Beef & Barley Stew

February 19, 2019 Amanda Plott

It is cold, raining, and yucky here today. So, naturally… that calls for a hearty meal. Stew sounds about right to me! And with St. Patrick’s Day coming up soon, you know I’ve got to be sure there’s some Irish stew going on.

This beef stew is one of my new favorite dinners for cold weather. Which let me just say, isn’t a label that comes lightly. I haven’t worked with barley a whole lot before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But, it was a wonderful addition to stew! There’s big chunks of beef, mushroom, vegetables, and of course that barley in there to help thicken it all up…

French Dip Bites + Au Jus

February 4, 2019 Amanda Plott

Sometimes the family just wants something light and snacky for dinner. These French Dip Bites are perfect for being added to any game day or get-together spread. They’re rather quick and easy to make… and that homemade au jus? Mmm… that may just be the best part! It’s delicious and almost fool proof.

Usually au jus can be complicated and time consuming. This one though? Easy breezy with no drippings required. Plus, being as its homemade, you get to decide how to season it! While the bites themselves are delicious the au jus is really the star of the show here…

Sailor Stew

October 7, 2018 Amanda Plott

I’ve made this stew a couple of times before, and mostly just for testing purposes. Sometimes it takes more than one run to get these things just right. But, I can honestly say that I haven’t minded the process with this one!

The first time I made it, I did so in the Instant Pot. It turned out well enough, but I really wanted this to be a stew that everyone could cook. Not just those with a pressure cooker. I also ended up adding in some potatoes and carrots to make this a more veggie-ful dish. Those veggies, along with the beans in there, really makes this a hearty meal all on it’s own…

Spooky 'Monster' Tacos

September 20, 2018 Amanda Plott

Cooler weather is coming… Halloween is coming! And being as it is my most favorite holiday, I’ve got to have some fun with it. I’ll be honest in saying that these are my standard, average, run-of-the-mill tacos that I make using extra lean ground beef and just a few other notable swaps along the way.

This time of year though? I like to make them a little spooky! With a few dollops of Greek yogurt, plain Jane tacos turn into MONSTER tacos! Mauahahaha. I’m so in love with Halloween that I made these tacos whilst in the middle of a horrible back spasm. Tacos are awesome as they are. But, cute tacos always win.

Spinach & Artichoke Mediterranean Burgers (Lettuce Wrapped)

June 28, 2018 Amanda Plott

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Reese Specialty Foods. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Just about everyone enjoys a good burger. Especially during the summertime when grilling season is in full swing! I don't know about you, but I always like to play around with burger flavors. I guess that started some years back now when I was in high school and my parents started buying these 'fully loaded' burgers from a local grocery chain. They were always delicious but super expensive! I knew even then how easy they would be to make ourselves at home, and how much cheaper and better they would be too!

Now, I'll be honest in saying that, originally, I was just going to shoot for a spinach and artichoke burger. But I figured, why stop there? We're going way outside the box here! So, I ended up making these Spinach & Artichoke Mediterranean Burgers which really couldn't be any more fully loaded…

Cowboy Pot Roast (Instant Pot)

April 21, 2018 Amanda Plott

Welp! It was a crazy day today. My family and I woke up to the thrilling sounds of a S.W.A.T. team surrounding the neighbor's house across the street from us at a ripe old 7 a.m. We got to witness a 6-hour standoff between cops, S.W.A.T., and US marshalls against a man that had been barricaded inside the house. INSANE. Back to reality though...

It's my little brother's birthday and he specifically asked for a pot roast for his birthday dinner! And you know me... I can't just leave well enough alone. I've always got to shake things up a little. I had found this really cool idea for a 'cowboy' style pot roast a while back, and I thought, what better time than now to make it my way!…