoon a little bit of the sauce down the center of it then fill the tortilla with marinated chicken and shredded cheese. Roll up and place side-by-side in the baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (Paul likes olives on top of it.)

Baked Rotini

• 1 lb. rotini (or ziti or penne) pasta cooked to package directions
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef or Italian sausage
• 1 26 ounce jar favorite spaghetti sauce (I like Emirils Homestyle Marinara)
• 6 ounces sliced provolone cheese
• 1 ½ cups sour cream
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 TBSP fresh parmesan

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Drain off fat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes. In a greased 9x13 baking dish, layer half the rotini, half the sauce, provolone cheese and sour cream. Top with remaining rotini, remaining sauce, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes.