Easy Slow Cooker Philly Cheese steak #2

We have a great philly cheese steak recipe on here already, but this one was just as easy, and I didn't have to go back to the store to get forgotten items.  Necessity is the mother of new recipes.  

Easy Slow Cooker Philly Cheese Steak
adapted from: www.sixsistersstuff.com

1 roast, thinly sliced against the grain (I had the meat guy do this for me)
1 (14 oz.) can of beef broth (or use a couple of boullion cubes and water)
1 envelope italian dressing mix
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced
mushrooms, sliced
canola oil
provolone cheese slices
bread or buns

Pour the beef broth and italian dressing mix in your slow cooker and stir it to combine.  Place your sliced roast in the slow cooker and spoon the liquid over the top of it.  Cook it on low for 6-8 hours.  Don't over cook it.  When your meat is done, saute' your onions, peppers and mushrooms in a large frying pan, until tender.  Layer it all on your roll and top with provolone cheese. 

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes Dos

For our family reunion this year (my immediate family totals 30 people now!) we divvied out the meals to make it easier on everyone.  Carolyn and I picked up a breakfast, (because who’s kidding, we’d both rather be trying a new pancake or waffle recipe any day), and came across this one, Lemon Blueberry Pancakes.  I know you’re saying to yourself, but Nicole, you’ve tried a million variations of Blueberry pancakes.  Aren’t you satisfied yet?  The answer is NO people.  I will always be trying new variations of my favorite pancake because every time I try a new one I find it exciting and delicious and just a little different than the last.  (Although it truth be told, I do have a favorite basic recipe that I use most often.)  This one was no exception.  Everyone loved them, especially when we put it over the top with Buttermilk Syrup!  Oh it was so yummy!  You should definitely make this, especially if you have an insatiable love for blueberries and lemon (and pancakes) as I do!

Side note: If you have picky eaters like, you know, all of my nieces and nephews (so what if I myself was an extremely picky eater most of my life), I made the lemon pancakes for them, sans blueberries, and the freshness of the lemon was a delicious twist on a regular pancake too.  They loved it (all minus one who shall not be named and ate toast for 2 mornings).

Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

from About.com, Southern Food

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup fresh blueberries, or use frozen thawed blueberries

Preparation:

Beat egg until frothy; beat in remaining ingredients except blueberries, beating just until smooth. Gently stir in blueberries. Grease a heated griddle. Cook as usual.  Serve with Buttermilk Syrup if you want to make it exceptional.

Oh look, the picky-eater herself.

Olive Garden's Ravioli Di Portobello (Actually, Just the Amazing Sauce Recipe)

                                           
My hubby and I recently ate at Olive Garden, and I was determined to eat something besides their Stuffed Chicken Marsala (I get it every time I eat there. Literally.).  I chose the Ravioli Di Portobello.  And I have found my new favorite Olive Garden dinner.  Smoked Gouda cheese.  Sun-dried tomatoes.  And... well, not much else.  Not only is this recipe delicious, it is super easy!  I made it for our family reunion, and it got rave reviews.  To make my life ridiculously easy, I just went ahead and bought a big thing of 5 cheese tortellini from Costco and served the sauce over that.  And, for about the same cost as one dish at the Olive Garden, I fed 13 people!

Sauce for Olive Garden's Ravioli Di Portobello
from: food.com

2 c. milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir it until it makes a thick paste.  Add the milk, stirring constantly.  Cook it until the sauce thickens.  Cut up the smoked Gouda cheese and add it to the saucepan.  Throw in your sun-dried tomatoes and stir it all until the cheese melts.  Serve it over ravioli (or tortellini, or whatever you want).
*Note: this amount serves 2-4, not 13!