Six Sussex Homestead

chicken and wild rice soup

Published on March 24, 2021April 28, 2023 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

chicken and wild rice soup with mushrooms and spinach

this chicken and rice soup has quickly become one of my family’s favorites, and it’s one of my go-to freezer meals. this recipe makes a huge pot of soup and you could easily eat it for dinner, have leftovers, and still have some to stash away in the freezer. i originally made this as a vegetarian soup with just mushrooms, and of course my husband had to make a “where’s the meat?” comment, so i added chicken. equally delicious either way. i always enjoy a good vegetarian meal, but he usually expects meat for dinner. my kids also could take or leave meat, and both love mushrooms so this works both ways for us. you can also use any chicken meat you have leftover or sitting around in the freezer. let me know if you try this recipe, and what you prefer; chicken and wild rice or mushroom and wild rice?

ingredients

2 cups of precooked chicken*
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of minced garlic
3-4 medium carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, thinly sliced
8 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup wild rice
1/2 cup jasmine rice
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
8-10 cups chicken broth
1 cup white wine
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2-3 cups fresh baby spinach – chopped or torn into pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

instructions

normally i pre-chop all my vegetables/herbs before starting a recipe like this so i’m prepared when i need to add something in. so first, cut or shred up your chicken and set aside. chop carrots, onions, and celery and set aside. slice mushrooms and set aside. if you are mincing your own garlic, do that now as well and put it with the mushrooms, these will be added together.

heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add the two tablespoons of olive oil. saute the onions, carrots, and celery with a large pinch of salt and pepper until the onions start to become translucent, then add the mushrooms and garlic. continue cooking this mixture until the mushrooms have released all their liquid and it starts to evaporate. at this time add the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf, and add the chicken back in. once everything is heated through, about 2 minutes, sprinkle the two tablespoons of flour, and continue cooking the mixture for 2 more minutes. pour over the wine, chicken broth, and add the rice. make sure everything is combined and bring this to a boil. reduce the heat to low and simmer it partially covered for 45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked. check and stir the soup to make sure the rice isn’t sticking to the bottom, or you need to add more liquid. i usually start with 8 cups of broth, and if it seems like the rice has absorbed all the liquid or it’s sticking to the bottom, i add the additional 2 cups. once the rice is completely cooked through, you can then add in the spinach and simmer for about 5 more minutes until it’s heated through.

serve with croutons, or a nice crusty sourdough loaf like we do 🙂 hope you enjoy this soup as much as our family does!

*note about chicken – you could also use two fresh chicken breasts. if using this method, cut the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, and brown them in the dutch oven over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil in two batches, then set aside on a plate before starting to saute the vegetables. add them back in when you add in the herbs. i have made this recipe with chicken breasts using this method as well as chicken thighs that i had already precooked in the instant pot. a rotisserie chicken would also work really well.

5 easy meals for toddlers and busy moms

Published on March 21, 2021 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

my favorite 5 easy meals to feed my kids when i’m feeling lazy

everyone knows feeding toddlers can be tedious. compound that with my husband being deployed last year, multiple trainings away from home, dealing with covid, and living 2500 miles away from any family. and despite loving to cook (i definitely don’t shy away from a complicated meal), i still feed my kids super simple easy meals when i just feel burnt out from being in the kitchen, or even when i know they won’t like what i’m eating for dinner. here are the five easy meals i find myself going back to over and over.

1. dino nuggets for the win!

i mean… who doesn’t love a good dino nug? i literally microwave them and usually serve with steamed fresh broccoli and some kind of fruit. always a hit, and so so easy especially for lunch. also, i haven’t been able to find these in california but my friend turned me onto these perdue plus chicken and vegetable dino nuggets… they are so delicious and it makes me feel better knowing they are getting a serving of veggies as well.

2. 3-ingredient naan pizza

this is one of our new favorites. all the ingredients come from aldi and it is so so easy. just take a piece of their naan bread, spread on some marinara, cover in shredded mozzarella, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. comes out perfect every time, and i love it just as much as them. another version is to use premade bbq sauce instead of marinara, top with shredded chicken, mozzarella and finish with pickled red onions. easy bbq chicken pizza!

3. pb&j… a classic

simple and self-explanatory. my one year old actually prefers grilled cheese, but my 2.5 year old is team pb&j all day. we’ve been using the organic unsweetened peanut butter from aldi, and my kids don’t even notice the difference between that and the kind that has added oils and sugar.

4. chicken sausage

this is mostly for my 2.5 year old… the one year old won’t eat meat at all unless it’s a chicken nugget. these chicken sausages come from aldi and they have three flavors. our favorite is the apple sausage, but we also love the spinach feta, and my husband likes the italian. they’re precooked, so super easy to heat up for a quick lunch ror dinner. i will also be posting a skillet dinner i made with the spinach feta flavor that was delicious! i also love that they don’t have nitrates or any weird ingredients that you can’t pronounce.

5. cheese and crackers!

usually we’d think of cheese and crackers as a snack, but there isn’t any reason why we can’t have it as a meal. if my one year old won’t eat anything else, i know she will always eat sliced cheese. cheese has plenty of protein, and there is virtually no prep. my 2.5 year old likes the sharp cheddar from aldi, but sometimes i will even just give them presliced sandwich slices and they love that too. serve it with some steamed veggies or avocado and a fruit and you have a whole meal with hardly any cleanup.

let me know the easy meals you love to feed your little ones!

feeling spring – shepherd’s pie

Published on March 18, 2021 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

shepherd’s pie with cheesy mashed potato topping, served with irish soda bread

i literally forgot about st. patrick’s day this year until my sister reminded me, but happened to test this recipe last week for shepherd’s pie, so i was unexpectedly prepared for this! i did do late night baking last night so i would at least have the soda bread ready for the kids breakfast in the morning. i used this recipe for my soda bread from sally’s baking addiction and it was delicious and easy. the only thing i was missing was buttermilk, so i used her substitution of vinegar with 2% milk, and that worked just fine.

i used to loveeeee st. patricks day because that meant i got my favorite meal… corned beef and cabbage, haha! i would even ask my mom to make it on my birthday so i would get it twice in march. but with two little ones, i really can’t be bothered to boil corned beef for hours, and i already had all the ingredients for this shepherd’s pie in my fridge/freezer. the best thing about this recipe as opposed to corned beef and cabbage is it’s a great freezer meal! shepherd’s pie can be frozen before or after baking, and tastes just as good out of the freezer as it did on day one. plus, both my kids love it. if you give it a try, let me know what you think in the comments. happy st. paddy’s day everyone!

ingredients

meat filling
1 lb ground beef (i use the organic grass fed ground beef from aldi)
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
about 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion (i used 1/2 a large onion)
2 cloves minced garlic
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon worcestershire
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables

potato topping
1 1/2-2 lbs potatoes – i used 6 small russet potatoes, or you could use 2-3 large potatoes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 oz cream cheese
1/3-1/2 cup 2% or whole milk – i start with a third of a cup and add more if needed. you want this to be stiffer than traditional mashed potatoes
salt to taste – i start with a small amount, because we’re also adding cheese and cheese is salty!
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3/4 – 1 cup grated cheddar cheese

instructions

peel the potatoes, but them into bite sized chunks, and put them in a large pot covered with cold water. turn burner on high and bring them to a boil, then cook them for about 8-10 minutes until fork tender. set a timer if you need to so you don’t forget about them while you’re cooking the filling! preheat oven to 400 degrees. meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed skillet or dutch oven, melt the tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium high heat and start browning the ground beef. once it’s all the way browned, check how much grease came off the meat. you may need to drain some if it looks too greasy! lower the heat to medium, then add your chopped half an onion and 2 cloves of minced garlic. cook until the onion becomes translucent, and add in the 1 1/2 cups of frozen mixed veggies. cook this until the veggies lose their chill, 2-3 minutes, and then add the thyme, bay leaf, worcestershire, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons of flour. continue cooking this mixture for about 2 minutes, stirring continuously so the flour doesn’t burn to the bottom. then pour in the beef stock/broth and wine. bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer for about 6-7 minutes. remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

drain your potatoes once they’re done and return to the pot with the burner still on low. start mashing the potatoes with the burner on to get all the liquid out of the potatoes. add the butter, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and grated cheddar. mash until combined and turn the burner off. i also sometimes add a little seasoned salt to taste if it feels like they’re missing something.

assemble the shepherd’s pie in a 9 inch pie plate by layering the meat mixture on the bottom and potatoes on top. bake at 400 degrees, uncovered for about 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbly. be careful when baking, if your dish is very full to put a sheet pan under the pie plate, because i’ve had filling run out all over my oven before! enjoy with soda bread and a guinness or glass of red wine 🙂 happy st. paddy’s day! ps. check out my very first cook with me video on youtube to see the exact method i used for this recipe!

picture of sourdough bread loaf with raisins and poppyseeds

homestead-y things – sourdough bread saga continued

Published on March 16, 2021 by Holly Spangler1 Comment

poppyseed-raisin sourdough bread loaf with cultured butter

picture of sourdough bread with golden raisins and poppyseeds

picture of sourdough bread with golden raisins and poppyseeds, with butter and jam

this is one of my favorite sourdoughs recently, i love the sweet burst of golden raisins with the crunch of the poppyseeds. my toddler also loves it smeared with homemade cultured butter and his favorite “orange jam.” as long as i cut off the crusts for him… of course. it’s so soft and airy on the inside with that super crunchy crust. i’ll also post the recipe for the cultured butter we’ve been using for the past couple of months. so delicious spread on fresh sourdough or any bread. you can also use it for cooking, but it will lose the “cultured” properties once you cook it. this recipe is adapted from feasting at home’s no-knead sourdough bread, and please check out her post on sourdough starter as well if you need tips for that! for this recipe you will need a kitchen scale… except for measuring the half cup of whole wheat flour, i usually don’t use any cup measurements when i make bread. this is a long recipe, but check out the video below for the full method!

ingredients

520g flour (half a cup of whole wheat flour, and the rest bread flour)
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons poppyseeds
1 cup golden raisins
415g filtered water at room temperature
90g active sourdough starter (i usually feed mine 12 hours before making the dough, so it has time to rise and then fall again)
small amount of olive oil, just to coat bowl where bread will be proofing

equipment

kitchen scale
dutch oven – make sure the handle is metal, must be heat resistant!
parchment paper
bread lame or super sharp knife

instructions

when making this sourdough loaf, you want to start thinking about it 24 hours in advance of when you’ll bake it, because the starter needs 12-ish hours to do it’s thing once you feed it. the dough then takes about 12 more hours to proof, not counting the final proof in the fridge for an hour or more. i like to typically make my dough at night so it can proof on the counter overnight, or if i make it in the morning i will put it in the oven with the light on so it will take less time. if you leave it in the oven with the light on, make sure to keep an eye on it because i’ve had loaves proof in about 7 hours or less! you don’t want to end up over proofing it if it’s in a very warm place. it seems like a long process, but it’s so so worth it when you finally get to taste that amazing fresh home baked bread.

so the first step will be to feed your starter. or you can use starter that’s been in the fridge for up to a week for a more sour flavor. the longer it’s been sitting, the more sour it will taste. for this recipe, i typically will feed it 12 hours before i plan on making the loaf, since it has sweet elements (golden raisins), i like a more mild flavored bread. once the starter has peaked, and then come down again, it’s ready. you want it to come down again after it peaks because then you know it’s hungry again.

in a large bowl, combine your flours, salt, poppy seeds, and raisins. in a separate bowl, or 2 cup liquid measuring cup, use a fork to whisk together the water and active starter. it should look like cloudy water. pour in the water/starter mixture to the dry ingredients, and using a rubber spatula, start folding everything until it comes together into a rough dough ball, and there is no dry flour visible. at this point, i usually will coat a different bowl with olive oil and flip the dough ball out into this bowl to proof. you don’t have to do this… i just do it because i can’t stand it being in the messy bowl, ha ha. cover the dough ball with a damp dish towel, and sit in a warm spot to start proofing. let it sit for 15 minutes, and then you’re going to stretch and fold. take a look at the stretch and fold video in this post for a demo! i definitely tend to get a little bit more aggressive with my stretching and folding… so then you will let it proof for 15 more minutes, stretch and fold again, 15 more minutes and stretch and fold again. for a total of three times. i always let mine do the initial proof in the oven with the light on. i feel like it just stays warmer in there since our house doesn’t have great insulation. after that you can just leave it overnight on the counter or table with the damp towel on top.

in the morning (i wake up at 6:30 typically), check the rise on your dough. it should be just about doubled in size and have a domed top. you can take a wet finger and push it into the dough, and the indent should slowly start to fill back in.

you will then take your dutch oven, pop it into the oven with the lid on and preheat it to 470 degrees. you may need to play around with the temperature. initially i had it around 500, and it was wayyyyy too hot. my oven runs hot though. set your timer for an hour. the dutch oven needs to be super hot when you put the dough in. now you will do your final stretch and fold, place the dough into a smaller bowl lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge to proof while the oven preheats. take a bowl that is slightly smaller, i use a 1.5 qt pyrex, and line it with parchment. basically i just lay the sheet of parchment over the bowl and once the dough ball settles down into it, it lines itself. the final stretch and fold is a little different because you’ll actually lift the dough out of the bowl with both hands (make sure you wet your hands), hold it up in the air over the bowl, and let it fold down on top of itself. turn the bowl a quarter, and do it again. turn the bowl a quarter and do it again, but this time, it shouldn’t stretch nearly as much, and you will fold the bottoms in, and set the dough ball into the parchment lined bowl. see video for demo. then place it into the fridge while the oven heats up (one hour). you could also leave the dough in the fridge a little longer, 2-3 hours to develop the gluten further and develop a nice skin on the outside, making it easier to score. i found i was able to score it much easier when i left it in the fridge for 2 hours vs 1. usually i only preheat the oven for an hour.

once the hour is up, take out the dutch oven and be very careful removing the lid, make sure to remember your oven mitts, it will be extremely hot!! take the bread loaf out of the fridge, dust with flour, and score the top using a very sharp knife or bread lame. then pick it up in the parchment paper and place the whole thing (parchment included!) directly into the dutch oven. put the lid on and bake for 25 minutes at 470 degrees. during my initial bake i always put a sheet pan under my dutch oven because i was having issues with burnt bottoms on my bread. you will need to experiment to see if this will work for you or not. then remove the lid and bake for 10-15 more minutes, until the crust is deeply golden brown, and the middle is at least 200 degrees fahrenheit using a meat thermometer. let the bread loaf rest for at least 1 hour before slicing into it. the waiting is the hardest part! then enjoy your delicious homemade sourdough with your favorite toppings 🙂 recipe for cultured butter coming soon, and check out the video below for the full method!

picture of caramelized onion and spinach breakfast strata

another breakfast bake – caramelized onion and spinach strata

Published on February 28, 2021 by Holly Spangler1 Comment

caramelized onion and spinach breakfast strata

picture of strata with caramelized onions and spinach

we’re all about the breakfast bakes right now apparently. mostly because i’ve been looking for more recipes that i can bake up at the beginning of the week and we can heat it up for multiple days. breakfast is one of the hardest meals for me, and it makes things so much easier when you have two toddlers to cook for in the morning, especially since ryan just left on a month long training. #militarylife. i love this caramelized onion and spinach strata because it’s easily customizable, you can add whatever you have on hand… next time ryan suggested i add potatoes and i’m definitely going to try that. eggs have so much nutrition, and it’s a fun way to get veggies in at the morning meal, as well as helping me use up yesterdays stale sourdough, which i always feel like gets wasted. homemade bread goes stale so fast because there are no preservatives, and casseroles are an amazing way to use that up. you can use whatever bread you have laying around! i find a crusty leftover loaf of bread works really well with this recipe though, because it stands up to the egg mixture and retains some chewiness rather than becoming all soggy in the casserole. hope you enjoy this yummy strata as much as we did! 🙂

ingredients

9 large eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped or just ripped into pieces
half a loaf of crusty bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 2-2 1/2 cups)
1 cup shredded cheese of choice
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon, but adjust based on your preferences)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
cooking spray or extra butter to coat baking dish

instructions

preheat your oven to 350 degrees. slice the onion thinly, add the butter and olive oil to a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. sauté the onions until they start to caramelize and brown, about 7-10 minutes. add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute, then take off the heat to cool slightly. honestly, you could caramelize these fully and it would add a more complex flavor, but i was being lazy and just got a little dark brown color on them knowing they would cook all the way through in the oven. while the onions are cooling, slice up your bread into 1 inch cubes, and set aside. whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, shredded cheese, salt, pepper, smoked paprika and cheese. fold in the spinach and onion/garlic mixture and the bread cubes. spread evenly into a 9×13 baking dish that’s been sprayed with cooking spray or lined with butter. bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the bread is a golden brown, and it’s completely set in the middle. then enjoy for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner!

another breakfast bake

Published on February 28, 2021 by Holly Spangler1 Comment

caramelized onion and spinach strata

we’re all about the breakfast bakes right now apparently. mostly because i’ve been looking for more recipes that i can bake up at the beginning of the week and we can heat it up for multiple days. that makes things so much easier when you have two toddlers to cook for in the morning, especially since ryan just left on a month long training. #militarylife. i like this strata because it’s easily customizable, you can add whatever you have on hand… next time ryan suggested i add potatoes and i’m definitely going to try that. eggs have so much nutrition, and it’s s fun way to get veggies in in the morning, as well as helping me use up yesterdays stale sourdough, which i always feel like gets wasted. homemade bread goes stale so fast because there are no preservatives, and this is an amazing way to use that up. you can use whatever bread you have laying around! i find a crusty loaf works really well with this recipe though, because it stands up to the egg mixture and retains some chewiness rather than becoming all soggy. hope you enjoy this as much as we did! 🙂

ingredients

instructions

make-ahead [or day of] breakfast – baked oatmeal

Published on February 22, 2021 by Holly Spangler2 Comments

easy mixed-berry baked oatmeal for breakfast

picture of mixed berry baked oatmeal with whipped cream

9x13 dish with mixed berry baked oatmeal

this easy baked oatmeal honestly turned out way better than i expected it to and my kids were both big fans. meals like this are great for breakfast or brunch with little ones because it’s quick to throw together and then we can have it for a few days in a row. especially delicious with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (or out of a can), it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. this oatmeal can be made ahead and thrown in the oven the next morning, but honestly it’s super quick to whip up in the morning and takes only 35 minutes in the oven. i know a lot of people are in the camp of sugar is sugar, but i also love that this recipe uses coconut sugar, it makes me feel like i’m using a little bit of a more natural/less processed sugar option. i love the fresh burst of sweetness from the berries, but you could totally make it without them or substitute another fruit like peaches, apples, etc. it’s a great option for an easy breakfast or brunch, and it’s great warm or room temp. let me know what you think!

ingredients

3 cups old fashioned oats
1/2-3/4 cup of coconut sugar or brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen mixed berries
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

instructions

preheat your oven to 350 degrees and prep a 9×13 baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray, or coating with butter on the inside. whisk together the oats, coconut sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. add in the mixed berries and combine. in a separate bowl whisk together the milk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. add in the wet ingredients to the oat mixture and mix until fully combined. pour the whole mixture into the 9×13 baking dish and bake for 35 minutes, or until fully set. serve warm or room temperature. enjoy!

make-ahead [or day of] breakfast

Published on February 22, 2021 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

mixed-berry baked oatmeal

this easy baked oatmeal honestly turned out way better than i expected it to and my kids were both big fans. especially delicious with a dollop of homemade whipped cream (or out of a can), it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser. this oatmeal can be made ahead and thrown in the oven the next morning, but honestly it’s super quick to whip up in the morning and takes only 35 minutes in the oven. i know a lot of people are in the camp of sugar is sugar, but i also love that this recipe uses coconut sugar, it makes me feel like i’m using a little bit of a more natural/less processed sugar option. i love the fresh burst of sweetness from the berries, but you could totally make it without them or substitute another fruit like peaches, apples, etc. it’s also really good warm or room temp. let me know what you think!

ingredients

instructions

picture of bbq beef flatbread with pickled onions and guacamole

restaurant-style at home – bbq beef flatbread

Published on February 4, 2021 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

bbq beef flatbread with pickled onions and guacamole

i’ve been dreaming about something similar to this ever since i got a pulled pork pizza with guacamole at a restaurant we visited in tampa when i was pregnant with emmett. it was so good that i finished all the leftovers when we got home that night… this bbq beef flatbread recipe is easy in that you just throw the beef in the instant pot and let it do its work. there are a few steps, and you can always skip the pickled onions and DEFINITELY use store bought guacamole if that’s your thing. i would recommend not skipping the onions though because to me, they make it 🙂 you can check out my reels on instagram for my method! i always use this recipe for quick pickled red onions from cookie + kate, and i love them. you can use them on burgers, tacos, flatbreads, quesadillas, etc. and they always add that little extra something. the barbecue sauce recipe is a modified version of this one from south your mouth, and this is the recipe and method i use every time i make barbecue chicken. always a hit with the family. and no need to fire up the grill. you will see i have modified a few of the ingredients to get a more barbecue flavor and leave out the spice since i have littles eating it. josie refuses to eat meat, but emmett loved this beef and equally likes the barbecue chicken. hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

ingredients

2-3 lb chuck roast, cut into 4 equal pieces
half a beer – any kind, i used sapporo because that’s what i had in the fridge
your favorite homemade or storebought guacamole recipe
storebought flatbread or naan
storebought bbq sauce
shredded cheese, any kind
bbq sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon worcestershire
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
pickled onions
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

instructions

mix up the barbecue sauce by whisking together the honey, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, worcestershire, and mustard. cut the chuck roast into four equal pieces, then heat a non stick pan to high heat, and sear the meat on all sides until brown and crusty, about 3-4 minutes per side. you could also do this on the sauté setting on your instant pot, but i find it doesn’t work as well or as fast as just doing it on the stovetop. place the meat into the instant pot along with the barbecue sauce and half the beer, just to add more cooking liquid. set on manual setting for 50 minutes. meanwhile, slice up your red onions and place them in a glass bowl or large jar. heat the water, vinegars, honey, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium heat until everything is dissolved and the liquid is simmering. pour over the red onions and let it cool at room temp for at least 30 minutes. also if you are making your own guacamole, do this now! preheat your oven to 425. when the meat is finished, let the pressure release naturally for at least ten minutes, then you can manually release it. using two forks, shred the meat, and remove the larger chunks of fat. i usually don’t remove it beforehand because i’m lazy… put together your flatbread by spreading some of the storebought bbq sauce on your flatbread, arrange the beef and top with shredded cheese. place right on the oven rack until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the flatbread is a little crusty, about 7-10 minutes. keep your eye on it! then, remove it onto a pan using a fork and top with the pickled onions and guacamole. cut into pieces and enjoy as an app, game day snack, or meal!

restaurant-style at home

Published on February 4, 2021 by Holly SpanglerLeave a comment

bbq beef flatbread with pickled onions and guacamole

i’ve been dreaming about something similar to this ever since i got a pulled pork pizza with guacamole at a restaurant we visited in tampa when i was pregnant with emmett. it was so good that i finished all the leftovers when we got home that night… this recipe is easy in that you just throw the beef in the instant pot and let it do its work. there are a few steps, and you can always skip the onions and DEFINITELY use store bought guacamole if that’s your thing. i would recommend not skipping the onions though because to me, they make it 🙂 you can check out my reels on instagram for my method! i always use this recipe for quick pickled red onions from cookie + kate, and i love them. you can use them on burgers, tacos, flatbreads, quesadillas, etc. and they always add that little extra something. the barbecue sauce recipe is a modified version of this one from south your mouth, and this is the recipe and method i use every time i make barbecue chicken. always a hit with the family. and no need to fire up the grill. you will see i have modified a few of the ingredients to get a more barbecue flavor and leave out the spice since i have littles eating it. josie refuses to eat meat, but emmett loved this beef and equally likes the barbecue chicken. hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

ingredients

instructions

mix up the barbecue sauce by whisking together the honey, ketchup, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, garlic, worcestershire, and mustard. cut the chuck roast into four equal pieces, then heat a non stick pan to high heat, and sear the meat on all sides until brown and crusty, about 3-4 minutes per side. you could also do this on the sauté setting on your instant pot, but i find it doesn’t work as well or as fast as just doing it on the stovetop. place the meat into the instant pot along with the barbecue sauce and half the beer, just to add more cooking liquid. set on manual setting for 50 minutes. meanwhile, slice up your red onions and place them in a glass bowl or large jar. heat the water, vinegars, honey, salt, and red pepper flakes in a small pot over medium heat until everything is dissolved and the liquid is simmering. pour over the red onions and let it cool at room temp for at least 30 minutes. also if you are making your own guacamole, do this now! preheat your oven to 425. when the meat is finished, let the pressure release naturally for at least ten minutes, then you can manually release it. using two forks, shred the meat, and remove the larger chunks of fat. i usually don’t remove it beforehand because i’m lazy… put together your flatbread by spreading some of the storebought bbq sauce on your flatbread, arrange the beef and top with shredded cheese. place right on the oven rack until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the flatbread is a little crusty, about 7-10 minutes. keep your eye on it! then, remove it onto a pan using a fork and top with the pickled red onions and guacamole. cut into pieces and enjoy as an app, game day snack, or meal!