"Goulash" Soup

So I was in the mood for some Hungarian goulash the other night, but we were having a family "soup" night and so I needed to make a soup version of Goulash... I was just really craving that flavor. I adapted this from an existing goulash recipe and ended up loving it. Plus, it was super easy to throw together and even my kids ate it. It's a perfect fall stew.

1 lb. beef stew chunks (or ground beef)
8 oz. small pasta, such as macaroni, or shells
1 small onion
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
16 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans beef broth (or equivalent water with beef bouillon)
3/4 cup cream or half and half
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste (I used about 3/4 tsp.)

1. In a large pot, cook noodles to al dente. Set aside.

2. While the noodles are cooking, in another large stockpot, on high heat, brown the beef and drain any excess fat.

3. Add the onions, garlic, celery, and mushrooms and saute until celery is tender crisp, about 5-6 minutes.

4. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, tomato paste, paprika, chili powder and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 30-60  minutes. (Or however long you'd like...)

5. Remove from heat and add noodles, cream and sour cream. Adjust spices as necessary.

Rouladen

We grew up mostly vegetarian and didn't get a whole lot of meat, so we really looked forward to Thanksgiving, Father's Day and my Dad's birthday. Thanksgiving for obvious reasons, but my Dad's Birthday and Father's Day becuase we got to eat Rouladen! My mom is German, and this is one of our favorite german recipes from her. Not sure if it's traditional german or not, but it was traditional in our family. They are so delish (even though they aren't the most beautiful thing you've seen) and I'm glad I finally got to make them with her and write everything down to share.Trust me- these are good!

Be forewarned, this is kind of a messy recipe- you will get your hands dirty (or in my mom's case, if you don't want to smell like pickles and onions, wear gloves - they don't even have to be blue!)

Here's what you'll need:
3-5 lb. Beef Roast, cut in about 1/4 in. thick slices
* a note about the meat: You can get pretty much any kind of beef roast, if the size is right.  My grcoery store (WinCO) carries this meat pre-sliced, but if your grocery store doesn't, you can take the roast to the butcher and ask him to slice it for you. Just see the pictures below to see how large you need these slices to be for the rolls to work. Just know that he bigger the roast, the more Rouladen you will get. We used a 5 lb and got 12 Rouladen out of it.*
salt and pepper
spicy mustard
6 dill pickle slices (the long oval ones, cut in half)
6 slices bacon
1 large onion
1/2 c. flour, divided

What to do:
Take your meat slices and lay them all out on your counter top or a large cutting board (if you use your counter, just make sure it's really clean). Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper. Spread a generous heaping of mustard on them.

Slice up your onions very fine, and lay 4-5 slices on your meat. Cut your pickles in half and place 3 on each meat slice. Cut your bacon into fourths and lay 2 on top of the pickles and onions.

Once you have those spread out on your meat, you are ready to roll them up into nice little bundles. Use 2 toothpicks to secure them closed.

In the meantime, heat up a medium sized frying pan with some oil.

Once your bundles are rolled up, you are going to roll them in flour until they are nicely coated. Then place them in your hot frying pan and brown the outsides.

Once they are all browned, you can either place them in a crock pot, or you can place them in a large pot on your stove. Either one will work, I just feel more comfortable leaving the house with something cooking in a crock pot rather than something cooking on the stove.

Take your pan drippings and pour it in with your bundles. Then cover with water.

Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5-6 hours, or cook on low for 6-7 hours.

To make the sauce:

Remove the rouladen from your pot and place in a bowl and keep warm.

Take about 1/4 c. flour and mix with water until you get a thick paste. Once you have the paste, add to the remaining liquid in your pot and use a stick blender to mix it up and remove any lumps you may have. 

To warn you- this is a very uniqe, but awesome flavor. I can only compare it to a mustard sauce. When I made these last, the flavor was perfect- I didn't need to add anything. But if your flavor happens to be a bit bland, you can add some pickle juice or mustard once the sauce is complete to get the flavor right.

Serve over a warm bed of noodles- and don't forget to pull the toothpicks out before you eat it!

Thanks to my mother- the lovely blue hand model, and pardon my pictures...the lighting in my mom's kitchen was pretty bad, and I couldn't really take it outside. :)

Sloppy Joe Pasta

This is one of those recipes where I thought it was good, but my hubby loved it- so it's definitely a success!!

And the nice thing is that it's easy to put together and kinda fun since you get to use little shell noodles. :) It seems all my pasta dishes use penne or egg noddles, so I thought it was fun! I found this one in the Taste of Home magazine as well.

Here's what you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 c. water
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1 package small shell pasta, cooked and drained
1 c. cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

What to do:
In a large saucepan, cook beef until no longer pink. Drain.

Stir in the sloppy joe mix, water, tomato paste and sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-8 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pasta.

Spoon half into a greased baking dish. Top with cottage cheese and then remaining noodle mixture. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese.

Bake, uncovered at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Serve warm and enjoy!

Beef Penne Pasta

Bug actually made this recipe awhile back and it was really good. She got it from the Taste of Home magazine. I stole the magazine from her and decided I would make it too. Joe really likes it too, which makes it that much better! :)  And the best part about it- it's no fuss and pretty quick!

So here you go!
What you'll need:
1 3/4 c. uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. ground beef
1 teaspon minced garlic
1 can tomato puree (15 oz)
1 can beef broth (14 oz)
1 1/2 t. Italian Seasoning
1 t. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2 c. chopped fresh spinach
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

What to do:
Cook your pasta according to box directions.

Meanwhile in a separate pot/pan, cook beef until no longer pink. Add garlic, cook a little longer and drain the grease.

Stir in the tomatoe puree, broth, Italian seasoning, Wooster sauce and S&P.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Add spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes, until your spinach is wilted.

Stir in your drained pasta and sprinkle with cheese.

Serve and enjoy!

Asian Grilled Flank Steak Salad

This was sooooo good. There was a lot of prep work, but it was worth every minute. And once the chopping and marinading is done, it comes together very quickly. The flavor of the flank steak is amazing and combined with the dressing and salad, this was my favorite dinner of the month. At least so far.

I made a few changes... we left out the tomatoes, peanuts, and mint leaves and I added some additional vegetables. I loved the added red pepper and would highly recommend adding it to your salad. I didn't like the basil, and when I make it again, I'll leave it out. I felt like the cilantro added all the flavor I needed.

I knew the kids weren't going to love the dressing, so they ate salad with Ranch dressing, with the steak on the side. Since they ate almost everything at the table, I consider the meal a success and kid approved!

Serves 6-8
Recipe Source: A Bountiful Kitchen

For Marinade and Dressing:

1 flank steak, about 1.5 lbs.

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. peeled, minced, fresh ginger

3 scallions, chopped (white parts only)

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

3 Tbsp. sugar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup lime juice

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Reserve 1/2 of the marinade and add the following:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp. honey

For Salad:

1-2 oz. Asian noodles (I used about 1/4 of my package)

1 head Boston/Bibb Lettuce

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

2 carrots, julienned

1/2 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced (optional)

1 pint cherry tomatoes, or 2 tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup mint leaves

1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

1/3 cup basil, chopped

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

1. Score the flank steaks on both sides, across the grain. It helps the meat absorb the marinade better. Place your meat in a large glass dish, or Ziploc bag.

2. Combine all the marinade ingredients and combine well, ensuring the sugar gets dissolved. Pour almost 1/2 of the marinade over the meat and marinate for 1-2 hours. (I let mine marinate for about 5 hours).

3. Add the honey and oil to the reserved 1/2 of your marinade and whisk together. Refrigerate until ready to use. This will be your salad dressing.

4. Prepare Asian noodles according to package directions. Some noodles only require soaking in cold water. I had to soak my noodles in boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Once they had softened, I rinsed them in cold water and set them aside.

5. Combine all your salad ingredients in a large bowl, except for the Asian noodles, and peanuts. Lightly toss all together.

6. On a pre-heated BBQ, grill your flank steak, about 4-6 minutes per side, for medium rare. Flank steak is notoriously tough, so be sure to leave it a little pink. That will keep it more tender. Once it's reached your desired doneness, let it rest for at least 3 minutes before cutting into it. Once you're ready to slice it, slice it against the grain, or perpendicular to the grain. You'll find that if you cut it with the grain, it just shreds and is chewier. To slice easier and stay more tender, be sure to cut it perpendicular to the grain. For more flank steak tips, check this post out.

6. Presentation is up to you. I knew I would have salad left over, so I didn't want to add my dressing, noodles, or steak, for fear the salad would get soggy. Instead, we assembled our salads at the table. I had separate bowls for the dressing, salad, steak, and noodles.

Note: The flank steak only cooks for about 12-15 minutes, max. Because the cooking time is so quick, it also cools quickly. Therefore, you want to serve the salad immediately after your steak is ready.

Beef and Broccoli

Not sure if this recipe is similar to Emily's, but oh well. This was Joe's favorite of the night and turned out pretty good so I thought I'd post it. Sorry the picture isn't too appetizing, but it was good!

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. lean beef, sliced into thin strips
broccoli florets, sliced small
sliced carrots
1 c. cooking oil
2 1/2 T oyster sauce
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sugar
a few drops of sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. beef broth
2 T. corn starch

Marinade:
1 egg
1/3 t. salt
1 T. cooking wine (I used beef broth)
1 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 T. oil
2 T. water

Directions:
Slice beef and mix with the marinade. Add 1 1/2 T. oil to beef and mix thoroughly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

While beef is marinading, chop up your veggies.

Heat your wok and stir fry the beef until nearly cooked. Remove beef and set aside. Clean out your wok add enough water to cover your veggies. Cover and let simmer until almost cooked. Drain wok.

Heat wok and add a few T oil. Add the garlic, veggies and beef back in. Make a well in the middle and add the sauce ingredients.

Cook until thickened and eat hot over rice. Yum!

Italian Roast/French Dip Sandwiches

So between my 1:00 church, Dacia's 2:00 church, Mom's 1:00 church, and I even think Sara's 1:00 church, I've decided to start a new category... crock pot Sundays! OK... so it's not really a new category... but I will be trying new crock pot recipes every Sunday. Because how else do you survive late church? Besides, you can never have too many crockpot recipes.

So, for my first installment, we tried a new french dip recipe yesterday. I like the classic version, just fine, but I didn't have any Lipton Onion Mix on hand yesterday, so I went perusing a favorite site and came across a recipe that I had all the ingredients on hand for. The flavor was fantastic and my boys even ate all their dinner. This was easy, and super tasty. And I will try and get a picture up eventually, but getting a good picture of this dish in my lovely 5:00 darkness was a no go...

I've halved the recipe, because that's the size roast I usually prepare for my family. The original recipe calls for a full package of the Italian seasoning mix, and I didn't halve that. I thought it was fine, full strength, but you can halve it if you like...it's just trickier. Also, I will say that I find crock pot cooking times completely arbitrary. I don't know if I have a very fast slow cooker, but my foods are always way overdone when I allow them to cook to the recommended cooking times. The cooking time on this one was very long, and I think that's to get an extra moist and tender roast. But your meat will probably be done long before that time. Mine was done in about 7 hours, on low.

1 2.5 lb. chuck roast
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. onion salt/powder
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. garlic powder/salt (only use the garlic salt if you use onion powder and vice versa)
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 oz.) package Italian style salad dressing mix (Like Good Seasons stuff)

Combine water, broth, and all seasonings, including salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour seasoning mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 6-10 hours, or high 3-5 hours. (Ha ha! How's that for a range!? Again... know your crockpot and figure the time out based on the cooking history of your crock pot...)

About 45 minutes before you plan to eat the roast, remove the bay leaf and shred the meat in the pot so it can cook the final 45 minutes in all the yummy juices. Or, just shred it right before you're ready to eat it. (Obviously, you don't have to shred it early... it really only works if your husband stays home from church with a sick baby and can do it for you while you're at church...)

Serve on french rolls, with some Swiss or provolone cheese slices and enjoy!

Chili

I'm not a huge chili fan, but sometimes you're just in a "hearty soup" mood and chili is cheap, easy, and no fuss. So, I searched a couple of my favorite sites and found two that sounded good, but couldn't decide between the two. So, I combined the two recipes and ended up with a truly delicious and easy chili tonight. The cocoa powder looks a little weird, but I wanted something dark and smoky to take off the vinegary edge of the ketchup and tomato juice. You'd be surprised what a difference that little bit of cocoa makes. The chili went from alright to great after the addition, so don't leave it out. But it is a taste issue... add the red vinegar and cocoa a little at a time, until you get the taste you want. This soup is easy to make, makes a really big pot, and paired with some cornbread and delicious honey butter, you've got the perfect meal.

2 medium onions, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 to 2.5 lbs. ground beef

3 cans beans (I used a combination of pinto and red kidney)

46 oz. V8 Juice (I recommend the spicy blend, but you can also use plain tomato juice)

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

1 cup ketchup (I like the flavor ketchup imparts to chili, however the taste is slightly strong. If you're not a huge ketchup fan, consider substituting half of the ketchup with plain tomato sauce.)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup water

3/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne

2 teaspoons cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 to 1.5 Tbsp. Cocoa powder (don't use Nesquik here... )

splash of red vinegar

1. Brown the hamburger, onion, and pepper in a large skillet. Drain the fat.

2. In a small bowl, combine the 1/2 cup water with the garlic salt, pepper, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, and brown sugar.

3. In a large pot, combine the tomato juice or V8, beans, tomato sauce, and ketchup. Stir in hamburger mixture and seasoning/water mixture. Add a splash of red vinegar and cocoa powder. Mix well and add bay leaves.

4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally. In the alternative, at step 3, dump everything into a crockpot instead and cook on low.

5. Serve with green onions, cheese, and sour cream.

Beef Stroganoff

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I was in the mood to try something a little different (well, different from what I make time and time and time again...) Well, I just happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this and it hit the spot! I love when you try a new recipe and it turns out yummy the first try!

I actually halved the recipe and it was just right for myself and Joey.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast (I used some leftover Roladen meat that was already sliced thin)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 ounces butter (I used half a stick)
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed beef broth
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard ( I used a little bit more to taste)
  
• 1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup white wine (I used chicken broth)
  
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• I also added a bit of Wooster sauce for taste while it was simmering
  

Directions

1. Remove any fat and gristle from the roast and cut into strips 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches long. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of both salt and pepper and marinade in beef broth for 30 minutes or so (if you want to).
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and brown the beef strips quickly, then set beef broth aside and add the onions to the remaining liquid in your pan and cook slowly for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the flour into the juices in your pan. Pour in beef broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and stir in mustard. Add the beef strips back to your mixure and cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the meat is tender.
4. Five minutes before serving, stir in the mushrooms, sour cream, and white wine (chicken broth). Heat briefly then salt and pepper to taste.
   

This is so yummy!! Enjoy!

Bisquick Chicken Pot Pie

Mmmm, good. I like this recipe because it's so stinkin' easy and so fast!! Just mix and bake and voila! You have yummy, warm goodness.

1 c. cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 2/3 c. frozen veggies, thawed
1 (10 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 c. Bisquick baking mix
1/2 c. milk
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Mix chicken, veggies and cream of chicken soup together and spread into bottom of non greased 9-inch round glass pie pan.

3. Mix remaining ingredients (Bisquick, milk and egg) and pour on top of chicken mixture.

4. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until top turns golden brown.

Dinner Group 9/25: Tacos Beef and Homemade Churros

Dinner for the Week: Tacos and Homemade Churros (of course as I was grabbing my bag of taco shells, I dropped them on the floor, breaking them all into bits and pieces leaving us with more of a 7 layer Dip than tacos...

Taco Beef (from Allrecipes):

2 pounds ground chuck
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 medium onion, chopped

Taco Seasoning to Taste

1. Place the ground chuck in a large skillet, and season with chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and garlic. Pour in enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 1 hour. Add more water as necessary during cook time, and break the meat into small pieces.

2. Mix the bell pepper and onion into the skillet, and continue to simmer 30 minutes. Drain and reserve juices. Skim the fat off the juices(or, if not preparing the tacos right away, place juices in the freezer until fat may be easily removed from the top). Mix 5 tablespoons of the remaining juices back into the skillet with the beef, and cook until heated through.

I browned the meat a bit and drained off the fat before I added the water to save some time and work. I also added another healthy Tbsp. of Taco seasoning for more flavor. But I really liked the addition of the green pepper and onion and this made for good taco meat!

Churros (from Allrecipes)

2 quarts vegetable oil for frying
1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. In a heavy deep skillet or deep-fryer, heat oil to 360 degrees F (180 degrees C). Oil should be about 1 1/2 inches deep.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat water and margarine to a rolling boil. Combine the flour and salt; stir into the boiling mixture. Reduce heat to low and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and beat in the eggs one at a time. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

3. Carefully squeeze out 4 inch long strips of dough directly into the hot oil. Fry 3 or 4 strips at once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from hot oil to drain on paper towels. Stir together the sugar and cinnamon; roll churros in the mixture while still hot.

I got a cookie press for my birthday two years ago that I finally got to use to make little star churros! This was fun and fairly simple and the boys really liked shaking the churros around in a bag with the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat them.

Perfect Winter Beef Stew

From the Kraft Foods Calendar 2007--January

Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes (including marinating)

3/4 cup Italian dressing
2 lbs. beef for stew (such as chuck roast)--cut into 1 inch chunks
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 large)
3 cups sliced mushrooms
3 cups sliced carrots
3 medium potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)--peeled and cut into chunks
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes, undreained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) beef broth

Place dressing and meat in Ziploc bag. REgrigerate 30 minutes to marinate. Meanwhile cook bacon is large saucepan on medium heat 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pan and drain.

Add onions and mushooms to pan; cook on medium high heat 10 minutes or until softened. Remove meat from marinade. Add meat, carrots, potatoes, tomoates iwth liquid, broth and bacon to saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. REduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour 15 minutes. Simmer uncovered an addtional 15 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened; stirring occasionally.

Makes 8 servings; 1 1/4 cup each.

Pioneer Woman's Best Ever Lasagna

I made 3, count 'em, 3 pans of this Lasagna for my dinner group this week! I have to admit it was a perfectly flavored Lasagna. I'm not a huge fan of meaty lasagnas, but as far as a meaty lasagna goes, this was definitely the best one I've ever had. It was also the prettiest... it didn't fall apart in the pan or on the plates... it was the most beautiful presentation! (Probably because the sauce was so thick!) And best of all, it was easy... no special tricky ingredients. Just basic stuff that is probably already in your pantry! For full, step by step directions with mouthwatering pictures, go to Pioneer Woman's site. But for your basic ingredient list, here it is. The only thing that may be different is the addition of the tomato juice/V8... we liked it better with the extra liquid.

Sauce:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. hot breakfast sausage (definitely use the hot... your lasagna will NOT be spicy and it adds the perfect kick to the flavor)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 6 oz. cans tomato paste
3/4- 1 cup V8 juice or tomato juice
2 Tbsp dried Parsley
2 Tbsp dried Basil
1 tsp salt

Noodles:
10 oz. box lasagna noodles (you'll need at least 8 noodles... cook a couple extra just in case)
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp oil

Cheese Filling:
3 cups cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1 lb. sliced mozzarella cheese

1. Brown beef, sausage and minced garlic in heavy duty sauce pan. Drain excess fat. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, basil, and salt and stir to combine. Then simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes.

2. While your sauce is simmering, boil some water in a large saucepan and add your lasagna noodles. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 Tbsp. oil to your water to keep the noodles from sticking. Cook until "al dente"... you want them to still have some bite as they'll be baked still.

3. While your sauce is simmering and your noodles are cooking, mix up your cheese mixture by combining the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt. Mix to combine well.

Now, to assemble:
Layer 4 noodles along the bottom of your pan, slightly overlapping them. Next top with 1/2 of your cottage cheese mixture. Now lay 1/2 of your mozzarella slices on top of that. Finally top with 1/2 of your meat mixture. And repeat. Top off your final meat mixture with a very generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Now, pop it in a 350 degree oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Trust me, this is good stuff. But how could you possibly go wrong with Pioneer Woman?

Hamburgers

I'd never made my own Hamburgers before, but I tried these last week for my dinner group and they were fantastic. We made them really big, a la Red Robin... good stuff. I got this recipe from Our Best Bites (who got it from Family Fun). It's a good one to make with the kiddos... Gavin loved rolling and making his own patties.

1 1/4 lb. ground beef (the extra 1/4 lb. helps the meat stay together... don't forgo it!)
3 Tbsp. A1 Steak Sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion

Combine all the ingredients well and shape into patties. You should be able to get 4-6 patties.

Grill about 5-7 minutes per side, depending on how pink you want them.

I sprayed my grill rack first and made sure to cook them a full 7 minutes so they didn't fall apart when I turned over. These were mighty tasty and it's so satisfying to mix those ingredients by hand and make your hamburgers!

Montreal Steak Marinade

OK... so the easiest way to do this is to buy the silly little packet and follow the instructions on the back. But... if you're like us and buy the Montreal Steak Seasoning in bulk (and not in a cute little packet), then this is what you could do with it... this is the only way we cook our steaks. We've tried other things and this is always perfect. Of course, Jared's grilling it which might account for why it always turns out so perfectly...:)

This is enough for about 1-2 lbs. of meat.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. red wine or white vinegar
2 tsp. + a pinch Montreal Steak Seasoning

Marinate at least 30 minutes and then grill it. Always good!

Beef Marinade (for Carne Asada)

We used this to marinate some flank steak for carne asada yesterday and it was fantastic. The flavor was strong and absolutely fantastic.  I made a side of black beans and some homemade salsa and we had the perfect Father's Day meals.  It was one of the meals where I was anxious for the leftovers the next day.  This stuff is seriously awesome.

3/4 lb. flank steak (or flap steak, etc.)
1 T vinegar
1 T, 1 t soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lime, juiced

1-2 T orange juice

2 T olive oil
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t white pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t chili powder
1/4 t oregano
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t paprika

I also added several Tablespoons of minced, fresh cilantro since we were using the meat for a Mexican dish.

Marinate 1-8 hours, turning several times throughout.

Cook your meat, however you desire, although my preference is to grill it.

Taco Bake

1 pkg. Macaroni and Cheese
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups Shredded Cheese
1 cup Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare Macaroni dinner as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, brown the meat and drain. Add taco seasoning mix and water to meat; simmer for 5 minutes
Stir the sour cream into prepared Mac'n Cheese dinner. Spoon half of the mac'n cheese mix into an 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. Top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of cheese and remaining mac'n cheese mixture.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup of cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5 minutes for the cheese to melt.

Shepherd's Pie

So...I thought this looked kind of like a weird recipe...but it turned out to be quite tasty. Topher loved it. Actually ate the whole casserole dish in one sitting...yeah, that's Topher.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

2 cups hot mashed potatoes

4 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheese

2 cloves garlic, minced (I didn't actually do this part)

4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 cup beef gravy

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat in large skillet and drain.

Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and garlic until well blended.

Stir vegetables and gravy into meat, and put into 9 inch square baking dish.

Cover meat and vegetables with potato mixture.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and bake for 20 minutes or until heated all the way through.

Volcano Meatballs

It was Anya's turn to cook dinner last night... And so we made these delicious meatballs! I got the recipe from the Kraft magazine and only made a few changes.

1 lb ground beef (we used ground turkey)
6 ritz crackers, finely crushed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
12 cheddar cheese cubes
4 hot dog buns, split

Preheat oven to 400. Mix meat, cracker crumbs, parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce in bowl. (We also added some Italian seasoning.) Shape into 12 meatballs.

Place two inches apart in shallow baking pan, sprayed with cooking spray. Press 1 cheese cube deeply into center of each meatball.

Bake 14 minutes or until cooked through. Warm remaining spaghetti sauce in microwave. Spread among the hot dog buns. Fill each bun with 3 meatballs.

We did not use the buns or the remaining sauce. We just put the meatballs on our plates and served it with salad. Anya was a little disappointed that the meatballs didn't explode exactly like a volcano and that they didn't look like mountains at all. But she did admit they tasted yummy!

Ham & Garden Vegetable Stir-Fry

Sauce:
4 Tbs cold water
1 Tbs cornstarch
¼ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs orange juice
4 tsp sugar
Pepper
(Or just use Yoshida sauce (sp?...I've always just called it Yoshi sauce) that you can thicken a little with cornstarch which is super yummy!)

1-2 cups chopped ham (or it would also be good with cooked, chopped chicken)
Fresh or frozen vegetables (ie: carrots, onion, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash)

Combine water and cornstarch. Stir in soy sauce, orange juice, sugar and dash pepper; set aside).

If fresh beans, steam for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and broccoli and steam for additional 2 minutes.

Pour oil into a wok or large skillet (add more oil as necessary during cooking). Preheat over medium-high heat. Add onion, ham and carrot; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add beans, cauliflower, broccoli, squash and zucchini. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Push vegetables from center of wok (or large pan). Stir sauce and add to the center of wok. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir to coat vegetables with sauce. Cook and stir 1 minute or till heated through. Serve over rice (I prefer the brown rice)

This meal is my personal favorite!