Pioneer Woman's Perfect Pot Roast

Everyone knows I'm in love the Pioneer Woman. More like obsessed actually. I day dream about her all the time. I want to live in her house, and work on her ranch, and homeschool her kids, and cook for her husband...okay, enough. This is her pot roast recipe. Her Perfect Pot Roast Recipe. I thought I already had a great pot roast recipe of my own, until I made this one. It's the only one I will ever make again. It's just, well, perfect!

You need:
1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 whole Onions
6 whole Carrots
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste
1 cup Beef Broth
2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices. When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.
Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.
If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.
With the burner still on high, add beef broth to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.
When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.
Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Breadsticks with Parmesan Butter

I love love love breadsticks. Is there anyone that doesn't though?
This recipe makes about 30 sticks, so plan on eating them for days...or freezing some dough...or having me over for dinner :)

You need:
2 pkgs. active dry yeast
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups warm water
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
4.5-5 cups flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tbsp. of sugar in 1 cup of water.
Once dissolved, add the oil, egg, salt, 2 cups of the flour, remaining sugar, and remaining water.
Beat until smooth. Stir in enough flour now to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 6-8 minutes, til elastic-like. (If you are freezing half of this recipe, freeze after kneading)
Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease entire ball of dough. Cover and let rise til doubled, 40 min.
Punch the dough down and turn onto floured surface again. Divide into 30 pieces and shape each into a 6 inch rope. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Cover and let rise again til doubled, 25 min.
Bake at 400 for 10-12 min.
In a small bowl, cream together butter, parmesan, and garlic powder. Brush over sticks while they're still hot, or serve on the side.
Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie with a Sage Biscuit Crust

Mmm Mmm Mm! This is a good one. This is a variation of a recipe I got from an old Marlboro cookbook. My husband requested that I make it this week, before it gets too hot out. He has a thing about eating "winter" dishes in the summer. I, on the other hand, can eat anything anytime.

You Need:
1.5 cups frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. dried sage
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Biscuits:
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. cumin
6 tbsp. shortening
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp. corn syrup
1 tsp. water

Prepare biscuits first. Combine Flour, baking powder, salt, sage, and cumin in a mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add milk and mix to moisten. Shape into a ball and roll out onto a floured surface. Roll or pat into an 8' circle. Cut into 8 wedges. When chicken mixture is ready, top with these biscuit wedges and brush with corn syrup and water mixture.

For the chicken mixture: In a 10' skillet, or even better a cast iron skillet, saute corn and peppers in 1 tbsp. of butter, until tender. Remove them from pan. Melt remaining butter in same skillet and stir in the flour and seasonings. Add broth and milk, cook til it thickens. Add the chicken, veggies, and lemon juice. Transfer to a 2.5 quart baking dish (unless you are using a cast iron skillet). Top with sage biscuits and bake at 350 for 35-45 min.
Enjoy!