Julia Child made it fancy with her iconic Boeuf Bourguignon. But you don’t have to get fancy to make a delicious, satisfying good old-fashioned Beef Stew. With a half a dozen vegetables, some good stew meat, a packet of dry soup mix and a few seasonings, you can’t help but have one heck of a hearty meal! With our chilly winter evenings, Beef Stew is the perfect tummy warming comfort food and it’s about the easiest dish you can cook up! There are a few tips to making this recipe fantastic. First, grab a good stew meat. I prefer chuck roast because it has a bit of fat which adds a lot of flavor. (I have tried sirloin or other higher end cuts, but the chuck roast seems to offer the most flavor.) Once you cut it in cubes, dredge the meat in flour and brown in a skillet before adding to the Crockpot, Instant Pot or Dutch oven. After the stew is done, taste it, and if it needs a bit more flavor, just add a little beef bouillon. If you haven’t had Beef Stew in a while, make this recipe and you’ll be reminded of why it will always be one of America’s favorite family dishes!
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Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip
You love jalapeno poppers. You love great Mexican dips. Now you can have them both with this cheesy, slightly spicy dish that gives you no choice but to dive in and indulge! The Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip is so simple to whip up, bake up and gobble up for those game day watch parties or for any get-together. It’s also one of those recipes that you can adapt, adjust and add to for more kick. This dip combines crispy bacon bits, shredded grilled or rotisserie chicken and several cheeses. When creating this recipe, I came across Alouette Spicy Jalapeno Spread in the deli section of the grocery store and decided to add it to the shredded cheddar and jack cheeses as well as the cream cheese. It’s optional, but it does add a spicy yet creamy texture. If you want the dip to have more heat, just add more diced jalapeños or green chiles. Love bacon? Just add more. I baked this dip in a cast iron skillet and served it right from the pan with lots of corn tortilla chips and some homemade flour tortilla chips. It can also be served with crustini, crackers or cut vegetables. This Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip is worth the deep dive into deliciousness!
Watch my How To Video for Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip here!
Buffalo Cheddar Chile Dip
Fajitas
Fajitas
It’s one of those favorite dishes on the menu at Mexican, Tex Mex and Southwestern-style restaurants. Fajitas refer to grilled meat or chicken usually served as a taco or alongside grilled peppers, onions and flour or corn tortillas. Fajitas are so simple to make at home. A delicious fajita starts with a great marinade. For this recipe, I’ve chosen a simple combination of ingredients, but if you prefer more heat, you can always add some red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne. For the chicken, I prefer skinless boneless chicken thighs, but chicken breasts work well too. For the meat, you’ll want something with a little bit of fat like a skirt or flank steak. With colorful peppers always available, a combination of green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers make a beautiful presentation along with a large, sweet yellow onion. To give the fajitas a real authentic flavor, you can toss your flour tortilla into a hot dry skillet or griddle for just a few seconds to give it the char marks and delicious flavor. Of course, you’ll want to top off your fajitas with all of your favorite fixings’ like avocado, pico de gallo, cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream. Plan ahead so the protein can marinate for several hours, then fire up the skillet or grill and get cookin’ south of the border style!
Watch my How To Video for Fajitas here!
Swedish Oven Pancakes
This recipe couldn’t be more simple or delicious. It’s a treasured breakfast dish that Jeanette Irwin served to guests for years at her historic Honey House Bed and Breakfast in Phoenix. Jeanette’s recipe is for Swedish Oven Pancakes, and I think it’s going to be one of your favorites, especially this time of year when out of town guests arrive for the holidays. It’s also perfect for a family style Sunday breakfast! Jeanette shared with me why this recipe is so special. “This is the heritage recipe that I had always for my guests. My great-grandmother came here from Sweden and it’s her recipe for Swedish Oven Pancakes. These pancakes are also called Pankannugen or Ugnspannkaka, and I bake my Pankannugen in a “pam”, or ceramic dish.” I tested Jeanette’s recipe it in a glass casserole dish and it turned out beautifully. It whips together in just a few minutes and is absolutely delicious, especially served with butter and maple syrup. So, a big thumbs up on this one. Thank you Jeanette, for allowing us to enjoy your heritage one delicious bite at time!
About the Honey House:
It was Featured on HGTV’s “If Walls Could Talk” Honey House was homesteaded in 1895. The original owner was the first agricultural agent for Arizona to teach beekeeping to the farmers. At one time there were 1,500 bee hives on the property. The giant eucalyptus in front of the house was declared a “Great Tree of Arizona” in 2004 by Gov. Napolitano.
