Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
This is my favorite non-taco way to cook up beef in the crock pot. The result is slightly sweet and perfect by itself, on a sandwich, in a salad, in a wrap…! Delicious meat in any form.
With the way beef prices have shot up, I pretty much have stopped buying ground beef. Roasts are the way to go, and slow cooking is the way to keep the cuts nice and tender.
This is just an all-around good recipe. It’s very easy to tweak if you want it more or less sweet. The oven is off and my kitchen stays cooler. The one bad thing is that I work from home, and I’m tortured by the scent all day long.
Modified from Shugary Sweets.
Bready or Not: Slow Cooker Balsamic Beef
Ingredients
- 4 - 5 lb beef chuck roast
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 can beef broth low sodium
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 garlic cloves minced
Instructions
- In the slow cooker, whisk together the ingredients from the beef broth through the end.
- Cut the onion into chunks and place in slow cooker. Trim any excess fat from the roast and place the meat atop the onion. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
- Soon before mealtime, pull the meat out and shred apart. Place back in pot to soak up juice. Set the cooker on WARM until ready to serve.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Double Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut butter in the dough. Peanut butter and chocolate chips teamed up for flavor reinforcement. That’s why these are called Double Peanut Butter Cookies.
These taste like a cookie version of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. Then there’s the texture. See, you whip a lot of air into the dough by mixing it for five minutes at the start, then you chill the finished dough for a prolonged period of time.
This combination adds LOFT. The end result is like a fluffy pillow of cookie. Seriously, these things don’t even spread when they bake. You need to compress them to be flat and bake evenly.
This dough will keep at least five days fully wrapped in the fridge. You can also freeze it. After baking, the cookies keep well for at least five days. Maybe longer than that. I can’t say. They were all eaten by that point.
If you love peanut butter, make these cookies. They will change your life.
Modified from Averie Cooks.
Bready or Not: Double Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter not homemade or natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cream together the egg, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract. A mixer is best. Pause every so often to scrape down the sides of the bowl, but continue mixing until the dough is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and salt until just incorporated. Add the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
- Place two large strips of plastic wrap on the counter. Divide the dough in half, compress it to be stackable, and completely wrap each big disc. Stash it in the fridge for a couple of hours or up to five days. (Chilling the dough makes the end result thick and pillowy! Don't skip this.)
- Preheat the oven at 350-degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Use a tablespoon scoop to dole out the dough. Compress each ball of dough to a thick oval; this is important because the dough won't spread much as it bakes.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges have just set. Allow the cookies to rest on the baking sheet another 10 minutes; they will firm up during this time. Transfer them to a rack to finish cooling, and start the next batch.
- Cookies will keep at least five days in a sealed container at room temperature.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Legendary Macaroni and Cheese
I needed a make-ahead macaroni and cheese recipe. I already have several other reliable ones like Civil War Macaroni and Cheese and the Pioneer Woman’s recipe, but I didn’t need to babysit boiling milk or dirty a score of pots and pans as I was enjoying company over for a visit.
I have had John Legend’s recipe saved on Pinterest for years. I watched a video of him cooking the recipe with Martha Stewart and read tips from other cooks. I decided to halve the recipe, since this was a side for four people, and otherwise tweak things.
I did the bulk of the recipe in the morning. When it was time to start supper, all I had to do was heat the oven and add the paprika and bread crumbs. It baked up into an oozing, cheesy mass. Everyone raved over it. There were no leftovers.
My other mac and cheese recipes are great but this is the one I’ll keep handy for holidays or when company is coming. Tastiness and convenience? Heck yeah!
Halved and modified from John Legend’s Macaroni and Cheese, as featured on Martha Stewart.
Bready or Not: Legendary Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter plus more for baking dish
- 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni
- 1 can evaporated milk
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese or a mix of cheddars, shredded
- sprinkle paprika
- bread crumbs
Instructions
- If you plan to bake this right away, preheat oven to 375-degrees. Butter or spray a 9x9 baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt and macaroni. Cook until al dente. Drain the water and return the macaroni to the pot. Add butter and stir until it has melted.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together evaporated milk and egg. Add seasoned salt, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Place about 1/3 of the macaroni in an even layer in the bottom of prepared baking dish. This should be just enough to cover the bottom. Cover with 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat twice more with remaining macaroni and cheese.
- Pour the milk and seasonings mixture evenly over the contents of the baking dish. At this point, you can stash the dish in the fridge overnight or during the day until it's meal time.
- When you're ready to bake, make sure the oven is preheated. Sprinkle the top of the macaroni with paprika and bread crumbs.
- Bake until top layer is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes; note that if the dish is cold, bake time will likely need to be extended to closer to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- OM NOM NOM!
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Bready or Not: Ritz Krispy Treats
It’s summer. Time to bust out the non-baked goodies!
If you’re like me, you open up a box of Ritz crackers for some occasion and then it ends up squatting on a pantry shelf for a while. The good news is that just about anything is good if it’s pulverized and mixed with melted marshmallows. Who knew?!
These are especially good because you get that whole salty/sweet combination. A drizzle of chocolate and a touch of large grain salt really adds oomph.
This does produce a thin layer in a small casserole pan. If you want thick bars, double the recipe!
I think this would also work really well with Ritz Sandwich Crackers with Peanut Butter, with peanut butter added instead of Biscoff. You could also use Club or other kinds of crackers. There are a ton of options!
Bready or Not: Ritz Krispy Treats
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cups mini marshmallows 1 bag
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Biscoff spread or nut butter
- 2 sleeves Ritz crackers crushed (makes 3 cups)
optional:
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips to melt and drizzle
- pretzel salt or kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare everything for quick mixing. Crush the crackers and measure the vanilla and Biscoff (or nut butter). Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 casserole pan.
- In microwave or on stovetop, melt butter in a large bowl or pan. Add marshmallows and continue to heat on low; in microwave, heat for 25 seconds, stir, 25 more seconds, stir, until everything blends together.
- Add the vanilla extract and Biscoff, then the crumbs. Stir until everything is well blended. Glop it into the prepared pan. Use a piece of wax paper and a glass or firm spatula to compress everything.
- To add some topping for oomph, melt the chocolate and drizzle it over the treats. Immediately sprinkle some salt over it all.
- Let set for an hour or so, until firm. Cut into small squares.
- OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cardamom Honey Chicken: A Clockwork Dagger Recipe
In The Clockwork Crown, you meet some of Alonzo Garret’s family. You even find out some of his favorite foods.
“…And tonight, Cook is going to make your very, very favorite, cardamom chicken with cashews, and there will be lemon curd with shortbread for dessert.”
I chose cardamom chicken because 1) I love cardamom, 2) it’s not a common American way to flavor chicken, which sets apart my setting. When I wrote it, I figured that at some point I would need to make the recipe for myself.
Cardamom chicken recipes are out there but vary widely. I decided to combine bits and pieces to create something new. The result was mildly sweet, tender chicken that was fabulous served with its own citrusy drippings. It’s definitely a different taste, but a nice one.
There are lots of options for leftovers, too. Eat it as-is, or chop it up for a salad with a sweet dressing, or add some Greek yogurt or sour cream and make it a chicken salad for a wrap or sandwich. YUM!
I didn’t add any cashews to my chicken, but you certainly could do so to add texture. I suppose at some point I need to do a new shortbread recipe that will pair well with lemon curd, eh?
Bready or Not: Cardamom Honey Chicken: A Clockwork Dagger Recipe
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1/4 cup cooking sherry
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders
Main dish
- 1 orange thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
Glaze
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Place marinade and chicken in a large Ziploc bag and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400-degrees. Place orange slices in a casserole dish and lay the chicken tenders on top. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake chicken for about 15 minutes, flip the tenders, and bake another 10 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients.
- Pull out the chicken and check for doneness; it should be fully cooked at this point. Change the oven to broil and move the rack a bit closer to the top. Brush the glaze over the chicken--use every drop! Put the chicken in to broil for just a few minutes.
- The chicken is delicious on its own or with the sweet pan drippings. You might even want to chop the meat into pieces to allow them to soak in more flavor.
- OM NOM NOM.
Bready or Not: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Let’s follow up CAKE MONTH with a healthier breakfast treat: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins!
These dense muffins actually taste just like chocolate chip oatmeal, though in a much more convenient form. They’re handy to take on the go, they keep well for days in a sealed container, and they can be frozen for months and taken out when desired.
If you want to make these even healthier, you can mix in some whole wheat flour, or omit some chocolate chips and add nuts or dried fruit instead.
After all, you need to eat a healthy breakfast to offset all that cake in June.
Modified from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Bready or Not: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashionedrolled oats
- 1 cup milk or almond milk, divided
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or do half whole wheat
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds or wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon heaping
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- turbinado sugar for tops, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Prepare a 12 cup muffin pan with liners and apply nonstick spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the 1 cup of oats with 1/2 cup milk. Let the oats soak for 5 to 10 minutes.
- In a big bowl, blend the egg, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. Slowly mix in the flour, soaked oats, flax seeds, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add the last 1/2 cup milk. Fold in chocolate chips; take care not to over mix.
- Fill the muffin cups with batter. Sprinkle some turbinado sugar on top, if desired. Bake for 15-18 minutes, until they pass the toothpick test. Best served warm.
- Store them in a sealed container. Heat in microwave (maybe add a pat of butter, to make them slightly less healthy) to warm.
- Muffins can be frozen; remove the liners first, and store in a sealed container or bag.
- OM NOM NOM!
