Slow cooker roast beef with horseradish, potato dumplings & carrots

Though this is not a pretty photo, the flavor is amazing!
A labor intensive recipe with the reward of deliciousness at the end.
Perfect to make on a lazy weekend day.
We started at noon and ate dinner at 8! It takes a while~

Heavily season your 4lb beef chuck roast with fresh cracked black pepper, on all sides.
No salt, please!

Meat wielding.

Sear away! This takes 5 minutes for each side.

Slice a medium onion in half then in 1/4" slices.

Roughly chop 4-6 cloves of garlic. Place onion & garlic in bottom of slow cooker.

Measure out 1/2 cup low sodium beef broth and 1/4 cup red wine. You know what to do with the rest of that wine.

Mix 2 cans cream of mushroom soup (low sodium), 2 packets of soup mix (super salty), wine and low sodium beef broth. This mix is poured over the roast once it's in the crock pot.

Almost done searing/browning on all sides (the top is next). This adds flavor.

One big hunk of meat! We're lucky the lid fit on. We cooked it on high 4 hours, low for 2 hours.
If you are a seasoned crock pot cooker, you know these times seem to vary widely. One recipe called for 6 to 8 hours on low! Anyhow, if you are pressed for time, it does not hurt to rev it up on high!
Cook 2 unpeeled Maine or russet potatoes (1 lb) in boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Run cold water on them and remove to a plate and refrigerate until cold. Peel the skins and finely grate them.
To make dumplings: mix 1 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp ground nutmeg (do without if you are not a fan), a tablespoon or more each of chopped parsley and chives.
Whisk up an egg and add to the potatoes. Add to the flour mix and combine until a dough forms.

Form into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls.

Boil the dumplings in beef stock.
A 32oz carton was the right amount, in a small 1 1/2 qt sauce pan. I did it in two batches, about 10 per batch. If the liquid runs low, just add water. Time for 12 minutes once the last one is dropped in. At first they sink then rise to the surface.

Tester approved!

Notes on serving: Remove beef to a cutting board and cut away (if any) strings. Slice into 1/2" slabs and plate.
Top with two dumplings, then gravy from pot and a generous spoonful of horseradish.
Serve with carrots (3 carrots peeled and sliced, microwaved for 3 minutes with a pat of butter, splash of water and generous dousing of marjoram).

Pork chops with mustard sauce, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted root vegetables

This dinner was plate-licking good! A nice hearty meal for a wintry day. Don't forget about pork: the other white meat. It is really inexpensive and when not overcooked, flavorful and juicy. Flavor it up with a delicious sauce.
First I made the mashed potatoes.
When you do it, make the roasted veg first. No biggie but I made the potatoes first & they were luke warm upon serving.
Use whatever potato(es) please you. I opted for red b/c my little shopper did not want yukons. (Red is more attractive, after all.) Think shrieking toddler in the super. Ok, red it is!
We had leftover 1/2 & 1/2 from the quiche so I used that. Use heavy cream or any fat form of milk. I generally use whole milk but tend to compensate with lots of butter. Pour your poison into a measure (1/3 cup for 1 lb potatoes) and allow to warm up a bit while you cook.
Also included: 2 TB butter, a few cloves of garlic (chop it) and a potato masher.
Put potatoes in a pot, cover with 1" water and put on to boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Test with a pointy knife. It should slide right in. Drain and set potatoes aside, put butter in on medium low and melt.
Add garlic and cook until softened, stop when it starts to brown.
Slice cooked potatoes (skins on) in half, then quarter halves. This will make them easier to mash. Put the pieces into the butter and mash away! Do it minimally, they can turn gummy if you work it too much. Pour in the dairy and incorporate. Salt & pepper to taste.
Pare off the skins of 4 carrots and 2 parsnips and cut into pieces no more than 1" long and 1/2" thick. Cut 1/2 of a red onion into quarters. Remove and throw out any green innards.
Put in a dish you can cover and drizzle a scant amount of olive oil over (1TB) and salt & pepper (and any herbs you want). Cover and shake to evenly coat.
Roast (I use nonstick foil) at 400º for 10 minutes, toss veg then increase heat to 450º for another 20 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye out and toss them again and/or adjust the cooking time.
The pork chops went right into the used veg bowl and I used tongs to handle. Lightly coat both sides with olive oil then S & P both sides. Heat your covered skillet/saucepan on medium high (no oil in the pan).
Someone kept saying, "It's time for dinner!" and "Dinner's almost ready!" repeatedly so I appeased him with a bowl of the potatoes.
Cook the chops in the hot pan, time for 3 minutes. Pork is ready to turn if it's not sticking to the pan. Partially cover it to keep the oil spray/smell down.
Turn then cover and cook remaining 3 minutes. Put on a plate and cover. Typically I use foil but in a vain of environmental consciousness I opted for a plastic bottom from a reused takeout container. The chops continue to cook in their residual heat and will release some juices onto the plate on which they sit.

Pour your glass of white wine (or from a bottle) into the pan. Bring to a nice simmer and reduce the volume by half. Add a good plop (2 TB?) of mustard, a grainy one is nice.

Have and encourage your curious child help out even if it's no help ;D

The roasted veg are done!

The tester cleared his plate! He didn't eat more potatoes since he had a bowl earlier. The large red onion pieces were rejected, understandably (should have cut down).
He was nice enough to fork them over to me, explaining they were yummy birthday cake! That did the trick and I gobbled them up!

Stuffed Chicken Breast Wrapped in Bacon

Chop and drain (and blot with paper towels) sundried tomatoes in oil, and dice up some garlic.

Slice Gruyere (or whatever cheese appeals to you) to fit into a large breast (so big, we split it).

Saute the garlic. Mix with the tomatoes once done.

Stuff breast with cheese and tomato/garlic mixture. Pin closed with minimal amount of toothpicks. I used one. Wrap breast in bacon (4 slices were right for this beast of a breast). Again, try to pin minimally (since you will have to fish them out later).
Heat your pan (with cover) on medium/medium-low.
I used a small amount of olive oil to coat (or a spray) and add the breast once the pan is heated.
Mostly cover with lid to prevent spattering and to help cook the thick breast. Set a timer to three minutes and don't attempt to budge it until then or else the bacon will stick.
If the bacon sticks, give it more time. Flip then cook another 3.
At this point I stop timing but try to cook up the sides so the bacon is crisped on all edges. Think lots of flipping and waiting a minute or two at a time.

A ridiculous upright frying position.

Plated up and ready to eat!
Accompanied by rice pilaf (1/2 package of Near East) and from the freezer Birdseye mixed veg.

We always love to have some Cavit Pinot Grigio with our dinner.

The tester approves!

The aftermath.

Chicken, Provolone, Pesto and Pepper Panini

This sandwich is very much open to interpretation and what you have on hand. I did make a special trip to the supermarket to buy Pastene jarred pesto. I have never gone this route but at $3.79 vs. $5.99 for "fresh", it was delicious and doable.
Fire up the press.
Spray cooking spray on outer pieces of bread (we used Scali).
Spread thin layer on mayo on inner sides. Spread pesto over that.
Top one side with sliced deli chicken and top with kalamata olives (no olives for Alex) and banana pepper rings.
Top with slices of provolone cheese then sliced pepperoni. Note: most pepperonis can but super fatty so microwave for 30 sec. on doubled over paper towels to extract it.
Put on the press and cook until the cheese it oozing and delicious!
This reminded us of a calzone, it was so good.