Comfort Food

Mmmm. I just love it when our house smells warm and comforting with wholesome food cooking in the kitchen. It's not so much that this is unusual as we cook dinner at home most nights; however, some dishes just lend themselves to these 'comfort food' aromas. This evening is just such an evening. Actually, though, the meal won't be enjoyed until tomorrow evening; Kevin had a small medical procedure done today and wasn't quite up for this version of comfort food tonight. (So instead we had another comfort food ... chicken potpies!)

This particular meal is one my grandmother used to make quite often and we all loved it! What is it? Chuck roast with homemade noodles. Just typing it is making my mouth water! Typically this would be a weekend meal because noodle making is a bit more labor intensive than what you might want to do on an average weeknight. However, since today was a holiday and we had the time, we went ahead and pre-cooked the roast (mostly finished, but not quite all the way) and made the noodles and stashed them in the fridge (which is fine to do since the noodles need to dry a bit anyway). I can hardly wait for dinner tomorrow night!


Chuck Roast with Homemade Noodles

1 boneless chuck roast (3-4 pounds)
1 onion, sliced into 1" half moons
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 cups water, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 14-ounce can beef broth
Pepper to taste

In a dutch oven, brown roast and onion in oil. Add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Meanwhile, for the noodles, combine the flour and salt in a bowl; make a well in the center. Beat egg and milk; pour into the well. Stir to form a stiff dough. Turn onto a well-floured surface roll into a 15"x12" rectangle. Cut into 1/8" strips. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Remove roast and keep warm; add broth and remaining water to the pan. Bring to a boil; add noodles. Cook 8-10 minutes or until tender. Pepper to taste. Serve alongside roast.