Can you Pre-Marinate Bottom Round Roast?

Posted by katiehenegarsmith in Beef, Meals, Slow Cooker and tagged with , , , ,

First, I’d never made bottom round roast before (I’m a chuck roast kind of gal).  But, the grocery store had a super sale on them and I thought I’d give it a try.  Also, I’d never pre-marinated a beef roast before.  So, this was a new adventure all the way around.  Let’s see how it turned out!

Ingredients

1 Bottom Round Roast
½ bottle Moore’s Marinade
1 tbsp steak seasoning

Directions

  • Place roast in freezer bag
  • Pour marinade over roast in bag and sprinkle seasoning
  • Seal, label and freeze
  • To serve, thaw completely
  • Place in slow cooker and add 2 cups water
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until tender

Review

I made this on our first hockey night of the season.  I started it that morning and ran by the house to put it on warm when I ran to pick up Dave.  It ended up cooking for 10 hours instead of 8, but it still turned out pretty well.  When I opened it up, it was black!  EEK!!!  But, it turns out it was just the marinade and seasonings (whew-that was close!)

I felt like it was a little dry for my taste, but it may be because there was less fat in it than a chuck roast.  The flavor was awesome though (I’ve fallen in love with Moore’s seasoning).  I will definitely try this again, but will hold out until the chuck roasts go on sale.

Danny and Dave liked it too (didn’t get a rating number from them).

Lemon Pepper Chick-a-Roni (The Smith Family Treat)

Posted by katiehenegarsmith in Chicken, Meals and tagged with , , , ,

I had prepared some Lemon Pepper Chicken in the same method as the Citrus Basil Chicken, but wanted to change it up a little.  Rice-a-Roni now makes a low sodium version of their Chicken flavored rice/pasta mix.  This recipe is actually off the box, and is a definite must try!

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breasts
1 tbsp Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 box Rice-a-Roni Chicken flavored rice/pasta mix
1 tbsp margarine
2 cups water

Directions

  • Liberally coat chicken with lemon pepper seasoning
  • Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces
  • In a large skillet, combine rice/pasta mix and the margarine.  Saute until pasta browns
  • Add water, chicken, and seasoning packet
  • Cook over medium high heat and bring mixture to a boil
  • Cover, lower heat to medium low, and cook for 15-20 minutes
  • Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes

Review

This is a nice treat for our family.  The flavor of the seasoning goes really well with the lemon pepper, and the low sodium option is healthier than the original.  Both guys had double helpings of it (my gauge that it is a hit).  Try it out for a quick weeknight option to plain ol’ chicken.

Indoor “Grilling” – Citrus Basil Chicken

Posted by katiehenegarsmith in Chicken, Grilling and tagged with , , , , , ,

We went for quite some time without any rain in our area, but now we’re making up for lost time!  I was looking forward to firing up the grill again, but had to go for an alternative method.  While I don’t have a stove that has a grill attachment, I wasn’t going to let that stop me.

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts
Citrus Basil seasoning (from Pampered Chef)
1 tbsp oil

Directions

  • Place chicken on plastic wrap
  • Liberally apply seasoning on both sides of chicken
  • Wrap all chicken up in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag
  • Seal, label and freeze
  • To serve, thaw completely
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat
  • Brown chicken on both sides, then cover skillet and lower heat to medium low
  • Cook on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear

Review

I was surprised how well this turned out.  Granted-it’s not grilled, but the browning put a nice “crust” on the chicken and the ease of cooking was worth the try.I served this with fire roasted corn and green beans, and it was a huge hit!

Danny: 9 (liked it, but prefers the grill)

David:  13.5 (not a speck left on his plate!)

By Request (from Dave): Tuna Patties a la Katie

Posted by katiehenegarsmith in Fish, Meals and tagged with , , , ,

On our way home yesterday, Dave announced that he was “starving”. (Yep-I truly believe the “remorseless eating machine” phase is settling in with him).  But, when he said he’d love Tuna Patties, I was pleasantly surprised.  He’s eaten them many times, but has never come right out and request them.  Plus, they are super easy to fix and just as quick as a frozen meal.

Ingredients

3 cans chunk light tuna in water
1 egg
1/2 tbsp lemon pepper
1/2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp oil

Directions

  • Drain tuna and place in a mixing bowl
  • Add all other ingredients (except oil) and mix well with hands.
  • Take small amount (about golf ball size) and form into a patty.
  • Place oil in a skillet and heat to medium high heat.
  • Place patties in skillet and brown each side.
  • Lower heat to medium low and continue to cook, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes (or until you can tap on the patties and they sound hollow).

Review

This is a recipe I altered from salmon to tuna.  The main reason is because I was craving them one night and didn’t have any salmon.  If you like salmon more than tuna, just replace the tuna above with 1 can of salmon.  I’ve made this recipe for years, and it is a good old standard.  My guys love it and I usually serve it with either cheesy rice or macaroni & cheese.

Dave ate almost 2 of them-yep, the eating machine is in full force!