Brisket and Black Bean Chili

I cut this recipe from Southern Living recently and Jason really enjoyed it.  Brisket isn't a cheap cut of meat, so I think these same flavors could be developed with stew meat.  I asked the butcher to cut just the right size I needed instead of buying way more meat than I needed.

Brisket and Black Bean Chili

3 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp. salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 lb. beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 (16 oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 (orange, red or yellow) bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 to 1 ½  c. beef broth

Combine first 5 ingredients and toss brisket cubes in mixture until coated.  In Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp. oil and brown half of the brisket cubes until browned on all sides.  Remove to a plate.  Repeat with remaining oil and brisket cubes.  Remove to a plate.  Pour half a cup of beef broth in and scrape the bottom of the pot clean.  Add onions and pepper and cook until tender.  Add minced garlic and stir until fragrant.  Add beans, tomatoes, remaining broth and brisket into pot.  Simmer on low about 4 hours until brisket is tender.

This chili tasted even better the second day.

Carne Asada

We recently had some friends over for supper and enjoyed a taco bar.  Sometimes you need meat other than ground beef and this Carne Asada recipe was just the thing and so delicious.

Carne Asada 

2lb flank or skirt steak
2 yellow onions, halved and sliced
1 red pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
About 2 cups beef stock

-for the rub-
4 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Allow beef to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then using a meat mallet, tenderize the meat by pounding a little to break down the connective tissue. Cut the meat in half lengthwise so it will fit in your pot if necessary.

Preheat oven to 325F. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the dry rub. Rub both sides liberally with the seasoning mix, using all of the rub. Over medium-high heat, preheat an oven-safe pan, dutch oven, or enameled braiser (with a tight-fitting lid) swirled with oil. Sear the meat on both sides until a dark crust forms. If you had to cut the meat in half to fit in your pan, then sear in batches. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Pour in ½ cup of the stock, stirring to loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan. Then add the onions and peppers, stirring to cook for a few minutes. Using a utensil, divide the veggies to make a center spot for the meat to lay. Lay the meat in the pan, nestling it down between the vegetables. Pour the rest of the beef stock in the pan. The stock should come up the sides of the meat without covering the top. Cover with lid and cook in the oven for 2.5 hours. Turn oven off and let continue to cook (without peeking) for another 30-60 minutes. Remove from oven, and shred meat in the pan with two forks, stirring the shredded meat and the vegetables together. Serve in warmed tortillas, and garnish with shredded cheese, guacamole, and lime wedges

BBQ Hash

I love a dish that can all be thrown into one pan to cook.  This recipe doesn't have to be followed exactly.  That's the good thing about a hash.  It would be a great way to use up leftovers.

BBQ Hash

1 lb. flank steak
2 c. dry red wine (or beef broth)
1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. chili powder
12 oz. Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. chopped green onions
1 (15 oz.) can unsalted great northern beans, rinsed and drained
favorite BBQ sauce

In a small saucepan, bring red wine, peppercorns and bay leaf to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Marinate steak in marinade and place in fridge for at least 4 hours.

In a pot, bring cubed potatoes to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.  Drain.

Remove steak from marinade and sprinkle with salt, pepper and chili powder.  Cook in hot skillet until desired doneness.  Remove from skillet to carving board and allow to rest for five minutes.  Cube meat.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat.  Add potatoes and onions, cook 4 minutes (do not stir).  Stir in beans and steak; cook 2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and pour favorite BBQ sauce over the top.  Can be served with a fried egg on top.  Garnish with sour cream.

Mississippi Roast

Have I said before that we get home from church so late?  Well, we do and we are all usually starving!  I love to use the crockpot on Sunday and my go to was always this roast.  Recently, I made something with onion soup mix and Jason had the unfortunate experience of catching a stomach bug after eating.  He has banned anything with onion soup mix until further notice.  I've been sad to not be able to make roast in the crockpot because it is so easy and a great meal to come home to.  I've seen this Mississippi Roast all over the internet, so I decided to finally give it a try.

Mississippi Roast

1 chuck roast
1 packet ranch dressing mix
1 packet McCormick au jus gravy mix
1 stick butter
5 pepperoncini peppers

In crockpot, place roast.  Sprinkle with ranch dressing mix and au jus gravy mix.  Place one stick of butter on top.  Then spread around the pepperoncini peppers.  Do not add any liquid.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  I also add potatoes and carrots to the crockpot and let them all cook together.  It was all very good and I'm glad to have a crockpot recipe again.

This pot roast still remains my all time favorite.

The Best Pot Roast

For years, this is the only pot roast I've ever made.  It was easy and very tender.  I decided to give another one a try that I felt like was more work.  The truth is, it is still super easy to make, it just takes some planning ahead to have it ready when your family is ready to eat supper.

The Best Pot Roast

Salt and ground pepper
1 (3-5 lb.) chuck roast
2 or 3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 whole onions, peeled and halved
8 to 10 whole carrots, peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 c. red wine
3 c. beef broth
3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 275.  Generously salt and pepper the chuck roast on both sides.  Heat the olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  You want the pan HOT!  Add the halved onions to the pot, browning them on both sides.  Remove the onions to a plate.  Throw the carrots into the same very hot pot and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.  Place carrots on same plate as reserved onions.

Add more oil, if necessary and get the pan really hot again.  Sear the roast on both sides for about a minute until nice and brown all over.  Remove the roast to a plate.  Deglaze the pan with red wine (can use beef broth as an alternative) scraping up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.  Place the roast back in the pot and pour enough beef broth over the roast to cover halfway up.  (I did a little more.)  Add onions and carrots back to the pot.  Cover and place in the preheated oven.  Bake a 3 lb. roast for 3 hours and a 5 lb. roast for 5 hours until fall apart tender.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

You could also add potatoes to the pot to cook along with the roast.

Beef Brisket Wet/Dry Rub

Rub for 10-12 pound brisket.  We found that we did 1.5 times the wet rub and 4 times the dry rub to get it seasoned like we wanted it.

Wet Rub:

8 beef bullion cubes

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Spread wet rub on brisket first.  Then sprinkle, but not rub in, the dry rub on top.  Leave setting at room temperature while getting smoker ready.

Dry Rub:

½ Tbsp. salt

½ Tbsp. paprika

½ Tbsp. black pepper

½ Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

¼ tsp. dried oregano

⅛ tsp. coriander seed

New Favorite Sloppy Joe's

This is my new favorite.  Definitely more flavorful than my original recipe that I have used all these years. And packed with veggies...

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. steak seasoning
1 carrot, shredded
1 medium onion, shredded
1 red bell pepper, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Using a food processor, shred carrot, onion and red pepper.  In a large skillet, combine ground beef, shredded veggies, garlic and steak seasoning.  Cook until meat is browned.  Drain excess fat, if necessary.  Stir in red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and stir to combine, stirring until thickened.

Bobby Deen's Cheeseburger Casserole

We haven't had cable TV in our house for over a year.  I truly haven't missed it at all, and most of the shows that I liked on cable I can watch online or on the Roku anyway.  My Saturday mornings are different, though, because I used to watch the Food Network all morning.  Lucky for me, if I need a cooking show fix, I can just watch The Chew!  I knew this recipe would be good when Bobby was on with the show.  

Bobby Deen's Cheeseburger Casserole

2 c. rotini pasta (I used wheat)
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef (95% lean)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
28 ounces low-sodium diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 c. low-fat cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 c. chopped dill pickles

Preheat the oven to 350.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta according to package directions and drain well.  In a large skillet, heat oil and cook onion until tender.  Add in garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add ground beef and cook until browned.  Add salt, pepper, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and dijon mustard.  Stir until combined and cook until thickened, about 2 more minutes..  Add in pasta.  Pour into prepared baking dish and top with cheddar cheese.  Bake for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.  Sprinkle pickles on top and serve.

French Dip Crescents

When The Dish Washer has a day in his home office, I can count on hearing the following:  "What's for lunch?"  I keep a weekly menu plan and try to keep up with those days to keep him from, heaven forbid, eating a hot dog or peanut butter crackers or a grilled cheese sandwich like we may eat for lunch when he isn't here.  When I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I knew it would make a great lunch for when he is home.  It was great, super easy to throw together and hit the spot.  I think it will also make a great appetizer.

French Dip Crescents

1 can crescent rolls
thinly sliced roast beef
provolone or mozzarella or Swiss cheese
horseradish or ranch dressing
Au jus for dipping

Preheat oven at 375.  Unroll crescent rolls.  Spread horseradish or ranch dressing over roll.  Layer with roast beef and cheese.  (Slices of cheese will probably be easiest, but I only had shredded and it worked fine.)  Roll largest end to smallest end.  Place on baking sheet and bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.  Dip with au jus.  (I used a can of pre-made au jus.  They also make packets or you can make homemade.)

Quick & Easy Beef Stroganoff

The Bun is a very big meat eater.  He loves all things meat and fruit (and cookies!).  Veggies...not so much.  I've decided to pick my battles.  He especially loves Sloppy Joes which I had planned to make but remembered this recipe from my early cooking days of being in high school and cooking supper for my family.  I decided to give it a try and see if he would like it.  Surprisingly, he really does like it, even the noodles which he hasn't been eating lately.  It is so easy and quick.  I believe from the time I started cooking to the time it was on the table was 30 minutes at most.  I normally serve it with egg noodles, but elbow macaroni was all I had.  It really doesn't matter.  Just serve it with whatever noodles you have.

Quick & Easy Beef Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 c. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 clove garlic, minced or 1 tsp. garlic salt

1 can mushroom pieces, optional

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. sour cream

In large skillet, brown ground beef  and cook onion in melted butter until onion is tender.  Stir in flour, salt, pepper, garlic and mushroom pieces (I don't put the mushrooms in); cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Stir in soup and mix well; simmer uncovered for 10 minutes on low.  Stir in sour cream; heat through.

Serve over noodles.

Lasagna Soup

When Mom was visiting last week, I also made this soup and thought it was delicious and tastes just like lasagna.  I actually used turkey in the recipe and I really didn't miss the beef.  Use whichever you prefer.  

Lasagna Soup

2 lbs. ground beef

1 large onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 (28 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes

6 c. chicken stock

2 bay leaves

8 oz. lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

Cheese Mixture:

8 oz. ricotta cheese

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Mozzarella cheese

In a Dutch oven, brown beef and onion until onion is tender.  Stir in garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and tomato paste.  Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly.  Add in tomatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove bay leaves.  Add broken lasagna pieces and continue simmering until tender.  

In a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper.  To serve, spoon cheese mixture into bottom of bowl.  Top with mozzarella cheese and ladle soup on top.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

I can't help myself.  The first signs of fall and all I want to do is make soup!  I have had this one marked in my list all summer and today was the day.  I really enjoy stuffed cabbage but have never attempted to make it at home, so I thought this would be the perfect lazy alternative.  It was all the flavors of traditional stuff cabbage.  The only difference was that really thick tomato sauce taste that is always so good on top of the stuffed cabbage.  It worked out great because we had a surprise visit from my in laws on their way back home and it makes a HUGE pot of soup.  In fact, I am sure I will still have plenty for the freezer.

Stuffed Cabbage Soup

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 c. rice
4 c. beef broth
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
1/2 can water
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 small head of cabbage, shredded
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Bring 1 cup of water to a boil.  Once boiling, pour over 1/2 c. rice and allow to soak for 10 minutes.  In a very large pot (no smaller than 5 quarts), saute onion and celery in olive oil.  Once tender, add garlic until fragrant.  Drain rice.  Add beef, pork and rice to pot and cook until browned.  Drain.  Add beef broth, tomatoes, can of water, tomato paste, cabbage, bay leaves and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until rice and cabbage is tender.  (I let mine go 2 hours and then sit on warm all day.)

Quick & Easy Au Jus (for French Dip Sandwich)

I had some leftover Roast from earlier in the week and wanted to use it up by making another meal out of it. I decided on making an au jus and serving it as a French Dip Sandwich.

Quick & Easy Au Jus (For French Dip Sandwich)

2 Tbsp. butter
1 shallot, chopped (I just used onion I had on hand)
1 Tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cans beef consomme
Montreal Steak Seasoning, to taste
pepper, to taste

In a saucepan, melt butter and saute shallot until tender.  Add in flour being careful not to burn.  Whisk in the cans of consomme until smooth.  Season with Montreal Steak Seasoning and pepper to taste.  Simmer while preparing sandwiches.  Serve in a dipping bowl.

Zucchini Perini

I think I have mentioned before that we were gifted with the Perini Ranch Steakhouse Cookbook for Christmas.  It is full of "cowboy" food and when I saw this I knew I wanted to try it out.  It is served as a side at their restaurant but since it has the meat in it, I decided to make it our main dish.  I have made something similar before when I made the Stuffed Zucchini, but this is WAAYYY better!  We adapted the recipe to make it more of a meal and to cook the zucchini to a more tender doneness.  Here is the original recipe and here's what we did:  It makes a huge serving.  Great for a crowd and definitely plenty of leftovers for us this week!

Zucchini Perini

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. sausage
1 large onion, diced
2 lbs. zucchini, thinly sliced
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, mashed and drained
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
3 tsp. dried crushed oregano
garlic powder (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, sausage and onion.  Drain off excess fat.  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and seasonings.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Add zucchini and stir to coat with meat sauce.  Place in a large baking dish.  Cover with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 35 minutes.

**The meat sauce alone would make a great spaghetti sauce.  I love the mix of the beef and the sausage.

Spaghetti Pie

Once we got home from Boston, we turned right back around and headed down to Destin.  Before we left, there was one night we were needing to eat in the house, so I made this...because it was quick and we had everything in the house without making a grocery run.  The noodles form a "crust" for the pie.  I thought it was delicious.

Spaghetti Pie

6 oz. spaghetti, cooked, drained and cooled
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. sour cream
1 lb. cooked ground beef
4 oz. mozzarella cheese
8 oz. spaghetti sauce

Combine spaghetti, egg and Parmesan.  Pour into 9 inch pie plate.  Cover with sour cream.  Combine spaghetti sauce and ground beef.  Pour over sour cream.  Top with mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Chicken and Dried Beef

Not the best picture of how good this tastes!

Chicken and Dried Beef

1 jar dried beef

1 can cream of chicken soup

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or what your family needs)

1 (8 oz.) sour cream

1 pkg. bacon

Line baking dish with dried beef.  Wrap chicken in bacon and place on beef.  Combine sour cream and soup.  Pour over chicken breasts.  Bake at 250 for 3 hours.  You can bake at 300 for 2 hours, but dish should be covered and after 2 hours, uncover and bake additional 30 minutes.

Delicious served over rice.

Bubble Up Pizza

Mom and My Buddy came for a quick "School's Out!" visit last night.  If there is one thing to know about My Buddy, it is that he loves pizza!  His most favorite, he says, is the Hunt Brother's gas station pizza.  (Doesn't take much to impress him.)  That is until now...this is his new favorite.  And he needed a second piece because he "killed" the first piece.  :)  Again, those were his words.  This is an old Pampered Chef recipe that has been around for a while, so I am probably late getting in on this one.  But boy was it good.  We all "killed" it!  Well, except for The Bun, because he doesn't care for pizza right now.

Bubble Up Pizza

2 (12 oz.) cans layered buttermilk biscuits
1 (14 oz.) jar pizza sauce
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
preferred toppings (pepperoni, sausage, onions, peppers, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut biscuits into quarters.  Toss with pizza sauce and preferred toppings.  Spray 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Pour biscuit mixture into dish.  Cover with cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Beef Cornwheels

This is basically a stuffed meatloaf that I found in a Junior League cookbook. 

Beef Cornwheels

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. cracker crumbs
1/3 c. finely chopped onion (I always grate mine)
2/3 c. milk
1 (12 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c. ketchup

Combine beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder, crackers, onion and milk.  Roll out or pat out on wax paper into 12-inch square.  Combine corn and cheese.  Spread over meat mixture.  Roll as jellyroll, sealing edges.  Place on a rack in an oven roasting pan.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Brush ketchup over loaf and continue baking 30 minutes more. (May use more ketchup, if desired)

Sloppy Joe Meatballs

Yet another meatball/meatloaf recipe.  What can I say?  We love it!  This one is great, because it can be divided up by freezing meatballs for later use.

Sloppy Joe Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, grated
1-1/2 c. panko
1 (1.33 oz.) packet sloppy joe mix
1 large egg
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. ketchup
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Preheat oven to 400.  In a large bowl, combine the meat, onion, panko and sloppy joe mix.  Shape into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until done.  Reduce oven to 350.  In a small bowl, combine tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.  In 9x13 baking dish, place meatballs.  Cover with sauce and stir gently to coat.  Cover and bake 30 minutes.

If freezing for later, place raw meatballs on baking sheet and flash freeze before baking.  Then store in ziploc bag.  When ready to make, remove from freezer and thaw completely.  The continue with baking instructions.

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

We've really been soaking up these mild temperatures and been doing a lot of grilling.  This weekend we had this flank steak and grilled sweet potatoes.

Spice-Rubbed Flank Steak

3 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1-1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 (2 lb.) flank steak, trimmed

Vegetable cooking spray

Combine first 6 ingredients in a shallow bowl.  Stir in olive oil until combined.  Gently rub olive oil mixture evenly on steak.  Let stand 20 minutes.  Coat cold cooking grate with cooking spray, and place on grill over medium-high heat.  Place steak on grill and cook, covered, 8 minutes on each side or to desired degree of doneness.  Let stand 5 minutes; cut steak diagonally across the grain.