Italian Beef Sandwich on Onion Rolls

This has been a long time family favorite and these sandwiches are the very first meal I cooked for Erik.  When I told him I was making roast for his first dinner at my house he was expecting a traditional roast with vegetables and was pleasantly surprised by these sandwiches.  I hope you enjoy these sandwiches as much as we do!

Source: My mom

Ingredients:
3-5 pound rump roast
2 good seasons Italian dressing dry packets
1 good seasons ZESTY Italian dressing dry packets
2 cups water
1-2 cups monterey jack cheese
6-8 onion rolls

Instructions:
1. Place the rump roast in a crock pot.  Mix 2 cups of water with all 3 Italian dressing dry packets.  Pour over the rump roast and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

2. Once the meat is cooked, shred and place on a onion roll, top with cheese.  Broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted and the roll is toasted on the edges.

Cherry Tomato & Asparagus Salad

This was part of my Mothers day 2014 menu.  I served Chicken Salad on Croissants, this salad, sweet potato chips and chocolate strawberries.  Both my mom and Erik's mom enjoyed the Mothers day brunch!


Source - MyRecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and halved
6 cups halved cherry, grape, and pear tomatoes in varied colors
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes 

1 cup sliced basil leaves 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil asparagus in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Mix asparagus with remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well to coat evenly with dressing.

Chicken and Kale Casserole

I love buying Kale at my local farmers market and finding dishes that include Kale!  This recipe is easy if you use a rotisserie chicken.  Yum.

Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound large pasta shells
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, diced medium

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 bunches kale (1 1/2 pounds), tough stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped

2 cups shredded or chopped cooked chicken (from 1/2 rotisserie chicken)

1 container (48 ounces) part-skim ricotta

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)

3/4 cup Parmesan, grated (2 1/4 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion is beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add kale, cover, and cook until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to pot with pasta.

2. Stir in chicken, ricotta, lemon zest, and 1/2 cup Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until top is golden, 30 minutes.