Weeknight Dinner Made Easy – Beef Brisket

Yes briskets take a long time to cook but I made this one easy. Not only that but i made it during the week and in the summer and didn’t kill my AC doing it.

My brother makes a great beef brisket but he is more dedicated to the meat than I can be. I like it easier. Now this did not taste like his (and I will have to get the recipe for his) but it did have a great taste and the family loved it. Now keep in mind that I doubled this for us, it made dinner for all of us including Dad and his lunch the next day and enough for Michael to take out of town for two (2) dinners. There was even enough left over for me to either just eat the next day or turn into BBQ.

Menu:

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket
Mashed Potatoes
Salad
Cherry Cobbler

Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

Ingredients:

1 (3 – to 4 -lb.) beef brisket, or a size that fits inside your slow cooker
Salt and Pepper
1 2-oz envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Put the brisket in the slow cooker fat side up (keeps the meat moist and will let the fat juices sink into the meat to give more flavor)
2. Season the beef brisket with salt and pepper
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the soup mix and gravy mix in the water, then pour the mixture over the brisket
4. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours or until brisket is done.
5. To serve, remove brisket and place fat side up. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes then carve it diagonally across the grain in thin slices.

Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

6 medium potatoes
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 half and half

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and cut into quarters
2. Place potatoes in pan and fill water to cover
3. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until fork tender
4. Drain potatoes
5. In a bowl large enough to hold the potatoes add butter and cream
6. Mix with hand blender
7. If potatoes are too stiff/thick add half and half a little at a time.

Salad

Ingredients:

Iceberg lettuce
red bell pepper
yellow bell pepper
orange bell pepper
cucumber

Directions:

1. Just chop up what you think you will need or make more for lunch tomorrow.

Cherry Cobbler (in a slow cooker)

Ingredients:

2 21-oz can cherry pie filling

1 box yellow cake mix

4 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Put the pie filling in the slow cooker and spread it out evenly.

In a medium size bowl, stir the cake mix and melted butter until a crumbly mixture forms, then sprinkle the mixture over the pie filling.

Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours or on High for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Extras:

To make gravy from the juice. In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add about 1/8 cup flour. Brown the flour making a rue (just about 5 to 6 minutes on medium high heat) stir constantly. Take several cups of the juice from the brisket and once the flour is browned (light) add about a cup of juice and whisk until smooth. If the gravy is too thick just keep add juice till it is as thin as you desire.

Fried Pork Chop Dinner

Today is a really easy day. Bethany decided when we went to the store she wanted pork chops tonight for dinner and corn. We picked up a pack of boneless sirloin pork chops there was not too thin but you can also use them, just adjust for maybe 2 per person. This is a really easy dinner and not one that needs to be watched constantly.

 Entree:

4 boneless sirloin pork chops
salt
pepper

Mashed Potatoes:

5 medium potatoes peeled and diced
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cream
1/4 2% milk
salt
pepper

Corn:

Frozen Corn
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup water

Lets start with the first thing. You need to peel the potatoes and dice them, not too small or they will cook apart and not too big as they will take too long. Chefs say that you should make sure they are all the same size but I have never taken that much time to make them the same size so they cook at the same rate. They are potatoes.

Fill pan with water to cover the potatoes and cover with a lid.

You have an option here, you can start the pork chops and cook slow or wait, I suggest to put them on now. Add a few tablespoons of oil to the bottom of the pan, make sure to let the pan get hot before adding the pork chops. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook until the pan releases the meat. If it sticks wait, the pan will let go.

Turn when lightly browned reduce heat and add a cup of chicken or vegetable broth. Cover and simmer. This is make the meat tender and add flavor. If you want to add more add rosemary.

Corn: well put that in a pan with 1/2 cup water and butter and cover to medium-low heat.

Turn the pork chops from time to time. When potatoes are done remove the lid from the pork chops and turn to medium heat to allow to the liquid to cook away and brown the meat.

In a medium bowl add potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. If you have a potato ricer them you can use it. If not use a regular old hand mixer. Blend the potatoes and add the cream slowly. Continue to blend on high and add the milk. If the potatoes are too stiff add more milk.

The corn should be done, the potatoes are finished, and the pork chops should be browned. Now all you have to do is enjoy. Serve with a wheat roll.

This was a pretty simple meal to make and doesn’t take long. Hope you all enjoy