Crock Pot Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

I've been on a sandwich kick lately. I'm not sure why, but I'm not questioning it, because my current obsession has resulted in some really, really delicious sandwich-based dinners for us recently. The sandwich I'm sharing today is OMGgood, so delicious that there really are no words. The balance of flavors is just so perfect. And this sandwich is made mostly in the slow cooker, making it perfect for warm weather, busy nights, and lazy people such as myself.

Let me break it down for you. The sandwich starts with a beef roast that's seared in a hot Dutch oven until it's beautifully browned on all sides. Then it takes a bath, along with some garlic, onions, and spices, in red wine for 8 or so hours. As if that wasn't delicious enough on its own, the meat is then shredded, placed in a toasted bun, and topped with sweet bell peppers, marinated fresh mozzarella, and spicy chopped giardiniera. And! Even better! You'll probably have some meat left over, which you can freeze for an easy dinner later.

Honestly, the most difficult part of this recipe is lifting your heavy Dutch oven to pour the wine into the Crock pot. And sweet mercy, this is just delicious.

Crock Pot Chicago-Style Italian Beef Sandwiches

adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

For the beef:

1 boneless beef chuck eye roast (about 3 1/2 pounds)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup dry red wine

3 cups beef stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

For the sweet bell peppers:

2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

For the sandwiches:

4 soft, hinged sub or hoagie rolls, toasted
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (I found some marinated with basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and crushed pepper flakes, which I highly recommend if you can find it)
Hot giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetables), chopped

1. Season the entire roast with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Brown the roast on all sides, and transfer the roast to the slow cooker.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions and saute, stirring occasionally until just beginning to brown. Add the garlic, and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to slow cooker.

3. Increase heat to medium-high, and add red wine to the Dutch oven. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the stock, and bring back to a simmer. Add Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and fresh thyme. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker.

4. Set slow cooker to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 8 hours. (Or, set the slow cooker to high, and cook for 5 to 6 hours.) The meat should fall apart easily. Shred the meat with two forks, and put it back in the slow cooker with the juices.

5. To make the sweet peppers, add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the pepper strips, garlic, and salt and pepper. Saute until peppers are softened. Sprinkle with sugar, stir to combine, and cook for 1 more minute.

6. Place some beef on a roll. Top with peppers and cheese. Set the oven to broil and cook until cheese is melted. Top with hot giardiniera and serve.

White Wine Pasta with Bacon, Asparagus and Asiago

It may be April Fool's Day, but I'm not fooling when I tell you that this is one of the best pastas I think I've ever made. (Heh. Sorry.) I'm sure you've heard of drunken spaghetti before (spaghetti noodles cooked in red wine), but this recipe uses white wine instead. It adds a completely different flavor than red wine would; it gives the pasta itself a light, crisp, slightly sweet flavor. And don't worry: Since the wine is boiled, the alcohol cooks out, so this isn't a dinner that's going to get you drunk. It probably won't even make you tipsy!

Since it's spring now (FINALLY), I added some asparagus to the pasta, and that made it even better. Asparagus and bacon are a natural pairing, as are asparagus and white wine, so it just all made sense. If you don't like asparagus (hi, Mary!!) you can leave it out. You can also replace the asiago with parmesan; I just used it because I had it on hand, and I liked the slightly funky quality it provided. This dinner was ready in just about 20 minutes, and it's fancy enough for company while still being so simple to prepare. We loved this, and thought the leftovers tasted even better. My kind of meal for sure!

White Wine Pasta with Bacon, Asparagus, and Asiago

seen on A Hungry Teacher and adapted from Framed Cooks

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 bottle dry white wine

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pound mostaccioli or other short, hollow pasta

1/2 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped into thirds

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup freshly grated asiago cheese, plus extra shaved with a vegetable peeler for garnish

1. Cook bacon in a large deep skillet until crisp. Remove with slotted spoon, leaving the bacon grease in the skillet. Turn off the heat and let the skillet cool down for 5 minutes.

2. Pour 1 1/2 cups of wine into the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes, until the wine is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in the sugar.

3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water until it just starts to become flexible, about 5 minutes. Scoop out a cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet.

4. Add remaining wine and the reserved cup of pasta water to the skillet and return to a low boil. Cook the pasta in the wine until it is done to your liking, tossing it frequently with tongs. 

5. Meanwhile, steam the asparagus and reserve.

6. When the pasta is done, add the asparagus, cream, and grated cheese and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper and divide among plates. Garnish with bacon and shaved cheese and serve.

March Re-Make Re-Cap

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I haven't posted for a week! This entire month has just gone by in a blur; I'm busy at home, busy at work, and have absolutely  no energy for anything because the winter weather is really starting to take its toll. Thankfully it's finally starting to warm up around here, at least a little bit, and I can already start to feel my attitude and energy levels improving.

Despite not having a lot of energy, I've been making some fantastic dinners lately. Most of them are new, though (and I'll share them in the coming weeks), so the re-make re-cap this month is pretty light.

On the night I made this farfalle with bacon, onions, and gouda, the dinner table was completely silent because we were all so busy stuffing our faces. These ingredients are staples for me (yes, we've reached the point in food blogging where gouda cheese is a staple in my home), so this is a great meal to pull together when I don't have a lot of time or inspiration to cook. It's so, so delicious.

Every year during the week of Dr. Seuss's birthday, the boys' school celebrates by devoting an entire week to Dr. Seuss. Each day has a theme based around one of his books, and I always take green egg candies on Green Eggs and Ham day (which also happens to be pajama day). They're always a huge hit with the kids and, with only two ingredients, they're a cinch to prepare.



This Mexican sour cream rice is one of our favorite side dishes whenever we have Mexican food. While it's probably not very traditional, it is absolutely delicious: creamy, cheesy, and mild enough for the boys to enjoy. I can't wait to share the chicken that I served it with when I made it this month.

We love these shrimp po' boys so much that we could easily eat them once a week. Maybe even twice a week. There's just something about the combination of crunchy and succulent shrimp, crisp lettuce, spicy sauce, and juicy tomato that is so irresistible. This time, instead of soaking the shrimp in regular milk, I used buttermilk that I had left over from another recipe. It made the shrimp taste even better, so I'll continue to do that whenever I make these.

I've been making these Tuscan-style grilled chicken sandwiches for years, and they're still a family favorite. This time, I used chicken left over from another recipe (which I'll share soon, because YUM) and, after layering on the mozzarela and artichokes, I put the sandwiches in a warm oven to melt the cheese. I think I preferred them with the melted cheese, and I don't know why I never thought about doing that before.

This broccoli salad is one of the dishes I'm making for Easter dinner this year, and Joe's family (with whom we're having dinner) is practically forcing me to make it. I make it a lot for get-togethers with his family, and they are all insane about this stuff. I usually double the recipe when I make it for family gatherings, but this time they asked me to quadruple it, because they're always disappointed to not have seconds. If you haven't tried it, you really need to remedy that soon. It's amazing.

I'm also making carrot cake for Easter. Joe's grandma loves it, and I'm always happy when I make something she likes since she's an amazing cook. I love this recipe so much, and I think the best thing about it is how simple it is. There's nothing fancy or complicated about the recipe, but it truly is the best carrot cake I've ever tried.

The boys have been talking about Easter for weeks now, and I can't wait to see their faces on Sunday morning when they see all of the goodies the Easter Bunny brought for them. I'd like to wish all of you a Happy Easter! I promise I'll be better about posting next week. :)



Burger and Fries Friday: Bruschetta Burgers

It's spring! Yay! And also: HA. The joke is on us, because it was 19 degrees outside this morning. It was so cold, in fact, that my digital temperature display simple read: ICE. I think it, too, has just given up and decided to go into hibernation until warmer temperatures finally arrive.

It may still feel like winter outside where I live, but the fact is that it is spring, so I'm craving all kinds of spring and summer favorites -- one of which is bruschetta. Man, I love bruschetta. When I saw this idea for a burger, I couldn't believe I'd never thought of it before. Fresh, flavorful bruschetta, piled atop a cheeseburger. Betstill my heart.

I used my friend W's recipe for brushcetta, because her recipe is what I always use. It's just the best. I topped the burgers with provolone cheese, a generous pile of the bruschetta, and a smear of balsamic-infused mayonnaise, and put the whole business on a bun that I broiled like garlic bread. Ohhh yeah. That's really all I can say.

Bruschetta Burgers

inspired by Cookies and Cups

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (more to taste, if desired)

6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup basil, sliced into a chiffonade

1/4 cup finely-shredded asiago cheese

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 garlic clove, finely grated

Salt and pepper to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil (I usually use a couple of tablespoons)

4 hamburger burger patties

Salt and pepper to taste

4 slices provolone cheese

4 sandwich buns

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Pinch each of salt and pepper

1. Combine the mayonnaise and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl; refrigerate until serving.

2. Combine tomatoes, basil, asiago, onion, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil in another small bowl; cover and refrigerate until serving.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season burger patties with salt and pepper and cook, turning once, until desired doneness. Top each patty with a slice of cheese and remove from heat.

4. Combine butter, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Spread evenly over each bun half and place buttered-side-up on a baking sheet. Broil until browned and fragrant.

5. Serve the hamburgers on the garlic bread buns, topped with a generous pile of bruschetta and a slather of the balsamic mayonnaise.

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice with Peanuts

Has it really been a week since I last posted? I didn't intend for it to be quite that long, although I have been up to quite a few things since my last post -- including having my 30th birthday and painting and completely redecorating my kitchen. So I've been busy, but I've been doing some pretty exciting things!

I know I've professed my love for Cooking Light here many, many times, and I'm about to do it again. I recently went on a cookbook-buying spree (like I need anymore cookbooks...) and purchased a few more of Cooking Light's Annual Recipe volumes. I mean, I found three of them used on Amazon for 1 cent a piece...how could I pass that up? I'm not made of stone! This chicken fried rice recipe comes from the 2011 edition, and I wasn't surprised when we all loved it. In my experience, Cooking Light's recipes consistently knock it out of the park more than any other cooking magazine.

This stir fry is a little spicy, a little sweet, a little salty, and totally delicious. The additions of peanuts and bean sprouts give it such a nice crunch. You can use water chestnuts instead of the bean sprouts, but I don't typically use them because Joe doesn't like them. The bean sprouts were a delicious substitute. This came together pretty quickly, and we all had seconds. I really can't ask for more out of a meal than that!

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice with Peanuts

adapted from Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2011

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 diced red bell pepper

1 diced yellow bell pepper

1 diced white onion

2 tablespoons minced, peeled fresh ginger

2 cloves minced garlic

1/3 cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts, divided

4 cups cooked rice (use leftovers or Minute rice cooked as directed)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1. Combine first four ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

2. Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink. Add bell peppers and onions; stir fry 3 minutes or until tender. Add ginger, garlic and 3 tablespoons peanuts; stir fry 1 minute until fragrant.

3. Add rice, peas, and bean sprouts and stir fry until thoroughly heated. Add soy sauce mixture and cook two minutes, tossing gently to coat. Sprinkle each serving with remaining peanuts.