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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.

My family and I love pizza from Pizza Hut, but it’s been a long time since we’ve had it since it can be a bit of a budget-buster.

When this recipe for a Pizza Hut pan pizza knock-off showed up on Pinterest several weeks ago, I immediately added it to my list of food to try.

It was extremely easy to put together, and though I balked at the thought of using 3 oz of oil per pan (it’s a lot of oil!) I did it anyway.

The nutritional info at the bottom of the recipe nearly gave me a heart attack by itself, and I didn’t see it until after I’d already made the pizza. Keep in mind, however, that the recipe states this is enough for four people. I fed five people with the three pizzas, and still had leftovers. I served it with a side salad with veggies, so that helps fill you up alongside the pizza.

I don’t have three round cake pans so I used one pie plate, which worked well.

The sauce was also a breeze, though I wouldn’t say it was a Pizza Hut clone.

The second time I made these, I used coconut oil instead of canola, and I think they actually turned out even tastier.

This is a really fun one for kids to help out with, and has been added to our dinner list. A definite keeper!

Pizza Hut Original Pan Pizza clone
from cdkitchen

Pizza
1 1/3 cup warm water (105 degrees F)
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package dry yeast
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for dough)
9 ounces vegetable oil (3 ounce per pan)
butter flavored cooking spray

Sauce
1 can (8 ounce size) tomato sauce
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

For pizza crust:

Put yeast, sugar, salt, and dry milk in a large (2 qt.) bowl. Add water and stir to mix well. Allow to sit for two minutes. Add oil and stir again. Add flour and stir until dough forms and flour is absorbed.

Turn out on to a flat surface and knead for about 10 minutes. Divide dough into three balls. In three 9″ cake pans, put 3 Oz. of oil in each making sure it is spread evenly. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball to about a 9″ circle. Place in cake pans.

Spray the outer edge of dough with cooking spray. Cover with a plate. Place in warm area and allow to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

For sauce:

Combine ingredients and let sit for 1 hour.

For Each Nine Inch Pizza:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F Spoon 1/3 cup sauce on dough and spread to within 1″ of edge. Distribute 1 1/2 Oz. shredded mozzarella cheese on sauce. Place toppings of your choice in this order: Pepperoni or Ham Vegetables Meats (cooked ground sausage or beef) Top with 3 Oz. mozzarella cheese Cook until cheese is bubbling and outer crust is brown.

[originally posted at pinspired]