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I’m so glad it’s September! The last-minute rush-iness of August with the first day of school and school shopping and school registrations and stir-craziness is over and everyone is settled into the new routines, and I can take a breath.

In honor of it finally being September, I’ve made one of my favorite cold weather meals: pot roast. I know, I’m laughing too. We’re still hitting the low 100s here but that doesn’t matter! I’m really itching for the fall feeling so it works for me.

I came across the original recipe for this pot roast years ago on Allrecipes. The original was good, and everyone loved it. Over the years I’ve added and tweaked, as you do, and came up with this one, which is so amazingly delicious that there are rarely leftovers.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

The Easiest Pot Roast Ever

1 5-lb pot roast
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic
1 packet onion soup mix
1 14oz can beef broth
baby carrots (optional)
diced potatoes (optional)

Place carrots and potatoes on the bottom of the crockpot and place pot roast on top (salt and pepper if desired).

I don’t usually do the potatoes because we prefer mashed potatoes, but either way is good.

In the past I’ve also added chopped onion and/or sliced mushrooms. It all works! This time I kept it to a minimum because I had to be out the door.

In a bowl, mix the two cans of soup, the can of broth and the packet of onion soup mix together until creamy. Pour on top of the roast and vegetables.

Cook on low for 8 hours.

so photogenic

That’s it! The roast will practically be falling apart, the carrots and potatoes cooked to perfection, and the soup mixture makes the most amazing gravy ever.

I don’t like to use the condensed soups for a lot of cooking, but there are really no substitutes for this one.

What are your favorite cold weather meals? Do you save them for actual cold weather or make them year-round?

With the summer heat in full swing, I like to keep oven use to a minimum. I use my crockpot a lot more often, as well as the toaster oven and the stove top.

This sloppy joe spin-off is perfect for a summer dinner since it’s done completely on the stove. The recipe comes from Nadia G from Bitchin’ Kitchen (who bugged me at first but she’s grown on me — I’m not alone, right?), and I’ve tweaked it a bit. Her original can be found here, and mine is below.

I did add pancetta the first time I made it, but honestly I couldn’t tell it was even in there, and since it’s not exactly cheap, I’ve left it out since and can’t tell the difference.

The original says it makes only four servings, but I’m able to easily get enough for the 5 of us plus leftovers.

Sloppy Gino Sandwiches
adapted from Nadia G

1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, minced
1 red or green bell pepper, diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups/1 large can pureed San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1/2 cup chili sauce
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
A couple fresh thyme sprigs, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
6 hamburger buns

Brown the beef in a large skillet until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the garlic, onions and bell peppers and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Add the tomatoes, cheese, chili sauce, paprika, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, cayenne, thyme and jalapeno and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Toast the buns in a grill pan or toaster and lightly spread with mayo. Divide the beef between the buns and garnish with more cheese if desired.

So, we’ve established how much I love salad and sugar cookies (not together), and if there’s one thing that I will choose over a good salad at a restaurant, it’s a bowl of chili. I adore chili.

I’m really not picky about it and will try anything from vegetarian to all-meat, or a nice all-day crockpot chili to something quick in a can (that one’s more nostalgia than anything, though). Really, I have yet to try one that I haven’t liked. Read More