Creamy Beef and Noodles

With twin babies and our hectic schedule, I have to be able to whip together quick, easy meals some days. Mondays are one of those days around here. I made this last Monday and it was really yummy. I wanted to make my Mom's Goulash recipe, but I didn't have macaroni noodles, so I combined elements from that with another casserole I sometimes make and came up with this.

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 sweet onion, diced
14 oz can tomato sauce
1 TBS Paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt, to taste
1/2 tsp Pepper
1 cup of frozen corn
1 cup of sour cream
1 lb of pasta, I used rotini
Shredded cheddar cheese
2 sliced green onions

Brown beef in a large skillet, add onions and cook until translucent. Add tomato sauce, seasonings and corn, simmer while you boil the pasta. Preheat broiler. Drain pasta, add to the beef mixture, stir in sour cream. Transfer to a casserole dish, or use the skillet if it is oven-safe. Scatter shredded cheddar over the top, sprinkle with green onions and place under the broiler until cheese is nice and bubbly.

German Cabbage Rolls

Back in November, I posted my recipe for Cabbage Rolls. That recipe was the more traditional Hungarian style cabbage rolls most of us are used to, with a tomato-based sauce. They are fabulous, and I encourage you to try them out. Today I bring you my recipe for German style Cabbage Rolls. These cabbage rolls are my husband's favorite. They're meaty and hearty and scrumptious. Men seem to really appreciate these cabbage rolls, and I think the main reason is the sauce. I  place of a tomato sauce, these cabbage rolls are served topped with brown gravy. So yummy. These cabbage rolls are easy to make, super hearty, and they get better the next day. This recipe makes 12 large cabbage rolls. You can make them smaller to use more of the cabbage, or make more filling.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cabbage
2 TBS salt

Filling:

1/2 lb ground Beef
1/2 lb ground Pork
3 TBS bread crumbs
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 TBS German style mustard
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
pinch of Salt
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced or grated on a microplane
2 TBS Butter

Sauce:
Optional: splash of white wine
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup cold water
1 TBS cornstarch

Note: To cut back of fat, you can substitute all lean ground beef or even ground turkey for the ground beef and pork. There is a slight flavor difference, but it is still delicious and it's a way to eat "regular" food while losing weight or watching your cholesterol.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, melt 1 TBS of butter in a large skillet, add diced onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned. Remove from heat. Wash cabbage and remove outermost leaves if they are loose. You can core the cabbage if you like, but it's not necessary. I like to because it helps the salt water flavor the cabbage and it seems to make the leaves easier to remove. As soon as the water boils, add the 2 TBS of salt. Gently add the cabbage and boil 15-20 minutes. Remove the cabbage, drain and allow to cool.

Once the cabbage is cool, mix all of the filling ingredients together. Remove the 12 outer leaves from the cabbage and begin filling. The demonstration photos I'm going to post now are from my last cabbage rolls recipe, but the folding method is the same.

Once all of the cabbage rolls are ready, heat 1 TBS of butter over medium heat in the large skillet you used to saute the onions. Place about half of the rolls in the skillet, seam side down. Allow to cook for 5 minutes, then flip and cook and additional 3 minutes. Remove to a platter and brown the remaining rolls in the same way. Optional: Remove rolls and deglaze the pan with a  splash of white wine. Add all of the rolls to the pan, pour in the beef broth. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Remove rolls from skillet, bump the heat up to medium-high, mix cornstarch and cold water together, add to the broth in the pan, stir constantly until thickened. This will only take a few minutes. Serve the rolls topped with gravy alongside mashed potatoes.

Barbeque Meatball Sliders

Meatball sliders are a huge hit in my family. I often take them to church functions, where they are always well-received. I usually make Italian style sliders, but a few weeks ago I decided to switch it up for our church business meeting. I didn't stick around for the meeting, but my Hubbie and Dad loved them. My Dad is a pretty picky eater, so it makes me happy when he enjoys my food. These are quick to put together, made with frozen meatballs. You could certainly use your own homemade meatballs, or make my delicious Meatballs. These would be a great addition to any finger food buffet or Super Bowl Party.

Ingredients:

24 Hawaiian Sweet Dinner Rolls
36 frozen Meatballs
1 cup of your favorite Barbeque Sauce
24 Pickle Chips
6 Slices of Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the frozen meatballs in a large, microwave-safe glass dish. Heat on high until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes. Stop and stir the meatballs about 3 minutes in.
While the meatballs are heating, separate the dinner rolls and slice in half. Place the bottom halves on a baking sheet. Remove the meatballs from the microwave, toss with the barbeque sauce. Slice the meatballs in half. Place 3 halves on each bottom half. 1 meatball just isn't enough for this size roll, and 2 unsliced meatballs creates too much of a mess. Cut each cheese slice into 4 pieces. Top each slider with a cheese slice and a pickle chip. Put the top half of the rolls on. Place in the oven untilt eh cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Stack on a platter and serve.

 

Cabbage Rolls

These are so delicious and perfect for a chilly evening. This is the kind of meal my Mom would say "sticks to your ribs". Cabbage Rolls are simple food. They're made from easily found ingredients, and they're inexpensive. They do require a little bit of work, but it's actually not much. My favorite Cabbage Rolls are the Romanian kind, which are made with sour cabbage, but it is difficult to find anything that "exotic" in my small town. I plan to try to locate sour cabbage, or make my own so that I can make them and share them here. I also plan on making German Cabbage Rolls this winter and sharing them here.


Ingredients:
1 head of Cabbage
3 TBS Salt

Filling:
1 cup uncooked White Rice
1 lb Ground Beef (or turkey, pork, veal, etc)
1/2 an Onion, diced small
1 Carrot, grated
1 Garlic clove, grated or minced tiny
3 dashes of ground Cloves
1 TBS Paprika
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper

Sauce:
1 28 oz can of tomato sauce
1 TBS Paprika
1 tsp Pepper
1 small can of Sauerkraut

Rinse cabbage and remove 4 outermost layers, set aside. Chop off the stem of the cabbage, and use a knife to remove the core. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, return to a boil, add cabbage. Reduce to medium-high heat and cook 10-15 minutes, until the leaves begin to separate.

While the cabbage is boiling, prepare the filling, chop the onion and garlic pretty small, so the filling isn't chunky. You want it to be homogenous. Just combine all of the ingrentients in a large bowl. I use my hands. If you're averse to touching raw meat, you can do it the hard way and, use a spoon.

When the cabbage is nice and tender, remove it from the water and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully remove the leaves. I've found that using a pair of kitchen shears to cut the stem of the leaf helps to remove them without breaking them. ------------------->

Now, get yourself set up somewhere comfortable. I actually sit at my kitchen table to roll the cabbage rolls, since I usually make more than one batch. I know a lot of people have trouble folding the cabbage so the rolls don't fall apart, so I prepared a little photo tutorial. Please excuse my grody nail polish.

Hold the leaf in one hand and add a spoonful of filling to the center. Fold the bottom up, fold the side over, then fold the other side over, nice and snug but not too tight, since the rice will exand during cooking. Repeat. I get about 20 rolls from 1 head of lettuce and this amount of filling. If Ihave leftover filling, I just add it to th sauce. The rolls will be different sizes since the leaves get smaller as you work your way inward. It's no big deal. Look at all of these beautiful cabbage rolls, time to get them cooking!

Tear the outer layers that you set aside earlier into pieces. Put them in the bottom of the pot and cover with the sauerkraut. Put half of the cabbage rolls on top of the sauerfraut. Top that with half of the sauce. Add remaining cabbage rolls, top with the rest of the sauce. Add water until you see it on the sides of the rolls. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for two hours. I like to physically turn the pot a quarter turn every 20 minutes, so the cabbage leaves on the bottom don't burn. Make sure the liquid remains simmering, add more if it evaporates. After two hours, check for tenderness and enjoy.

 Cabbage rolls really don't have much going for them in the looks department, so it's a darn good thing they taste so good. They are hard to photograph in a flattering light, but don't let that keep you from trying them.

Crock Pot Beef Dip Sandwiches

The first time I made this was for my son's birthday party at the beginning of August. My entire family loves my Mom's beef dip sandwiches, so I decided to put my own spin on them and create my own recipe. They turned out really good. I used a Crock Pot for this to cut down on my kitchen time on party day, but it could be simmered or baked for a few hours if you don't have a crock pot, or don't feel like using one. My Crock Pot was tied up that day making baked potatoes, so I borrowed my Mom's. Her's is one of those newer ones where the crock can be used on the stove top. I LOVE it! I did everything in one pan, it was so easy. If mine weren't also brand new, I'd go get myself one just like hers.



INGREDIENTS:

3 lb Chuck Roast
1 TBS Olive Oil
1 Sweet Onion, diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 TBS Dried Rosemary
1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup Beef Broth
1 cup dry Red Wine
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet, dutch oven, or your fancy stovetop-safe crock. Season beef roast with salt and plenty of pepper. Sear roast on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Try to let it develop a nice crust. Add everything to your crock pot and set it on low for 8 hours.
Serve on buttered, toasted hoagie rolls with the juices for dipping. Enjoy.

This recipe was linked up at the Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook. Check it out for more recipes and inspiration!

Swedish Meatballs

I adore Swedish Meatballs, I remember a friend of my Mom's who made them when I was a child and I loved them. They are classic and comforting, yet delicious enough to serve to guests. This recipe was developed through trial and error. I think it is delicious and my husband adores it. The only Swedish Meatballs he had eaten prior to mine were from the frozen foods aisle. So, these really impressed him.

INGREDIENTS:

MEATBALLS:
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 pounds ground beef

GRAVY:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2-3/4 cups milk
3 cups beef broth or beef consome
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt

NOODLES:
1 package (16 ounces) egg noodles
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into 1-1/2-in. meatballs. I like to make them fairly small like cocktail size, so I use my 1/2 Tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop the meat up. I don't bother rolling them, I just scoop and put them in the oil.   In a large skillet, brown meatballs in batches. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pan.

Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 minute to take the chill off, this help keep it from gtting lumpy. For gravy, stir flour into drippings; cook and stir until light brown. . Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

   Return meatballs to pan. Cook, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally.

   Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; toss with butter. Serve with meatball mixture; sprinkle with parsley.

Crock Pot: Porcupine Meatballs

This super-simple, but fabulous recipe came from the mother of a friend of my Mom's. My Mom first had it at their house nearly 40 years ago; but the lady has been making it for longer than that. Her children made it for their kids growing up; and I know a few of her grandchildren make it for their kids. My Mom made this every few months and it was one of the few recipes every one of us loved. (My sisters can be picky eaters). It is so simple; it's really a last minute "throw together" type of meal. I think it was usually made on nights when we all had soccer practice or other things going on. My Mom usually made double this amount for the 6 of us to make sure there was enough for whoever we might bring home with us or leftovers.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 cup instant rice (instant brown rice works too)
1 tsp black pepper
a few dashes of salt
Condensed tomato soup - 3 of the regular sized cans, undiluted.

Combine the meat, rice, and spices; roll into golf ball sized meat balls. I get a dozen meatballs per pound of meat. Place in crock pot, pour undiluted tomato soup over them. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 8 hours. If you're home, gently stir them every so often.

Serve with a vegetable, my 1 Hour Dinner Rolls, and a side salad and you've got a delicious plate of comfort food.

Mom's Recipes: American Goulash

This is in no way an authentic goulash recipe, it doesn't contain a speck of paprika. I didn't know that until I was a teenager. It is, however, delicious, comforting, quick, easy, and economical. My Mom makes this quite often, it feeds a crowd, and our family loves it. A few weeks ago, my husband requested that I make it.  He and our son devoured it, so it looks like another generation will be enjoying it.

You will need:

1 lb box of macaroni or shells pasta
1 lb ground beef
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce OR a can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1 (15 oz)  can sweet corn
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Brown the beef with the onions. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, and corn. Heat through. Add to pasta, stir in salt and pepper to taste. Growing up we ate this with a salad and buttered bread.

Braciole

This is my rendition of a delicious old school Italian dish. The kind of dish I would imagine the Italian side of my family enjoyed Sunday evening after church. I don't know much about them, but I've always longed for the kind of family dinners you see big Italian families attending in movies. I have a friend whose family is from the same Brooklyn neighborhood my Grandfather grew up in, being a dinner guest at her house gave me a taste of the Italian family I'd dreamed of but never experienced. Not to knock the family I have. We always had amazing family dinners and lots of love.

This was my first time preparing this dish. I read about 100 different recipes, and picked out what I liked from each. I then adapted the ingredients based on what I had in my kitchen. I urned out delicious, and my husband adored it. This would be a perfect dish to make for a dinner party.

I didn't measure out the filling ingredients, so these are estimations of what I used for 2 people.

thinly sliced flank steak - 1 per person

2 TBS chopped shallots, sauteed just enough to soften them
Panko breadcrumbs - 1/4 cup
Spinach - 1/4 cup
1 clove garlic - I grate it with a microplane zester
10 basil leaves
a handful of Parmesan cheese
a handful of grated Mozzarella
Spaghetti sauce - I used a jar of 4 cheese sauce

Pound the steaks thin between 2 pieces of waxed paper. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a few TBS of olive oil in a skillet. Mix filling ingredients together. Spoon a few TBS of filling over each steak. Roll up and tie with butcher's twine or secure with toothpicks. Brown quickly in skillet. Lower heat, add sauce and simmer 60-90 minutes, turning occasionally. Check for tenderness. Remove twine and serve. I had extra filling, so I spooned it over the tops and put it under the broiler to brown up. I probably wouldn't have bothered with this step if I weren't already using an oven-safe skillet. I served this with a big salad and creamy polenta.

Italian Meatballs

Absolutly delicious, moist, flavorful, perfect meatballs. Make these for the people in your life, they'll love you for it.

2 1/2 lbs ground beef
4 sweet Italian sausages
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 large or 10 small basil leaves, chopped
handful fresh parsly leaves, chopped
2 eggs
2/3 cup bread crumbs
two big handfuls of parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable or canola oil for frying

Fresh herbs are preferred, but dried could be substituted. For the tastiest meatballs, use real parmesan cheese, not the stuff in the green can.

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Place ground beef in a mixing bowl, remove sausage casing and add to bowl. Add the garlic and remaining ingredients. Using your hands, mix the ingredients well, without overmixing. Dig your hands in and squeeze, then turn the meat to grab what is on the bottom. Do not over mix, your meatballs will be like rocks rather than tender and juicy. Form your meatballs, I usually make them about the size of golf balls, and I get about 20 from a batch. You can make them smaller or larger, depending on your liking.
Check the oil by placing a small piece of meat in the skillet, if it bubbles around the meat, it's hot enough. When the oil is sufficiently heated, place the meatballs in. When the first side is nice and brown and gorgeous, flip them. You may have to flip them to the sides as well, especially if they are large.
Drain on a plate lined with paper towels and enjoy with pasta and your favorite red sauce or as the star of a meatball sub.

Beef Tips and Gravy

This is a very simple, easy slow cooker meal.  I love how a slow cooker can make magic of a few simple ingredients. You can easily double or triple the recipe depending on the size of your crock.

1 lb beef stew meat (i bought a pre-made package that was 1.25 lbs, so no need to be exact)
1 12 oz. jar Beef Gravy
1/2 onion, chopped

Place all ingredients in slow cooker, gently mix together to break up the beef. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 (if cooking on low, I usually set it to high for the first 30 mins to an hour then turn it down) . If you want, you could brown the meat in a skillet first, but you really don't have to. Serve over hot rice or egg noodles. Sometimes I add a package of sliced mushrooms with the rest of the ingredients.