Hey everyone!! Hope you all had a fabulous holiday last week! So, guess what!? It's my birthday this month. We won't talk about how old I am. Not that I'm ashamed of it, and NO!! I'm not sensitive at all about it. Even if now I'm only going to be 2 years away from turning the be 3.0. Ugh!! How did I get so old so fast. And is it normal that I still feel 16 in my mind? Well, I guess it's true what they say. "You are only as old as you feel." And just to set things straight, I still feel like a teenager. So we aren't gonna talk about my waxing old in years.
But, guess how spoiled I am :) This is my early birthday present!! Ah!! Love it! It's a charcoal grill and smoker! Yes, you might be thinking at this very moment, "What kind of girl wants a grill/smoke?" (And yes, I just referred to myself as a girl, cause the age thing is a bit tender.) Well, this girl!! I've been wanting one since before Christmas, and unlike other smoker/grill combo's, this thing was actually pretty affordable. And by affordable I mean, I didn't have to sell any of my major organs to feel guilt-free in asking for it.
I'm also really excited cause, well lets just be honest, I've put on a couple pounds since my cruise. Ok, less like a couple pounds, and more like 5. Damn cruise!! I was doing so good not eating an obnoxious amount of sweets, and that thing totally ruined me. So now, it's time to buckle down and get back into my routine of healthy eating to cut these pounds. Not that I plan on not making sweets, but I just don't plan on eating a whole lot of them. Too, I've been wanting to put more hardy meal on here for so long. So here is my motivation :) Enjoy and hoping you an amazing Monday!!
Sirloin and Summer-Vegetable Kebabs
1 pound beef sirloin tips (cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 medium zucchini
1 small yellow summer squash
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil
Gorgonzola Port Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons port wine
3 teaspoons milk
Marinate beef sirloin tips in balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and freshly ground pepper in a shallow dish for 30 minutes. Soak 4 wooden skewers in water. Meanwhile, slice zucchini and summer squash into 1/2-inch rounds. Cut onion into wedges and red bell pepper into 1-inch pieces.
Prepare sauce by combining all ingredients except gorgonzola in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly using a whisk. Add gorgonzola cheese and blend well. Cover and refrigerate. (Sauce will stay good for 5 days)
Heat grill to medium-high. Thread beef onto skewers, alternating with vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over kebabs and grill for 7 to 8 minutes per side. Serve kebabs immediately with sauce.
What are you doing for the 4th of July?! Not sure yet? Well, here are some recipes to get your creative juices flowing. Chances are that you are either throwing, or going to a barbecue. So here are some awesome dishes and sides for a barbecue. Not to mention some super yummy patriotic desserts ;) Hope this gets you thinking, and will have more 4th of July recipe's to come in the next week!! (Please forgive the quality in some of the pictures. Some are from when I started the blog, but I wanted to include them cause I still absolutely love the recipe.)
I don't know if any of you have ever been to The Melting Pot before, but it is one of my favorite restaurants ever. What makes it my favorite? Well, there's a couple things actually. First, the food. It's amazing. Including the dessert. Melted chocolate that you dip cheese cake, pound cake, marshmallows, and fruits into. It's divine!! I also love the whole experience of it. You go and sit for 2 to 3 hours and talk, cook your food, etc. And your hubby is stuck there with you in a kind of low lit romantic atmosphere with no Tv over your shoulder (like in many other restaurants). I just love it. But, it's a little pricy, so we only go for special occasions, and it's not really a "kid friendly" atmosphere. So I wanted to create the same fun experience for my little ones at home.
We had such a blast!! We only did the broth, but I have plans to make the cheese and chocolate fondues soon!! Especially the chocolate. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. So fun!! Enjoy!
Mojo Fondue Broth
5 1/4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup water
1/4 cup orange juice, fresh-squeezed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons jerk seasoning
2 tablespoons black pepper, cracked
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh-squeezed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Foods for cooking: Lobster, Shrimp, Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Mushroom Caps, Broccoli, Red Potatoes.
Other things needed (optional): Melted Butter and a Lemon Half (for lobster).
Combine ingredients in saucepan on stovetop. Bring to a boil. Transfer to fondue pot with alternative heat source.
Keep broth at a simmer, either on medium-high heat or set between 300-350 degrees F. Place meats onto fondue forks and into broth. Beef, Chicken, and Lamb meats take 2 minutes to cook, and lobster or shrimp take about a minute. Use Green Goddess Dip for vegetables or to put inside of cooked mushroom caps for stuffed mushrooms. Use Gorgonzola Port Sauce for meats, especially your steaks!!
Gorgonzola Port Sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 ounces gorgonzola cheese
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons port wine
3 teaspoons milk
Combine all ingredients except gorgonzola in mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly using a whisk. Add gorgonzola cheese and blend well. Cover and refrigerate. (sauce will stay good for 5 days)
Green Goddess Dip
8 ounces cream cheese, cut into slices
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons finely sliced chives
In a microwave-safe container, microwave cream cheese and milk for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking after each minute, until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
Stir in sour cream, onion, parsley and chives. Refrigerate until cold.
If you missed my post about My Valentines Day Scheme, let me quickly get you up to speed. I have always loved Valentines Day!! But my wedding anniversary is Feb. 19th, so we never celebrate V-day cause my anniversary is right around the corner. As a solution, I developed this scheme to surprise my hubby with a sitter and make this amazing dinner so we would start celebrating Valentines again. Caught up?? Ok good!! So, yesterday was "D" Day!!
Got up early! Ran to the grocery store, cause I didn't want my hubby to find any of the meal supplies and be like, "What's this for?" Got napkins, place mats, these amazing hydrangeas, gorgeous goblet/wine glasses (Even though we don't drink. It was more to set the stage and for the feel then anything. But I had to have them), and whatever other ingredients I had on my list.
Started setting up about 12:00pm. I even got on YouTube and found out how to do napkin origami. Oh come on, don't laugh!! Don't it make it feel so fancy though!? I really wanted my hubby to be blown away. I mean, there's no point if in the back of his mind he's thinking, "We should have just gone to a restaurant." And by now, you probably all know I can't do anything half way. Go big or go home, right!?
After hours of cooking it was time for dinner. The kids got swept away to the babysitters, which conveniently lives down the street so she could just come pick them up. My hubby is munching on the Spinach Artichoke Dip, that I did not get pictures of cause I didn't want to disturb our dinner to much by staging and photographing everything I made. So I will have to make again and post the recipe later. Then we sat down over candles and ate this amazing dish!!
It was amazing! Flat out Amazingness with a capital "A"!! Did I happen to mention is was amazing?? (Not to toot my own horn) But this recipe is comparable, or even exceeds that of any restaurant!! I was so happy with it :) And then for dessert we had Molten Lava Chocolate Cake with raspberries and vanilla ice cream (recipe will be posted soon). It was all so perfect!! And I think my whole plot worked. My hubby said he felt so spoiled that he is going to have to attempt to show me up next year. Yeah, good luck with that baby, but, Yay!! Finally celebrating the holiday of love again! (*Celebration!!*)
Anyways, back to this dinner. Yes, it is a little bit of work, but so worth all the effort. Most amazing dinner I've made to date. And super impressive if I do say so myself ;) Enjoy!!
Filet Mignon with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce, Mash Potatoes, and Onion Strings
4 8 ounce filet mignon
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce recipe (below)
Onion Strings recipe (below)
3 to 4 large potatoes, skinned and diced
3 tablespoons butter
About 1 to 2 cups milk
Garlic salt and pepper
Fresh or dried parsley flakes
First, prepare cream sauce and onion strings. Set aside for assembly.
Warm up your grill and place rack on it's lowest setting (charcoal is recommended). In a large pot, start boiling water and add your potatoes. Cook for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, season you filets with all the steak seasoning making sure to season both sides of your filets and place on the hot grill. After a couple of minutes turn over. Continue flipping and cooking until steak has reached desired doneness. For medium, your steaks will take about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on their thickness. Rap in tin foil to keep warm while you complete final assembly of plates.
Drain cooked potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add butter and 1/2 cup milk. Using a mixer, mix until potato mixture is smooth. Add more milk, 1/2 cup at a time. You want you potatoes to be a little thinner then traditional mashed potatoes, but not runny. Once to desired consistency add garlic salt and pepper to taste.
Reheat Red Pepper cream sauce and spoon onto plates. Your gonna want about 3 to 4 tablespoons down. Spread out in a circle using the back of a spoon. Top sauce with mash potatoes. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and sauce to make it pretty. Top with your filets and then pile onions on top of steak so that they balance without falling into the sauce. Serve immediately.
Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
2 large red bell peppers
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups half-and-half
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
4 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat broiler. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Slice peppers in half and deseed. Place on foil cut side down. Lightly coat the tops of the red peppers with olive oil. Grill peppers under the broiler until the skin is blackened, and the flesh has softened slightly. Set aside for a couple of minutes to cool.
Once cool enough to handle, remove the skin from the peppers (the skin should come off the peppers relatively easily). Cut peppers into small pieces.
In a skillet, cook and stir the garlic, basil, and red peppers in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Cook for 10 minutes, so that the flavors mix.
Place mixture in blender with half-and-half, and puree to smooth consistency. Return puree to skillet and whisk in flour. Heat to a boil and add in Romano cheese and butter; cook and stir until both are melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Onion Strings
1 whole large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon (scant) salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
1 quart (to 2 quarts) canola oil
Black pepper to taste
Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk and soak for at least an hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake of excess, and plunge into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone. Let onion strings cool for a couple of minutes and then assemble atop the assembled steak.
Still trying to put together my exact menu for my surprise Valentines dinner for my hubby, and am finally happy to say that this steak has made the cut. For the most part, I don't like to marinate my meat of add all the toppings, but this marinate is bomb!! Doesn't add so much flavor that it distracts from the steak, but makes the steaks juicy and compliments the meat perfectly. The twice baked potatoes was just to finish off the dinner, but I think I'm going to do something else for the V-day dinner. Just to make it classier feeling, but not because I didn't love the recipe. Although, I really feel like the potatoes would have been amazing with just a little minced bacon in with the mashed potatoes. But still a really awesome recipe. Enjoy!!
Grilled Marinated Steak
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon McCormick's Montreal Brand steak seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chipotle hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 - 3 garlic cloves, smashed
2 beef steaks (1 in. thick)
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first 11 ingredients. Add steaks. Seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning as often as you can. Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, over high heat for about 5 minutes on each side or until reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees, medium, 160 degrees, well-done, 170 degrees).
Twice Baked Potatoes
4 large russet potatoes, each about 3/4 pound each, scrubbed and dried
2 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1 scallion, finely chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg, optional
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the potatoes directly on the rack in the center of the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pierce each potato in a couple spots with a fork and continue to bake until tender, about 30 minutes more. Remove potatoes from the oven, and turn the heat down to 375 degrees F.
Hold the potato with an oven-mit or towel, trim off the top of the potatoes to make a canoe-like shape. Reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out most of the potato into a bowl. Take care to leave enough potato in the skin so the shells stay together. Mash the potato lightly with a fork along with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the butter and sour cream. Stir in the scallion, nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Season the skins with salt and pepper. Refill the shells with the potato mixture mounding it slightly. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the potato filling. Brush the reserved top with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper.
Set the potatoes and lids on a baking sheet, and bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
As a kid my mom always made Beef Stroganoff for us. So now it is one of my favorite dinners ever. This isn't her recipe, but I've been wanting to try one from scratch for a while. Personally I prefer the sirloin steaks with this, but the meatballs were a close second. I really like that it was a cheaper solution to a hardy meal. Also, if you usually have noodles with your stroganoff, try it with rice for a change. We have always had it with rice and I found that it is so much more of a comfort food this way then with the noodles. A totally delicious and relatively easy recipe to make. Hope you like it!!
Ingredients
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
Sauce
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Hot cooked noodles or rice
In a bowl, combine the egg, milk, onion and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/4-in. balls. Place in a lightly greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
In a saucepan, saute mushrooms and onion in butter until tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and salt until blended. Gradually add broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for 2 minutes; reduce heat.
Combine sour cream and remaining flour until smooth; stir into mushroom mixture. Add meatballs. Simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve over noodles. Sprinkle with paprika if desired.
It's about time for something other then chicken, and since I really don't cook fish, how can you go wrong with steak. If you were to ask me my ideal dinner, above anything else, I would say steak and potatoes. I guess this is attributed to the fact that my dad raises cattle, so almost every night growing up we had beef for dinner. You would think this would make me sick of it, but instead I'm all about the steak. I like that this recipe only seasoned the steaks with garlic salt and pepper cause that is how I prefer it, but be careful, most people under season their meat. You need to use about 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of garlic salt for the steaks and I like lots of pepper, so I usually use about 1 to 2 teaspoons. As per the beans go, I'm kind of blaw on those. I really can't say without being byes, since there are two herbs I really can't stand, sage and rose-mary, and the recipe calls for lots of sage. So the beans might be decent, but I really didn't like them. The steaks were awesome as always though!! Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (15.5 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Heat 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, and sage in large skillet over medium heat, stirring continuously, until oil begins to sizzle and garlic turns pale gold, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.
Stir in beans and broth and simmer until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in remaining olive oil just before serving.
Meanwhile, season steaks with garlic salt and pepper. Grill over medium-hot fire until charred on both sides and cooked to desired doneness, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice meat off bones. Serve.
I made this last night for dinner and was surprised how quick and easy it was. Not to mention super yummy. I tend to like my oriental food a little more spicy, but this was a really good change. I actually should have doubled, or maybe even tripled, this recipe cause everyone wanted more. I only made one serving because my kids are kind of finicky about dishes like this. Usually they wont eat anything other then the rice, but for once my kids were asking for seconds. Even my husband was bummed out that their wasn't any leftovers. So yummy! A definite must try recipe!! (Recipe makes enough for about 2 people, and I served it over rice which wasn't in the recipe. So, if you want to serve with rice, start cooking the rice first thing and then start on the sauce.)
Estimated Cooking Time: About 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 pound flank steak
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 large green onions
Make the sauce by heating 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat. Don't get the oil too hot or you'll get a major spatter when adding the other liquids. Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches. Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then raise the heat to about medium and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove it from the heat.
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4-inch thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty-five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.
Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef. Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.
As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and saute for just two minutes, or until the beef just begins to darken on the edges. You don't need a thorough cooking here since the beef is going to go back on the heat later. Stir the meat around so that it cooks evenly. After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon or a spider to take the meat out and onto paper towels, then pour the oil out of the wok or skillet. Put the pan back over the heat, dump the meat back into it and simmer for one minute. Add the sauce, cook for one minute while stirring, then add all the green onions. Cook for one more minute, then remove the beef and onions with tongs or a slotted spoon to a serving plate. Leave the excess sauce behind in the pan.
Alright, enough with the sugar! Let gets some hardy meals going ;) This is a easy no fail recipe. I didn't follow the directions exactly as the recipe suggests because, at least to me, pot roast is a crock pot dish. I just throw everything in there turn it on high and in about 6 hours it's falling apart and all my veggies are cooked to perfection. But I followed everything else the recipe recommended, so if you wanna bake it in the oven, go for it, but I can't guarantee you it's going to shred apart. The way I did it is I put my roast and veggies in the crock pot, I doubled all the seasonings and add them, then covered it all with water. Then turn it on high and give it at least 6 hours before serving. Either way, it turns out delicious! And super healthy! Not to mention oh so yummy! Enjoy :)
Estimated Cooking Time: At least 6 hours if you put it in a crock pot, and about 2 hours and 30 minutes if you bake it.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
1 (2 1/2- to 3-pound) boneless beef chuck roast (up to 2 inches thick, for baking, if you are putting it in the crock pot it doesn't matter how thick it is as long as it fits)
8 medium carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
6 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into quarters
4 small onions, cut into quarters
Seasonings (x2 for crockpot)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon
3 bay leaves
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Gravy
Beef Broth
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cold water
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter in 6 quart ovenproof saucepan until sizzling; add roast. Cook over medium-high heat, turning once, until browned (7 to 9 minutes). Drain off fat.
Combine all seasoning ingredients in small bowl; pour over roast. Add vegetables. Cover; bake for 2 to 2 1/4 hours or until roast is fork tender. Remove bay leaves. Remove roast and vegetables to serving platter; keep warm.
Skim fat from pan juices. Measure 1 1/2 cups pan juices, adding beef broth, if necessary; return to saucepan.
Combine flour and cold water in small bowl with wire whisk until smooth; stir into pan juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until mixture comes to a full boil (2 to 3 minutes). Boil 1 minute. Serve gravy with roast and vegetables.
Recipe from Land O' Lakes Recipe Collection Baking and More
First of all I wanna say, Happy Mother's Day to all you awesome moms out there!! I hope all of you get completely spoiled ;) Usually on Mother's Day, I would have posted a extra yummy dessert, but I will be preparing desserts all week in preparation for the bake sale coming up on Saturday, so I wanted to quickly post a really yummy dinner idea before a week of sweets :)
This was super yummy! My dad is a cattle rancher, so usually I want my steaks plane with just some garlic salt and pepper and cooked on a really good charcoal grill, but this was really good. I actually like the flavor of blue cheese, but my husband hates it. So I was a little apprehensive whether or not he was going to like this, and he did. The Blue Cheese butter does have the flavor of the cheese, but it has enough going on that it's not like eating straight blue cheese and it compliments the flavor of the beef really well, so don't be afraid to try this. All and all, a definite must try recipe.
To make the blue cheese butter, mash together the softened butter, garlic, cheese and sage until they are well combined. From the mixture into a log and wrap it in baking paper, twisting the ends to seal them. Refrigerate the butter until firm, then cut into 5mm (1/4 in) slices and leave it at room temperature until needed.
Cut the beef into four thick, equal pieces and tie a piece of string around the edge of each so it will keep its shape during cooking. Brush both sides of each steak with the oil and season with freshly ground pepper. Heat a barbecue to medium-high direct heat and cook the beef on the chargrill plate for 6-7 minutes each side for medium, or to you liking.
Put two slices of blue cheese butter on top of each steak as soon as you remove it from the barbecue and remove the string.
Note Any leftover butter can be wrapped in baking paper and foil, and frozen for up to 2 months. It is also delicious with chicken and pork.
I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while. I love meatball subs, so I was totally curious about this casserole dish. Lets just say sometime the ugliest dishes are the best! I only say that because this casserole was hard to arrange on a plate to photograph and still make it look savory. I don't know if I succeeded, but did my best :) You can be sure it tastes super yummy though! My husband was actually making the "Mmmm" sound with every bite. One of the best and most original casseroles I have ever tried. Also, if you want you can use light ingredients, like light mayo and light cream cheese, to make this dish a little more calorie friendly. I used light mayo and it still turned out so yummy. Also, my sister tried this recipe, and reminded me of another little change I wanted to make to this dish. You really need at least 1 1/2 if not 2 pounds of beef. 1 Pound just doesn't seem sufficient. But if you add some extra meat, I would say this dish is a 10 out of 10. You gotta try it!
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound ground beef, (this is what the original recipe says, but I say do 2 pounds)
1 loaf (1 pound) Italian bread, cut into 1-inch slices
In a bowl, combine onions, crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-inch balls; place on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink.
Meanwhile, arrange bread in a single layer in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish (all of the bread might not be used). Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Italian seasoning and pepper; spread over the bread. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella.
Combine the sauce, water and garlic; add meatballs. Pour over cheese mixture; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through.
I absolutely love this recipe! It is by for the best beef stew I've ever had. One thing I would have to recommend when you make it though. Use watered down beef broth instead of just water. It gives the stew so much more flavor, and it comes out a little thicker. Also, if you don't have a pot that can go into the oven, like me, then for the hour and a half the stew is suppose to be in the oven, I just covered and kept it on the stove on low to medium-low. Just make sure to keep it covered and that you don't make it boil. You want it to be steaming and maybe a view bubbles, but not boiling. And I cut my veggies just a little smaller then they recommend in the recipe, cause they seemed a little big. Other then that, this recipe is to die for! It takes a little while to make so plan ahead, but if you are a stew person you will love this. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for searing
flour for dredging
2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
10 cups cold water, or chicken or beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
6 sprigs parsley
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
1-1/4 pounds medium red potatoes, quartered
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 cans diced, peeled tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Directions
Heat a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to fill the pan about 1/4-inch deep. Spread flour out on a plate or piece of wax paper.
Season half the beef generously with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour. Shake off the excess flour, and add to the pan.
Saute the meat, uncovered, stirring only occasionally, until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate. Repeat with the remaining beef. Discard the oil and wipe out the pan.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Return the pot to the stove and melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 1 minute more. Return the beef to the pot and add the water or broth, and bring to a simmer.
Using a piece of kitchen twine, tie together the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves and add the bundle to the pot. Season with 2 teaspoons salt and pepper to taste. Cover and transfer to the oven. Stew the meat until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the dutch oven from the oven. Skim the fat from the cooking liquid with a ladle. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, and the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Stew, uncovered, on top of the stove, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened and the beef and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.
Remove and discard the herb bundle. Stir in the vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide among bowls and serve immediately.
Cook's Note: Beef chuck, because of it's marbling of intra-muscular fat, it's the choice fur any type of stew. If you can't find chuck cubed for stew in your meat department, buy a thick steak and cute it into 2-inch cubes.
Sunday my husband decided at 3:30pm to tell me, "Hey, I'm gonna invite everyone over for dinner." Panic!! That means I have 2 hours to clean my house and get something made, and not to mention that I hadn't been to the grocery store in about a week. So, my cupboards were pretty bare. In this situation, this is one of my go to recipes, or in other words, when I have no time to plan out my meal. I've made a couple meat loafs from scratch, but I seem to always come back to this seasoning mix. It's easy, it incorporates ingredients that you will almost always have, and it's really good! One thing that I do just a little bit differently then the recipe is I put about 1/4 cup of ketchup in the meatloaf itself, and I don't scrip on the ketchup I put on top. Basically, I put as much as I possibly can put on top without it dripping down the sides. This just helps give the inside that little extra moisture, because I feel like meatloaf can easily be too dry, and the ketchup on top bakes to become a little sweet and is so yummy with the beef and seasoning. It's just perfect. The best meatloaf recipe I have ever had.
Ingredients
1 package McCormick Seasoning Mix
2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs or 1 cup soft bread crumbs (2 slices bread)
1/2 cup ketchup, chili sauce or tomato sauce (optional)
Directions
This is the seasoning mix you are looking for. You will find it in the baking aisle next to the seasonings.
Mix all ingredients except ketchup, in large bowl until well blended.
Shape meat mixture into a loaf. Place in foil-lined baking pan or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Top with ketchup, if desired. Bake in 375 degree oven 1 hour or until cooked through.
This recipe turned out so super yummy! I would have liked a little more sauce with it, but other then that, loved it! I have to admit, as a cattle ranchers daughter, I was a little apprehensive about the ground lamb. But it actually gave the dish a really unique yummy flavor. There is one thing I changed on this recipe, and that is, the recipe said to use 4 ounces of feta cheese to sprinkle on top, which would have been way too much all on top of the pasta. So instead I mixed 3 ounces of the cheese into the pasta/meat mixture, and then used the rest to sprinkle on top. But over all, I would totally recommend this dish to anyone! Enjoy :)
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground lamb
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups uncooked rigatoni or large tube pasta
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and lamb over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in onion, garlic, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and thyme.
Mix well. Add tomato sauce, tomatoes and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions; drain. Stir into meat mixture. Fold in 3/4 feta cheese, saving the remainder to sprinkle over the top. Transfer to a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.
This is another super yummy and easy recipe we served at my sister's bachelorette party. Seriously, there is only three ingredients! But, this recipe can still be easily messed up. When you are buying your ingredients, you need to have really good barbecue sauce. Don't skimp and get the cheapest, because your meatballs are only going to taste as good as the sauce. So get one that has a really good flavor! I love Waldo's barbecue sauce so that is what I used, but get your favorite. The sweet-and-sour doesn't play as big of a role, because you taste more of the barbecue sauce anyways. So go cheap here. Then you just heat everything up and serve. So easy right!
Ingredients
24 frozen cooked Italian meatballs (1/2 ounce each), thawed
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup sweet-and-sour sauce
Directions
Place the meatballs in a 3-qt. microwave-safe dish; cover and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until heated through.
In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine the sauces; cover and heat on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Pour over meatballs; cover and microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
I know, I know... Don't make fun of me. I made these for some friends of ours, and that's what they called them, and the name just kind of stuck :) I came up with this recipe one day when I was just kind of playing around with some ingredients, but this is the best hamburger I have ever had. Including restaurant hamburgers! Seriously this is a recipe you have got to try!
Ingredients
about 2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 1/2 tablespoons Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Ingredients to go along with your cooked burgers: hamburger buns, lettuce, tomatoes, mayo, mustard, ketchup, etc.
Directions
First, if you are going to be cooking with charcoal, get that started. I recommend charcoal because it gives your burger that much more flavor, but gas will work too. Get out a plate or cookie sheet to place your patties on. Combined all the ingredients into a bowl. Now it's time to get your hands dirty, so take off your rings. The easiest way I've found to mix this together is with your hands. So scrunch all the ingredients together until evenly incorporated. Then take a good handful of meat and pat it into a patty.
They will look something like this. Quick tip: You are going to want your patties to be pretty big because they are going to shrink a lot when they cook. So about 2 lbs of ground beef, with all the ingredients added, will make 5 to 6 hamburgers patties. Trust me! They will seem way to big, but if you make them this size they will fit perfectly on your buns.
Take your meat out to the grill and sear on both sides. Then cook according to your taste. About 3 to 4 minutes on both sides is what I do, with the top on so the meat is also getting smoked, and it comes out a good medium to medium well done. Then just serve with your hamburger buns, lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever else you like to throw on there.
