Pioneer Beef Stew

*Note: This week is all topsy turvy...the three day weekend does that to a person! So...the Queen of the Castle book post will be tomorrow. I know...some of you are just so upset because the sun rises and sets on my blog posts! LOL! ; )

Here's another recipe from the Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Preview Party that I hosted last week. It was supposed to be baked in the oven but I was in a crock pot mood so in the crock pot it went!

Pioneer Beef Stew

14-1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 c. water
3 T. quick-cooking tapioca, uncooked
2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. salt (I used less than 1 tsp. salt)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1-1/2 lbs. stew beef, cubed (I used a can of our local Grabill Meats canned beef...order here.)
3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed (hmm...seems I forgot to add these?)
4 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
1 onion, diced (I used 1 tsp. onion powder)

In a large bowl, combine tomatoes with juice, water, tapioca, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well; stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a grease 3-quart casserole dish. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until beef and vegetables are tender. Serves 4 to 6.

*I cooked it in the crock pot on low for about 7 hours. The last 2 hours I cooked it with the lid slightly off to let some of the liquid evaporate. But...thinking about it now if I would have added the potatoes I probably wouldn't have to had take the lid off for a while. I guess I was just so busy that I left the potatoes out. I'm not a huge stew fan but my mom seemed to love it so I guess it wasn't that bad.

Homestead Blessings

Raising Homemakers is having a giveaway of a 10 set of dvd's from Homestead Blessings. Remember I blogged about their gardening dvd the other day?
Go here to enter!

Creamy Chicken Sandwiches

I told ya'll I'd share the recipe from the other night's Gooseberry Patch Cookbook Preview Party so here goes...

Creamy Chicken Sandwiches

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10-3/4 oz. can cream of chicken soup
14-1/2 oz. can chicken broth
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Put chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker; add soup and broth. Cover and cook on low setting for 8-9 hours, until chicken is tender and mixture is thickened. If too thick, stir in a few crushed saltine crackers to thicken. Shred chicken with a fork and serve on buns. (The recipe says it makes 6 sandwiches but I could easily get 9 or more.)

I made these homemade buns to go with it.

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday: Potatoes

O.K....this may not be a revelation to ya'll. (Again, feelin' country.) But...if you are needing mashed (or smashed) potatoes for lunch after church and you don't want to wash, peel, cube, etc. right after church (not to mention waiting for them to cook). Then try this...

The night before...yes, I said the night before! Wash, cube (peel if you like them skinless, but the skin is so much healthier, you know?!), and place the potatoes in the pan you'll cook them in. Cover with cold water and put in the fridge. The next morning. Drain the starchy water and add more water to cover them. Put them on the stove, bring to a boil. As soon as they start to boil, turn them off! Yep. Turn them off. Put a lid on them and leave them on the stove. When you get home from church, 2 or 3 or even 4 hours later they'll still be warm. Turn the stove back on and cook until they are totally done. Then prepare them this way or however you like mashed or smashed potatoes. Easy peasy! ; )



*pic. from cobornsdelivers