Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

I ended up finding some beef ribs on sale when I went grocery shopping last weekend so that was a great way to continue my quest of making foods I don't like but that my two boys would love. I found this recipe on Food.com.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/3 tsp cayenne pepper

5/8 tsp ground cumin

1/4 cup brown sugar

5/8 Tbsp Paprika

1 tsp salt

2 1/2lbs beef ribs

1 bottle of barbecue sauce

Directions

1. Combine rub ingredients mixing well.

2. Rub on all sides of ribs.

3. Place ribs meaty side up in crock pot. (I had to break my set of ribs in half and set one on top of the other as they all didn't fit into the crock pot.)

4. Cover, cook on low for 6 hours.

5. Drain the grease from the crock.

6. Place the ribs back in and cover with bbq sauce.

7. Cook for another hour.

By the look on his bbq covered face, I'm thinking these were a hit. What do you guys think?

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Chili Mac

I am a huge connoisseur of all things chili. Even though it gives me heart burn like you wouldn't believe, I still love it and will eat it anyway. Because of my love of all things chili, I'm a huge fan of Hamburger Helper's Chili Mac. But damn those boxes are expensive and they never make enough for left overs. So I went on a quest to make my own and found a recipe for it here: Southernfood.about.com. I was skeptical at first looking at the ingredients. I mean, I make a pretty mean chili so I wasn't positive that this would turn out all right. But what the hell I love to experiment in the kitchen. Even if it turns out to be a huge flop at least I got to try a new recipe. And well, as it turns out, this recipe was a huge hit even though I didn't have all the ingredients. It tastes 5 times better then Hamburger Helper ever could.

Ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck, browned and drained well

2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes with juice

1 can tomato paste (6 oz)

1 envelope taco seasoning mix

2 teaspoons ground cumin (I didn't have cumin so I substituted with cayenne pepper)

1 can (15oz) beans (pinto w/jalapenos, black, etc.) - (I used a can of black beans)

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, or 1 (16oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)

2 tablespoons instant tapioca (I couldn't find instant tapioca at the store so I left this ingredient out)

1 package macaroni and cheese or shells and cheese, deluxe type (I didn't have the deluxe, so I used two boxes instead of one.)

Directions

Combine first 10 ingredients in a 3 1/2-quart or larger Crock Pot; cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours. Cook macaroni and cheese according to package directions and combine with Crock Pot mixture after it is done cooking (may need a separate large bowl). Add salt and pepper as desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

Anyway! Enjoy this meal. I'm sure it will be huge hit with the kids as it was with mine!

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

I stumbled across this recipe a few months ago and unfortunately I don't remember where I found it. However, it is a favorite in this house, especially after I made a few changes to it to fit my mexican style cooking. hehe...Ya know, I'm not even sure I know what that means. Any who! Here is this fantastic recipe!

Prepare Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 25 mins
Serving Size: 5


Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can refried beans - fat free
• 16 oz. Salsa
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 2 1/2 cups tortilla chips, coarsely broken
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• Sour cream (optional)

Method

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F. in 12-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Half way through browning add onions and the red and green peppers. Continue cooking until all meat is cooked thoroughly and onions are clear; drain. Stir in refried beans, salsa and taco seasoning mix. Reduce heat to medium. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.
• In ungreased 3-quart casserole, place 2 cups of the broken tortilla chips. top evenly with beef mixture. Sprinkle with the tomato and add the cheese.
• Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and cheese is melted. top baked casserole with lettuce and remaining tortilla chips.

Because I do suffer from heart burn occasionally due to my love of all things spicy and mexican, I usually add a dab of sour cream to the top of my casserole after I dish it to my plate.

Enjoy!