There are no shortcuts to ropa vieja, a Spanish-inspired dish from Cuba that translates literally to “old clothes”. I’ve tried modifying it for the crock pot, but this is a meal that takes 4 hours to make, plain and simple. But boy is it worth it.
Our friends Tracy and Derek were coming by for the [...]

Sunday dinner this week was a team effort, pairing my pot roast with Samm’s unbelievably creamy “Wallpaper Paste” mashed potatoes. And so here are two recipes for you!
Slow Cooker Pot RoastINGREDIENTS:

1 4-lb. Pot Roast, well marbled, cut into chunks
3–4 large carrots (or two ENORMOUS carrots, like I used)
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into [...]

CONFESSION: I kind of love Hamburger Helper. Yes I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating. It’s a great starter for an interesting weeknight meal if you get creative enough.
Tonight I made the Cheesy Ranch Burger Hamburger Helper, but of course I added my own special touches to make it my own. I sautéed sliced [...]

CONFESSION: I know nothing about wine. Not even a little. I just know that red wine is good for cooking with red meat, while white wine is better for cooking with lighter meats and seafood. The good thing about this is, I’m totally not a snob. This allows me to try all sorts of new [...]

Usually I don’t make something as rich as Shepherd’s Pie or Scottish Meat Pies so close to each other, but since my friend Allen the Scot wasn’t able to make it for the Meat Pies I thought another tradition from the British Isles was in order.
I’ve been making this recipe for years and it’s certainly [...]

When my friend Samm asked me if I had a shortcut for Scottish Beef Pies, I was stumped but determined. Naturally, when she came over to work on her wedding invitations today, I had a plan to figure these puppies out.
Sometimes there just isn’t a shortcut for a recipe. In this case, by using refrigerated [...]

An excellent recipe for a rich mushroom sauce that’s perfect for steaks, polenta or over pasta.