Summer Poppyseed Salad

I am a big fruity salad fan, so this is one of my favorites.

Combine in a large salad bowl:
Romaine or green leaf lettuce
1 can mandarin oranges
1 avocado, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 apple, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/4 dried cranberries
1/2 cup blue cheese or gorgonzola crumbles

Dressing:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp onion flakes or crushed onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
3/4 tsp. poppy seeds

Pour dressing over salad and toss immediately before serving.

Crock Pot Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

I found this recipe in a magazine at my doctor's office and tried it last night. It was so yummy and so easy. A new favorite for us!

3 lb. roast, well trimmed
1/2 cup cola (I used Dr. Pepper)
3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 Tbsp. Corn Starch
1/2 cup warm water
8 Hoagie Buns

Place roast in crock pot. In a separate bowl combine cola, ketchup, mustard and worchestershire sauce. Pour over meat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. About 15-20 minutes before serving, mix corn starch and warm water and pour into sauce to thicken it up. Slice meat thinly and serve on buns. Yum!

Taco Soup

So I am done with Girlfriends Kitchen and have started cooking again. This is my first recipe contribution. It is a crockpot hamburger recipe. Sorry I am month late since this was a February request.

1/2 lb browned hamburger
1 can kidney beans
1 can pork and beans
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1/4 pkg of taco seasoning

Combine above ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 4 -6 hours. Serve over tortilla chips with shredded cheese and sour cream on top.

Crock Pot Hawaiian Haystacks

I wanted to make Hawaiian Haystacks for the kids because I knew they would love piling on the toppings, but wanted something with quick prep, so I experimented in the crock pot and it turned out fantastic. If you have any suggestions for making the recipe better since I am no cooking expert, feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.

1 lb. chicken breasts or tenders cut into bite sized pieces (I am lazy and just used my serving spoon to shred tenders into smaller pieces right before serving)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup water
cooked white rice

toppings (chopped or diced):
tomatoes
celery
green peppers
pineapple
mandarin oranges
olives
water chestnuts
grated cheese
coconut
almonds
crunchy chow mein noodles

Line bottom of crock pot with raw chicken. In a separate bowl, combine soup, sour cream, and water in a small bowl and stir until mixed. Pour soup mixture over chicken and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

To assemble the haystack, put a pile of rice on your plate, cover with chicken and sauce, top with cheese (so it will melt) and whatever other toppings you wish (I put everything in small bowls and let everyone top their own with the stuff they like). Enjoy!

Easy Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is a no-brainer, delicious, and super convenient since it has both your starch and veggies all in one. My husband, who is really picky, liked them so much that he's requested this dish 3 Sundays in a row! It also makes a ton--way too much for our small family--but I save the leftovers to puree with chicken broth into a vegetable soup.

2 large Russet potatoes
4-5 carrots
2 parsnips
1/2 bag frozen pearl onions, defrosted
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning (or a mix of 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, and 1 tsp. garlic powder)

Other substitutes:
Butternut squash
Sweet potatoes

Preheat oven to 425. Dice vegetables into large bite size pieces. Make sure you cut everything relatively similar in size, and a little larger than you normally would since the veggies will shrink up a lot when they roast. Toss all veggies onto a rimmed cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with seasoning. Toss until well coated, then spread into 1 layer. Roast for about 40 minutes or until veggies are tender, turning once with a spatula about halfway through the cook time. If you like extra crispy, browned veggies, broil for an additional 1-3 minutes.