Beer Bread

Quite possibly the easiest thing I have made!

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups of self-rising flour
3 Tbsp of sugar
1 can or bottle of any beer (I used Sam Adam's Otoberfest)

Mix them all together, dump into greased loaf pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes and about 10 minutes before it is ready, brush butter all over the top to give it a nice buttery brown top.

Crockpot Applesauce

INGREDIENTS
4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (I used Cortland)
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


DIRECTIONS
In a crockpot, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. I let it cook on high for about 5 hours, and when it was done there was no need to use a masher. The applesauce was the perfect consistency.

MODIFCATIONS:
I actually made 3x the recipe and just multiplied everything by 3. Next time I will add slightly less water though.

Chicken Pot Pie

4 chicken breasts cooked and diced (they can be slightly undercooked at this point)
one can peas
one can corn
one can carrots
(I would have added canned/fresh potatoes if i had them)
diced onion and garlic
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
2 prepared pie crusts

Make Ahead French Toast

It's been a while since I've posted- probably because it's been a while since we entertained and I've had the energy to try a new dish!

I made this french toast ahead of time to bring to breakfast at school yesterday, but that never happened! So it was our dinner last night, and we really enjoyed it! I used a whole loaf of french bread and needed to make twice the amount of batter to cover it all.

Make Ahead French Toast
Use day-old French bread for a real treat. Any other hearty bread will do. If you're having company, here's a bit of a special do-ahead version. You can also do ahead a plain version, with just milk instead of orange juice, of course.

1 loaf French bread
4 eggs
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter

Cut bread in 1” slices. Arrange in a 9x13 pan.

Combine remaining ingredients, except melted butter. Mix well and pour over the bread. Cover pan and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400.

Melt butter and pour into a pan with a 1” side. Arrange bread slices, leaving a small gap between them. Pour butter on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake another 10-15 minutes.

Crockpot Meatloaf

Super easy and delicious!

Just make your favorite meatloaf recipe, put it in the crockpot and go over the top with some ketchup. Cook it on low for about 8 hours or so.

John was skeptical, but we loved it. It was Victoria's favorite meal yet.

Broccoli and Cheese Casserole

It has been a while since I have posted, but I assure you I have cooked since then! Here's a family favorite that Aunt Sue always used to prepare. I made it for Easter this year, and again it was a hit (and SO simple).

2 pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese, finely chopped
1/4 lb.
Ritz crackers

Cook broccoli according to package directions and drain. Add 1/2 stick butter and Velveeta cheese. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into buttered flat oven dish.Crush Ritz crackers. Add 1 stick melted butter. Mix thoroughly. Sprinkle over top of casserole. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until browned at 350 degrees.

Slow Cooker Maple Country Style Ribs

http://tinyurl.com/24vsz8

I doubled the amount of maple syrup and soy sauce. This was such an easy meal! It was prepped in minutes and only took a few hours on low in the crockpot.