I really like using my crockpot and it has come in especially handy these past couple of days, when we have spent more time packing than doing anything else.  We actually have two crockpots.  The larger one that you see here, and a smaller one.



Often on Sundays I will put a chicken or roast into the larger one and potatoes in the smaller one.  That way supper is ready and waiting for us when we get home.  We're usually starving by then!



We have several freezers here.  A large chest freezer that is ours, and which will be going with us up to Chester, and a smaller bar sized one, which will be staying as it belongs to the cottage.  I have been trying really hard to use up everything in it and found myself with a lovely piece of rolled brisket to cook.



I had always wanted to try cooking one in coffee.  I had heard that done that way, brisket turns out really tender and delicious, and that you cannot taste the coffee in it at all.  We don't really do coffee, but I bought a small jar of decaf to use in this recipe.



It is really a combination of several recipes that I found.  I liked bits of both and put them together to make my own taste tempting concoction.  Delicious tender beef,  cooked with onion, carrots, sweet bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic and some seasonings.   Stirring in some cream cheese at the end creates a luciously rich and creamy gravy.



And taste tempting it was!  You really could not taste the coffee at all, and it gave the gravy a nice colour, and true to it's reputation . . . the brisket was tender as could be.



Todd gave this two thumbs up and I will be putting it into my regular Sunday Recipe rotation schedule once we get all settled in up North.



I really hope you will give it a try.  Not only was it easy to do, but relatively painless, totally scrumptious and smelled fantastic when it was cooking!  We had this simply with some mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts on the side.  The gravy was really scrummy spooned over the potatoes!



*Crockpot Java Brisket*
Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Delicious moist  beef brisket with a wonderfully rich and flavourful sauce.  You would  never know there was coffee in the gravy.  You can use beef broth  instead if you are not fond of coffee.

1/3 kg rolled brisket  joint
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1  large onion, peeled and chopped
4 to 5 garlic cloves, peeled and  minced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
6 ounces strong brewed coffee or  beef broth
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
3 TBS Sherry Vinegar
1/2  tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

To finish:
4  ounces cream cheese

Place all of the chopped vegetables in the  bottom of the crockpot.  Top with the brisket.  Stir together the  coffee, worcestershire sauce, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Pour over all.   Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.    At the end of that time, remove the meat carefully from the crockpot to a  platter.  Whisk the cream cheese into the juices until smooth and  amalgamated.  Serve the meat sliced with the juices spooned over top.

 

Cheddar Baked Chicken. This cheddar baked chicken is coated in a cheesy buttery crumb, and baked to perfection. This easy chicken recipe comes out perfect, moist and delicious every single time!

This is something which my kids always enjoyed.   It was one of my cheap and cheerful mains and a great way to serve chicken and so much better for them than the packaged chicken baking mixes.  (without saying any names, but you know what I mean I am sure!)

 

These are moist and flavorful with a nice crisp coating filled with flavor.  It gets it's crispness from the crushed cereal and the bread crumbs. I love crispy chicken.

More flavor comes from the herbs and spices which are mixed in the initial flour coating. Add the cheese and you have something which is incredibly delicious with  a touch of cheesy tang and another depth of flavour.

I love fried chicken, but frying chicken at home is a real pain in the butter.  So much work and so much mess.  Baking your chicken this way is so much easier and so very delicious.

Do be careful not to over cook them.   You only want the coating to get golden brown . . . and you want the chicken to stay nice and moist.  Over cooked chicken breasts are dry and not so nice to eat.

 




I like to serve this with mashed potatoes, or scalloped potatoes along with a steamed vegetable on the side.  Carrots or green beans are just perfect with this.  It's a mighty tasty way of making a few chicken breasts go further!  

Your family is guaranteed to love them!  (My kids liked to have some ranch dressing to dip it in as well, but I love Sweet Chili Sauce myself or runny honey.)  Nom! Nom!



 




*Cheddar Baked Chicken*
Serves 4 to 6
Printable Recipe

Moist chicken with a tasty crispy cheese coating!

60g butter, melted (1/4 cup)
50g of plain flour (1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme, rubbed to a powder
25g of crisp rice cereal (1 cup), crushed lightly
120g of grated strong cheddar cheese (1 cup)
120g of dry bread crumbs ( 1 cup)
1 large free range egg
1 TBS milk
2 to 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F gas mark 4.  Pour half of the melted butter into a shallow glass baking dish.

Combine the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a shallow bowl.  Combine the egg and milk in another shallow bowl.   Combine the cereal, bread crumbs and cheese in a third bowl.   Cut your chicken breasts in half diagonally so that you have approximately 6  wedges.   

Dip them first into the flour mixture, patting the flour on.  Then into the egg mixture, Allowing any excess to drip off.  Finally roll them into the crumb mixture, patting and pressing the crumbs so that they adhere well.  Place them into the baking dish  Drizzle with the remaining butter.

Bake for about 20 to 25  minutes until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked through. Serve hot. 

 

This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at mariealicejoan at aol dot com. 

 

This is a very old recipe which I have had in my files for a very long time.  It is a recipe which was given to me by my mother in law back in the early 1970's.

 

You may recall me showing you a delicious casserole the other day called Beef and Beans.  Oh my but it is some good.   Just in case you missed it, that's a picture up there at the top of this  post, and you can find the recipe here.  This may not be a very pretty dish, but it is certainly one of the most delicious dishes you could ever want to eat. Economical, easy and tasty.  You can't get much better than that.

 

Well, after what I show you today . . . you may want to double that recipe the next time you make it, because I have a real winning sandwich to show you here today, and it involves using the leftovers from Beef and Beans.

 

Because there are only two of us we normally have leftovers when I bake a casserole unless it is a very tiny one or we are lucky enough to have someone here at the house to enjoy it with us . . . and this was the case the other day after I had baked Beef and Beans.   I could have just reheated the leftovers and they would have been really delicious that way, but . . .

 

I got to thinking about the baked bean sandwiches that we used to eat back home  the day after an especially tasty feed of homemade beans.  Oh my they were so good . . . mashed cold beans spread between two slices of buttered bread with a few thin slices of raw onion . . . oh boy . . . were they ever tasty.   A real favourite!



And then I got to thinking about patty melts . . . and how good they are and then . . . I thought to myself, why not combine the two ideas and create a delicious sandwich, using the leftover Beef and Beans???   Why not indeed!!  I heated some of the leftovers up and spread it on the un-buttered side of two slices of thick white bread.   Then I topped them with some thinly sliced raw onions and some slices of strong cheddar cheese.   I topped them with another slice of buttered bread, buttered side out and then toasted them like you would a grilled cheese . . .



The end result was one of the most delicious toasted sandwiches we have ever eaten.  So delicious.   So easy.    So good that it is one I will repeat . . .I love it when that happens and I am able to turn my leftovers into something which is every bit as delicious as the original meal.  I do hope that you will make the Beef and Beans . . . and that when you do, you have enough leftover to make one or two of these tasty sarnies!



*Beef and Bean Patty Melts*
For one
Printable Recipe

This may well be the tastiest patty melt you have ever eaten!  You will want to make sure you have leftovers from my Beef and Bean recipe, in fact I suggest you double the recipe when you make it!

Softened butter
two thick slices of sturdy white bread
about 1/2 cup of the leftover Beef and Bean Casserole
or enough to cover the bread in it's entirety
(Even better if you have managed to save some of the bacon from on top)
sliced strong cheddar cheese to cover the beef and beans
very thinly sliced raw onions



Warm up your beef and bean mixture in the microwave so that it is not cold.  Butter the two slices of bread on one side.  Place one slice buttered side down in a heavy skillet.  Spread the side facing up with the beef and bean mixture.   Top with thinly sliced onion and cheese to cover.  Place the other slice of buttered bread on top, butter side up. 

Grill over medium low heat, until the bottom side of the sandwich is crisp and golden brown.  Do not be in a hurry.  Carefully flip over and brown the other side in like manner, until the sandwich is golden brown all over the filling is nice and hot and the cheese has melted.

Serve immediately, cut into diagonals and topped with a pickle if desired.

 

You know it just had to happen eventually . . . the North American in me just cannot resist the combination of Peanut Butter and Jam, and I am always on the look out for a way to use it!!



I had a package of Croissant Roll Dough in the fridge that I wanted to use up before I went away this week and I was inspired to use my favourite Peanut Butter and Jam to create something quite scrummy . . . well, I think it is anyways, and I am sure I am not alone in this.

 

I love the refrigerated croissant dough . . . it's so adaptable.  You can very easily create new rolls with it . . . your imagination being your only limits.   In the past I have done Lemon Filled ones and Cinnamon Roll ones, both of which were quite lovely.  It was only a matter of time before I made Peanut Butter and Jam ones!



I like to use smooth peanut butter and strawberry jam for these, but do feel free to use chunky peanut butter if you wish, or another jam.   I just think that the smooth peanut butter and strawberry jam is the perfect combination.

 

A simple vanilla drizzle icing is the perfect finishing touch.   They turned out just fabulous!   DO be careful not to be tempted to use either too much peanut butter or jam . . . this is a case when it's best to be judicious . . . you don't want any blow outs . . .



Altogether they were quite delightful and delicious . . . and something which even my Brit husband found a bit hard to resist!   I hope you'll give them a try.  I just know you will love them too!



*Peanut Butter and Jam Croissants*
Makes 6
Printable Recipe

You know it had to happen.   Differently delicious.  I love peanut butter and jam.

1 packet of refrigerator croissant roll dough
(6 to a pack)
smooth peanut butter
6 tsp of strawberry jam

For the glaze:
130g icing sugar, sifted (1 cup)
few drops vanilla
milk

 

Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6.   Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Butter the paper.  Set aside.

Unroll the croissant dough.  Separate into triangles.   Spread each triangle with smooth peanut butter.   Don't be tempted to add too much and try to stay away from the edges.  Drop 1 tsp of strawberry jam at the wide end of each triangle.  Again don't overdo it.  Too much jam will cause a blow out!  Roll up from the wide end to the narrow end.   Twist the edges closed gently and place onto the baking sheet, pointed end beneath, and curving slightly.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until well risen and golden brown.  Allow to stand on the baking sheet for 5 to 6 minutes before scooping out onto a wire rack to cool.  

Whisk together the icing sugar, vanilla  and enough milk to give you a drizzle icing.   Drizzle over the croissants.  Allow to set and then serve.

Note: do not be tempted to eat these while hot as the jam can burn.

 

 

This may not be much to look at, and it may sound like an unusual combination, but I just have to tell you that this is one of the most delicious casseroles you could ever make for your family.   Not only that, but it's also economical, easy and sure to become a fast family favourite!



All you need is an onion, a tin of baked beans, a pound of steak mince, a few odds and sodds and a couple slices of streaky bacon . . . seriously.  It's amazing what you can do with just a few bits!



I do want to say though that you will want to use the best quality and leanest minced steak your money can buy here . . . you don't want a lot of fat in your beef when you are using bacon on top.   I have used streaky bacon here, but you can use back bacon if you would rather.

 

To round out the meal I like to serve it with some fresh baked cornbread.   We love cornbread in this house.  It's not something that Todd ever ate before he met me, but he's a convert now and it is a simple bread that goes very well with these types of casseroles.  You can find my recipe for that here. 



A tasty coleslaw vinaigrette wouldn't go amiss on the side either.  Just to add a touch of green. I have a really tasty Pineapple version here.  I happen to think it's rather scrummy too.  In any case Beef and Beans, Cornbread and Coleslaw is a real favourite meal around here.   I do hope you'll give it a try.

 

*Beefy Beans*
Serves 4 to 5
Printable Recipe

Cheap and cheerful, hearty and most delicious.  Don't let the unusual list of ingredients put you off.  This is a winner/winner chicken dinner!  I like to serve this with cornbread.

1 TBS olive or sunflower oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
450g of extra lean minced steak (about 1 pound)
1 (415g/15 ounce) tin of baked beans, undrained
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
50g of soft light brown sugar (1/4 cup packed)
1 TBS Dijon mustard
5 thick slices of streaky bacon

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a shallow 1 litre casserole dish.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until it begins to soften.   Add the garlic.  Cook for a few minutes longer and then crumble in the minced steak.   Cook, stirring frequently and breaking it up with a fork, until the meat is beginning to brown and there is no longer any pink remaining.   (To peel the tomatoes, cut a cross on the bottom and place into a bowl of boiling water for about 60 seconds, or until the skin begins to peel back where the cross is cut.   Remove from the water and peel off the skin. It should come off very easily.)  Season with the salt and pepper.  Stir in the brown sugar, mustard and tomatoes.  Cook for several minutes and then taste.  Adjust seasoning as required.   Stir in the tin of baked beans and mix to combine well.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.   Cut the slices of streaky bacon in half and arrange over top.   Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes, or until thick and bubbly. 

Heat the grill.   Uncover the casserole dish and then pop it under the grill for a few minutes to crisp the bacon.   Serve hot, with or without cornbread for sopping up all of that tasty goodness.