Sheet Pan Ranch Italian Pork Chops

   I have been watching a lady on youtube that does a lot of sheet pan dinners and she gets a lot of her recipes from Six Sisters Stuff...who I also love..they have a ton of great recipes! You can find the original recipe HERE. In the original, you use a package of Italian dressing mix but for some reason, I can never find it where I live so I used a packet of ranch dressing and added Italian seasoning. This turned out really juicy and flavourful and so easy to put together. The original has it with baby potatoes and carrots but you can do whatever veggie floats yer boat! If you are leary about doing pork chop recipes because they are always so dry....you'll like this one. 

Ingredients

5 Tbsp of oil

1 packet of Ranch dressing mix

approx 2 tsp of Italian seasoning (I just poured it in)

1 tsp smoked paprika (again..I didn't measure..this stuff is good)

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

6 pork chops

Veggies of your liking - baby potatoes, carrots, asparagus, brussel sprouts, sweet potatoes

just a few ideas. 

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

I also used vegetable seasoning - a few shakes. 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large sheet pan with non-stick spray. 

In a medium bowl or I used a pie plate. Mix together dressing mix packet, paprika, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and oil. Dip each pork chop in the oil mixture, making sure to coat both sides and place them on the prepared baking sheet. (I forgot the oil part and just drizzled it on each side and spread it around after I coated them.) 

Cut up vegetables and add them to the sheet pan. Drizzle some olive oil on top and sprinkle salt and pepper and seasoning. Toss lightly to coat. 

Bake for 35-40 mins or until pork chops are fully cooked. 

You could totally do this with chicken breasts or thighs as well. 

Dinner is served! 

Instant Pot French Dip

I've made french dip before and cooked the roast in my slow cooker but couldn't find the recipe I used so I tried this one for my instant pot. It turned out really juicy and had a lot of flavour in the au jus. The recipe I used a couple of different recipes and did my own thing. The picture and one of the recipes I used comes from marginmakingmom.com the link is HERE.

We really enjoyed this one so I hope you will too!

2-3 pound roast (chuck is commonly used - I used top sirloin)
2 cups of beef broth
1Tbsp olive oil
1 packet au jus mix
1 packet onion soup mix
1/2 large sweet onion cut into strips
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
Salt/pepper/garlic powder
12-16 slices of provolone cheese
approx 8 sub rolls (depending on size)
Butter to spread on rolls

Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to all sides of the roast. Turn the Instant Pot on saute to heat up. Add the olive oil to the bottom and when it is hot add the roast and cook on all sides for approx 3 mins on each side until nice and brown. As the roast is searing cut up the onion. Once the roast is browned on all sides take it out onto a plate. Keep the Instant Pot on saute and add more oil if needed. Add the sliced onions and saute until clear, add garlic and stir for a min more. Add beef broth making sure to scrape the yummy brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the onion soup mix, au jus mix, and Worcestershire Sauce then add the roast back in.

 Close the lid and put on sealing.  Cook on Manual or Pressure Cook setting for 60 mins with a natural release of about 15 mins then release any pressure that is left.

Take the roast out and shred then cover with foil. Take the rolls and cut them in half. Spread some butter on each half and sprinkle with garlic powder. Put under the broiler to toast for a couple of mins. Take them out and add beef to one side and top with provolone cheese. Put back in the oven to melt the cheese for 30 secs or so. Take them out and serve with small pots of the au jus. YUM!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Strawberry Rhubarb pie is one of my favorites. We recently went over to our neighbors and dug up a rhubarb plant to plant in our backyard. There were some red stalks that were ready so I used them to make a pie. I have made this type of pie before with a different recipe but this is a new one I found and is very yummy. It is juicy so just make sure you make it ahead to let it rest to thicken up. I used a big pie pan and it filled it pretty full so you won't want to use anything too small or it will definitely spill over during cooking.  I got this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction you can find the original recipe HERE. With some vanilla ice cream on top this pie is so good! Enjoy!

Ingredients

• homemade pie crust (my recipe makes 2 crusts; 1 for bottom 1 for top)
• 3 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon (15ml) milk
• optional: coarse sugar for garnish

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Instructions

1. Make pie dough if doing from scratch and wrap in discs and put in the fridge. (I have a recipe on here or you can go to Sally's Baking Addiction site as well. 
2. Make the filling: Stir the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Set filling aside as the oven preheats.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
4. Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough (keep the other one in the refrigerator). Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving all of the excess liquid in the bowl (you don’t want that in the filling– discard it). Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
5. Arrange the lattice: Remove the other disc of chilled pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1/2 – 1 inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the edges with a fork, if desired. (Alternatively, you can simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges. Or a crumble or streusel topping would be great.)
6. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired.
7. Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F (177°C) and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes. (I turned mine up to 375 for the last 20 more mins - had had a big pie) You may want to put a crust shield on top of the pie to prevent the edges from browning too quickly. Just take a piece of tinfoil and put a hole in the middle and cover the pie with it. 
8. Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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Notes

1. Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This a great pie to make 1 day in advance since it is so juicy – the filling will have time to set overnight. The pie crust dough can also be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Baked pie freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving. Prepared filling can be frozen up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Instant Pot Ribs

I have done ribs in my crockpot for years and they are pretty yummy - I have a recipe on here for those. I just tried this new recipe in my instant pot and it was way faster and the added rub just add so much flavor. They were so fall-apart tender that I had a hard time lifting them out of the instant pot. So good! We really loved these. You can find the recipe HERE

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 (2-pound) racks baby back pork ribs, trimmed of excess fat, rinsed, and patted dry
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (My favorite is Sweet Baby Rays) 

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, onion powder, chili powder, mustard, paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, black pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper.
2. Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs, pulling it down the entire length. Season ribs with brown sugar mixture, rubbing in thoroughly on both sides.
3. Add chicken stock and apple cider vinegar to a 6 or 8-qt Instant Pot®. Place metal trivet into the pot. Place ribs upright on top of the trivet, wrapping in a circle.
4. Select manual setting (or pressure cook) and set time for 20-25 minutes. When finished cooking, do a natural release for about 10 mins. Then carefully open valve to let any remaining pressure out. 
5. Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil.
6. Place ribs, meat side up, in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet; brush with barbecue sauce. 
7. Place into oven and broil until barbecue sauce is caramelized and browned, about 4-6 minutes.
8. Serve immediately with remaining barbecue sauce.

Pistachio Salad

My family has been making this jello salad for years but it wasn't until recently I learned this is also called Watergate Salad. Whatever you wanna call it, I call it really good. I love the added crunch of the pecans and the sweetness from the pineapple. It is a great side for your Sunday meal or to take to a potluck. There are a few recipes out there but this picture comes from dinnerthendessert.com. You can find the recipe HERE. This is an adaptation from that recipe. 

Ingredients

• 3.4 ounces package instant pistachio jello pudding. 
• 20 ounces crushed pineapple undrained
• 1 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• 1 tub of cool whip

1. In a large bowl add the cool whip and mix in the pudding mix, pineapple, marshmallows and pecans.
2. Refrigerate for at least one hour and garnish with chopped nuts and maraschino cherry if desired.

Instant Pot Rolls

I've been wanting an Instant Pot Duo for a while now because of the yogurt setting it has on it. I have only had the Lux which has been fine for other things. But I heard about doing bread in the Instant Pot on the yogurt setting and that made me want a Duo even more. Weeeeell. I came across this recipe and tried it the second day of getting my new Duo Instant Pot and let me tell you I was so surprised at how wonderful these came out and how fast it was to make them. I got the recipe from SixSistersStuff.com Which they do have a YouTube Instant Pot blog and have some great recipes. 

You can find this recipe HERE

You will LOVE these! 

INGREDIENTS

2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter cold
2 tbsp dry, active yeast (2 packets)
1/2 cup warm water
1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp salt
3 eggs
7 cups flour
1 tbsp oil for use with the Instant Pot

INSTRUCTIONS

1.Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat as soon as it starts to boil.
2. Place a cold stick of butter into hot milk. Allow butter to melt and then stir. Cool until almost room temperature.
3. While the milk is cooling, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp of sugar together. Let the yeast activate (about 10 minutes).
4. Next, pour the room temperature milk and the yeast mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
5. Add in the remaining sugar, salt, and eggs. Mix until well combined.
6. Add in an additional 3 cups of flour and mix together.
7. Add the remaining 4 cups of flour and mix slowly until combined. This dough will be very sticky.
8. If rising the traditional way, let rise until double, punch down, and then repeat once more. Move onto step 13..
9. If using the Instant Pot, first pour the oil into the liner of the Instant Pot, and roll the dough in the oil so the dough is covered.
10. Press the Yogurt button and ensure it is set to ‘Normal’.
11. Cover with a glass lid and let it proof for 20 minutes. (I just used a plate)
12. Take the lid off, and knead a bit inside the liner. Replace the lid and proof for 10 more minutes.
13 When ready to form rolls, pinch a small amount of dough (about the size of a golf ball) and form into a small ball.
14. Prepare a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place dough balls approximately 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.
15. Preheat oven to 450°.
16. Let the rolls rise while the oven is preheating. Once the oven has heated, bake the rolls on the middle rack for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
17. Brush cooked rolls with butter if desired.

Quick and Easy Dinner Rolls

This is just like the title says..quick and easy...but also pretty delicious as well. These fluffy rolls come together in no time! The recipe is from butterwithasideofbread.com and you can see the original recipe HERE

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups flour divided
• 2 Tbsp. regular yeast 
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup warm water - 110° F
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup melted butter OR 1/3 cup oil vegetable, coconut, canola, etc

Instructions

• Combine yeast with warm water and sugar - mix well and let sit for a bit to bubble. 
• Add 1-1/2 cups flour and salt. Mix well
• Then add the melted butter and the egg.  Mix completely (until the butter and the egg are no longer visible).
• Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix until the flour is incorporated.  Dough will be sticky.  At this point, I like to add just a little bit more flour and incorporate it into the dough with my hands for about 1 minute. The dough should then be smooth and not sticky. 
• You can shape the rolls however you prefer – I usually make crescent rolls because it’s fast.  To do this, you just roll the dough into a large circle (1/8-1/4 inch thick). Cut the dough into triangles with a pizza cutter and then starting with the larger end of each triangle, roll the dough up.
• Place on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet, making sure that the tip of the triangle is tucked under the roll.  Let the rolls rise for 10-15 minutes and then bake them at 425 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on top. (Mine are always done right at 10 minutes.) I like to brush the rolls with a little bit of melted butter right when they come out of the oven – so yummy!

Notes

If using instant yeast you can combine the 1-1/2 flour, sugar, and yeast together and mix well then continue with the warm water, butter, and egg - then the rest of the flour and salt. 

These rolls work best when you mix everything by hand with a wooden spoon and your hands!