Favorite Winter Recipes

I've probably written a post similar to this in the past, but I feel like these recipes are tasty enough, they are worthy of sharing :) 

I made this Hamburger Pie (via recipe.com) for the first time last week, per Bill's request. I cut half the ground beef with spinach and it was phenomenal. Super healthy, super tasty and definitely a new staple around our house! Using pre-made mashed potatoes made the whole thing come together in a snap. 

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A few months ago I made this Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup (via My Favorite Things) and it rocked my world. It is a little labor-intensive the first time around as I got to know the steps, but I know the second time I wouldn't worry so much about the recipe and just trust the ingredients. Toss them all in (except spinach until the end) and you have yourself a super delicious bowl of hearty soup. 

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I try to make meals as healthy as I can, but sometimes you just need to splurge. The Holidays is a time of year we reserve for "The Big Bill Dip" - aka Velveeta, pork sausage and rotel. We make it for parties in an electric skillet and it is ALWAYS a crowd-pleaser! 

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Saving the best for last... I'm SURE I had to have shared this BBQ Beef Brisket (via FoodNetwork) recipe with you in the past, but for new readers...it's seriously a game changer. I made it three years ago for Bill's birthday, and it's funny how my familiarity around the kitchen has evolved since then. I remember waking up extra early to get everything ready, terrified I would mess the recipe up and unfamiliar with most of the ingredients I was putting into the pot. Not surprisingly, it turned out beautifully and it is now a staple in our home. 

Every time we sign up to bring a dinner to a family in need we bring this because it is such a big treat, we feel like we need to share the beauty of these flavors. 

I'll even paste the recipe in the post because I love it THAT much. We don't eat it as sandwiches though, we just eat it dripping with sauce, potatoes on the side and a salad (if I get that far). 

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 5-to-6-pound first-cut or flat-cut brisket, cut into 3 pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
• 1 12-ounce bottle stout beer
• 4 stalks celery, cut into large pieces
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the brisket with salt and pepper, then brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, adding the garlic in the last 2 minutes. Transfer the meat and garlic to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Pour the beer into the skillet and simmer 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits from the pan; add the beer mixture to the slow cooker.

Nestle the celery around the meat and add the brown sugar, tomato paste, vinegar, mustard, soy sauce, bay leaves and paprika. Stir, then cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 6 hours. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes, then thinly slice.