Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

I’m pretty sure every twenty-something survived on Hamburger Helper at some point. I certainly did. Back in the day, you could catch those boxes on sale for something ridiculous like three for $5, and that was basically a meal plan. They were cheap, easy, and honestly, some of them were pretty darn good.

A couple of years ago, nostalgia got the better of me and I bought a box of Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper. I was expecting a little trip down memory lane. Instead, I got something that was...not good. I couldn’t even finish it. Maybe they changed the recipe, or maybe my taste buds have simply evolved. Either way, the boxed version was no longer doing it for me.

Not long after that, I came across recipes that promised to recreate that same nostalgic Hamburger Helper flavor without actually using the box. Exactly what I was looking for. There were several versions floating around, but this one caught my attention because it was simple and seemed like it had the best chance of getting me back to that flavor I remembered.

And honestly, there was nothing wrong with it. It came together quickly, cooked exactly as directed, and delivered what it promised. I did have to leave mine uncovered while it cooked because my flat-top stove and I have an ongoing disagreement about maintaining a consistent temperature. 

My biggest recommendation is to taste it for seasoning after the cheese goes in, not just before. I had been tasting it along the way to see if the pasta was cooked and thought the seasoning was fine. I figured adding the cheese would bring a little extra saltiness with it.

It didn't.

It wasn't terribly under-seasoned, but it definitely needed a little more salt for my taste. So don't make my mistake—give it one last taste before you serve it.

The one ingredient that really made me scratch my head was the sugar. I couldn't figure out what it was bringing to the party. The dish certainly didn't seem to need it, and if I make this again, I'll be leaving it out.

Overall, this was a pretty successful attempt at recreating the Hamburger Helper of my younger years—just a little better and without having to open a box. And that's exactly the kind of nostalgia I was looking for.

Homemade Cheeseburger Macaroni

Recipe from Spend with Pennies

Serves 4

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• ½ cup finely diced onion or 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 cups milk
• 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups elbow macaroni
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ¾ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the ground beef and onion, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat.

Add milk, broth, and uncooked elbow macaroni to the beef. Stir the cornstarch and spice mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle boil, cover and cook for 9-12 minutes or until the pasta is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If needed, add more broth or water.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted. Serve hot.

Hungarian Goulash

I’m pretty sure I’ve never actually made Hungarian Goulash before. I searched through my blog and found several recipes that were definitely goulash-adjacent, but apparently none of them were the real deal. They all seem to share some of the same basic ingredients, though, so at least I wasn’t wandering completely off into culinary nowhere.

Today I also learned something important about myself: there is, in fact, such a thing as too much paprika.

I know. I know. Paprika is kind of the whole point of Hungarian Goulash. It is supposed to be the star of the show. But apparently I have a paprika limit, and I had no idea that limit existed until today. For me, paprika is much more of a supporting actor than a leading role.

That said, this was still a good dish. I didn't hate it, and I certainly didn't hate the paprika. There was just more of it than my taste buds apparently signed up for. Next time, I’d probably dial it back a little and let the other flavors have some stage time, too.

Hungarian Goulash

Recipe from The Roasted Root

Serves 8

• 6 strips thick-cut bacon or 2-3 Tbsp pork lard or cooking oil of choice
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1.5 to 2 lbs beef stew meat
• 3 Tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
• 1 tsp caraway seeds optional
• 2 large tomatoes diced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 1 red bell pepper cored and chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper cored and chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt to taste
• ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
• 2 Yukon gold potatoes chopped into large chunks
• 2 large carrots

Chop up 6 slices of thick-cut bacon and add them to a large thick-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven. Heat over medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the bacon drippings in the pot to use as oil. Note: transfer the cooked bacon to a small bowl or plate to be eaten separately or add it back into the stew with the broth. I add it to the soup with the broth because I enjoy the added flavor.

Transfer the chopped onion to the large pot with the bacon drippings and sauté over medium high heat until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the beef stew meat (or chopped chuck roast) to the pot and allow it to brown, stirring every couple of minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, paprika, and caraway seeds. Pour in the beef broth, and add in the chopped bell peppers, potatoes and carrots. Note: if you’re adding back the bacon, do so now). Cover the pot and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil (low heat or medium heat) and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.

Taste the goulash for flavor and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste.

If you’d like to thicken the goulash, add 2 to 4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. Stir well until the flour is dissolved and cook at a gentle boil until the stew reaches your desired thickness.

Serve goulash with dinner rolls or crusty bread with butter and a dollop of sour cream on top. You can also garnish with fresh parsley.

Mama’s Best Lasagna

There’s a little restaurant tucked away in Seattle’s Pike Place Market called The Pink Door. And when I say tucked away, I mean tucked away. There’s no big sign, no obvious entrance, nothing to announce that you’re about to walk into one of Seattle’s most beloved restaurants. You just have to find the pink door. Literally.

The Pink Door makes the MOST amazing lasagna I’ve ever had. Ever. I dream about this lasagna. What makes it so good? Two things: the noodles and the béchamel sauce.

Instead of the usual ricotta situation (blech), they use flat, probably homemade lasagna noodles and creamy béchamel. Those are layered with a rich, meaty Bolognese sauce and cheese, then the whole thing gets blasted in their salamander oven until it comes out bubbling hot and ridiculously delicious.

So when I recently stumbled across some relatively fresh, flat lasagna noodles at the store, I immediately knew what was happening. Lasagna.

I went looking for a recipe that used béchamel instead of ricotta and found this one called “Mama’s Best Lasagna.” I figured a recipe with that name had better be good.

I don’t know who Mama is, but she’s got it going on.

This lasagna was everything I was hoping for. The béchamel makes it creamy without the heaviness of ricotta, and those flat noodles were exactly what I wanted. It’s rich, cheesy, meaty and completely worth the effort.

Although, I will say, the hardest part of this recipe is the last 10 minutes.

Once you pull that beautiful lasagna out of the oven, the entire house smells amazing. It’s bubbling, golden and basically screaming, “EAT ME!”

And then the recipe has the nerve to tell you to let it sit for 10 minutes.

Ten. Whole. Minutes.

Those may have been the longest 10 minutes of my life.

Mama’s Best Lasagna

Recipe from Cafe Delites

Serves 12

Meat Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 carrot finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
• 24 ounces ground beef mince
• 10 ounces ground pork mince or beef
• 24 ounces Passata
• 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 3 tomato paste heaped tablespoons. I use garlic and herb flavored.
• 2 beef bouillon cubes or vegetable, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar if desired
• 1/4 teaspoon salt season to your tastes
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper season to your tastes
• Jenn's Note: I added about 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce to balance it out for me 

White Sauce (Béchamel):

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour all purpose or plain
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded parmesan fresh

Lasagna:

• 13 ounces fresh lasagna sheets
• 17 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese shredded
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat; sauté the onion and carrots for 8–10 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic for 1 minute. Add the beef (and pork, if using) and cook while breaking it up with a spoon until browned.

Make sure your pot is well-heated before adding the vegetables so they soften evenly without steaming.

Pour in the passata, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, crushed bouillon, and dried herbs. Season with salt, pepper (about 3/4 tsp each), and optional sugar. Cover and cook at a gentle simmer for 20–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens.

Taste the sauce toward the end of cooking and adjust the salt, pepper, dried herbs, or sugar to balance the acuteness and acidity to your preference.

Parmesan White Sauce:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from hot plate; add the flour and whisk for about 30 seconds, or until well blended.

Place pot back onto stove, reduce heat down to low and slowly whisk in 1 cup of the milk until well combined. Once well blended, add the remaining milk in 1 cup increments, mixing well after each addition, until all the milk is used and sauce is free from lumps. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk until it turns into a nice and creamy consistency.

Increase heat to medium and continue cooking sauce while stirring occasionally until it thickens (about 6-7 minutes) and coats the back of your wooden spoon.

Add in the parmesan cheese and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper and mix until the cheese is melted through.

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 350°F | 200°C.

Spoon about 1 cup of meat sauce onto the base of a 9×13-inch baking dish to prevent sticking and add flavor from the bottom up.

Cover the meat sauce layer with lasagna sheets. (Trim the sheets to fit over the meat if needed).

Layer with 2 cups of meat sauce (or enough to cover the pasta), and add half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers, leaving the remaining cheese for the top.

Pour the remaining meat sauce and the white sauce over the very last layer of lasagna sheets.  Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. 

Cover the lasagna (with aluminum foil) and bake for 40 minutes. After baking, uncover the lasagna and put it back in the oven for at least 10-12 minutes more, or until golden.

You can use the grill for this step, but just for 5-6 minutes. Be careful; you don't want to burn the lasagna.

Once beautifully golden and out of the oven, garnish with fresh parsley. Let it stand for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. ENJOY!

Crockpot Swiss Steaks

I have a vague memory of my Grandma making Swiss steak when I was a kid. I remember her telling me how fancy it was because it was “Swiss.” Now, having actually lived in Switzerland, I don’t recall ever seeing Swiss steak on a menu. So naturally, I had to know where it came from. Off to Google I went…

Photo from Spend
with Pennies

Turns out, Swiss steak is American and the “Swiss” part refers to the way the meat is tenderized. Basically, it’s the technique used to turn a tougher cut of beef into something resembling cube steak. So, not nearly as fancy as Grandma made it sound. 

Apparently, I’ve made Swiss steak a handful of times over the years, and my reviews of those recipes are all over the place. Some I’ve liked, some I haven’t. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the recipe matters.

Unfortunately, this particular recipe didn’t do it for me.

It felt like it was missing some depth. Now, I do realize the blog I found this on is Spend with Pennies, which is all about doing more with less, so perhaps I should have expected this to be a pretty basic recipe. And it was. Basic isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, I just felt like it needed…more. More flavor, more depth, something to make me want to go back for another bite.

What I did really like were the carrots. I absolutely love carrots that have been slowly stewed in a beefy broth for a couple of hours. Those were tender, flavorful, and probably my favorite part of the whole dish.

So, the verdict? I think I like Swiss steak. I just need to find the right recipe.

Crockpot Swiss Steaks

Recipe from Spend With Pennies

Serves 4

• 1 ½ pounds round steak or cube steaks or minute steaks
• 2 carrots sliced into 1-inch pieces
• 1 rib celery sliced into 1-inch pieces
• ½ yellow onion sliced ½-inch
• 2 cloves garlic sliced
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce each) can diced tomatoes with juices
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• salt and black pepper to taste
• cornstarch optional, for thickening

Add sliced carrots, celery, onion, & garlic to the bottom of a slow cooker.

Pound steaks with a meat tenderizer to ¼ inch thickness and season with salt and pepper (cube steaks do not need to be pounded). Put flour in a shallow dish or plate and dredge each steak in the flour mixture.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and brown steaks on both sides, about 2 minutes per side adding more oil if needed.

In the same pan, add wine and scrape up any brown bits. Add to the slow cooker with remaining ingredients except for the cornstarch.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high or until steaks are fork tender.

Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

Nel's Smothered Meatloaf

Photo from 12 tomatoes

I have no idea who Nel is, but if this is her meatloaf recipe, she definitely knows what she's doing. This was off-the-chart delicious.

I haven't made a lot of meatloaf over the years. Meatballs? That's a completely different story. I make those all the time. Growing up, meatloaf wasn't a regular dinner at our house. Mom made it every once in a while, but it was never one of those meals that showed up often. Since I love meatballs so much, I've always thought of meatloaf as one giant meatball.

What makes this recipe stand out is that it skips the traditional ketchup glaze and instead smothers the meatloaf in a rich tomato gravy. The gravy keeps the meat incredibly tender and adds so much savory flavor. 

Would I make it again? I think so. The only thing I'd do differently is make individual mini meatloaves instead of one large loaf. They'd be perfect for freezing, which makes for an easy homemade dinner whenever the craving strikes.

Tomorrow I'm going to have my first meatloaf sandwich with the leftovers.

Nel's Smothered Meatloaf

Recipe from 12 Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

• 1.5 lbs ground beef
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 2-qt baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

To a medium bowl, add the ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, egg, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and mix until just combined, form mixture into a loaf shape and place in prepared pan.

In a small bowl, mix together remaining tomato sauce, water, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, season with salt and pepper, and pour over and around meatloaf.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, basting meatloaf every 15 minutes.

Let sit 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Oven Baked BBQ Meatballs

If you've been following along, you've probably noticed I'm in the middle of a full-blown meatball obsession. I just can't seem to get enough of them. 

Tonight's recipe was a simple one, but it introduced me to two ingredients I'd never used in meatballs before: crushed Saltines and evaporated milk.

The funny thing is, neither ingredient was actually new to me. My grandmother always used crushed Saltines and evaporated milk in her meatloaf. I never really thought much about it until I was older and helped her make it one day. Watching this recipe come together brought back that memory. These days, most meatball and meatloaf recipes call for breadcrumbs, so it was fun to revisit an old-school method that has clearly stood the test of time.

I did make one small change. The recipe called for making a barbecue sauce with ketchup, but I discovered I was running dangerously low. Rather than making an emergency grocery run, I reached for my trusty bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce and called it good. No regrets.

Since I'm only cooking for one, I cut the recipe in half and used just one pound of ground beef. That still yielded 16 generously sized meatballs—about the size of golf balls. I intentionally made them a little larger than I usually do because I recently bought a set of meatball scoops, and the smaller one made them look a bit too tiny for my liking.

These meatballs turned out great. They're tender, flavorful, and incredibly easy to throw together. I could easily see making them smaller for a party or potluck—they'd disappear in no time. This is definitely one of those dependable recipes that's worth keeping in the rotation.

Oven Baked BBQ Meatballs

Recipe from My Farmhouse Table

Serves 8

• 1 can (12 Oz. Size) Evaporated Milk
• 2 Eggs, Slightly Beaten
• 2 cups Saltine Crackers, Finely Crushed
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup Finely Chopped Onion, Divided
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Pepper
• 2 cups Ketchup
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke (optional)

In a large bowl, pour evaporated milk and beaten eggs over the crushed crackers. Stir to combine. Add ground beef, 1/2 cup onion, salt, chili powder, and pepper. Mix to combine.

Form meat mixture into 1 1/2- to 2-inch balls. Place meatballs onto a large baking sheet. Bake meatballs at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until browned.

For the sauce, in a small saucepan combine ketchup, brown sugar, remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion, and liquid smoke. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Place meatballs in a baking pan and spoon sauce over. Place in preheated oven set at 350°F. Bake for 20–30 minutes or until meatballs are heated and sauce is thick and bubbling.

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

"Ultimate." It’s a heavy-hitting word, isn't it? It implies the absolute pinnacle, the highest bar, something extraordinary. So, when you slap that title in front of a recipe like Beef Stroganoff, you’d better bring your absolute A-game.

For me, stroganoff is the definition of pure comfort food. Growing up, my mom made it the classic, old-school way: a rich blend of cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Over the years, I took her nostalgic base and jazzed it up into my own personal "Kick-Ass" version. Whenever a craving hits, that’s my reliable go-to. It still honors Mom's soup-base method, and it never fails to hit the spot.

But as much as I love a family favorite, I like to branch out. And when a new recipe boldly claims to be the Ultimate? Well, you know I just have to try it.

Here is the twist: this recipe didn't reinvent the wheel. In fact, it features the exact same components as almost every other traditional stroganoff I’ve ever made.

There are no bizarre ingredients, no extravagant techniques, and nothing off-the-wall just for the sake of being "different." And honestly? That is exactly why it earned an A+ from me.

It’s straightforward, incredibly easy to whip up, and delivers those deeply comforting, classic stroganoff flavors we all crave. It turns out, sometimes the "ultimate" version of a dish is just the one that does the basics flawlessly.

Ultimate Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from The Chunky Chef

Serves 4

• 1 lb. wide egg noodles cooked according to package directions, and set aside
• 1 1/2 lbs. boneless ribeye steak or sirloin steak
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt divided
• 3/4 tsp black pepper divided
• 2 Tbsp olive oil divided
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium yellow onion diced
• 12 oz cremini/baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth/stock reduced sodium
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 - 2 Tbsp sliced green onions for garnish
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish

COOK BEEF

Slice steak against the grain into approximately 1/4” strips. Season with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to large skillet and heat over MED-HIGH/HIGH heat. Add steak slices in a single layer (you’ll likely need to do this in batches so as to not overcrowd the skillet).

Cook for 1-2 minutes, not stirring. Flip steak over and cook another minute or two until golden brown. Remove to plate and continue with remaining batches of beef. If skillet gets too dry, add another drizzle of oil.

COOK ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS

To same skillet, add remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil and butter. Once melted, add onion and mushrooms and cook for 5-8 minutes, until onions have softened and mushrooms are getting golden.

Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds - 1 minute.

ADD SAUCE AND THICKEN

Sprinkle in flour, dried thyme, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and stir well to coat. Cook for 1 minute.

Pour in beef broth slowly, stirring as you add it. Add Worcestershire sauce, cook, stirring often, until starting to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.

ADD SOUR CREAM AND BEEF

Stir in Dijon mustard and sour cream, then add cooked steak, along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Simmer another minute or two, or until sauce is thickened enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon.

ADD NOODLES AND GARNISHES

Add green onions and parsley and cooked egg noodles and stir to combine well.

Serve hot, sprinkled with additional chopped parsley and a sprinkle of black pepper.

Monterey Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole

Photo from
Plain Chicken

Mother’s Day was yesterday, and it’s always a hard one for me. The day usually starts with sadness, but somehow by the end, the memories come flooding back — the kind that make me laugh, smile, and miss my mom all at the same time.

And somehow, like so many memories in my life, they always circle back to food.

Mom loved to cook. Dad did too. Our kitchen was always busy growing up, and every once in a while Mom would channel her full 1970s casserole-era energy and throw together a dish with a handful of ingredients that made you question her at first… but somehow worked perfectly together in the end. Back then casseroles were practical, comforting, and big enough to feed the family for days.

This recipe is a similar version to hers. I actually still have the handwritten recipe tucked away in her old gray recipe box. Her version included broccoli, but otherwise the flavors are almost identical. I decided to make it in her memory this weekend. The only snag? I realized halfway through Sunday that I didn’t actually have the chicken. So after a quick lunch break grocery run today, dinner plans were back on track.

Since it’s just me these days, I cut the recipe in half. Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure how the original fits into a 9x13 pan using only one package of Rice-A-Roni — although it does call for four cups of chicken, so maybe the original recipe leaned heavier on the chicken. My smaller version definitely became more about the rice than the chicken, but honestly, that’s not a bad thing.

This tasted exactly like the casseroles I remember from childhood: simple, comforting, filling, and surprisingly satisfying. Nothing fancy. Nothing trendy. Just the kind of meal that feels nostalgic from the very first bite.

Will I make it again anytime soon? Probably not. But for one evening (and one leftover), it felt good to sit with those memories, eat a meal that reminded me of Mom, and think about all the love that used to come out of her kitchen.

I miss her every single day.

Monterey Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole

Recipe from Plain Chicken

Serves 6

• 1 box chicken flavor Rice-A-Roni
• 1 (10.75-oz) can cream of chicken soup
• ½ c sour cream
• 1 (10-oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 c cooked chopped chicken
• 1½ c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (6-oz) can French fried onions, divided

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Prepare Rice-A-Roni according to package directions. Add soup, sour cream, spinach, garlic, chicken, cheese, and half of the fried onions. Stir to combine.

Spread rice mixture into prepared pan. Top rice with the remaining fried onions.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Creamy Hamburger Potato Soup

Photo from Salt and
Lavendar

Soup season is winding down, and honestly, I’m not ready to say goodbye. There’s just something about a cozy bowl of soup that feels like a warm hug at the end of the day. But I also can’t deny the pull of sunnier, warmer weather—so I guess it’s time to slowly let go… at least until fall rolls back around.

That said, Seattle’s “early spring” still leans on the chilly side, which makes sneaking in a few more soup nights completely justified. When I was doing my usual random recipe pick for the week, I was genuinely surprised when a soup popped up. Out of the hundreds of soup recipes I’ve collected, they rarely seem to make the cut—go figure.

This one has been on my radar ever since I fell down the delicious rabbit hole of Salt & Lavender. It checked all my boxes: hearty beef, loads of vegetables, and the kind of flavors I already love in a classic vegetable soup. But the twist? Making it creamy. That little upgrade took something familiar and turned it into something extra comforting and just a bit indulgent.

And let me tell you—it delivered. This soup is rich, filling, and packed with that cozy beef-and-veggie goodness, with the cream adding a smooth, velvety finish without overpowering everything else.

The only tweak I made was adjusting the thickness. The original version appeared a bit thicker, but I kept mine more on the brothy side. I love a soup that still feels like soup—not edging into stew or gravy territory. That said, I can absolutely see the appeal both ways, so it really just comes down to what kind of comfort you’re craving in your bowl.

Creamy Hamburger Potato Soup

Recipe from Salt and Lavendar

Serves 6

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion chopped small
• 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped small
• 2 sticks celery chopped small
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
• 2 medium-to-large Russet potatoes peeled & diced
• 3/4 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
• Seasoning salt & pepper to taste, see note

Add the ground beef to a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, breaking the meat up as you go along (about 8-10 minutes).

Once the beef has browned, take it out of the pot and transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Discard most of the fat from the pot but don't wipe it out.

Add the oil, butter, onion, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and flour, and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.

Add in the chicken broth. Give it a good stir to ensure the flour has dissolved and the flavorful browned bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot.

Add in the Worcestershire sauce, cream, potatoes, corn, and cooked beef. Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it's gently boiling.

Cook, with the lid slightly open, until the potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes). Stir occasionally.

Generously season the soup with seasoning salt & pepper.

Mississippi Pot Roast

Recipe from Salt and
Lavendar

For a while there, I thought my pot roast era had officially come to an end. The last one I bought rang in
at a painful $44 for just three pounds, and I remember thinking, “Well… it’s been a good run.” But then—the bestie came through. She’s been finding some seriously good deals lately (we’re talking $5.99/lb!), and thanks to my garage freezer—courtesy of the Pantry Goat—I can actually stock up when those deals hit. 

I have six pot roasts sitting in the freezer just waiting for their moment. This week, I decided it was time. My weekly random recipe selection served up Mississippi Pot Roast.

If you were anywhere near the internet and reading food blogs about five years ago, you probably remember the hype—and honestly, it earned every bit of it. I made a version back in 2019 for a company potluck, and let me tell you… I still regret not stashing away a secret portion for myself. It disappeared fast. Like, not-a-single-bite-left fast.

Now here’s the twist: I’m not usually a pepperoncini person. I like the flavor, sure, but I’ll typically pick them out of anything I can. Except in this dish. Somehow, they transform into this tangy richness that completely makes the roast. Add in the au jus mix, ranch seasoning, and yes—a whole stick of butter—and you’ve got a flavor bomb that just works.

This time around, I decided to go all in. I seasoned the roast with Montreal Steak Seasoning and gave it a good sear before tossing it in the slow cooker. Do I always do this step? Honestly… no. I go back and forth on whether it makes a huge difference, especially since I’m not exactly a “super taster,” and neither are tonight’s dinner guests (the bestie and her sister). But hey—company was coming, so I figured I’d give it the full effort.

On the side? Lipton Soup potatoes. Because if we’re leaning into comfort food, we might as well commit. And besides, I can never get enough of those.

So consider this your sign: pull out the slow cooker, grab a pot roast (especially if you can snag a deal), and make Mississippi Pot Roast. It’s rich, it’s ridiculously easy, and it absolutely lives up to the hype.

Mississippi Pot Roast

Recipe from Salt and Lavendar

Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3-4 pounds beef chuck roast
• 12 pepperoncini peppers + 1/4 cup of the juice from the jar
• 1 (1 ounce) packet au jus gravy mix
• 1 (1 ounce) packet ranch seasoning mix I use Hidden Valley
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) cut into pieces

Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the roast on all sides until browned.

Transfer the roast to a slow cooker. Pour in the pepperoncini juice. Place the peppers around the roast, sprinkle the roast with the au jus and ranch packets, and then place the butter on top of the roast.

Cover and slow cook on low for 8 hours or until it's fall-apart tender, then shred it with forks.

Alphabet Soup

Photo from Little Sunny Kitchen

There’s something about alphabet soup that just hits differently. Maybe it’s the nostalgia, maybe it’s the comfort—but for me, it always takes me right back to being a kid, curled up on the couch, not feeling my best, with my Grandpa Spaid handing me a warm bowl of Campbell’s Alphabet Vegetable Soup. I can still remember the simple joy of it—slowly spooning through the broth, searching for words made out of those tiny pasta letters like it was a game.

As I got older, alphabet soup stayed in my rotation—especially on those under-the-weather days when you just want something easy and cozy. But let’s be honest… canned soup? It’s convenient, sure, but it’s also packed with sodium and never quite as good as homemade.

So when I stumbled across a homemade version, I knew I had to try it.

First of all, this recipe is ridiculously easy. Even better? I already had most of the ingredients sitting in my pantry, which is always a win in my book. The only challenge was tracking down the ABC pasta. Not exactly a staple at every grocery store! Luckily, the original recipe suggested checking out a local Mexican market or Amazon. Since I already love popping into my neighborhood Mexican store for fresh sweet breads, I made a quick stop—and sure enough, there it was.

Mission accomplished.

The soup itself came together quickly and made a big batch, which I love. There’s nothing better than knowing you’ve got leftovers ready to go. I set aside some for lunch the next day and tucked a portion into the freezer for future me (who will be very grateful, I’m sure). And, of course, a leftover portion for the Pantry Goat.

Homemade, nostalgic, budget-friendly, and just plain delicious—this alphabet soup checks all the boxes. Trust me on this one… go make it. You won’t regret it.

Alphabet Soup

Recipe from Little Sunny Kitchen

Serves 8

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion diced
• 1 rib celery diced (about ½ cup)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 x 15 ounce can diced tomatoes do not drain
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 4 cups mixed frozen vegetables [ JW Note: I used a can of VegAll because that's what I had on hand and I'm not a huge fan of frozen veggies]
• 1 large potato diced into ¾ inch pieces (about 1-1.5 cups), optional
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup alphabet pasta dry
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• JW Note: I added a splash of Worcestershire sauce too.

In a Dutch oven, over medium high heat heat olive oil and sauté the onion and celery until the onion is soft and translucent. About 3 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add a can of diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and vegetable stock. Give everything a stir.

Add the frozen vegetables, diced potato if using, bay leaves and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta, and cook according to the package instructions (small pasta usually takes 7-8 minutes but larger shapes take longer so be sure to check the package). Season with salt and pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Discard the bay leaves, and serve with grated parmesan (or grated hard cheese if vegetarian, or vegan parmesan), and crusty bread.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot)

Beef stroganoff is one of those comfort food recipes that I crave. I have my own "kick ass" recipe that's my go to when I want to make stroganoff without thinking. Then every once in awhile a new recipe comes along where I'm hooked and must try it. 

I've not been cooking much this year and this recipe was a great one to get me back into the rhythm. 

This one earns a solid five stars from me—and not in a casual “everything tastes good when you’re hungry” kind of way. The depth of flavor here is legit. The ingredients come together into something rich, hearty, and unapologetically beefy—the kind of meal that feels like it should be eaten while wearing stretchy pants and making zero apologies.

And let’s talk about the pasta choice for a second. Pappardelle? Absolute genius. I almost never use it (honestly, I can’t remember the last time I did), but those wide, ribbon-like noodles were made for this kind of dish. They hold onto all that creamy, savory goodness like they were born for it. Safe to say, I’m officially a pappardelle convert now.

Of course, no kitchen adventure is complete without a little improvisation. My “whoops” moment came when I completely missed the timing for transferring everything to the crock pot. Rather than panic (or, you know, read more carefully), I pivoted: into a 300°F oven it went, lid on, for about two hours. And you know what? It worked beautifully. Honestly, I might just do it that way on purpose next time.

I did make one intentional change, though. The recipe suggested dolloping sour cream on top when serving. That sounds lovely and all, but I’m not trying to win plating awards here. Instead, I stirred about half a cup of sour cream right into the dish and called it a day. For me, sour cream isn’t a garnish—it’s the heart and soul of stroganoff. And “dolloping” feels a little too fancy for something I plan to eat in pajamas.

Final verdict: cozy, flavorful, and just the right amount of rustic. Definitely going into the 2026 Favorite list.

Beef Stroganoff Recipe (Crock Pot)

Recipe from The Food Charlatan

Serves 6

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds chuck roast, chopped into 2 inch chunks
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil, I used light olive oil
• generous salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, (half stick)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 8 to 12 ounces mushrooms, quartered
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper, or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
• 1 to 2 cups sour cream, to add after cooking
• 12-16 ounces pappardelle pasta, plus water and salt
• fresh parsley, to garnish
• fresh chives, to garnish

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the chuck roast into 2 inch chunks. Separate all the pieces out onto a work surface (I had mine on a cutting board) and dry them all over with paper towels.

Salt and pepper the pieces. Be generous. I used at least 1 and 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Heat a 12 inch skillet over medium high heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat.

Carefully place about 1/3 of the pieces of beef into the pan, one by one. Leave at least an inch or two of space in between. If you put them too close together (or just dump the meat in all at once), your meat will start to steam itself, and no browning will occur. (You may as well just skip the entire browning process altogether and dump the raw meat straight into the crock pot.)

Let the meat sear for about 1-2 minutes, then use tongs to flip each piece. When you see nice brown edges on both sides, transfer the meat to your slow cooker.

Continue searing the rest of the beef in one or two more batches, depending on space. Add more oil as necessary, and reduce the heat to medium if your pan starts to smoke. Remove all the meat to the slow cooker, but don’t clean out that pan. We need all those gorgeous brown bits.

Turn the heat off if you need to take a moment to chop your onion and slice your mushrooms if you haven’t already.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium high heat in the pan you seared the meat in. When it’s melted, add the chopped onion and quartered mushrooms. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons paprika, and 1 tablespoon dried parsley. Saute for 5-8 minutes, until onions and mushrooms are soft.

Add 1 tablespoon smashed and minced garlic. Saute for 1 minute until fragrant. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons tomato paste. I love to use these refrigerated tubes of tomato paste, so I don’t have to throw away the rest of a 6-oz can.

Add 1/2 cup red wine (I used cooking wine) and 1/2 cup water. Add 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.* Let the mixture come to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for another 5-7 minutes until it has reduced a bit.

Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker, adding in every last drop. Stir it together with the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours.

Fill a large pot with water and about a tablespoon of salt (it should taste like seawater.) Bring the water to a boil and add the pappardelle pasta. Stir constantly to make sure the noodles don’t stick. Cook according to package instructions, usually about 3 minutes. Boil until al dente, don’t over cook.

Drain and add olive oil, stirring to coat.

Add some pasta to a serving plate.** Top with beef stroganoff. The chunks of beef may be big, but it’s so fork tender your guests can take care of it themselves at the table.

Add a big dollop of sour cream to each plate. Top with fresh parsley and fresh chives.

Crock Pot Beef Pot Pie

My niece sent a picture last week of her crock pot stew dinner. It made me want stew. Luckily when I did the random selection of recipes this week, this recipe popped up. 

Photo from I Am Homesteader

The only problem I had is I forgot to start it before I had lunch with a friend. So that means I couldn't do the slow cooker thing. I did the oven thing instead. I cooked it in the oven at 300F for 3 hours. Perfection!

I also added about 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste. I like tomato pasted in my stews. It adds a depth of flavor that I like. Otherwise, everything else was the same. 

I'd make this again for sure. It was delicious and kicks off the stew season well. 

Crock Pot Beef Pot Pie

Recipe from I Am Homesteader

Serves 8

• ¼ c unsalted butter
• 3 c beef sirloin or beef stew meat, seasoned with salt & pepper and cubed
• 4 c beef broth, divided
• 1 cube beef bouillon, crushed
• 2 c potatoes, diced
• 1 c carrots, sliced
• 1 can (15 ounces) corn
• ½ c corn starch
• ½ c whole milk
• 1 c peas, frozen
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 package biscuits, cooked to package directions

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter.

Add beef cubes and sauté until browned on all sides.

Transfer beef to slow cooker set to low. Add 2 cups of beef broth, bouillon, potatoes, carrots, and corn. Stir to combine.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Add the remaining 2 cups of beef broth.

In a small bowl, combine corn starch and milk. Slowly add this mixture to the slow cooker, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken.

Add frozen peas, salt, pepper, and oregano and replace the lid and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with biscuits.

Mexican Charro Bean

Last night was the 15th anniversary of Sunday dinners. I wanted to make it special and memorable. I made Tri tip. Back in the day, Mom would make pinquito beans to go with tri tip on special occasions. I can't find pinquitos here so I opted to make this recipe instead.

Photo from Lemon Blossoms

A couple of things I learned: If the beans are old, they won't fit in this recipe well and will need to be soaked for at least 24 hours. 

I soaked mine for 6-7 hours and it took almost 3 hours to cook them and twice as much liquid as it suggests. After researching online I found most sites pointed to old beans as the culprit for not cooking quick enough. All the sites also recommended at minimum 12 hours to soak them. Lessons learned. 

Besides the random crunchy bean, this was delicious. A little spicy, but in a good way. The flavor was spot on and really deep. 

Mexican Charro Bean

Recipe from Lemon Blossoms

Serves 8

• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 12 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1 small yellow or white onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced devein the chiles for less heat if preferred
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15-ounces) can fire-roasted tomatoes, with their juice (or diced tomatoes)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Salt to taste
• Toppings (optional)
• Chopped cilantro
• Sliced jalapenos

Stove top instructions:

Place the dry beans in a large bowl. Pour enough water to cover them completely. Soak them for 6 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and remove any debris or shriveled beans. Set aside.

In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon stirring often, until it becomes crispy (or until desired doneness). Remove the bacon from the pot and transfer it to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot.

In the same pot, sauté the onions and the jalapeno peppers (or serrano peppers) stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until the onions become tender and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute or until aromatic.

Return the bacon into the pot, add the drained beans, the broth and water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, lower the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. After this time, the beans should be almost tender. Periodically check the beans to make sure that they are still covered with liquid. If necessary, add additional hot water during the cooking process.

Next, uncover the pot and stir in the tomatoes with their juices, the chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano and cilantro.

Simmer, uncovered over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes or until the beans are completely tender and the broth has thickened slightly. Season with salt to taste. Serve garnished with additional cilantro and jalapeno (optional).

Instant Pot Instructions

Place the dried beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any debris or shriveled beans. Set aside. When cooking beans in the pressure cooker, It’s not necessary to soak the beans.

Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté mode. Cook the bacon, stirring often until crispy (or until desired doneness). Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot.

Add the onions and jalapenos into the pressure cooker and cook stirring often, for about 3-4 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute. Press the keep warm/cancel button.

Stir in the rinsed beans, tomatoes with their juices, broth, water, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano, bacon and cilantro into the instant pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.

Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Open the lid and season with salt to taste. Serve garnished with additional cilantro and jalapeno (optional).

Slow Cooker Instructions

Place the dried beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any debris or shriveled beans. Set aside. When cooking beans in a slow cooker, It’s not necessary to soak the beans.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy (or until desired doneness). Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain all but 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot.

In the same skillet, sauté the onions and the jalapeno peppers (or serrano peppers) stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until the onions become tender and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to a minute or until aromatic. Remove from the heat.

Add the cooked onions, chiles and garlic into the slow cooker. Stir in the rinsed beans, tomatoes with their juices, broth, water, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano and bacon. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the beans become tender. Periodically check the beans to make sure that they are still covered with liquid. If necessary, add additional hot water during the cooking process.

Stir in the cilantro and cook on high for 15 minutes or on low for 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve garnished with additional cilantro and jalapeno (optional).

Meatloaf Parm over Spaghetti Marinara

Photo from Hello Fresh

Chicken Parmesan is one of those "special" meals I order out occasionally. I'm pretty particular about what I want it to taste like so I don't always risk it. 

This recipe interested me because of the "meatloaf" part. What an interesting way to make a spin on the classic. 

It did not disappoint. I over cooked the meatloaf and it was still delicious. And you can't go wrong with basic tomato sauce on your spaghetti. 

This will be repeat meal for sure.

Meatloaf Parm over Spaghetti Marinara
Recipe from Hello Fresh
Serves 2

• ¼ cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 10 ounce Ground Beef
• 6 ounce Spaghetti
• 3 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• ½ cup Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Tuscan Heat Spice
• 14 ounce Marinara Sauce

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

In a small bowl, combine panko, mozzarella, and a large drizzle of olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine beef, half the panko mixture, half the Tuscan Heat Spice (you’ll use the rest later), and 1 TBSP water; season generously with salt (we used ½ tsp) and pepper.

Form beef mixture into two 1-inch-tall loaves. Flatten tops. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.

Spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce (you’ll use the rest later) over tops of meatloaves; mound with remaining panko mixture and press gently to adhere.

Bake meatloaves on top rack until beef is cooked through and crust is browned and crispy, 22-28 minutes.

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.  Reserve ¼ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Heat pot used for pasta over medium-high heat. Add remaining marinara sauce, remaining Tuscan Heat Spice, 1 tsp sugar, and reserved pasta cooking water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, 3-5 minutes.

Stir drained spaghetti, half the Parmesan, and 1 TBSP butter into pot with sauce until thoroughly coated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta between plates and top with meatloaves.

Chile Colorado

It's Sunday and a little chilly outside for August. Luckily my random recipe selection brought up Chili Colorado which is perfect for a cooler day. 

Now I've made my fair share of chili colorado. Some have been good, some great and some not so great. 

Y'all I think I no longer have to try any other recipe. THIS is the one. It was so amazing. So perfectly balanced. So everything.

This recipe starts with getting your chilis ready. These will ultimately make the sauce that hugs the beef and makes Chili Colorado - well, Chili Colorado. 

The recipe calls for ancho, New Mexico chiles and arbol chiles. You can substitute the ancho with guajillo or pasilla chiles. The New Mexico and arbol chiles really have their own flavor to me so I wouldn't substitute those if you don't have to. 

I had pasilla chilies and decided to use those instead of the ancho.

I wouldn't change a thing with this recipe.

Chile Colorado

Recipe from Hola Jalapeno

Serves 6

• 6 dried ancho chiles
• 3 dried New Mexico chiles
• 2 dried arbol chiles
• 8 cups beef broth
• 1 medium white onion, divided
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or Mediterranean oregano
• 2 pounds beef stew meat or cubed chuck roast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 2 bay leaves

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles and rinse.

Bring 3 cups of the beef broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and push down under the broth. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes.

Pour chiles and broth into a blender. Cut the onion in half and chop one of the halves into large pieces. Add this to the blender along with the garlic cloves, cumin, and oregano. Puree really well so no bits of dried chile remain. Set aside.

Season beef on all sides with the 2 teaspoons of the salt and the 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add half of the beef—don't crowd the pan. Cook meat until browned on all sides. Remove to a large plate and add the other half of the meat. Brown this batch as well. Each batch should take about 8 minutes.

Return the first batch of beef to the pot along with the chile sauce, remaining broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low so the sauce is barely simmering. Cook, uncovered until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork and the sauce is silky and luxurious. If the sauce is getting too thick before the meat is cooked, cover the pot and continue cooking. The meat can take anywhere from 2-3 hours.

Serve Chile Colorado with beans, warm tortillas, rice and garnishes.

Cover any leftovers and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or stove top fully before eating again.

Smothered Chicken With Bacon Gravy

This one is not my favorite. It was ok, but not great. I blame the fact that I may have screwed up. 

First off, this one requires you to think through when to start each item so they are all done at the same time. I like to play that game of making sure it all ends at the same time. 

My mistake, I burnt the flour in the roux. The pan was too hot AND it set off the smoke detector. Good times. It caused the gravy to have have a rather "smokey" flavor. 

The broccoli was awesome, as always. 

Overall, this could have been a good meal. If it comes up again, I'll likely try it without burning the flour and setting off the alarm. 

Smothered Chicken With Bacon Gravy

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 12 oz potatoes, like Yukon golds
• 1 head broccoli
• 2 scallions
• 1 1/2 T Sour Cream
• 2 T Flour
• 2 strips bacon
• 2 T Creme fraiche
• 10 oz chicken
• 3/4 c chicken stock

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Potatoes

Depending on the type of potatoes you get, either peel and dice them or just dice them into ½-inch pieces. Add potatoes to a medium pot with enough salted water to cover by 2 inches.

Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 10-12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain. Return potatoes to pot. Mash with sour cream and 1 TBSP butter until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Broccoli

Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces if necessary.

While potatoes cook, toss broccoli on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, salt, and pepper. Roast on middle rack until browned and tender, 15-20 minutes.

Chicken

Meanwhile, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place between two large pieces of plastic wrap; pound with a mallet or heavy-bottomed pan until about ½ inch thick. Season all over with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle chicken all over with half the flour, pressing to adhere; shake off any excess. [JW Note: I never do this step. I find it better to just cook the chicken sans flour. ] Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add coated chicken; cook until browned and cooked through, 3-5 minutes per side. Turn off heat; transfer to a plate. Wipe out pan.

Add bacon in a single layer to pan used for chicken; heat over medium-high heat. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy, 4-6 minutes. Turn off heat; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

Discard any burnt bits and all but 1 TBSP bacon fat from pan. TIP: If there's not enough bacon fat in the pan, add a little butter!

Add scallion whites to pan with reserved bacon fat. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Sprinkle remaining flour into pan; stir to combine. Slowly whisk in ¾ cup chicken stock.

Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, 1-2 minutes.

Stir in crème fraîche; taste and season with salt and pepper if desired.

"Bee Sting" Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza

Hello Fresh outdid themselves with this one. I've had pepperoni hot honey pizza before and LOVED it, so I was pretty sure I'd love this one. 

First, the only change I made to this recipe is I did NOT use the green pepper. Blech. Instead I had some olives that needed to be used, so I tossed those on. Much better. 

Here's what I liked best about this recipe, and likely changed me forever, the fresh dough. I've always been slightly afraid of dough in any form. It seems too tricky and if you do one little thing wrong, you've blown the whole recipe. Not a fan. I don't like exact when I cook. 

In this case, the dough comes already made. You just have to let it rest and rise and rest and rise. Then stretch it and roll it out. The flavor and the freshness of the dough really made this pizza an all time favorite. I'll be ordering this again when it comes around. 

"Bee Sting" Hot Honey Pepperoni Pizza

Recipe from Hello Fresh

Serves 2

• 5 oz marinara sauce
• 1/2 c flour
• 3 1/2 oz pepperoni
• 1 long green pepper
• 1 1/2 oz buttermilk ranch dressing
• 1 small tomato
• enough pizza dough to make 2 pizzas
• 1/2 oz hot honey
• 1 c mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 shallot, sliced

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 475 degrees. (I baked mine at 425F).

Sprinkle 3 TBSP flour over a clean work surface. Remove pizza dough from packaging and place on floured surface. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. (TIP: Spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray or dust with flour to prevent sticking.) Evenly sprinkle another 2 TBSP flour on top of dough balls (I didn't need 2 T.) Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest at room temperature, 20 minutes.

JW Pro tip: Get your dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before so it can come to room temperature. It won't rise if it's chilled. 

While dough rests, halve, peel, and thinly slice shallot. Core, deseed, and dice green pepper into 1-inch pieces. Thinly slice tomato into rounds.

Once dough has rested 20 minutes, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Working one dough ball at a time, carefully press and stretch dough into a rough oval shape and place on one side of prepared sheet. (TIP: If needed, use a rolling pin to help roll out dough. JW note: I used a rolling pin to get it more even) Repeat with remaining dough.

Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rest 15 minutes. TIP: This will make stretching the dough into a larger shape even easier!

Use floured hands to press and stretch dough on baking sheet into larger oval shapes, about 10 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide. 

Spread dough with as much marinara as you like; sprinkle with mozzarella. Top with as much shallot, green pepper, tomato, and pepperoni as you like. Drizzle or brush edges of dough with olive oil.

Bake pizzas on top rack until crusts are golden brown and crisp, 14-18 minutes. 

Drizzle pizzas with hot honey to taste. Slice pizzas as desired. 

Divide between plates and serve with ranch dressing on the side for dipping.

Potato Casserole (Gray Box Recipe)

For tonight's Sunday dinner, I felt like I needed a potato of some sort. My first thought was to make potato salad, but there's a BIG difference in how I make it (sweet pickles) and how the crazy people in my family like it (dill pickles) and I wasn't going to cave. 

So I found this recipe in Mom's Gray box of recipes. It sounded perfect. And I hadn't made a gray box recipe for a while. 

The card seems well used. As in there are dribbles all over it. It also has 5 black stars at the top. Those combined tells me it's gonna be good. 

These are basically fully loaded hashbrowns. I did not boil potatoes and grate them. I cheated and bought frozen hashbrowns and let them thaw. I just knew I wasn't going to have enough time, so I took a short cut. I guarantee you if frozen hashbrowns had been around when this recipe first came to life, they would have done that short cut as well.

I'm typing this in AS it shows on the card. As I type this out I am now wondering if I did it wrong. It sounds like you're supposed to melt the cheese and the butter together. I did not do that. I melted the butter, grated the cheese and had a pint of sour cream. I added all those to the potatoes separately, not combined. So we'll see how this goes.

Potato Casserole

Recipe from Pat Terry (from Mom's Gray Box)

Serves 7-9

6 large potatoes; boiled in skins - cool for 30 minutes. 

Grate with the peelings.

Chop 3 or 4 green onions.

Sprinkle over potatoes and mix well with salt and pepper.

Melt 1-2 sticks of butter with 8 oz cheddar cheese grated. Add 1 pt sour cream and mix.

Stir into potatoes.

Bake 350 for 45 minutes.

DON'T OVER COOK.

**Mom's added note "add bacon bits if desired".

Beef Stroganoff

I have a stroganoff recipe that I had been fixing and tweaking for years until I fell onto the PERFECT combination of ingredients. It started with Mom's stroganoff recipe and I changed up a few things. 

Even with the PERFECT recipe, I like to try new recipes, to go back to the basics if you will. 

This recipe is the very basic of stroganoff recipes, in my opinion. Any beginner cook can make this with ease. It is really what you'd expect if you ordered stroganoff at a restaurant. 

Beef Stroganoff

Recipe from Insanely Good Recipes

Serves 6

• 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, thinly sliced into strips
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• cooked egg noodles or rice, for serving
• fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Cut the steak (1.5 lbs) into 1/3-inch thick slices against the grain. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a large skillet, melt the butter (4T) over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches, searing each side for no more than 20-30 seconds. Remove the steak from the skillet and set aside to rest.

In the same skillet, cook the onions (1 med) until soft. Then, add the garlic (2 cloves) and stir until fragrant.

Add the mushrooms (8oz) and sauté until they turn golden.

Sprinkle the flour (3T) into the skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Then, slowly add the beef broth (2c) and continue cooking and stirring until the mixture thickens.

Reduce the heat to low, add the Worcestershire sauce ( tsp), sour cream (.5 c), and mustard (1 tsp), and stir gently. Cook for 4-5 more minutes until smooth and blended.

Return the seared steak to the skillet and cook for 1 minute.

Serve the beef stroganoff over egg noodles or rice. Garnish with parsley, and enjoy!