Easy Beef Stew

This is an easy beef stew.  Super tasty and flavorful!

Easy Beef Stew (adapted from this recipe)
1 lb stew beef chunks
2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 can beef gravy (such as Campbell's)
3 cups beef broth
14 oz can whole tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 onion quartered
1 carrot, peeled and cut on the bias or coins
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
frozen sweet peas

Heat dutch oven over medium heat.  Add oil.  Toss beef in flour, salt and pepper.  Brown the beef on all sides.  Add beef gravy, beef broth, whole tomatoes, marjoram, pepper and onion.  Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer over low heat for 1-1/2 hours.  Add carrot and potatoes stir and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.  Serve with frozen sweet peas. 

YUM!

You can also serve this over mashed potatoes. 

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups

This is a great party food.  Little appetizers or leave them whole for a quick 100 calorie snack.

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
deli ham slices
reduced fat skim milk string cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon dried dill weed

Mix cream cheese and dill weed together in a bowl. 

Spread about a Tablespoon on slice of ham.  Lay a length of string cheese on one end and roll up. 

Cut them into pieces if you're having a party

or leave them whole for snacks.

YUM!

Shepherd's Pie

This is a yummy tummy warming meal.  I love the Worcestershire sauce in this.  It adds a little extra flavor.  This is one of Daddy's favorite things.  He just loves it!  In fact, when I make it, we never have leftovers!

Technically, Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb.  Hence, "shepherd".  I think this is actually termed Cottage Pie, but whatever. 

Just make it and eat it. 

You won't be disappointed.  

Shepherds' Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 can green beans
1 carrots chopped
1 pouch of instant potatoes or 3- 4 big potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 stick butter, plus 2 Tablespoons
2 Tablespoons flour
1/2-1 cup beef broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Brown the ground beef, drain and add chopped carrots and 2 Tablespoons of butter.

Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of flour tossing to coat vegetables.

Stir in beef broth...

and Worcestershire sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spread mixture into the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. 

Drain green beans and layer them over the beef mixture. 

Follow the directions on the instant potatoes or if you are using real potatoes, mash them with the remaining stick of butter.  Season with salt and pepper and spread over the green beans. 

Using the back of a fork, create swirls in the potatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

If the potatoes aren't browning enough, just broil the dish in the last few minutes.

This freezes really well too.  Make sure you double wrap it in tin foil and plastic wrap.  You can thaw in the fridge overnight or bake from frozen for 1-1/2 hours.

So yummy!

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole

This is an easy and delicious Tex-Mex dish we all LOVE! 

Chimichurri Burrito Casserole
1-1/2 cup water
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 packet Lawry's Chimichurri Burrito Casserole (found at Walmart)
1 pound ground beef
2 cup black beans or 15 oz can, drained and rinsed
8 flour tortillas (8" size)
1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix water, tomato sauce and seasoning packet in a bowl, mix well.
Brown meat in skillet, drain fat and rinse.  Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce mixture and black beans.  Spoon about 1/2 cup beef and bean mixture into flour tortilla, roll up and place seam-side down in 9x13 casserole dish. Pour the remaining tomato sauce mixture over the rolled up burritos.  Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes until heated through and cheese has melted. 

I served this with lettuce, black olives, avocado, sour cream and sliced jalapenos (for me).  Next time I think I'll heat up some corn or even some Mexican Rice and Beans, but it was very filling and we all really enjoyed it.

YUM!

Spicy Pineapple Beef

I made this for the first time using leftover beef roast.  I saved about 2 cups of beef roast shredded into fairly large chunks and covered it with the remaining cooking liquid.  Daddy and I loved it.  I guess you could call this a "double duty dinner".  We had Beef Roast one night and this meal another night that week. 

Spicy Pineapple Beef
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
8 oz can pineapple tidbits, drain juice
2 jalapeno peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups leftover beef roast with about 1/2 cup cooking liquid
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

In Dutch oven, heat oil and vinegar.  Add pineapple and jalapenos, cook for 5-7 minutes.  Add leftover beef roast, cooking liquid, water and soy sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl and then pour into the beef mixture.  Stir well until thickened and turn on low.

Serve over steamed rice.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

I like to have supper waiting us when I can.  So I use a crock pot or slow cooker.  This is super yummy and really easy:

Crock Pot Beef Roast
Beef Roast
1/2 onion finely chopped or 2 Tbsp dried minced onions
4 cups water (start with 2 cups, then add water until it comes up half way on roast)
2-3 Tbsp A1 sauce
2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp steak seasoning

Place the roast into the crock pot.  Add the remaining ingredients. 

Cook on low 6-8 hours, high 3-4 hours.

I store the leftover meat in the leftover liquid in the fridge.  It's so tasty!

Yum!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)

This is a unique spin on a classic pork roast.  Our regular Pork Roast is made in the crock pot too and I add beef broth and some Montreal Steak Seasoning.  It's really yummy.  But this is even better!

Citrus Cumin Pork Roast (Slow Cooker)
1 large Pork Roast (Boston Butt preferably)
6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled
zest from 2 oranges
juice from 2 oranges
zest from 1 lime
juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Place the pork roast in a slow cooker.  Cut slits in the top and push the garlic cloves into the slits.  Place zest and juices over the roast.  Sprinkle cumin and oregano over the roast.  Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours.

Yum!

Gravy & Biscuits

When I was a little girl, we would visit my Granny in Virginia.  Every morning she'd have "gravies and biscuits" for us.  She made them fresh every day.  My Granny always added a "meat" to the gravy.  She even made Bologna Gravy.  She'd cut slices of bologna in half and fry them in a skillet.  Here's the recipe for the gravy:

Gravy
3 Tablespoon oil, bacon grease, butter
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
12 oz can evaporated milk
4-6 oz water (I just fill up the can about half way with water)

Heat skillet over medium heat and add oil.  Add flour and whisk until smooth, cook for about 1-2 minutes.  While whisking, pour in evaporated milk.  Whisk until smooth.  Add water to thin it out for your desired consistency.  Enjoy over biscuits! I also love to eat this with fresh homegrown sliced tomatoes.  SO GOOD!

Variations:  You can add crumbled cooked sausage, bacon, chip beef or even fried slices of bologna.

Biscuits
4 cups all purpose flour
4 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) cold, cut into cubes
2 to 2-1/2 cups buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Use a fork and mash cubed butter into the flour until it's been incorporated throughout the flour mixture.  Make a well and pour in the buttermilk.  Using the fork, mix together lightly.  Do not overwork the dough, you'll get hard biscuits.  The dough needs to be really sticky.  Think about canned biscuits, they are wet and sticky out of a can, so that's what you want with homemade biscuits.  Lightly flour a surface and carefully fold the dough over itself, pat into a circle and punch out biscuits.  Reroll dough and punch more biscuits until it's been used up.  Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-12 minutes.  If you want the tops to brown, broil them for a minute. 

Yum!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Wow! Is this the easiest thing ever?!  Having the ground meat already cooked and in the freezer saves time when assembling this meal.  I start this about 4 hours before dinner and cook it on high.  Then I turn it off to cool slightly before serving so the layers stay together.  It's so good!

Crock Pot Lasagna
1-1/2 cup ground meat, pre-cooked (anything you like)
1 jar spaghetti or pasta sauce
6 lasagna sheets, uncooked
1 cup cottage cheese (I use lowfat, just because)
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (I keep this in the freezer too)
2 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
dried or fresh parsley, chopped

Mix together the meat and sauce in a bowl; set aside.  Break the lasagna sheets in half; set aside.

Pour about 1/2 cup meat sauce in the bottom of the crock pot.

Layer this way:

• arrange 4 lasagna sheets over sauce,
• spoon about 1 Tablespoon of cottage cheese over each halved lasagna sheet,
• pour about 1/2-3/4 cup meat sauce over the cottage cheese layer,
• repeat 2 more times,
• then top with mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Turn Crock Pot on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours.

Enjoy!

Makes 6 servings:  364.3 calories (calculated based on ground turkey); 10.8 grams fat; 39.7 grams carb; 10 grams sugar; 25.9 gram protein 

Taco Meat

This taco flavored meat tastes very similar to Taco Bell soft taco meat.  It's really yummy!  It's a regular on our weekly menu.

Taco Meat (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 1/2 tablespoons corn flour (I've used cornmeal mix in the past)
4 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon tomato chicken bouillon powder
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (Cayenne Pepper)
1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/3 pounds lean ground chuck
1 cup water

1. In a medium bowl, combine the corn flour, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, and seasoned salt. Stir in the paprika, cumin, garlic salt, and sugar. Blend in the onion, bouillon, ground red pepper, cilantro and oregano, stirring until all spices are well blended.
2. Crumble the ground chuck into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until browned. Remove from heat, rinse meat with hot water, and drain water and grease from beef.
3. Return meat to skillet, and pour in seasoning. Stir in water. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until most of the liquid has cooked away, about 20 minutes.

I usually brown about 4 pounds of ground beef (or you can use ground turkey) and quadruple the above ingredients to make 4 meals.  I divide it evenly among 4 one-gallon freezer storage baggies, flatten them to about 1/4" thick and freeze until ready to use.  Quick meals in the freezer are a plus when you are busy as we are.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wings

Publix has a seasonal fruit recipe contest each year.  I entered this to win...

Strawberry Chipotle BBQ Chicken Wings
2 - 16 oz packages of strawberries, stems removed and chopped
1/2 cup honey
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder

Add all the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan and cook for 2 hours over medium-low heat. Remove the sauce from the heat and place into a food processor or blender and puree. Strain the sauce and set aside.

Deep fry chicken wings for 8 minutes and then toss immediately with BBQ sauce. 

Enjoy!

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

Corn Dog Mini Muffins

1 box of Jiffy corn muffin mix $.40

4 hot dogs, diced $.60

1 egg $.14

1/3 cup milk $.11

In a bowl, add corn muffin mix; set aside.
Chop up the hots dogs and add to the bowl.

Add egg and milk and stir until well combined.
Scoop equal amount of batter into mini muffin tin. 

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes.  I don't remember exactly how long I baked them for but I did use a toothpick to check the doneness.

This batch made 20 Corn Dog Mini Muffins. 

You and Hunter nearly ate the entire batch in two days!  They are really good.  You can freeze them.  Thaw at room temperature and warm in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. 

Mix together equal parts of mustard and ketchup for a yummy dipping sauce.

Joan's Taco Salad

Before becoming a mommy, I worked full-time with some really fun ladies.  Joan used to make this delicious taco salad and bring it in for all of us to enjoy.  It's really good!

Joan's Taco Salad
1 lb ground beef
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced
lettuce
chopped tomatoes
shredded cheddar cheese
16 oz bottle Catalina dressing or 16 bottle of Ortega Taco Sauce
Large bag of Doritos

Brown ground beef and drain the fat.  Set aside in a large bowl.  In a hot skillet, add oil and peppers.  Cook only for a minute or 2.  Remove from pan and add to the meat.  Layer the lettuce, tomatoes and cheese over the meat and peppers.  When ready to serve, pour the dressing or taco sauce over the layers and toss well.  Add the chips and toss and serve.

If you like sweeter flavored meals, use the Catalina.  If you prefer savory flavors, use the taco sauce.  Daddy prefers the taco sauce. 

Meatballs

This meatball recipe is good for spaghetti dinners and soups requiring meatballs.  Use leftovers for Meatball Sub Sandwiches.

For the meatball subs:  split the bread and toast it then add the meatballs, sauce and cheese.  Broil in the oven until melted and bubbly.  (I heated the meatballs in the slow cooker with some spaghetti sauce for a few hours)

You might be able to use it for cocktail meatballs too.  (Chili Sauce & Grape Jelly in the crock pot.)  But I haven't tried that yet.

Meatballs

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 lbs ground meat
1/4 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (optional)

Lightly mix the bread crumbs, onion powder, milk, egg, parsley, salt, pepper & Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl.  Then crumble in the ground meat.  Lightly mix and form meatballs.  Makes about 20 meatballs.

Freeze them uncooked on baking sheet.  Once they are completely frozen, put them in a gallon freezer food storage bag and store in the freezer.

To serve:  Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Farm House Casserole

This is wonderful for breakfast, brunch or even dinner.

Farm House Casserole
3 cups frozen or refrigerated hash browns (24 oz bag)
3/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1-4.5 oz can green chiles
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
4 eggs
12 oz can evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Press hash browns into the bottom of a buttered 8x8 baking dish.  Sprinkle the top with cheeses, ham and green chiles.  In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk, pepper, salt & onion powder.  Pour over the ham and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes.

To freeze:  Once you have poured the eggs over the ham, cover with plastic wrap and double wrap in tin foil and then freeze.  To serve, thaw completely in the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes.

Yummy!

Sassy Sloppy Toms or BBQ Turkey

For a lighter form of Sloppy Joes, we chose to use ground turkey and I called them Sassy Sloppy Toms (you know, Tom Turkey!)

Sassy Sloppy Toms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 lb ground turkey*
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Saute onion and celery in oil and butter over medium heat until very soft.  Add ground turkey and brown.  Drain any fat (probably won't be much).  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes.  Serve on hamburger buns.

To freeze:  After the mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, cool to room temperature and then freeze in a one gallon food freezer storage bag.  Freeze bag lying flat.  Thaw and heat slowly in skillet and serve on hamburger buns.  Easily double this recipe to freeze only reduce the amount of vinegar by 1 Tablespoon for every doubled recipe.  For example: recipe x 2 = 3 Tablespoons, recipe x 3 = 5 Tablespoons...

Yummy!

*Tip:  This is also a delicious way to use leftover roasted turkey.  Use about 2 cups chopped turkey and toss it with the bbq mixture when it has thickened.  Serve over mashed potatoes or baked potatoes for a yummy meal.

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burritos

3 pounds breakfast sausage (3 rolls) $1.44 each

2 dozen eggs $1.28 per dozen

60 flour tortillas $1.70 per 10

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese $1.17 each pkg (used 2)

= $19.42 or about $.32 each burrito

Brown the sausage, drain fat, and set aside.  Make scrambled eggs.  Mix the sausage and eggs together in a large bowl.  Set up an assembly line:  put about 1/4 cup eggs and sausage on one edge of flour tortilla, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and roll up, folding in the sides to create a burrito.

Sadie and her mommy came over to help us on our OAMC day.

Wrap each burrito in waxed paper and set aside.  Continue to wrap and roll the burritos until you have all 60 completed.  We put 15 burritos into 4 separate one-gallon freezer food storage baggies.  When you are ready to eat, nuke them in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes.

Meatloaf or Mini Meatloaves

Meatloaf

3 lb roll ground beef

3 eggs

3 tablespoons ketchup

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

3 teaspoons yellow mustard

3 tablespoons A1 sauce (optional)

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup quick cooking oatmeal

In a large bowl, add everything but the ground beef.  Mix it thoroughly.  Add the ground beef and lightly mix it.  You don't want to overwork the meat or you'll end up with hard-as-bricks meatloaves.  Divide the meat into 4 sections and then halve those to shape 8 mini meatloaves.  (You could totally shape this into 2 loaves and bake them off but I really like shorter cooking times.  I'm a really impatient person.)  Bake them at 350-375 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes.  (I have to confess I didn't time these.  I kept an eye on them and then checked the temperature with my instant read thermometer for 160 degrees.)  I took them out of the oven and removed them from all that yucky grease.  

Serve them hot with the Meatloaf Glaze (recipe below).  Or to freeze them for future meals, let them cool on a wire rack and then package them into a freezer food storage bag.  I mixed up the meatloaf glaze and poured it into a separate bag and put it inside the larger bag holding the meatloaves.  

Meatloaf Glaze:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon mustard

Mix everything in a small bowl and pour over hot meatloaf.  Yummy!

Normally we make meatloaf using ground turkey and I add very finely chopped spinach (masquerading as chopped parsley, of course!).  Tupperware makes (or made, I've had it for a long time) a tube pan for the microwave.  I nuke our turkey meatloaf in the microwave for about 12-14 minutes and it's perfect every time.  I do not nuke the ground beef as there is usually a lot of nasty grease that comes out and that's really messy. 

Rib Rub or Chicken Rub or Pork Chop Rub...etc

I have tried different combos of seasonings and finally came up with one that is a winner in our house. Use this rub on ribs, chicken, steaks, pork chops, pork tenderloin, the possibilities are endless!

Rib Rub Recipe
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp onion powder
2 Tbsp black pepper
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cumin powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp salt
4 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine in a plastic storage container, mixing well. Rub the seasonings into the ribs. Allow ribs to marinate for about an hour or more if you have time. Cook slowly in the oven at 300 for 3 hours. Take out and wrap in tin foil and bake for 30 minutes more. Perfectly falling off the bones!!!

You can store the rest of the rib rub in the cabinet so long as you haven't contaminated it with raw meat. Always spoon about 1/2 into a separate bowl and that way you'll have the other half later.

Enjoy!