Barbecue Short Ribs

A labor of love... worth every minute after the first bite! From The Joy of Cooking (c) 1997.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pat dry: 3 pounds beef short ribs, excess fat trimmed. Season with salt, black pepper, dried oregano.

Heat 2 tbl vegetable oil in a dutch oven. Add the ribs in batches and brown on all sides. When finished, drain all but 2 tbl of fat. Add the following and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 10 minutes:

• 2 c chopped onions
• 1/2 c chopped celery
• 1/2 c chopped carrots
• 1/2 c chopped shallots
• 3 tbl chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Pinch of oregano

Add 1 1/2 c beef stock. Bring to a boil and add the ribs back to the dutch oven. Add 2 bay leaves. Bake, covered, until ribs are tender, about 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make barbecue sauce. Combine in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring often, until the sauce comes to a simmer:

• 1 1/2 c ketchup
• 1 c cider vinegar
• 1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 c soy sauce
• 1 c packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tbl dry mustard
• 4 tbl chili powder
• 1 tbl fresh grated, peeled ginger (or 1 tsp ground dried)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbl vegetable oil

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Once short ribs are perfectly tender, remove and increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Place the cooked ribs on a roasting rack in a shallow pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Brush with barbecue sauce. Bake until the surface is browned and edges are crispy, 10 to 12 minutes.

Serve with additional barbecue sauce for dipping. And some steamy wet napkins when you're done!

Egg and Sausage Casserole

Real prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 45-60 minutes
Serves: 6-8
Side dish suggestions: Fruit

Supplies:

• Cutting Board
• Bread Knife
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Measuring Cup
• 1 tsp. measuring spoon
• 8x12 Glass Pan or 9x13
• A larger glass pan for the one above to fit into

From the freezer:

• 8 Precooked turkey sausages

From the pantry:

• 10 Bread Slices
• Cooking Spray

Fresh:

• 2 C. Milk
• 1 C. Grated cheddar cheese
• 1 t. Mustard
• 7 Eggs

Preparation:

1. Spray 8x12 pan. Cut crusts off of bread and cube. Put in pan.
2. Cut sausage into small pieces and sprinkle evenly over bread.
3. Mix milk, egg, mustard in a bowl. Add cheese.
4. Pour over bread and sausage.
5. Set overnight in the fridge.
6. Bake in a pan of water at 350 for 45mins.-1 hour until brown on top.

Extra info...

The original recipe calls for white bread. I substitute whole wheat or multigrain bread. It makes for a denser, healthier casserole! I have also messed with the amounts of milk, eggs, sausage, and bread over the years. I don’t think the ratio has been the same twice in a row. Feel free to find the combination you like!

Ranch Chicken

Easiest. Chicken. Ever.

Real prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Serves: Varies
Side dish suggestions: Rice pilaf, green vegetable

Supplies:

• Baking pan or dish
• Cooking spray
• Gallon resealable bag

From the freezer:

• Chicken breast(s)

From the pantry:

• Ranch dressing (premade or make your own)

Preparation:

1. Add 1/4 c ranch dressing per chicken breast to bag. Add chicken breasts to bag and smash around to coat. Let marinate in fridge overnight.
2. Bake chicken breast(s) on greased baking sheet at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is barely browning on top and has no pink inside.