Beef and Guinness Stew

Found this recipe on Reluctant Entertainer and changed it up just a little.

http://reluctantentertainer.com/2013/03/beef-and-guinness-stew-for-st-patricks-day/

BEEF AND GUINNESS STEW

YIELD: 6

 

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

 

COOK TIME: 3 hours

 

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 15 minutes

Incredible St. Patrick's Day meal. Adapted from Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. lean stewing beef, cubed
• 3 T. grapeseed oil
• 2 T. flour
• 1/4 tsp. Wildtree's Rodeo Rub spice blend
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 small can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 can of water
• 1  bottle Guinness beer
• 4-5 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1/2 lb potatoes, cut into chunks
• sprigs of thyme

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss beef cubes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. 
2. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and Rodeo Rub and mix into the beef.
3. Heat the remaining 2 T. oil in a large Dutch oven over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides.
4. Add the onions, garlic and tomato puree/water, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour the Guinness into the pot. Add the carrots, potatoes, and thyme.
6. Stir the stew, cover, and place in preheated oven for about 3 hours.

Assuming everyone likes it, this should be enough for 2+ meals, so I'll freeze the leftovers and heat them up for St. Patrick's Day dinner smile emoticon 

Since I bought a package of almost 4 lbs of cubed beef at Costco the other day, I figured I'd keep chopping and use all of the meat.. I also made 2 other meals to freeze with it. I ended up cutting up 3 onions total + 3 green bell peppers, and using Wild Tree's recipe to make 2 dinners of Steak Fajitas for the freezer. So that's 4 meals, all in 30 mins smile emoticon

Porcupine Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb organic grass fed ground beef
• 3/4 C long grain white rice, uncooked
• 3/4 C water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 a chopped fresh onion or 1 tbsp dried minced onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2-3/4 jar of organic pasta sauce
• 1 C water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.  Mix first 7 ingredients together.
2. heat olive oil in a large skillet.
3. Form meat/rice mixture into meatballs, about 1.5 inches (makes about 10 meatballs).
4. Brown in skillet over medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
6. Drain grease, then pour sauce mixture over meatballs.
7. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour.

This is a hit with everyone in our family! I send leftovers for DD1's school lunch. One meatball is plenty in a thermos.

New Mexico-Style Pot Roast

I found this recipe in Cookie (magazine) and ripped it out and saved it...the magazine is now out of publication, but I'm so thankful to have found this recipe because it was, by far, the best roast I have ever made! Usually, any time I cook beef, it's never tender enough, or flavorful enough. This was both super tender and full of delicious flavor! My picky eaters (kids and husband ;) all ate it and loved it. Definitely will be a repeat in our house :)

INGREDIENTS

• Beef-chuck roast (I used 1.5 lbs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 15oz jar red enchilada sauce
• 1 12oz can light beer or lager
• 1 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 small squash, peeled and diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. Rub meat with oil, salt and pepper. Place it in a baking pan and roast for 30 minutes, turning once 1/2 way through.
3. Reduce heat to 350.
4. Add enchilada sauce, beer and broth.
5. Cover with foil and cook for 2 hours.
6. Add potatoes and squash and cook for another 30 minutes.
7. Uncover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 more minutes.

Swedish Meatballs in the Crock Pot

Recipe inspired from about.com

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (14ish ounces each) beef gravy
• 1 pound sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 pounds frozen meatballs
• 1 cup sour cream
• egg noodles, cooked and drained

Preparation:

1. Sauté onion and mushrooms in butter until tender, about 5 mins. 
2. In crockpot, combine onion, mushrooms, gravy, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic . 
3. Stir meatballs into the sauce. 
4. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours (or Low for 6 hours). 
5. Slowly stir the sour cream into the slow cooker mixture. 
6. Serve meatballs over hot buttered noodles.

Beef and Black Been Taco Bake

Recipe inspired from blogger Eat at Home Cooks: http://eatathomecooks.com/2010/04/beef-and-black-bean-taco-bake.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 lb ground beef, browned
• 1/2 cup frozen onions
• 3/4 jar (16 oz) mild salsa
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed until water runs clear
• 5 whole wheat tortillas, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1.5 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
• garlic, to taste
• Cajun seasoning, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Brown beef with onions, garlic and Cajun seasoning.
3. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving 1/4 cup of the cheese for later.
4. Spray a 9x9 baking dish with Olive Oil spray and pour in the been and beef mixture.
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
6. Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Creamy Beef Stroganoff in the Slow Cooker

We're going to the park after nap time to take advantage of this gorgeous weather while we can! So what's the easiest thing I can do for dinner? Something in the crockpot! And how about something other then chicken for a change... ;)

INGREDIENT

• Beef cubes, about 1 lb
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup 
• 1 packet dry onion soup mix
• 4 oz plain cream cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix ingredients together in crockpot.
2. Cook on low for 6 hours.
3. Serve over egg noodles.

Taco Crescent Bake

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Taco-Crescent-Bake
This looked too good to pass up. I probably won't be making it too often since it's not exactly healthy, but what a great comfort food! I did edit the recipe a bit to make it a little healthier..
INGREDIENTS

• 1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 cup crushed corn chips, divided
• 1 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves, shredded
  
• 1/2 jar tomato sauce
• 3/4 envelope taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Unroll crescent dough into a rectangle and press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
   
2. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of chips.
3. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
4. Stir in tomato sauce and taco seasoning; then bring to a boil.
   
5. Add shredded spinach, reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
   
6. Spoon over chips and top with sour cream, cheese and remaining chips.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.

Beef Kabobs on the grill

I won't go into detail with this recipe ;) Just add on what you like, sprinkle with olive oil and steak seasoning, and grill until meat is cooked through.

I served this with steamed potatoes seasoned with Mrs. Dash (no salt and super yummy!)

Skillet Lasagna

Original recipe from: http://christines-cuisine.blogspot.com/1998/12/skillet-lasagna.html
Easy, one-pot meal!INGREDIENTS

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3/4 jar of tomato sauce

1/2 cup frozen diced onions

3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
3/4 tbsp garlic powder
3/4 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 lb ground meat (beef or turkey)

8 lasagna noodles, broken to fit in pan

2 cups of baby spinach

1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

1 cup mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Pour diced tomatoes, with juices, into a large measuring cup.
   Add water so that the mixture = 2.5 cups.
2. Add tomato sauce and mix.
3. brown beef in a large skillet.
4. Add onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
5. Add pasta over the meat. Do not stir.
6. Pour tomato mixture over pasta and bring to a boil.
7. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until pasta is soft, occasionally stirring.
   
8. Add baby spinach during the last 5 minutes. Stir.
9. Remove from heat and stir in cheeses.
10. Serve with Parmesan to taste.
    

Super Veggie and Beef Casserole

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 lb lean ground beef, browned and drained
• 2 large diced potatoes
• 1.5 cups sliced carrots
• 1.5 cups frozen peas
• 6 celery stalks, sliced
  
• 10 3/4 oz can cream of celery soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp garlic powder
  

DIRECTIONS

Brown beef (and onion if you want) in saucepan. Drain
Combine all ingredients except for the milk in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours (I cooked on high for 2 hours and on low for 3).
Add milk and mix well.

Easy Pot Roast and Veggies

Recipe modified from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow Cooker by Dawn J Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good.
INGREDIENTS

3-4 lb chuck roast
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1/2 lb bag of baby carrots
4 celery ribs, sliced
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
3 cups water

DIRECTIONS

Put roast, potatoes, carrots and celery in slow cooker.
Add onion soup mix and water.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Cowboy Casserole

Recipe modified from Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook: Feasting with your Slow Cooker by Dawn J Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good.

Please excuse the awful photo! I seem to have lost the battery charger for my nice camera during the move.. so in the meantime, it's back to the good old point-and-shoot that is now my daughter's toy and therefore in bad condition...
INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup frozen chopped onions
1 lbs ground beef, browned and drained
4 medium potatoes, sliced
1/2 tbsp garlic powder (or 1 clove garlic minced)
16-oz can kidney beans
15-oz can diced tomatoes mixed w/ 2 tbsp. flour (can substitute a 10 3/4 oz can tomato soup)

DIRECTIONS

Layer potatoes, onions, ground beef, garlic and bean in slow cooker.
Spread tomatoes all over.
Cover and cook on Low 5-6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Note: next time I'll try it with the tomato soup instead of the diced tomatoes.. it lacked flavor tonight!

"stuffed" Bell Pepper Pasta au Gratin

The plan was to make stuffed bell peppers tonight, but my husband doesn't like them too much. Instead, I decided to incorporate the recipe into a pasta dish. Something my husband, daughter and I will all enjoy! ;)
INGREDIENTS

1 green bell pepper
1 lb ground beef
pasta noodles of choice
original pasta sauce, 1 jar
shredded cheese of choice, about 1 cup.
garlic powder
dried oregano
olive oil

DIRECTIONS

pour about 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil into pan and heat on medium heat.
Brown beef.
While beef is browning, dice bell pepper and add to meat. Cook until beef is brown and bell pepper is soft.
Add garlic powder and oregano to taste.

Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta according to package directions.

While it's all cooking, preheat oven to 350.
Mix all of the above cooked ingredients together.
Add pasta sauce and put in an oven safe pan.
Sprinkle well with shredded cheese of choice.
Bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and slightly browned (not burned).

Homemade Burgers and Steak Fries

I quickly browsed our library $2 book sale on Saturday and was surprised to find a like-new copy of Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals 2. I would never buy her cookbook full price.. not that I don't like Rachel Ray, I think she has some great recipes... but it seems like whenever I follow her recipes, they don't turn out too great. But when I get ideas from her and turn the recipe into my own, only using her recipe to get an idea, read over it quickly, then proceed on my own.. that's when they turn out the best for me (this steak fry recipe, however, is all Rachel Ray). But for $2, and something that looked like it was loaded with some great ideas, why not?! I'm glad I bought it.

So this week... since I'm starting to feel much better and plan on actually cooking again (sorry Ry, no more take-out! ;) I think I'll try to stick with Rachel Ray ideas and adapt them into my own.

Tonight, steak fries from the Rachel Ray book. I'm also making burgers.INGREDIENTS

3 russet potatoes
vegetable oil for cooking
sea salt

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
8 Town House butter crackers
To taste: pepper,
garlic,
oregano
dash of paprika

DIRECTIONS

On medium heat, heat about 1.5 inches of oil in a pan.
After washing/scrubbing potatoes, Slice into about shoestring thickness.
Place on paper towels to dry.

Use hands to mix ground beer, egg, crackers, pepper, garlic, oregano and paprika in a large bowl.
When well combined, form into 2 large burger patties.
Grill for about 5 minutes each side, for 10 minutes total.

Place about half of the potatoes at a time into hot oil and cook partially, about 3 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Raise heat to medium-high and allow 2-3 minutes for oil to heat more.
Return potatoes to oil in 2 batches to crisp them to a golden brown, about another 2-3 minutes.
Place potatoes on clean paper towels to drain.
Season with sea salt.

(this would have been the perfect amount for 3 adults.. or 2 adults and 2 kids.. It was a bit much for just my husband and I.. though Ryan did finish his entire burger! wow!)

Ground Beef Tacos

This week I decided to clean out our pantry, fridge and freeze (this after finding some boxed stuff that expired well over a year ago! Yuck :P) So instead of buying groceries, I decided I would only use what we had at home.. + the delivered organic fruits & veggies that we get once a week.

Night 1 = Taco night! Yes, nothing fancy or special at all, but it's what I made ;) I like to make my tacos a little "healthier" by cooking peppers into the meat mixture.INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup frozen bell pepper strips
1 tomato, sliced
shredded cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
taco shells

DIRECTIONS

Brown beef in a large skillet.
Slice bell peppers and cook along with beef, until tender.
Mix in taco seasoning.

Spoon onto taco shells.
Add cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and whatever else you'd like.

Tuscan Beef Stew

While browsing the blog "Mommy, What's For Dinner" I came upon this delicious looking Tuscan Beef Stew recipe and couldn't resist trying it! It made the house smell sooooo good and turned out great! And it's so easy to make.
INGREDIENTS

1 can condensed tomato soup
1 can condensed beef broth
1/2 cup apple juice
2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into chunks
3 large carrots, cut as desired
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
32 oz canned cannelloni beans (white kidney beans) rinsed and drained

DIRECTIONS

Put all ingredients except beans in crock pot on low for 8-9 hours.
Add beans during the last 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Turkey Meatball Calzones

I like to record the Rachel Ray show and fast forward to the end for dinner ideas. The other day, Rachel was making easy looking Turkey Meatball Calzones that sounded pretty good! They looked a little dry so I will probably play around with the recipe a bit... but in the meantime, HERE it is from her website.

In purple below are the changes I made. Black text is the original recipe. These turned out really good!

Florentine Meatball Calzones with Creamy Tomato Dipper

INGREDIENTS

• 1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung of excess water ~ I used 1/4 package fresh spinach, chopped up.
  
• 2 pounds ground turkey (or beef)
  
• 1 small onion, half grated and half finely chopped ~ 1/2 cup frozen diced onions
  
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated, divided
• 2 large eggs, 1 lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs (about 3 handfuls) ~ I used whatever crackers I had lying around, crushed.
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 2 handfuls) ~ I omitted this
  
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• A few grates fresh nutmeg ~ I used powdered
  
• Salt and ground black pepper ~ I omitted this
  
• 2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough (10-ounces each) ~ I only used one package and made 1/2 as many calzones since it was just for my husband and I.
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes ( 14.5-ounces), (you can use regular tomatoes crushed if you have them on hand)
• 1/4 cup basil (a handful), chopped ~ forgot to add this in ;)
  
• 1/4 cup heavy cream ~ I didn't have cream so I used organic whole milk.
  

DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 425ºF.

Calzones
Combine the spinach, ground turkey/beef, grated onion, half of the garlic, 1 egg, breadcrumbs/crushed crackers, cheese(s), nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Work the mixture together with your hands until combined and set aside.

Spread one of the pizza doughs out onto the counter. Cut in half width-wise and in thirds lengthwise, making 6 squares.
Take a handful of the meat mixture (about 1/4 cup), shape into a meatball and drop it onto the corner of one of the squares. Continue in this way until there's a meatball on each square.

Brush the edges of each square with a little of the beaten egg and fold the opposite corner over to close in the meatball and make a calzone.
Fold and press the edges to seal the meatball inside.
Brush the tops lightly with egg. Repeat with the remaining meat and dough and arrange all of the calzones on a baking sheet.
Bake until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Sauce
While the calzones are baking, place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons.
Add the chopped onion and remaining garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan with the basil and simmer the sauce until thickened up a bit, 2-3 minutes.
Turn the heat off and add the cream/milk.



Since I only made 1/2 the amount of calzones, I had a ton of meatball mixture left over. I decided to make meatballs out of it; cooked them for 14 minutes after the calzones were done; and froze them to use later.

Classic Reuben Ring

This is a Pampered Chef recipe, from their All The Best: From Our Kitchen to Yours cookbook. If you like sauerkraut, you'll love this. I don't like sauerkraut much, so..... it was ok.

INGREDIENTS

2 refrigerated packages of crescent rolls (I only used 1 package)
8 oz sliced deli corned beef, chopped (2 cups)
1 can (8 oz) sauerkraut, drained and squeezed dry
1 1/4 cups (5 oz) shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing
2 tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 egg white, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a medium bowl, combine corned beef, sauerkraut, 1 cup of the cheese, dressing, parsley and garlic. Mix well.
Scoop filling evenly over ring shape, finishing shape as directed.
Brush with egg white. (I did not do this.)
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

RING DIRECTIONS

Unroll the refrigerated crescent rolls and separate into triangles.
Arrange triangles, slightly overlapping, in a circle on a medium round stone with the wide ends 4-6 inches from the edge of the baking stone. (Points will extend partially off the edge of the stone.)
Roll (if desired) wide ends of dough toward center to create a 5-inch opening. With 1 package, opening will be around 3 inches.

French Dip Roast in slow cooker

Having this in the crock pot all day made the house smell sooooooooooooo good! We couldn't wait to dig in! :) INGREDIENTS

* 1 large onion, sliced ~ I used 1 cup frozen diced onions
* 1 beef bottom round roast
* 1/2 cup dry white wine or water
* 1 package au jus gravy mix
* pepper to taste

* French bread or rolls ~ ours had gone bad so we used mini bagels and it was great!

DIRECTIONS

Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 10-12 hour, until very tender.
Remove meat from liquid and let stand 5 minutes for juices to settle.
Slice thinly and make sandwiches on French bread using meat and onions.
Serve broth for dipping.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup and Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches (crock pot)

Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich in Crock Pot

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 white onion, diced
* 1/2 red onion, diced
* 1 cup frozen sliced bell peppers
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 6 ounces beef sirloin
* 1/2 block cream cheese, softened
* 1 cup water with beef bouillon cube
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 French baguette, cut in half lengthwise
* 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese toasted on baguette

Place in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Toast baguette with swiss cheese on top of one half. Strain beef and vegetables and place on baguette.

Cheddar Broccoli Soup