Cherry Jalapeno Beef Skewers

We've been doing a lot of grilling lately...the weather has been perfect and most of the time my husband mans the grill. But this time, I took over to make these beef skewers. I was offered the opportunity to review a few products from Gourmet Warehouse. I had never heard of the company before, but one of my food blogger friends told me about them and I was excited to learn I could pick a few products to try out. 

They carry a variety marinades, BBQ sauces and spice rubs/seasonings and are based in Hilton Head. I had a hard time narrowing down my selection, but I chose the mild cherry jalapeno BBQ sauce and honey garlic injectable marinade. Both products were something I had never used before and couldn't wait for them to arrive. 

I immediately knew I was going to inject a roaster with the honey garlic marinade. I don't have pictures for this recipe, but the chicken was so moist and flavorful! I only had a couple hours to let it marinade before I needed to get it in the oven, but in that short amount of time, it was amazing. 

For the BBQ sauce, I knew I wanted to used it to baste a piece of grilled meat. I was looking at the different cuts of beef at my butcher and saw they had top sirloin on sale. They had a few thin sliced pieces - light bulb moment! I could slice it into thin strips and make skewers out of it. The sauce is AMAZING! The combination of cherry and jalapeno is perfect - the sweetness of the cherries is cut with the mild heat of the jalapeno.My husband said "it was the best meal I've had in a long time." I'm not sure if I should be mad at him or not for that comment.  I loved the sauce so much, that we used it on grilled chicken the next night. 

1 lb thin top sirloin, cut into one inch strips (approximately 1/4 inch thick)

Cherry Jalapeno BBQ sauce 

wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Skewer the beef and season both sides with salt and pepper. Once your grill is ready, place the skewers on the grill. Allow to cook for 2 minutes and then flip. After you flip, coat the top side with the BBQ sauce. Cook for one minute on the other side and then flip. Coat that side with BBQ sauce and let sit for one minute. Flip two more times so both sides of the beef is basted twice with the sauce. Remove from heat and enjoy! 

If you've never tried Gourmet Warehouse products before, check them out.

Meatloaf Parmesan

I rarely make meatloaf. I'm not sure why, it's just something I don't think about making when I'm putting together our weekly menus. I was searching Pinterest for inspiration last week and stumbled across a picture of this meatloaf....and onto our weekly menu it went. I had all the ingredients in my kitchen so I quickly throw everything together and into the oven it went.

Overall we were happy with it, but it was a little wet. I think next time I make it I'm going to up the amount of breadcrumbs. It was a great flavor and I liked the mixture of ground turkey and beef...changed it up and made it a lighter meatloaf.

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey

2 eggs

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup graded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. 

In a large bowl, combine the beef, turkey, breadcrumbs, eggs, spices, onion and Parmesan cheese. Place the meat mixture in the loaf pan and form it into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with the marinara sauce.

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from the oven, check to make sure the liquids are clear when pressed on and when its completely cooked, sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted. 

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. 

Source: Mommy I'm Hungry

Cheesesteak Buns: The Secret Recipe Club

Welcome to this month's Secret Recipe club! Every month I look forward to my assignment for the Secret Recipe Club and I'm always excited to go and scour for a recipe. This month I was assigned C Mom Cook. I was excited to see I was assigned Shelley's blog! Shelley and I met each other through the SRC and found out we don't live too far from each other - small world!

I'm envious of Shelley's bread making skills and knew I wanted to make something with homemade dough. I would have loved to make one of her many sourdough recipes or chocolate brioche buns. I knew this month was going to limited on time and settled on her recipe for cheesesteak buns. Since we're both close to Philly, I figured it would be a great way to celebrate one of the famous foods of the area.

I whipped these together and I loved how quick and easy they were to make. They were great for dinner and perfect for lunch leftovers the next day. The best part...I had some leftover dough and made dessert ones with caramelized bananas. YUM!

First you'll make the dough:

1 cup milk, scaled

1/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

3 cups flour

Once your milk has been scaled, add in the sugar, oil and salt. Let this mixture cool until it's lukewarm (about 105-110 degrees). Add in the yeast and allow it to sit until the yeast is activated and becomes frothy, about 10-15 minutes. 

Sift the flour into a large bowl and then add the milk/yeast mixture. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attached, combine the flour and wet mixture and knead using the mixture until the dough has formed into a ball. Leave the dough in the bowl and lightly spray with cooking spray and cover the bowl with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until it doubles in size - about 1 to 2 hours.

While the dough is rising, make the filling. 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

3/ 4 lb thinly sliced chipsteak

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

Heat the olive oil over a large skillet and add in the onions. Cook the onions until they start to caramelize. Break the meat into small pieces and add into the pan. Constantly move the steak pieces around the pan until it's cooked through. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, cover the pan and remove from the heat. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, deflate it and divide it into 16 pieces. Roll each portion into a round ball. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a circle approximately two inches in diameter. Using your hands, gently pull the edges to make the circle large closer to three inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Place a heaping tablespoon of the filling into the middle of the dough. Gather the edges of the dough and seal the bun. Place each bun on the prepared baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes until they turn golden brown. 

Braised Short Ribs over Creamy Cheddar Cheese Polenta

My husband is a huge fan of short ribs and it seems whenever we're out for a fancy dinner, that's what he gets. I treated myself this Christmas and bought a dutch oven. I've been wanting one for a couple months and finally Kohls had a great sale that I couldn't pass up. So far, I'm loving it and can't wait to cook more using it.

These short ribs are amazing! They are fall off the bone delicious. I know whenever I want to make a special meal for my husband, this is what I'm going to make. The polenta makes a nice bed for the short ribs to rest on and I loved the first bite of short rib, polenta and sauce. YUM!

Short Ribs
8 whole beef short ribs
1/4 cups flour
4 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 shallots, finely minced
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef or chicken broth
2 sprigs rosemary

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season the ribs with salt and pepper and then drege in the flour. Set aside while you heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Once the oil is hot, brown the ribs on all sides, approximately 45 seconds per side. Remove the ribs and set aside to rest.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions, carrots and shallots to the dutch oven and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to release the cooked on pieces of veggies and meat. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Add the broth and then season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Add the browned ribs to the liquid. They should be almost submerged, if not, add additional broth so they are almost covered. Add in the rosemary sprigs.

Put the lid on the pan and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours and then reduce the heat to 325 and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes. The ribs should be fork-tender and just about ready to fall off the bone. Remove the pan and allow to sit covered for at least 20 minutes before serving. Skim any fat off the top of the broth before serving.

Polenta
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
4 ozs sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium pot, bring 4 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking continously to avoid clumps. I need to get better at this since our polenta was a little lumpy...it was still tasty!

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt and extra tablespoons of water as needed. When polenta is cooked, stir in the butter and cheese. Season with additional salt if needed.

Source: The Pioneer Woman

Wonton Taco Cups

We're all big fans of tacos so I knew this recipe would be a hit! My friend Shannon mentioned these when I was staying at her house a couple weeks ago with some other friends before a 5K in Philly in honor of Dan.

 

This was a quick and easy recipe and would be fun to have a party. The cups can be made and then each person can top them how they like. We'll definitely be making these more often than regular tacos - plus they are much easier to send to school for leftovers for Madeline. 

 

3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 can black beans (I used light kidney beans since that's what I had on hand)
1 packet taco seasoning
wonton wrappers
shredded Monterrey jack cheese
toppings - sour cream, lettuce, salsa, tomatoes, black olives - anything you'd like

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef and drain any grease. Mix the taco seasonings into the cooked beef as directed on the package. Add the beans and stir to combine.

Spray the cups of a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Line each cup with two wonton wrappers. Add one scoop of taco/bean mixture. Sprinkle cheese on top of each cup. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and wontons are crispy and golden brown.

Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Meat Filled Jumbo Shells

Did you know today is "National America Makes Dinner Day?" I use Cozi  for our family calendar and I absolutely love it! It's been great to keep our lives a little more organized (plus I'm working on a couple other projects to help with that) especially since Madeline started Kindergarten this year and there's so many more activities we plan to participate in.

Cozi and Partnership for a Healthier America declared October 17th as America Makes Dinner Day. I'm always making dinner so this was an easy challenge for me! We'll be eating meat filled jumbo shells for dinner tonight. What are you having for dinner tonight?

This is a super easy recipe and I love the combination of beef and pork. This recipes makes a lot so it's perfect for freezing or leftovers!

1 box jumbo shells
1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb ground pork
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 cup shredded mozzarella
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
28 oz jar spaghetti sauce
grated parmesan cheese

Cook shells according to the package instructions. Cool in a single layer on wax paper to keep shells from sticking together.

Preheat oven to 350 degress. In a skillet, brown the pork and ground beef. Drain any excess grease. Add the cooked meat to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Combine the remaining ingredients with the meat except for the spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese.

On the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish, spread a thin layer of sauce. Fille each shell with approximately 2 tablespoons of meat filling and place the shell in the pan. Continue until all the shells are filled. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce over the shells and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and make for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

Serve with a green salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

Beef & Bleu Cheese Tart

My husband and I are both big fans of bleu cheese so I knew when I saw this recipe, I had to make it. My daughter was so-so on it, but I still made her eat it. This would be a great appetizer to make for a dinner party but we ended up eating it as dinner with a green salad on the side.

1/2 lb lean ground beef
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup crumbled bleu cheese

In a saute pan, cook the beef, mushrooms and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and then drain the fat. Stir in salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly-floured surface, roll out the crust into a 15x12 inch rectangle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, italian seasoning and garlic powder. Spread over the pizza crust leaving a 2 inch margin around the edges. Spoon the beef mixture over the top. Fold up the edges of the crust over the filling, leaving the center uncovered.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. Using the parchment paper, slide the tart onto a wire rack. Sprinkle with bleu cheese and let cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

Source: Taste of Home Magazine

Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

Living near Philadelphia, we're big fans of the cheesesteak! Ironically, I've never had an authentic cheesesteak from either Pat or Geno's - but that doesn't stop me from making them at home or enjoying them from local restaurants. The key to the Philly cheesteak is all about the bread and the thin sliced steak.

Now that I'm no longer pregnant and shouldn't be eating whatever I want (LOL!), I'm trying to add healthier foods back into our weekly menus. This was a great recipe to start with! It's a quick meal and if you don't want to heat up your kitchen using an oven, you can easily make them in a toaster oven. I posted this picture on Instagram last night and had so many comments about how delicious they looked, I knew I had to the post the recipe first thing this morning. :)

1/2 lb thinly sliced steak (usually called chipped steak)
4 slices provolone cheese
2 large green peppers, cut in half and ribs and seeds removed
1 medium onion, sliced
6 oz sliced button mushrooms
1 Tbsp butter
salt & pepper
minced garlic

In a medium saute pan, melt butter. Add the sliced mushrooms, onions and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are caramelized. Remove from pan and place in a bowl.

In the same pan, add the chipped steak. Season with salt and pepper. While it's cooking, shred the steak into thin pieces. Once it's completely cooked, add the in the sauteed onions and mushrooms. Stir to combine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line each pepper with a 1/2 slice of provolone. Fill each pepper with the meat mixture until they are full. Top each pepper with the remaining 1/2 slice of provolone.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the pepper is fork tender.

Slightly adapted from: Peace, Love & Low Carb

Chili Relleno Casserole

Every year I grow anaheim peppers in my garden and I never know what to make with them. I try to figure out something but somehow I never can come up with anything good...until now. This was the perfect recipe to utilize the peppers and highlight their flavor. My daughter even ate it after I picked out the peppers, they were a little too spicy for her. I definitely know what I'll be making when the next batch are ready to be picked!

3 - 5 Anaheim chilies
3 eggs
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
3 oz can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups low fatMexican blend cheese
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 lb lean ground beef
1 can green enchilada sauce

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Rinse chilies and place on prepared baking sheet. Broil chilies for about 5 minutes on each side until skin is blacked. Your oven rack should be moved to the highest position closest to the heating element.

Remove from oven and place peppers in a resealable bag. Close bag and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove chilies from bag. Skin and remove the veins and sees from the chilies and cut into thin strips.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl. combine eggs, flour, sour cream, olives, salt and pepper. Mix to combine thoroughly. Set aside.

In your baking dish (I used a 2 qt casserole dish), prepare by coating with a non-stick spray. Add a layer of chilies. Add half of the egg mixture, 3/4 cup of cheese, 1/2 of the black beans, 1/2 of the ground beef and repeat layers once more or until all ingredients are used.

Top with the enchilada sauce and the remaining cheese. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Source: Whisk and a Prayer

Steakhouse Chili

Most the chilis I make have some sort of bean in them. This one is is just meat! It's full of a smoky flavor due to the triple smoked bacon and homemade barbecue sauce.

4 slices triple smoked bacon, finely chopped
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cups beef stock

In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium-high to high heat until it renders its fat off. Watch for the fat splattering off! Add the beef and cook until brown for about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain off grease. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes until the onions have softened.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and hot sauce. Add the sauce to the chili and stir to combine. Stir in the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Serve in small bowls topped with sour cream and chopped parsley.

Source: Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

French Dip Sandwiches

My grocery store has chuck roasts on sale reguarly and it's usually buy one get one free...which is great for this recipe. I always struggle with what to make with chuck roast, but now this is my go-to-recipe! It's delicious, my mouth is practically watering now just typing up this recipe and staring at the picture below.

2.5-3 lb beef roast
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, carefully place the beef in the pan and sear it on all sides to lock in all the juices.

Once all the sides have been sear, place the beef in a slow cooker. Sprinkle it with the onion soup mix. Pour the water and beef broth over the meat.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. The longer it cooks, the tender it will be. Trust me, cook it as long as possible! Once the meat is cooked through, shred the entire roast with a fork.

Serve on crusty rolls, we really liked it on ciabatta rolls. Top it with a slice of your preferred cheese and broil it open faced in the oven for a few minutes to toast the bread and melt the cheese. Delicious!

I halved this recipe and it worked out fine.

Source: Our Best Bites

Orange Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

I have been making a lot of recipes with chicken lately and it's getting a little boring. I love chicken and try to eat that more often than red meat, but sometimes I just need some beef. This recipe definitely fit the bill along with my craving for some Chinese food. I've been wanting to do takeout from our favorite Chinese/Japanese restaurant, but I think they're closed due to a fire the other night. I was driving home and noticed a couple fire trucks outside the restaurant and tonight, the lights were off and a sign was on the door. Hopefully they'll be back in business soon, they have the best sushi and singapore noodles!

This recipe was the perfect thing to make on a busy weeknight and even better, it's made in one pot. That's something my husband likes....only one pot instead of three. LOL! We made a deal, I cook and he does dishes. I think it's working out just fine. :)

1/2 lb boneless sirloin, cut into thin strips
15 oz can reduced-sodium beef broth
4 Tbsp teriyaki stir-fry sauce
2 Tbsp orange marmalade
dash of cayenne pepper
3/4 cup uncooked whole wheat egg noodles

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook beef in the skillet for 2 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally until beef is browned. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl tented with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add the broth, stir fry sauce, marmalade and cayenne pepper to the skillet. Heat to boiling. Add the noodles and reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. The original recipe calls to also add sugar snap peas with the noodles, but I couldn't find them at the store.

Stir in the beef. Cook uncovered for 2 more minutes until sauce has slightly thickened.

Orzo with Meatballs

My husband is not a big fan of spaghetti, so I thought I would be tricky and use orzo instead. It worked! This was a simple recipe to make, but full of flavor. I loved the addition of spinach to the meatballs and the sauce was perfect with the addition of red peppers. This is definitely a recipe I will be making over and over again - but with double the meatballs!

1/2 lb lean ground beef
5 oz package thawed chopped spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1 egg
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large red bell peppers, silvered
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup water
1 can (28 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes
8 oz orzo

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with alumnium foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, spinach, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp black pepper unitil well combined. Shape into bite-sized meatballs.

Place the meatballs on the baking sheet and bake turning once for 12 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink and cooked through.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a stock pot over high heat. Saute the red pepper and garlic for one minute. Reduce heat to medium and add the water, remaining oregano, black pepper. Cook until the peppers until tender.

Add the tomatoes to the pepper mixture and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and reduce heat the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring frequently for 10 minutes to incorporate the flavors.

While the sauce and meatballs are cooking, bring a pot of water to boiling and cook the orzo according to the package instructions. Drain and transfer to a bowl. Spoon the meatballs and sauce over the pasta.

Recipe slightly adapted from: The Rodale Whole Foods Cookbook

Beef Empanadas

This was my first time making beef empanadas or anything similar to this and it was a success...we'll at least for Ross and I. Madeline is not a big fan of beef, so needless to say I caved and made her something else for dinner. This was one battle I did not feel like dealing with the other night.

I used premade pie crusts which worked out great especially during the week when my time is limited to cook. This recipe uses the leftover beef from the beef roast I made earlier in the week.

2 cups leftover sliced beef, finely chopped
1 cup reduced fat shredded monterey jack cheese
4 oz can diced green chilies
4 oz can diced pimentos, drained
Two 9-inch refrigerated pie crusts

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. I baked on a seasoned stone, but if you do not have one, coat a large baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, cheese, chilies and pimentos. Set aside.

Unroll the pie crusts on a flat surface. Top one of the crusts evenly with the beef mixture, spreading it to 1/2 inch of the edge of the crust. Top with the second pie crust. Using a knife, cut the circle into 4 wedges. Pinch around the edges of each wedge to seal them shut. I had a hard time going this and just pushed the filling into the center to give me more room to seal the edges together.

Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and make a small slit in the top to let steam escape during baking. Bake until the crust is golden brown about 10 to 12 minutes.

Source: Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Sweet and Tangy Beef Roast with Vegetables

This was another great recipe that makes enough for another meal. I've really been enjoying being able to stretch one meal into two and it definitely helps with the ever increasing gas prices! This week has been quite stressful between work, family life and me having pink eye, but knowing that I planned out my meals the week before helped keep things under control.

This recipe is very hearty and make enough for dinner, leftovers for Ross and I and then more meat for my second recipe - I'll be posting that later this weekend.

1 Tbsp olive oil
5 lb boneless beef chuck or rump roast, trimmed of fat
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large turnip, peeled and chopped
15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Add the roast to the pan and brown on all sides. Using tongs, remove the roast from teh pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the onion, sweet potatoes and turnip and cook, stirring a few times until the vegetables begin to brown about 3 minutes. Return the beef to the pan.

While the vegetables are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the beef and vegetables and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, turning the roast every 20 to 30 minutes until the meat is tender, about 60-80 minutes.

Let the beef roast rest for 15 minutes and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices. Serve one-third fof the meat with this meal and all the vegetables. Refrigerate the remaining beef for up to 3 days or freeze for 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Quick Fix Meals by Robin Miller

Sloppy Joes

To quote my husband "this is the best barbecue I ever had!" Something like that is soooo good to hear! And it was really good. We were watching a rerun of Throwdown with Bobby Flay and the challenge was sloppy joes. I usually don't make them since I would take the short cut and use a can of Manwich...which my husband tells me he hates. Interesting? So needless to say, I was quite shocked when he asked to put sloppy joes on the menu this week.

This recipe is super simple but has a TON of flavor! It's even better the second and third day!

1 1/4 lb lean ground beef
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 green pepper, minced
1/2 red pepper, minced
1/2 tsp red chili flakes
1 cup ketchup
2 cups crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp salt

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain grease and then remove meat and place into a bowl, set aside.

In the same skillet, add the canola oil and add the onion, peppers, garlic and chili flakes. Cook on medium heat for about 7 minutes until tender and cooked through.

In a larger pot, add the ketchup, tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and mix well. Add in the cooked vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.

Add the sauce to a food processor or blender and puree into a smooth sauce. Add the sauce back into the pot and reduce heat to low. Add the ground beef and stir.

Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve on crusty rolls. Makes approximately 8 sandwiches.

Recipe adapted from : Simple Comfort Food

Gooey Enchiladas

I was in the mood for mexican the other night and didn't want tacos, despite my husband's attempt to have them every week. We're a roll my eyes emotion when I need one! I figured enchiladas were the next best thing and quick and easy to make with the zillion of things I had to get ready for Christmas. And oh...I'm still not done!

This recipe calls for a can of black beans mixed into the ground beef to help cut down the calories and I'm sure it would have been great that way - except I mistaked the can of black olives in my pantry for a can of black beans...WHOOPS! So needless to say, I just doubled the amount of ground beef to make up for my mistake. They still tasted great and I love the homemade sauce rather than canned versions! This is definitely a keeper and I'll be making it with beans the next time.

2 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
14 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I omitted this)
1/2 lb lean ground beef
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 corn tortillas
1 1/4 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet; add onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, oregano and pepper and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in cilantro. The sauce will be chunky.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef. Drain fat and then stir in the can of beans. Warm the tortillas in the oven for about 5 minutes to soften them and make them easier to roll.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce into a rectangular backing dish. Divide the beef mixture and 3/4 cup cheese between the 8 tortillas. Fold over tortilla sides and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce on top and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Sprinkle on remaining cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 Recipe slightly adapted from March 2010 issue of Parents Magazine

Slow Cooker London Broil Chili

My husband has been asking for chili for the last couple of weeks and I finally broke down and made a batch. It's definitely chili weather around here and has been for the last week! This is a new recipe and made the perfect amount. It was even better since I had a london broil in the freezer that needed to be used! I apologize for the bad picture - I was hungry and didn't want to wait for the chili to cool down.

2 tsp canola oil
1.5 pound London Broil or top round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp paprika
2 -3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1 can (14.5 oz) Mexican style diced tomatoes with liquid
1 cup water (light or nonalcoholic beer)
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large, nonstick skillet. Add the beef, onion and garlic and cook until browned, stirring occasionally about 8 minutes.

Spoon the beef mixture into a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Serve sprinkled with minced onion and grated cheese, if desired. We went without it.

Recipe from Disney Family Fun

London Broil Stroganoff

Last week,  london broil was on sale - buy one, get one free. What a great deal! I bought 2 cuts about 1.5 pounds each. I think this cut of beef can be a little tough, so I wanted to a recipe that would let it cook all day in the slow cooker and make it super tender! After cooking on low for 8 hours, it was fall-apart good! Another benefit, I could use up some mushrooms that I forgot about last week.

1.5 lb london broil, cut into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 packet onion soup mix
8 oz sliced baby portobello mushrooms
salt
fresh ground pepper
whole-wheat egg noodles

In a slow cooker, add the onions and garlic. Add the london broil, season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms.

In a small bowl, combine the soup mix with milk. Add the cream of mushroom soup and stir until well combined. Pour over steak. Season this layer with salt and pepper.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is fork tender. Cook desired amount of egg noodles according to package instructions. Serve the stroganoff over the cooked noodles.

Recipe adapted from grouprecipes.com

Beef Stew

My friend Bonnie shared this recipe on our mom's board. I haven't made beef stew in forever (if you talk to the hubs, he'll say never) so it was definitely time! This was quick and easy and helped me use some of the stuff in my pantry that needed be used. The only items I needed to buy at the grocery store this week were the stew meat, mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup.

We all loved it and the meat fell apart. It was so good and only minor complaints from my daughter about the carrots...which she ended up eating anyway! I made crescent rolls to go along with it.

1.5 lbs cubed stew meat
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg onion soup mix
3 medium potatoes, cubed
baby carrots, halved and sliced
2 cups quartered mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a crock pot, mix the mushroom soup, soup mix and beef broth. Add the potatoes, carrots and meat. Cook on low for 8 hours. Halfway through cooking add the mushrooms.

Recipe adapted from e-mealz.com