"Corder Coffee Pot Roast"

Well, I got a Crockpot for Christmas this year which was a great gift knowing I would be a little tied up with 2 children when trying to prepare dinners in the evenings now. It definitely comes in handy when you don't want to fool with thinking about what’s for dinner at 5pm in the evening. However, I definitely plan to make delectable dinners from scratch as often as I can still (it’s my passion!).
I made a coffee pot roast last night and it was divine! :) I’m not big on pot roasts but this one I found online sounded worth trying. I put a little of my own spin on it and kind of made it my own, so I named it Corder Coffee Pot Roast as opposed to just Coffee Pot Roast. I figured a Crockpot recipe every now and then could still be a delectable entry for the blog, so here it is. Hope you try it and enjoy it!

Corder Coffee Pot Roast
2 large onions quartered
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 lbs chuck roast
1 cup brewed coffee
1/4 cup soy sauce
pepper to taste
1/4 cup cornstarch
8 tablespoons cold water


Quarter the beef roast.
Place half of the onions and garlic in the bottom of the crock pot.
Add half the beef.
Repeat.
Combine the coffee and soy sauce over beef and onions.
Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Remove beef.
Combine the cornstarch and water whisking to smooth.
Add to the juices in crockpot and stir well.
Return beef to crockpot and cover, cooking for another 30 minutes on high.

Taco Lasagna

Tried a new recipe this weekend now that the holidays are over and tradional Christmas and New Years cooking is done! The holidays were awesome but its nice to start cooking some new things now as well!!!! :) One of my Christmas gifts was a new cookbook by Food Network's Sandra Lee. It is her complete cookbook on SemiHomemade Cooking. Awesome awesome book! First recipe I conquered of hers was "Taco Lasagna". It was very simple and very delicious! Pretty filling I will admit, so the only thing you need to compliment this meal is a good tasty colorful garden salad! "No bread needed!!!!" :) Hope you enjoy as much as we did! Here's to the first of the year and many new recipes to blog! CHEERS!

Taco Lasagna


1 lb lean ground beef
1 packet low-sodium taco seasoning
1 can diced green chiles
1 cup chopped onion
1 container (16 ounce) ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning
1 can (28 ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 jar (16 ounce) chunky salsa
1 box lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions
3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese (I used less)


TACO LASAGNA

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, "I cooked my onions with the beef just out of preference."


Drain fat. Add 3/4 cup water, taco seasoning and green chiles.


Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, cilantro and Mexican seasoning, "I could not find Mexican seasoning already mixed up so I combined cumin,onion powder,garlic salt and chili powder to equal 1 TBS."


In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes and salsa.


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a deep 9x13 baking dish, spread 1/4 of the sauce on bottom of dish. Add a layer of noodles. Top with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 ground beef, 1 cup shredded cheese, 1/4 sauce and another layer of noodles.







Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. End with a layer of just noodles, sauce and cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.


Garnish with cilantro before serving.