Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

  • Home
    • About
    • FAQs
  • Recipes
    • Bread and Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dairy
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes and Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
    • Instant Pot
    • Crock Pot
    • Heavenly Homemaker’s Weekly Menus
  • Homemaking
    • Real Food Sources
  • Store
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Simple Meals
  • Club Members!

The Easiest Way to Make Beef Roast in the Instant Pot

May 1, 2018 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

My mom used to be the queen of perfect Sunday roasts. But for some reason, it’s taken me over 20 years to figure out how to get my roast to fall apart and taste delicious. Today I’ll share what I’ve learned about making beef roast in the Instant Pot. Aha! Now we’re on to something.

After years of trial and error, I finally learned to make a Melt–in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast in the Crock Pot. This is all well and good except for the days I don’t have 12 hours to wait for my beef roast to cook to perfection. A recent Sunday morning, “What can I make for lunch before we leave for church in ten minutes?!” panic led me to investigate how to make a beef roast in my Instant Pot.

Wait. You don’t have an Instant Pot? Trust me. I understand. It took me years of hearing about them to get on the Insta-Train. Now that I’m on board, I’m declaring it to be one of my favorite appliances. Is an Instant Pot worth your investment? I give an emphatic, “Absolutely!” (I have this one.)

So anyway, back to my pot roast. I discovered that there are many Instant Pot roast-making instructions out there. But I have to admit what you already know about me: I really do not like recipes that instruct me to take several steps before walking away from my food to let it cook. After all, what good is using a Crock Pot or Instant Pot if I have to spend 30 or more minutes prepping the food?

Therefore, while most recipes I found instructed that I sear both sides of the roast and sing it a lullaby before allowing the Instant Pot to work its magic, I decided to do what I do best: Throw the food into the pot, turn it on, and walk away. After all, I don’t have time to sear meat on a Sunday morning, nor am I interested in going to church smelling like caramelized onion. And all my fellow worshipers said amen.

I figured the worst that might happen if I took a few shortcuts is that my roast would be mediocre, something my family has dealt with for most of my roast-making life. This is why God invented gravy.

So into the Instant Pot went the roast. I dumped on some sea salt, worchestershire sauce, water, onion, and carrots. We went to church and came home to this:

The meat fell apart. The flavor was incredible. Continue to sear your roast if you must, but as for me and my house, I will continue to throw in the food and let the appliances do the work.

The Easiest Way to Make Beef Roast in the Instant Pot

The Easiest Way to Make Beef Roast in the Instant Pot
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3 pound beef roast
  • 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium-sized onion
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 5-8 medium-sized carrots
  • 1 cup water
Instructions
  1. Place roast on the metal trivet in your Instant Pot.
  2. Pour 1 cup water into the bottom of the pot.
  3. Cut onion into fourths and place in the pot.
  4. Peel carrots, cut them in half, then place them on the roast.
  5. Salt liberally, pepper as you like.
  6. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and seal it.
  7. Cook it at High Pressure, Manual Setting, for 70 minutes.
  8. I do natural release as I'm usually still at church during this time.
  9. Shred meat and serve!
3.5.3229

 

Add 3ish pounds of scrubbed and cut potatoes to the pot if you like. :)

Be on the lookout for a tutorial on making Roast Gravy.

Am I the only one who has struggled to make a good pot roast? Here’s hoping this recipe solves all your roast-making issues!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups (or Casserole)

April 29, 2018 by Laura 9 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Sometimes I experiment with recipe ideas and they turn out to be big flops. You don’t know about these because they don’t get shared here, for all the obvious, not-so-tasty reasons. This Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cup or Casserole recipe got rave reviews at our house, making it definitely blog worthy. How can cooking real food continue to get easier??!

Have I mentioned that I discovered Mr. Dells Frozen Hashbrowns at the grocery store and declare them to be a fabulous option? They contain one ingredient: Potatoes. Other frozen hashbrowns at the store have a slew of ingredients listed that I can’t pronounce. So either make your own frozen hashbrowns or see if you can find a brand like Mr. Dells that includes plain ol’ potatoes. I try to have big bags of these on hand at all times now as they are super convenient!

To make this recipe, simply brown meat and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spread mixture into a casserole dish (easy!!) or scoop the mixture into muffin tins (still easy but one more step). Bake and serve. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole

Simple Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 24 cups or 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef, lamb, or turkey
  • 15-ounces frozen shredded hashbrowns
  • ½ - 1 cup ketchup (depending on how much your family likes ketchup)
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion
  • 2 cups shredded cheese (we like Colby jack or pepper jack best, but any variety will work!)
  • Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Brown meat in a skillet until no longer pink.
  2. Mix cooked meat and remaining ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.
  3. For Cups: Scoop mixture into prepared muffin tins (I find that it works best to melt a bit of oil in each tin so that the baked nests pop right out!) Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
  4. For Casserole: Spread mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Bake uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
3.5.3229

Freezer Friendly!

Make this recipe into a casserole, cover, and freeze. When you’re ready to bake it, take it from the freezer, cover it with foil and slide it into a cold oven. Bake at 250 degrees for 2.5 hours or until bubbly.

Want more Simple Recipes?

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken
  • Simple Green Chile Chicken
  • Simple Tex-Mex Creamy Chicken
  • Simple Waffle Omelets
  • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
  • Simple Tuna Patties
  • Simple Banana Pancakes
  • Simple Crock Pot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
  • Simple Hashbrown and Egg Nests
  • Simple Cornbread Waffles with Chili
  • Simple Veggie Fritters
  • Simple Lemon Garlic Chicken Legs
  • Simple Noodle Soup
  • Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti
  • Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

 

 

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

$10 off Simple Meals – One Week Only!

April 27, 2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

It is our pleasure to offer Simple Meals planning packets as a wonderful way to help you put great food on your table each day. We save you money, save you time, and free you up to focus on what truly is important!

We’ve done the research and have found that Simple Meals is the least expensive menu planning subscription around. This is not because it isn’t valuable – it’s simply that we want to make it affordable for everyone. The fact that the meal suggestions are all family friendly, made with real food ingredients, and super delicious is a bonus.

And did we mention simple? No complicated recipes here. In fact, we always fill the packet with extra tips to make your cooking time super efficient!

Grab a FREE sample Simple Meals Planning Packet here. This truly will free you to enjoy more family time, ministry time, and spiritual focus while still enabling you to feed your family wonderfully!

While we’ve priced this at just $1/week, right now we’re making the deal even sweeter!

Join Simple Meals and get $10 your first year’s subscription!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! For one week only, we’re happy to offer you an awesome $10 discount!

Sign up below – While this shows up at the regular $52 price-tag, once you click to purchase you’ll see that the price you pay for your first year’s subscription is only $42! Enjoy the great discount and the wonderful meal plans this year!!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=28]

This offer ends Friday, May 4, 2018.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef (2 Ingredients!)

April 26, 2018 by Laura 1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Ready to cook dinner while you’re sleeping? This Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef idea is genius!

My Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast has become a staple around here. So one night I thought, “Why can’t I try the same idea but use salsa instead of bbq sauce? Then we can have Mexi-Wraps for lunch tomorrow?

I love it when good ideas turn out amazing results! But I love it even more that this recipe is so easy your two year old can make it. My favorite is that this cooks while we’re sleeping so we can wake up and have a good meal ready to serve later in the day. Or if you prefer, start this cooking in your crock pot first thing in the morning and have an awesome meal ready at the end of the day.

Now, some have cautioned against putting frozen meat in a crock pot. I have no hesitation about this, and I think we all know I’m terrible about ever remembering to thaw meat. So if given the chance, I will put frozen meat into my crock pot because this saves brain power. Coffee can only do so much.

The work involved in making this Simple Salsa Shredded Beef includes none other than:

  1. Putting a frozen roast in a crock pot.
  2. Dumping on a jar of salsa.
  3. Letting it cook all night or all day.

Praise God, Glory Hallelujah.

After cooking for 10-12 hours, this meat has become so flavorful and tender it practically falls apart before you even come near it with a fork. Shred it quickly, cry a joyful tear over how marvelous your meal is going to be, and serve this to your family with a smile. After all, you didn’t have to work hard to make this. So you still have energy to smile. What a gift.

Use this Simple Salsa Shredded Beef as Mexi-Wraps in tortillas with taco/burrito fixin’s. Use it to make Simple Spanish Rice Bowls. Toss it into a Taco Salad. Eat it directly out of the crock pot. Who can help it?

Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef

Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef (2 Ingredients!)
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 3-4 pound beef or lamb roast
  • 16-ounces salsa
Instructions
  1. Place frozen or thawed roast into a crock pot.
  2. Pour salsa over the top.
  3. Cook in a crock pot on low for 10-12 hours if frozen. If thawed, cook for 8-10 hours on low.
  4. Shred meat and serve.
3.5.3229

Want even more Simple Recipes?

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken
  • Simple Green Chile Chicken
  • Simple Tex-Mex Creamy Chicken
  • Simple Waffle Omelets
  • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
  • Simple Tuna Patties
  • Simple Banana Pancakes
  • Simple Crock Pot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
  • Simple Hashbrown and Egg Nests
  • Simple Cornbread Waffles with Chili
  • Simple Veggie Fritters
  • Simple Lemon Garlic Chicken Legs
  • Simple Noodle Soup
  • Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti

Enjoy all these recipes without effort when you become a Simple Meals member! Every week we’ll send you a great menu plan full of Simple Recipes like this one. We’ll equip you with a grocery list. We’ll break everything down so that your meal prep is as simple as possible. We’ll give you bonus tips and recipes and freebies. And this is all for just $1 each week. You’ll love it!

[wp_eStore_subscribe_fancy id=19]

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

6 eBooks for $6 – Simplify Your Kitchen – Final Sale Day!

April 23, 2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Ready to simplify your kitchen? Today’s the final day for this fun 6 for $6 offer!

In an effort to provide you with resources that will help you simplify your real food kitchen, we put together this great collection of eBooks. Then we marked them all down to a dollar each. Then we added freebies. See? I told you we’ve had fun!

Today only, you can get 6 fantastic eBooks that will help you:

  • Save time
  • Save money
  • Save energy

Plus these eBooks contain hundreds of recipes and tips so you can feed your family fabulously! To top it all off, we’re throwing in these great master lists to load you down with bunches of simple food ideas!

Hurry to take advantage of this offer today before it’s gone!

Your eBook package will land in your inbox within minutes, then your simple kitchen fun can begin!

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=31]

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

6 Amazing eBooks to Simplify Your Kitchen

April 18, 2018 by Laura 4 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

Ready to simplify your kitchen? (Of course.)

This offer has been super fun to put together. Our goal is to help free your kitchen time so you can spend more time loving people. But hey, we do all still need to eat. Plus we want to eat well so we’ll be healthy enough to love people. So how does this look?

In an effort to provide you with resources that will help you simplify your real food kitchen, we put together this great collection of eBooks. Then we marked them all down to a dollar each. Then we added freebies. See? I told you we’ve had fun!

For 6 days only, you can get 6 fantastic eBooks that will help you:

  • Save time
  • Save money
  • Save energy

Plus these eBooks contain hundreds of recipes and tips so you can feed your family fabulously!

Here’s what you’ll get for only $6. It’s kind of amazing actually!

Simplify the Simple – $4.95 value

What if we handed you an eBook full of ideas, recipes, links, and tips to help you actually stay on top of your life in the kitchen? We think this eBook is especially fun and we love how the tips included have saved us so much time and money. This book shares my very best tips and recipes for getting ahead in my real food kitchen.

Simple Recipes for Simple Meals – $6.95 value

You’ll love this eBook filled with 24 simple recipes that are all made with whole foods that you probably already have on hand. Every recipe only take a few minutes to prepare! What will you do with all that free time?

Simple Recipes ebook cover

Simple Mixes that Save the Day – $7.95 value

The Simple Mixes recipes in this eBook will take you back to the days of using boxed mixes, but not to worry! You’ll be using ingredients you feel great about. From brownies to muffins to cakes and cookies – you will love all the delicious food you can bake quickly with this eBook!

Healthy Make-Ahead Meals & Snacks – $5.00 value

Need to get some family friendly meals and snacks in the freezer for those extra busy days? This eBook offers you 33 recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks and provides you with freezing and reheating instructions!

 

Beat the Heat – $4.95 value

Summer’s on its way (so I hear)! Survive and thrive with the 33 Simple Summer Recipes and Tips filling this eBook. Summer heat? Bring it on! (No seriously. Please, bring it. This Nebraska girl is cold.)

Healthy Breakfast Made Simple – $3.95 value

Save the cereal boxes for another day. Healthy Breakfast Made Simple gives you 10 incredible recipes that will make your mornings stress-free. Yes, it is actually possible! Here’s how we do it.

breakfast_e-book cover_sm

Get 6 eBooks for $6 for 6 days only

Our 6 for $6 deal means you get all these wonderful eBooks for just six bucks! ($33.75 value)

And here’s what’s even better. When you purchase the eBook package, we’ll give you all of these Master Lists that you can download for free!

Master Lists Download

This is fabulously fun, and we are delighted to provide you with so many great kitchen resources at such a low price. No catch. No strings. Only simple, straight forward, family friendly eBooks and printables.

Ready to dive in?

Get your collection and dive in right away. They’ll land in your inbox within minutes so watch for your email with download links after your purchase.

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=31]

This offer ends Monday, April 23, 2018.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Ingredients for Simple Meals Printable! Gift for You!

April 5, 2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

After many a request, we’ve finally created a Simple Ingredients for Simple Meals printable list for you to work with. Just when you thought it wasn’t possible, simple cooking just got even easier!

Over the past several months, many of you have requested that I create a list of all the ingredients I like to keep on hand to make real food cooking easier. It’s taken a while, but I called in for back up and had one of my assistants help create what I declare to be beautiful, practical, and of course, simple!

Simple Ingredients List to the Rescue

The timing is perfect for this fun Simple Ingredients list to become available for you. Why? Because we just kicked out our High Five Recipes eBook, which shares 111 recipes that all include 5 or fewer simple ingredients. Wondering which ingredients can be mixed and matched to make all 111 of these recipes? This list pretty much covers it! And then some.

Don’t you love how easy this printable breaks down that basics of ingredient needs? All the ingredients listed are real food, nourishing, and un-complicated. Simple, simple, simple! Yes, real food cooking is SIMPLE!!! And it tastes great. This, of course, is a must.

Obviously we’re all going to have favorite items not listed here. But this is our go-to list for all Simple Ingredient needs for Simple Meal preparation. Add to it as needed for your family!

It’s our pleasure to give you this Simple Ingredients for Simple Meals printable list as a gift.

We hope it is a huge help in simplifying your real food cooking lifestyle. Use it as a guide so that grocery shopping will be simpler, so you can save money, and so you’ll be able to have basic ingredients on hand for creating Simple Meals.

Sign up here so we can send you this wonderful freebie. (As an added bonus, we’re including several surprise freebies too. Wait till you see!)

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip (3 ingredients!)

March 25, 2018 by Laura 3 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

You’ll love this Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip. But first, wait until you see what we’ve got in the works!

high five cover

It’s a brand new eBook and we’re going to roll it out very soon! It includes a whopping 111 recipes – all of which only utilize 5 or fewer ingredients. This has been one of our most exciting projects! Sharing ways to put simple food on your table is one of our favorite goals, and if the recipe has only 5 ingredients, you can bet it is simpler than ever!

Be on the look out for brand new High Five Recipes I’ll be sharing during the next few weeks, as well as the reveal of our brand new eBook in just a few hours! As for today, you’ll need three simple ingredients and a bag of chips. What used to be a snack can now become a meal!


A few weeks ago when I posted my Cream Cheese Salsa Dip recipe, Kayla left a comment to share that she used the same idea to make Bean Dip. Say no more, Kayla. We got out our cream cheese, salsa, and a can of refried beans and we suddenly had a new favorite!

Do you see how easy real food cooking can be? I had a teen at my house last week devouring my food saying, “I guess I never knew healthy food actually tasted good.” Boom. That is my goal. Healthy food that tastes good. And if it can also be simple to make, then my entire food mission has been accomplished.

If you have time, soak and cook pinto beans for this recipe. But for all who are in a hurry, simply get out a jar of salsa, a package of cream cheese, and a can of beans. Blend it together and your main dish is ready. Eat it hot. Eat it cold. And of course, eat it with fruits and vegetables on the side because this is the 11th commandment. “Thou shalt eat fruits and veggies with every meal.” Amen.

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip

Simple Bean and Cheese Salsa Dip (3 ingredients!)
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 5 cups
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces salsa (any variety)
  • 8-ounces softened cream cheese
  • 15-ounce can refried beans or pinto beans
Instructions
  1. Blend ingredients together until smooth.
  2. Serve hot or cold with corn tortilla chips.
3.4.3177

**UPDATE**

It’s here! Learn all about our High Five Recipes eBook and grab yours here!

[wp_eStore_fancy1 id=32]

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

March 22, 2018 by Laura 11 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

As with any holiday, I like to actually enjoy myself and my guests instead of spending hours in the kitchen. Thus, today I will share the easiest meal to make for Easter.

The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

It has become our tradition to invite a houseful of college students over to enjoy our Easter dinner with us. It is worth noting that young adults are most certainly not too old to enjoy plastic eggs filled with bunny-shaped sugar. We fill eggs with candy, then half of our guests hide the eggs all over our yard, hoping to challenge their fellow college students to climb into precarious places to find said eggs. We dig out plastic grocery sacks for everyone to use as Easter baskets because at our house, we like to be fancy.

easter 20168

The meal I serve? Well, college kids love any form of home-cooking, thus they tend to not care what I make, as long as I’ve made it.

It is a good thing that simple food just so happens to also be delicious. Love makes food taste better. Praying over my guests while I’m preparing the food has become my favorite hospitality practice. This takes away all the stress over the meal as I know God is the One who makes the food and the fellowship sweet and memorable.

easter 20162

I’ve found that the easiest meal to make for Easter includes ham, potato casserole, veggies, rolls, and a simple dessert. Nothing fancy necessary, except for the above mentioned plastic grocery bags we use as Easter Baskets. Those always wow our guests.

The Easiest Meal to Make for Easter

ham

1. I buy a Spiral Sliced Ham.

These taste incredible and are super simple to make. I plop it in a pan, throw away the packet of glaze, cover the ham, and bake it while we are at church. Just before serving we cut it off the bone and put it on our buffet. It is a hit every time and it takes no work to prepare. Spiral sliced ham for the win!

Bacon Hashbrown Casserole

2. I make a Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole ahead of time.

Then I slide it into the oven along with the ham to bake while we are at church. This is multi-tasking at its finest.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

3. I quickly make some veggies and/or a salad.

Steamed green beans, Honey Glazed Carrots, a tray of raw veggies – none of these takes much time or effort to prepare. If I have time, I might put together a “fancy” salad like this Strawberry Spinach Salad.

rolls1sm

4. I buy rolls.

I never thought I’d see the day, but I’ve learned that relationships and hospitality can look like homemade rolls AND store-bought rolls. For this season in my life, I have decided to buy rolls, plop them in a basket, and go love on the people. Maybe eventually I’ll get back to making homemade rolls, seeing as they are hard to beat!

Build-a-Brownie

5. Dessert isn’t fancy.

Sometimes I skip making dessert altogether and simply sprinkle Easter candy across the middles of the tables. If I have time to do more, I bake brownies, buy ice cream, and set up a Brownie Sundae Bar.

easter 20163

This Easter meal is simple but fabulous, our tables are filled with people we love, and I guess it goes without saying that hiding/hunting Easter eggs with college students who are walking around holding fancy grocery bags provides enough fun to last us all year round.

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!

The Easiest Way to Make Brown Rice

March 13, 2018 by Laura 25 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure policy.

My friend Emily has been encouraging me to try this little “bake your rice in the oven” trick for quite some time. As it turns out, this really is the easiest way to make brown rice!

rice55

Now, I’ve been making rice on the stove-top for years without any problem. Then I got an Instant Pot and tried making rice in that.

Confession: While it is actually very easy to make rice in the Instant Pot, I kept having to look up how to do it because I could never remember from one time to the next. So ultimately, this didn’t make my life easier. Ha! Old habits die hard. I didn’t want to have to actually think about how to make rice. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

So I went back to my “cook rice on the stove-top” method.

Then Emily said something again about making rice in the oven, about how easy it was, and about how the rice turns out perfectly every single time. Fine. I decided to try it. After all, the method did sound very simple.

Boom. I’m going to use the oven method every time from now on. It’s a no brainer! And it actually is easier than making rice on the stove-top because I don’t have to boil water first, then add rice, then turn down the heat, yada, yada.

Here are the basics you need to know to make brown rice in the oven:

  1. Always use 2 parts water to 1 part rice.
  2. Cover the dish.
  3. Bake for 1 hour at 350.

Here’s a basic picture tutorial. Watch and be amazed.

1. Put rice in a dish.

rice11

2. Add water. Cover, and bake for 1 hour at 350.

rice22

3. The rice is done. It is perfect. Your life just got easier.

rice33

4. Be amazed and look at the rice from a different angle. Stare joyfully at the rice.

rice44

5. Move on. It’s time to eat the rice.

rice55

The Easiest Way to Make Brown Rice

5.0 from 1 reviews
The Easiest Way to Make Brown Rice
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown rice
  • 2 cups water
  • sea salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Place one part rice to two parts water into a baking dish.
  2. Sprinkle in sea salt according to your taste. (You can add salt later if you prefer.)
  3. Stir.
  4. Cover.
  5. Bake in a 350 oven for one hour.
3.4.3177

The Easiest Way to Make Brown Rice

This will forever more be my go-to rice making method. I love how simple it is! And the rice truly turns out perfect!

What’s your favorite way to make brown rice? Have you ever tried this oven method? I think you’ll love it!

Heavenly Homemaker's Club Members: Access your homepage and all your fantastic resources here! Not a member yet? Please join us!
« Previous Page
Next Page »

Join Our Community!

 Facebook Twitter E-mail Instagram Pinterest

Popular Posts

~ Will All of the Real Moms Please Stand Up?
~ Easy! Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread
~ How to Make Gatorade
~ 31 Real Food Breakfast Ideas
~ Dear Teenage Girls...
~ When Mom Takes a Step Back
~ The Inexpensive Health Insurance We Love!
~ Let's Talk Real Food Grocery Budgets

Check out our latest posts!

  • Big Family Food and Fun: May 31-June 6, 2026
  • Big Family Food and Fun: May 24-30, 2026
  • Free 7-Day Summer Menu Plan
  • Big Family Food and Fun: May 17-23, 2026
  • Easy Side Dishes for Summer
Home  ~  Simple Meals  ~  Club Membership  ~  Shop  ~  Privacy Policy  ~  Disclosure  ~ Contact

Copyright © 2026 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in