Today's Special: Not Exactly Healthy but it's Delicious!

Sunday: Coffee-Braised Pot Roast with Caramelized Onions-New Recipe. This was the best roast I've had in a long time. It was perfectly tender and moist and it still had that crunchy/chewy delicious outer crust. I had to thin out the braise liquid at the end of cooking to make the gravy as there wasn't much liquid left and it was really strong tasting and salty. I probably added at least a cup or so. This recipe may force the crock-pot out of the kitchen for a while.

Monday: Shredded Beef Chimichangas- Whenever I make a roast I buy an extra large one so I can use the leftovers to make chimichangas. I don't really have a recipe for these... it's just something I made up. All you do is shred what's left of the roast, mix it with enough green enchilada sauce (or red if you prefer) to moisten the mixture and make it more cohesive and then if you like more heat, add a small can of green chilies. Wrap the mixture up burrito style in a large tortilla and fry in about a 1/2 inch of oil or so, flipping as each side becomes golden brown. I like to top mine with shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole & sour cream. So good and super fast!

Tuesday: Brie Stuffed Meatball & Red Wine Mushroom Sauce Subs- New Recipe. I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog. I saw the name of the recipe and knew I had to try it. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack after eating this, but man, it sure was good!

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie- Old favorite. I read on Annie's blog that she was making chicken pot pie this week and it made me realize I hadn't made it for a while. This is one of my favorite recipes.

Chicken Pot Pie

Crust

1 1/3 c + 1 tbsp. shortening (cold)
3 2/3 c flour
1 1/4 tsp. salt
9-11 tbsp. cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt until it forms particles the size of peas. Sprinkle in water 1 tbsp. at a time, tossing with a fork until flour is moistened. Gather mixture into a ball and split into two evenly sized balls.
Flatten one of the balls into a 4" disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll out the other ball on a floured surface until it is big enough for a pie plate or 8x8 square baking dish. Carefully lay crust into pie plate.

Filling

1 package (10-16oz) frozen peas and carrots
1/3 c margarine or butter
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1/3 c chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped (optional)
1 3/4 c chicken broth
2/3 c milk
2 1/2-3 c cooked and shredded chicken

Pour veggies into a colander and rinse in water to thaw. Drain. Heat butter in 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat until melted. Stir in flour, onion, salt, pepper and rosemary (if using). Cook for 1 minute. Add milk and broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in chicken and veggies.

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Remove second pie dough disk from refrigerator and roll out of a floured surface until large enough to cover pie plate. Drape over top of filling. Seal edges together and flute. Cut four slits in top of crust. Bake for about 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.

Thursday: Greek Gyro Pizza (Tzatziki Sauce)- New Recipe. A few weeks ago we had a Band Hero party with some friends. Seth and I were in charge of the pizza, so we ordered a few from The Pie, including their Greek Pizza. It was basically a gyro on a pizza crust. And it was so delicious! I figured I could make it myself, so I did! I just used the tzatziki sauce recipe above as the base sauce, mozzarella, pre-cooked gyro meat (from the butcher shop), thinly sliced red onions and tomatoes, and feta cheese. It turned out really good and we even had enough gyro meat left over for regular gyros. I'd definitely make this again.

Friday: Shrimp & Cheddar Grits- New Recipe. I wasn't really looking forward to this recipe... mainly because I'd never actually had grits before and wasn't sure it would turn out right. This was incredibly easy to make and the grits were awesome! I'm going to have to experiment with grits more I guess!

Bonus: Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Bread- New Recipe. This recipe also came from the Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog. I had a bunch of ripe bananas to use up and this fit the bill. The recipe can either make two regular loaves, or you can make one loaf and use the rest to make muffins... which is what I did. Great addition to the breakfast plate or as a sweet snack!