Challenge 11: Pot Roast

Confession: I made this probably 2 months ago. And I am just now posting it. Go ahead, yell and pump those virtual fists at me. I deserve it.



This pot roast claims to be perfect. I was pretty skeptical going in to it, but it proved me wrong. It was perfect.

But it's also dangerous.



Browning these onions in scorching hot oil is just asking for trouble. Hot oil and onions were popping and flying all over my kitchen!!

But she said to do it, so I did it. And then I did the same thing to the carrots.



Not as dangerous.



Delish.

Real whole carrots are 10 X's better than baby.



I then seared the roast before cooking it completely and I have to tell you, I've never done this before. It seems pointless, but PW said to, so I did.

And I'm glad I listened. It's NOT pointless.





I love the unique herbs she throws in the pot roast. Makes for a flavor explosion!



Simmer, baby. Simmer down.



Into the oven she goes and she came out....



absolutely perfect.

Challenge 10: Chicken Pot Pie

There are few dishes as comfortable and homey as Chicken Pot Pie. I am a self proclaimed CPP connoisseur and with all of the fabulous ones I have had, I have had my fair share of disgusting ones.

This, my friends, was one of the best in the world.

I saw a Throw Down with Bobby Flay not long ago and the challenge was CPP's. Since that day, I've craved them some intensely that I couldn't wait any longer to make it. I usually make one several times during the Winter season, but for whatever reason, I didn't make one at all this year!

And wouldn't you know that when I buckled down and finally bought the ingredients for it and planned an evening to make it, the temperature was 83 degrees outside. Ho Hum. Oh well, it was still scrumptious! Seriously, the best homemade pot pie I've ever had. Make it. Now.



I don't know how people dice carrots into teeny tiny squares. Really, it's a mystery to me. But I prefer big chunks of carrots anyway, so I just cut 'em up like I usually do. The base of this recipe is a beautiful trio of carrots, onion and celery. Oh, and half a stick of butter. Buttah.



A pot pie isn't a pot pie without some sweet peas. Delish, friends. Delish.



Well look at all of those beautiful colors. Pretty like a picture! Oh wait...



Chunks of chicken. Roasted chicken. This chicken smelled so good I wanted to hide in a corner with a jar of salt and pepper and commence to gorging.



A cup of flour covers the mixture and makes it really sticky and really thick. But just for a minute.



In goes the chicken stock and bouillon cube. I love bouillon cubes because they are so little and cute yet they throw a kick of flavor that will knock your socks off.



See? Cute little cube.



After lots of salt and pepper, it was time to add some heavy whipping cream and stir for a few more minutes to let thicken. The saucey gravy this makes is UN.REAL.



In to the pie dish we go! Make sure your pie plate is super deep. You've been warned.



What a pitiful little X I made. Silly me. That's what happens when you have a Weebie tugging on your legs.

After half an hour in the hotsy totsy oven, this is your result!!





It is so hot, creamy, and packed full of robust flavor. It is absolutely delicious and I want to give Ree a standing ovation for sharing this recipe with the world.



If Husby told me once that it was "fantastic", he told me 87 times. Seriously. Yum.

Challenge 8: Chicken Spaghetti

This was my first encounter with chicken spaghetti. I have often heard of it, but have never tasted it.



The very term "chicken spaghetti" doesn't sound too appetizing. Some things just don't belong in the same sentence. Like toenails and ice cream. But it doesn't at all taste like it sounds. It's not your typical red sauce spaghetti with chicken chunks instead of ground beef. Thank goodness.



I've noticed that a lot of these recipes call for a green bell pepper. Or a red one. Which is fine by me because I love bell peppers. My nickname in high school was Bell Pepper Whitney.

Just kidding.



My water boiled over. Can you tell? It made a sizzling, smoking mess.



I could be a Top Chef with my chopping skills.



Al dente!



In a very large bowl, you mix the noodles, cream of mushroom/chicken soups, peppers, onions, cheese, pimentos and a variety of seasonings! Oh, and of course, the chicken.

I forgot to get any pictures of the chicken. Oops. I just boiled a few breasts and shredded them.



This is a very colorful dish. But you can't tell because of all the cheese I threw on top. Ree made me do it.



Hot, bubbly and simply delicioso!



Want some?

Come on over. I need someone to help photograph my steps because I get to cooking and forget to snap pictures. So come on over and help me. K? Thanks.



Chicken. Spaghetti. Yummy.

Challenge 6: Meatloaf!

I have to admit. I was a little leery of this recipe because there is bacon on it. Bacon on a meatloaf? It just seemed a little weird to me. But I went with it.



Here's my bread soaking in milk. Sop Sop Sop it up!



The rest of the ingredients were thrown into a bowl and I got to mixin'. With my hands! Ground beef, parsely, parmesan cheese, the milk soaked bread, eggs, salt, season salt and pepper and....I strayed from the recipe and added an onion. I'm sorry. I just can't imagine a meatloaf without an onion. It's just sinful to think about.

Sorry, PDUB.

Forgive me?



Now isn't that appetizing? I am very anti meatloaf in a bread pan because it can just never get crispy! And I love my meatloaf ends. So I flattened it and made it wide.



Here goes the bacon! We didn't realize it when we bought it, but we chose "thick sliced" bacon. I won't do that again.



This topping (tomato gravy, as PW calls it), is exactly like the one my Mom always makes. Which is what I always make, too. So, I was very happy with that, because it's simply the best.



I covered the loaf in the topping and popped it in the oven for about an hour and 15. Mmmmmm.....!



It turned out wonderfully! It was SO delicious. I kind of feel like the bacon was kind of pointless being there, but that may just be me. But everything else was fabulous.

If you don't like meatloaf, I bet you'll like this one.

Challenge 3: Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich

Let me just say, that we may need to adjust the name of this sandwich a little bit. Let's call it "Medical Man's Favorite Sandwich", because Husby devoured all of his and half of mine. It was quite a hit in our house, to say the least!

You know it's going to be a good recipe when you bust out the cast iron skillet. Because, really. What doesn't taste like Heaven when prepared in a cast iron skillet?



The other factor that guaranteed a successful supper was the crazy (awesome) amounts of this:



Seriously. Almost an entire stick of butter goes into these bad boys. P-Dub, don't you REALIZE that SOME OF US are still trying to lose the last few pounds of bebe weight?!



Ummm, on second thought....keep creating recipes with lots and lots of butter. My love handles can stay a little longer. Ya know, for the sake of supporting the butter churners of the world. It's all about priorities.



To me, there are few things in life that smell better than onions sauteing in butter. Can I get an Amen?



Usually raw meat gags me. But it's kind of fun cutting cube steak. It's so tender and easy to work with. Kind of like me.



I created quite a steam bath while sizzling these babies. I almost called the weather man to have him warn the residents of my little town. It was worse than any fog you've ever witnessed.

They come by their name honestly, with all the smoke they produce. Wowza!

After a few shakes of this and squirts of that, everything came together in one pan and Marlboro Man Sandwiches were born.





Everything is better on a buttered, toasted hoagie bun.



TA-DA!!!!!



Thank you, Ree, for bringing these to my life. My husband might kiss your feet.



But that would be weird, so he may just give you a high five.





What a wonderful sandwich! Buy the cookbook and make it. Your husband will do cartwheels.