Recipe of the Week

So I've had a 3 pound roast sitting in my freezer for who knows how long! Last week as I was evaluating our freezer inventory, I decided it was time to cook the darn thing once and for all, but my mind drew a blank as to what I could do with it. Sure, there was the traditional meat and potatoes, but somehow that never tastes as good to me during the summer months. Plus, with a roast this size, we would never finish the leftovers before they went bad. I wanted something different. Something new.

Well wouldn't ya know the very week I'm stewing over what to make of this chunk of meat, my friend, Melissa posts a recipe on her blog calling for a 3 pound roast! Not only did it look yummy, but it was a solution to my problem! Double bonus! I tried these babies out tonight and was very VERY satisfied. So was Neil. So were Dan and Stef, who joined us. And so, Melissa, I am not trying to steal your thunder, but simply passing along a very special treat for more to benefit from. Thanks again for sharing.

Melissa's recipe can be found here. I used hers as a guide, but added slightly different ingredients. Do what you will. Regardless, it will taste good. I promise!

Shredded Beef Taquitos

Ingredients:

• 1 roast (I used a 3 lb. beef roast but I'm sure a pork roast would work great too)
• corn tortillas (my roast made about 30 taquitos - so 30 tortillas)
• canola oil
• seasonings (I used seasoned salt, garlic powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper)
• 1 7oz. can Herdez Salsa Verde
• 1 10oz. can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies (undrained)
• 1 green bell pepper, julienne sliced
• 1/2 red onion, julienne sliced
• olive oil
• butter

Instructions:

1. Heat some olive oil and butter (I did about 1 tbsp. of each) in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, place roast in skillet and brown on all sides. Transfer to crockpot. Add desired seasonings, Herdez Salsa Verde, Rotel tomatoes, bell pepper and onion. Cook on low for at least 8 hours or until roast easily falls apart.
   
2. Remove roast from crockpot (keep the juices produced from the roast in the crockpot). Shred roast and return to crockpot. Mix well until juices have absorbed into the meat.
   
3. In an electric skillet (or large skillet) heat canola oil (just enough to line the bottom of the skillet). Once oil is hot, fry corn tortillas only a few seconds on each side, then place on a paper towel-lined plate. This step simply prevents the tortillas from falling apart when you roll them into taquitos.
   
4. Fill corn tortillas with desired amount of shredded beef and roll up. Line taquitos on an ungreased cookie sheet (seam side down) and bake at 400 degrees for about 7 minutes. Flip and bake an additional 7 minutes or until desired crispiness is reached.

We enjoyed these with spanish rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream and salsa. They would make great appetizers, but we easily made a meal out of them. It's like good Mexican restaurant grub cooked right in your kitchen! Give 'em a try!

Recipe of the Week

These were sounding really good to me earlier this week, so I decided to make them today! They are considered an appetizer, but they also make a great meal over white rice (which is how we'll be eating them tonight). I used to take these to Neil's office potlucks and they were always a hit. They are easy and, quite frankly, the best cocktail meatballs I've ever tasted. Enjoy.

Barbecued Cocktail Meatballs

Ingredients:

Meatballs:
2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 c. ketchup
3 T. seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T. dried minced onion
3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. black pepper
1/4 t. salt

Sauce:
1 c. ketchup
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 6oz. can tomato paste
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 t. hot pepper sauce (to taste)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl combine meatball ingredients. Mix thoroughly with hands or wooden spoon. Shape into 1-inch meatballs.
Place meatballs in two 15x10-inch jelly-roll pans or shallow roasting pans. Bake 20 minutes, or until meatballs are nicely browned. Transfer meatballs to slow cooker.
In another large bowl combine sauce ingredients. Mix and pour over meatballs. Cover and cook on LOW 4-5 hours. Serve with toothpicks or over white rice.
Makes about 2 dozen meatballs. YUM!!!