Beef Barley Soup

Beef barley soup is a hearty and comforting soup full of tender beef, pearl barley, wild rice, mushrooms and savory umami flavor.

I didn’t even know that beef barley soup was a thing. I guess whenever I heard someone mention a barley soup I just went into a mindless state because barley didn’t sound delicious. But it’s the best soup I’ve had in years and that says a lot considering how much my family loves soup. Have you tried “The Soup“? Or maybe our roasted tomato basil soup? We love soups!

If you search for beef and barley soup recipes, you’ll find a lot of the same style of soup — carrots, celery, beef, barley, etc. We have changed things up for this. This is a little different, and more scrumptious imho, than anything you’ll find out there.

Why is This the Best Beef Barley Soup?

My friend and I decided that there are a few small things that are musts in a beef barley soup…

1. No carrots or celery. This isn’t stew and we don’t want it to look, smell or taste like stew. That’s a different recipe!
2. Use wild rice along with the barley. It adds a toothy, flavorful oomph that you will miss if you skip it. You can add as much or as little as you’d like.
3. WHOLE ROAST slowly cooked. We aren’t cutting this baby up, though if you were short on time you could certainly use stew meat and half the baking time. But a whole roast slowly cooked will bring out far more flavor and tenderness in the meat.

Ingredients for Beef Barley Soup

At first glance, this list may look long, but don’t worry! Most ingredients are pantry ingredients and everything combined creates a depth of flavor that is heavenly. Here is what you will need…

• Chuck Roast: you will cook this whole like you would a pot roast
• Olive Oil: helps brown the roast
• Salt and Pepper: adds flavor
• Red Wine Vinegar: helps deglaze the pan and adds acidity
• Water: helps deglaze
• Red Onion: adds flavor and caramelization
• Baby Bella Mushrooms: adds earthy flavor and chewiness
• Pearl Barley: you can find this right by the rice at the grocery store
• Wild Rice: adds an extra layer of flavor and different texture to the soup
• Au Jus Packet: adds bold savory flavor
• Onion Powder: adds flavor
• Garlic Powder: adds flavor
• Oregano: you can also use Italian seasoning if you don’t have oregano
• Balsamic Vinegar: adds a slight sweetness and more acidity
• Worcestershire: our favorite brand is Lea & Perrins
• Beef Broth: helps cook

Some foods are so basic, so incredibly simple, that it can be difficult to describe their awesomeness. That’s how I feel about cottage cheese with fruit. Two ingredients. Just TWO.

And yet, cottage cheese and berries have a permanent place in my refrigerator. Whether this is my breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a sweet bite after dinner, I eat this nearly every single day.

Cottage Cheese with Fruit

About a year ago, a friend mentioned to me how much he enjoyed eating cottage cheese with berries after his workouts. I hadn’t tried that combination before, never having been a huge fan of cottage cheese. (I was always a Greek yogurt girl before and usually with a bunch of other things added to it.)

If I’m being honest, the amount of protein in the cottage cheese was what finally got me to try it. Oh. My. Word. I had been missing out! (Sorry, Lynne, for all the times I messed with you for enjoying cottage cheese so much. Turns out I just hadn’t tried the right combination.)

Cottage Cheese with Berries

Growing up, we always had cottage cheese in the house. It was usually eaten plain and that’s about all I remembered. I’ve certainly baked with it and I

Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks

A sweet potato recipe that is cheesy and buttery with a burst of fresh thyme! If you want a recipe for sweet potatoes that is a little outside the box but glorious, you have to try these Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks!

Every Christmas we make a cheesy potato dish with gruyere cheese. They are stacked high in a muffin tin and get all crispy and wonderful. This year we decided to make them with sweet potatoes, and we are obsessed with the sweet and salty flavor of these Cheesy Gruyere Sweet Potato Stacks!

I know when we think of sweet potato side dishes, we think of brown sugar and marshmallows, but I’m telling you, friends, the sweetness of the sweet potatoes paired with the saltiness of the cheeses makes the angels sing! And that fresh pop of thyme…I’m happy dancing around the kitchen! Arms waving, eyes closed, licking my lips and my bootie shakin’…you get that visual?!

How to Make Sweet Potato Stacks

I like to get the sweet potatoes prepared first. Peel two large sweet potatoes and then slice them. We always use our favorite mandoline to get those thin perfect slices, but you could totally do it by hand if you don’t have a mandoline. Let’s see those mad knife skills!

When your sweet potatoes are prepped, preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. You will use all 12 cups of the muffin tin. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and add the melted butter. Stir thoroughly, separating the sweet potato slices by hand if needed. You want everything deliciously coated in butter!

Combine the cheeses, salt, garlic and thyme in a medium bowl or plastic bag. Place two slices of sweet potato into each cup and scoop one teaspoon of the cheese and spices mixture into each cup and repeat the layers until you reach the top of each cup. Be sure your last layer is cheese! You’ll want that yummy cheesy goodness on top!

Place the pan in the oven carefully (you don’t want those perfectly constructed stacks to tip over)! Tent the muffin pan with a piece of foil and be sure the foil does not touch the top of the potatoes. The cheese will stick and then you’ll lose that top cheesy layer (tragedy!). Bake for 15 minutes with the foil and then remove it and bake an additional 30 minutes or until the cheese is starting to turn golden. Scoop those golden delicious stacks from the pan with a large spoon and and serve them hot!

What to Eat with this Sweet Potato Recipe?

This is a perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Try it along side our Turkey in a Bowl for Thanksgiving or with Prime Rib for Christmas! But you don’t need a holiday to make these! They go great with just about any meal…steak, Read more

Welcome to the weekend, my friends! I’ve enjoyed my Christmas break so much. I’ve slept in, gone for walks and bike rides, watched movies, read several books, and cooked some of our favorite foods. I’ve also eaten Christmas cookies with lattes almost every night – hence my craving for all the vegetables at this point.

What we’re EATING: It’s been another tasty week over here without a single new blog post to show for it. (And I’m still not sad about that.)

I made a big pot of Lasagna Soup a night or two ago, along with a tray of this Garlic Herb Bread and we’re already down to the last couple of servings. Every time I serve that soup that someone new, they ask for a link to the recipe. We love it. 

I took a pan of these easy-as-can-be Chicken Enchiladas over to friends last night. (I made a big pan for my family at the same time – it’s the easiest recipe ever to double.) My boys will likely polish that off for lunch today. With a pile of tortilla chips on the side for dipping, it’s one of their favorite meals.

I made another Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole this week and once again, I ate a ridiculous portion both for breakfast and the next day for lunch. 

I made a big cheeseboard after the Christmas Eve service this past week and the boys asked if we could do an even bigger snack spread for New Year’s Eve. Looks like I need to head to Trader Joe’s today to pick up more of our favorite snacks, meats, and cheeses.

We cooked our favorite Balsamic Dijon Glazed Ham on Christmas day and there have been plenty of Ham Sandwiches and quesadillas made with the leftovers this week.

I also made another gigantic pot of my grandmother’s Creamy Vegetable Soup that I photographed a while back. We can’t get enough of this one and I’m excited to finally share it with you in a week or two. Thanks for re-introducing me to it, Aunt Judy!

Last, but not least, I’ve been craving vegetables like mad, so I made a giant skillet of this taco meat and have been enjoying it in salads for my lunches. 

What I’m CRAVING: these Red Chile Chicken Burritos! I couldn’t stop thinking of them as I was making the enchiladas this week, so these burritos are on the meal plan for the coming week. 

My FAVORITE THING this week is Read more

Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels [+ Video]

Cinnamon sugar pretzels are one of our all time favorite snacks or treats. Adults and kids cannot stay out of the bowl. Trust me!

Such a simple snack yet so hard to keep your hands out of. These cinnamon sugar pretzels with white chocolate drizzle are great for watching a movie or if Mom really needs a darn treat and they are a perfect snack for parties or for holiday food gifts!

Heaven knows you need at least one simple thing for a party so that you aren’t standing in the kitchen all day and night and during the party. This cinnamon pretzel recipe is your answer for a totally irresistible sweet and salty snack!

What Do I Need to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels?

Have you all tried Dots pretzels? The original Dots are incredible, but I just tried the cinnamon sugar Dots recently and they are heavenly! In fact, they reminded me of this pretzel dessert recipe! You only need 4 ingredients to make this simple, yet irresistible treat…

• Canola Oil: helps the cinnamon sugar stick to the pretzels without changing any flavor
• Cinnamon Sugar: see section below for making your own
• Mini Pretzels: grab a bag of store bought small pretzel twists
• White Chocolate: melting wafers work great or white chocolate chips are fine too

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.

Recommended Equipment

• Microwave Safe Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Baking Sheet
• Glass Measuring Cup

How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels

This is an odd recipe as it’s oil that you’re going to stir into the pretzels and not melted butter and then use the microwave (no oven needed!!) to bake it all in there. It works. I promise, but it is a little weird to pour oil all over something you want to eat. Here is how it will go…

1. Combine the pretzels, canola oil and cinnamon sugar in a large glass bowl and toss until the cinnamon sugar coats all the pretzels.
2. Microwave for 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds.
3. Pour the pretzels out onto a sheet pan and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar mixture.
   • PRO TIP: We like to add this little extra cinnamon sugar right before we drizzle the white chocolate, but don’t stress if you forget. They are wonderful either way.
4. Let the pretzels cool and air dry completely and then drizzle with melted white chocolate.
5. Let them air dry again and eat!

These instructions are all available in the recipe card down below. Keep scrolling for all the details!

Watch How These Pretzels are Made…

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