Cola Crock Pot Roast

When I'm in the mood for some 

"meat and potatoes"  there's nothing like 

a good pot roast. This is such an easy

crock pot recipe. Anyone in your family can

 make this one. Perfect for a lazy day.

It's fast and slow. Fast prep and slow cook.

You'll have a very tender roast and lots of 

rich gravy for your mashed potatoes.

We love mashed potatoes and gravy!

 An au jus packet, a slow cooker packet, water 

and cola, any brand will work. Do NOT use 

diet cola. Diet cola should not be heated.

 If I'm thinking ahead and out grabbing lunch, 

I'll just dump the ice and refill my drink 

with regular cola. 

 Chuck roast, or whatever cut of boneless beef 

you use for a pot roast, 3-5 lbs. 

 You can be gone all day and come home to dinner.

 Thicken the gravy after the roast is fork tender.

 Mix cornstarch with a little water.

 Stir in the mixture and turn to high and cover for 

about 10 minutes. This gives you time to mash the 

potatoes. I use my old hand masher. It's quick and 

easy. You'll have mashed potatoes more often 

without needing to get out the hand mixer. 

Micro steam a green vegetable or carrots, or both.

 Remove the meat and slice. It will fall apart.

 Laddle lots of that yummy grave over the roast.  

Pour some in a big gravy boat to pass at the table.

Crock Pot Roast
3-5 lb pot roast
1 pkg Savory Pot Roast Mix 
(McCormick Slow Cooker Savory Pot Roast Mix)
1 pkg au jus mix
1 C water
1 can cola (1½ C) NOT diet, 12oz
1.  Put the meat in the crock pot.
2.  Combine the mix packets with 1 C water.
     Pour mixture over the meat.
3.  Pour in the the cola.
4.  Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours until fork
     tender.
5.  To thicken the gravy, combine 3 T cornstarch
      and 3 T water in a cup and stir into the gravy
      in the pot. Cover and turn the to high, cook
      until thickened, about 10  minutes.


*can cook on high for 4-5 hours.



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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These pancakes are so light and fluffy. 

It's light eating a delicious cloud.

 The creamy flavor will remind you of cheesecake. 

The fresh blueberry compote is the perfect 

topping to make these lovelies a special treat.

  I had enough ricotta cheese leftover from 

making lasagna earlier in the week to make 

half the recipe. It was enough for the two 

of us. You can easily make a small batch. 

 Using  electric beaters, beat the
ricotta cheese, egg yolks, milk, sugar,
lemon and vanilla until creamy.

 Mix in the flour and baking powder.

 Rinse off the beaters and beat the egg whites 

 until you get soft peaks. 

 Gently fold half the egg whites into the batter.

 Fold in remaining egg whites.

 Add butter to a heated nonstick pan.

 Drop by ¼ measure cup.

 Cook until they puff and a few bubbles appear on 

top. It takes about 2-3 minutes on medium heat.

Flip when golden and cook the other side

for another minute.

Remove and serve immediately on heated plates.

Top with a berry compote or your favorite
toppings:syrup, jam, lemon and powdered sugar.
Our favorite is a fresh blueberry compote.

 If you can't get fresh blueberries, frozen will do. 

To make the compote,  

add water, sugar, and lemon juice to the
berries in a small saucepan.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally 

until slightly thickened. remove from heat.Serve 

warm. If the sauce gets too thick, just add a touch

 more water. Raspberries would be delicious too. 

I always give these a spritz of 

lemon juice,. Add the compote and dust

generously with powdered sugar. 

If you have leftovers freeze them on a cookie 

sheet until firm, them pop them in a ziplock bag.

Freeze up to 3 months. Or just refrigerate

them and enjoy the next day. 

 Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
1 C ricotta cheese
2 eggs, separated
2/3 C milk
2 T sugar
2 T lemon juice
½ t vanilla extract
1 C flour
1-½ t baking powder

1. In a large bowl. whisk together 1C ricotta cheese,
2 egg yolks, 2T sugar, 2T lemon juice, 2/3C milk, ½t vanilla,
Beat until smooth and creamy.

2. Mix in the flour an baking powder.

3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites on
     high speed until white and foamy.

4. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter
     being careful not to deflate.

5. Heat butter in a nonstick pan and pour ¼ C batter for each pancake.

6.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side. They will puff a bit and bubbles will surface. Then flip and cook 1-2 minutes on the other side until golden. Keep warm in the oven, along with your plates as you make more.

7. Serve immediately on heated plates. Spray with lemon juice, top with warm blueberry compote and dust with powdered sugar.

Blueberry Compote
2 C blueberries
½ C sugar
½ C water
1 T lemon juice

Combine in a pot and cook, stirring occasionally until

thickened. About 6-8 minutes. 

(If it thickens too much as it cools just add a bit of water.)

Enjoy!

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Hot Ham & Cheese Sliders

A great leftover Easter ham recipe!
These are not your ordinary ham and cheese
 sandwiches. 

Delicious ham and cheese on Hawaiian rolls 

topped with a tasty mustard butter poppy sauce. 

All hot and melty and yummy. 

These have so much flavor! 

Everybody loves them. 

They are so easy to make and leftovers
 are just as delicious warmed the next 
day. I always make the whole batch even
 if it's just for the two of us.

Use a 9 x 13 casserole that's

been sprayed with cooking spray. 

Just add ham and cheese slices to Hawaiian 

rolls and top with a tasty mustard 

butter poppy sauce. 

 I love making these with leftover baked ham. 

 But you can also use deli ham. 

 Combine the butter sauce ingredients

 in a small saucepan.

 Bring to a boil. 

Spoon over the buns.

Don't worry about measuring the ham or cheese

quantities. Just pile on what you would use

 for a sandwich. 

Then pop in the oven when you're ready to serve.

 These can even be made ahead for entertaining.

 You can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

 Bring to room temperature before baking, 

or just add more time in the oven.

 Bake until browned and crispy and the 

cheese is oozy-melty.

 Use a spatula to serve, scrapping up the 

sauce on the bottom.

Hot Ham & Cheese Sliders
1 pkg. Hawaiian rolls, 12 count
3/4 lb ham
3/4 lb cheese slices (Swiss, provolone)
Split the rolls in half and place the bottoms in a
sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Top each roll with ham and
cheese. Add the top of the roll. Pour over the
butter sauce. Bake @350º for 20-25 minutes,
or until the tops are browned and crispy.

Poppy Seed Sauce
1 stick butter, ¼ lb
2 T brown sugar
1 T mustard
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T poppy seeds
½ t garlic powder
½ t dried minced onion, or powder
Combine the ingredients in a small saucepan.
Bring to a boil. Pour over the sandwiches.

ENJOY!



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