Traeger "No Fuss" Roasted Chicken

This was the first thing we made on our Traeger. Seriously good. You can get a pack of 2 5lb chickens at Costco for $10 

Roasted Chicken:

1 chicken, 4 to 5 lbs
EVOO
Your favorite chicken rub - or just S&P

Remove any giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Wash the chicken inside and out with cold running water. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.

Oil the outside of the chicken and rub with seasoning. Tuck the chicken wings behind the back. Tie the legs together with butcher's string.

Set the temp on the Traeger to 450 degrees and preheat for 10-15 minutes

Place the chicken on the grill grate, breast side up and close the lid. Roast for 70-90 minutes (when the thigh reads 165 degrees). Let rest for 5 minutes and EAT!!!

Breakfast Burritos

It's BACK TO SCHOOL TIME around here!

I've been making these breakfast burritos forever - but my friends were recently asking me how I make them - I never thought to post this because it isn't really a recipe - but for those interested - here's what I did the night before the first day of school...

I really should post a better picture that makes your mouth water - but this is the finished product - I get about 30 burritos per batch - you can freeze them as well - but there are 6 of us in the house including 2 growing teenagers - so we go through 30 in about 5 days

Breakfast Burritos

30 Soft taco size tortillas

30 oz bag shredded hash browns 

2 lbs ground sausage

large onion diced 

12 eggs

bag shredded cheese 

I use the same pan for everything - for 2 reasons: easy clean up AND after I've cooked each thing - it has time to dry out a bit bc I place everything to drain on paper towels.

Start with the hashbrowns - they have the most water content so they need the most time to dry out. Cook them per directions on package only adding salt and pepper to taste. 

Then the sausage. I've used mild Italian sausage, Jimmy Dean sausage, this time it was JD maple. Cook until brown - allow to drain on paper towels.

Sautee the onion in a little butter. My favorite hack is to buy frozen diced onion - such a cinch. Set aside.

Lastly, 12 eggs, beaten - if I don't have 12 - I usually add a little milk to help the eggs stretch. Season with salt and pepper to taste (sometimes I even add a little powdered garlic).

Assemble: Soft taco, hashbrowns, sausage, onion, eggs, cheese. Roll up like a burrito and them wrap them in tin foil like a burrito. 

To eat!! Remove foil. (I reuse my foil for the following weeks batch) Wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 45 - 60 seconds. ENJOY!!

*If you are going to freeze these - I still recommend wrapping in foil - but add an additional layer of plastic wrap. You don't have to thaw them, just remove plastic and foil - wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes.

Beef Stew

My kids and I did lots of odd jobs, yard work for neighbors etc. on the DL before Father's Day. We saved up enough money to buy him a TRAEGER!!

We ALL LOVE everything we have made on it - basically any kind of protein you can think of. We had a family party the other day and he used the Traeger to make the BEST BRISKET we've ever had. It was such a large piece of meat - that we ended up with leftovers - and you can't let meat that good EVER go to waste. So - I made a beef stew with it.

I didn't grow up eating beef stew, pot roast or anything akin to that. It just so happens that my husband has made pot roast the last 2 times I had the flu - so I was much more than skeptical. BUT this changed my mind completely. It was delicious. Even in August.

BEEF STEW
Ingredients:
5-6 c Beef Broth
1/4 tsp ground cloves
8 fresh sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Salt and Pepper to taste
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg frozen pearl onions
1-2 cups of baby carrots, sliced lengthwise or into rounds
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
1 pkg small potatoes
Brisket
1 can beef consumme (I had brisket drippings and gravy I added instead)
1 pkg frozen peas

Add everything EXCEPT the brisket (bc it's already cooked) and the frozen peas.
Cook on Low setting for 2 - 2 1/2 hours. Add Brisket and cook for another hour or so.
Add the peas just before serving. *Don't forget to take out the Thyme and Bay leaves*

Serve soup with a dollup of Horseradish Sour Cream (Tyler Florence) recipe below

Horseradish Sour Cream
1 cup sour cream
1 T prepared horseradish
EVOO
S&P
chives to garnish

*Oops! I forgot to add the peas - lots going on every weeknight!!