Italian Beef Sandwiches

If you are like me, you LOVE your crock-pot! Throw a bunch of stuff in there in the morning and that night - Wa-La - Dinner! This is a recipe that my mother-in-law has been making for YEARS! I can't even tell you the first time I had it, all I remember is that I loved it and have been making it for the almost 9 years we have been married. It is always good - and you can't mess it up! I have made many different sides to go with it. Everything from mac and cheese, pasta salad, baked beans or keep it super simple with some chips and a fruit salad. I hope you try it and enjoy it!

Italian Beef Sandwiches

2-3 lb. Eye of Round Roast

1 pkg. Au Jus (found by the dry gravy mixes)

1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix (found in the salad dressing aisle)

1 Onion - cut in half

1 Cup water

Put roast, water and onion in crock-pot. Mix the Au Jus and Good Seasons Italian in a bowl and add just enough water to make a paste. Pour over roast. Cook on high 7-8 hours. When the roast is tender, remove and discard onion and shred meat with 2 forks. Serve on sub rolls or kaiser rolls. I also add mozzarella or provolone cheese to our sandwiches!

Just For Fun

Like my banner states, I realize that I'm no Martha (Stewart, that is). I, like most stay at home moms, get stuck in this terrible rut of what I'm going to put on my menu and make for dinner each week. I thumb though countless recipe books, search the internet, talk to my mom, sister and friends trying to come up with something that is good, fairly quick to make and that my whole family will like. That can seem impossible at times. It dawned on me the other day that this whole blogging thing might be a great way to share some of my favorites with you and hopefully in turn, will receive some of your family favorites as well.

So, today, I am making my first ever post with a recipe I made tonight that I have made several times in the past few months and it's great every time! I found it online (thank you Giada), but I altered the recipe to work with my needs. (I am NOT making homemade marinara when I can grab a perfectly good jar at the store and save tons of time). So, here you go - simple, easy, yummy and healthy Chicken Parmesan. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Chicken Parmesan

Preheat Oven to 450 degrees

3-4 Chicken Breasts (pounded out if they are super thick)

1 Jar Bertolli Tomato and Basil Marinara

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. Each - Dried Rosemary, Thyme, Parsley

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 Tbsp. Butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine olive oil and dried herbs. Stir. Brush both sides of chicken with olive oil mixture. Using a large, oven proof skillet, add the chicken and cook over medium-high to high heat for about 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Pour marinara sauce over chicken and top each breast with cheeses and salt and pepper as desired. Put small pats of butter around skillet and on top of chicken. Put skillet in oven for 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While that is cooking, I boil some angel hair pasta and serve the chicken over the pasta. Add a salad and garlic bread and CHOW!

Because this isn't the traditional chicken parm (no breading), it's much lighter and healthier and it also cuts your preparation time down by a mile.

More to come! : )