Terri's Chili

My friend, Terri, gave me this recipe and it's our current favorite.

Terri's chili

Ingredients:

2lbs lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced (I use a teaspoon or two of the kind in a jar)

1 14oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 11oz can mild Rotel tomatoes

1 4oz can diced green chilies

1 packet chili seasoning

tomato juice to thin

can of chili beans, optional

Toppings:

grated cheese

fritos

sour cream

jalapeños

Brown ground beef with onions and garlic in a skillet. Drain and add meat to a large stockpot. Add diced tomatoes, green chilies, Rotel, and chili seasoning. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Thin with tomato juice and simmer for 1-2 hours. Add beans and heat through before serving. 

We like ours over fritos with grated cheese and jalapeños on top!

Southwestern Flank Steak

We love this recipe. It's from my aunt and it is delicious!

Southwestern Flank Steak

Flank steak (1 1/2 - 2 lbs)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 Tbsp chili sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp grated orange rind (I skip!)
2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
orange slices (1-2 oranges sliced)

Score steak diagonally.
Mix remaining ingredients in large ziploc, add steak, and marinate--the longer the better.
Grill about 8 minutes on each side.
Slice across the grain.
YUM!

Crock-Pot Fajitas

Another recipe from my friend, Deena. 

Crock Pot Fajitas

 1 1/2 lbs flank steak, cut into 6 pieces

1 chopped onion

1 sliced bell pepper

1 seeded and chopped jalapeno

2 minced garlic cloves

1 T fresh chopped cilantro

1 t chili powder

1 t cumin

1 t coriander

1 t salt

1 10 oz can Rotel

 

Place steak in bottom of the crock pot.  Top with other ingredients. 

Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours. 

Remove meat and shred with a fork. 

Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream and desired toppings. 

Sloppy Joes

This recipe is from my friend, Benita. I like how she sneaks veggies into the sauce. By the way, the parenthetical notes are hers.

Sloppy Joes

1 pound ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green, yellow, or red pepper (optional)
(Sometimes I grate a carrot or two instead if I don't have a pepper or for the kids, leave it out completely)
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika (I use either Hungarian paprika or sweet and spicy paprika but you can use plain)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder (can use either plain or spicy)
1 heaping Tbsp. yellow mustard
1+ tsp. Worcestershire sauce (I let extra run over the spoon)
Approx. 1 c. tomato soup (start with slightly less because you can always add more -- just don't want it too runny)
2 heaping Tbsp. ketchup

Brown hamburger, drain. Add everything else -- simmer 20-30 minutes. Spoon into buns and serve.

Easy Stroganoff

My kids love this stuff. I don't. At all. But it's quick and easy and I know that they'll eat without complaining. I plan to have it on nights that John is gone and I can eat a salad or something. If you make if for a big family, you'll need to double it. Sarah used to call this dish "gray stuff" when she was younger because the meat mixture actually is sorta grayish. It grosses me out when my kids call it that. So appetizing.

Easy Stroganoff

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can cream of chemical mushroom soup

8 oz sour cream

garlic salt to taste

pepper to taste

hot, cooked egg noodles

Brown beef and drain. Add soup and sour cream. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper and serve over hot, cooked noodles.

Pepper Steak and Rice

Pepper Steak and Rice

1 medium onion

1 green pepper

1 cup water

2 beef buillion cubes

2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

flour

salt

pepper

2-3 lbs tenderized round steak

1 can stewed tomatoes

1/2 - 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes

hot, cooked rice

Slice onion and pepper into thin strips; set aside. Dissolve bouillion cubes in 1 cup water. Heat bouillion mixture and add Worchestershire sauce. Add onion and pepper. Cook in liquid until very tender.

Cut round steak into small pieces. Coat with flour, salt and pepper. (I shake in a ziploc bag.)

Brown the steak in a small amount of oil in a skillet. When brown, put in 9x13 dish. Pour veggie/broth mixture over meat and bake uncovered at 325 for 15 minutes. Add stewed tomatoes and Rotel. Cook for 45 minutes more. Serve over hot rice.

Beef Short Ribs

Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs

3 lbs. beef short ribs
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
¼ cup flour
1 can (10 ½ ounces) condensed French onion soup
1 bottle (12 oz.) dark ale or beer

Throw it all in and cook for 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high. Remove beef from sauce and spoon off fat from sauce.

Served over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

Rosie's Shepherds Pie

My aunt made this for me while in St. Louis last month.  I'm normally not a big fan of shepherd's pie, but this was really good.  I made it for my family once I was home and they loved it.  We'll be making it again too!  Such comfort food.

Rosie's Shepherds Pie

2 lbs lean ground beef

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, cooked

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup

mashed potatoes

1 can French's fried onions

Brown ground beef with celery and onion.  Drain any fat.  Add tomatoes (don't drain) and cooked veggies.  Stir in one can of soup.  Add another can if needed.  Pour into deep casserole dish, and top with mashed potatoes and French's onions.  Cover and bake at 350 until heated through.  A hot pan of cornbread goes great with this!

*I bought a bag of Ore-Ida Steam N Mash potatoes to put on top.  SOOOOO easy.  

Spaghetti Soup

Spaghetti soup is delicious!  I found the recipe on another blog and I'm so glad she shared it because it has become my new favorite.

Spaghetti Soup

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 c. each chopped onion, green pepper, carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 c. water
2 14 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 jar spaghetti sauce 
1 T. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt or 1/4 tsp. coarse Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 oz. dried spaghetti, broken into 2-in. pieces
fresh basil (optional)

Cook ground beef and all veggies over medium-high heat til browned and vegetables are tender.

Add rest of ingredients and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to boil very gently, uncovered, about 12-15 minutes or til pasta is tender.

Serve with a salad and bread.

*I forgot to buy a green pepper last time I made this and John and I both noticed it.  I won't forget next time because it adds GREAT flavor.  I also bought a different kind of spaghetti sauce than normal and it wasn't as good.  I like the Ragu chunky garden style...it adds more veggies and gives it a good flavor. 

Beef Stew

Love this recipe for stew!!!  John clipped it out of his Western Horseman magazine and tacked it on the fridge about a month ago. I made it yesterday and it was delicious!

Beef Stew

2-3 lbs stew meat

28 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

2-3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 onion, chopped

3 1/2 Tbsp flour

12 oz jar brown gravy

1/4 tsp thyme

1/4 tsp rosemary

1 bay leaf

frozen peas (about 1/2 of 10 oz package)

frozen corn (about 1/2 of 10 oz package)

frozen green beans (10 oz package)

water or beef broth

salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat (sear) in pan.  Add all ingredients except gravy to Dutch oven or crockpot. Mix thoroughly.  Cover and cook on low heat for about 4 hours (6-8 in crockpot), stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary to desired consistency.  Remove bay leaf, add gravy and simmer for another hour.  Serve with hot cornbread.  Mmmmmmm...

Allison's Chili

Finally, my search for a good chili recipe is over. My friend, Allison, made this for our last camping trip, and it was perfect! It's just your basic chili recipe...very easy and very delicious!

Allison's Chili

2 lbs lean ground beef, cooked and drained
28 oz can tomato sauce
2-16 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can kidney beans, drained
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1-2 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 to 1 Tbsp cumin
1.5 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in skillet. Drain fat. In large stockpot, combine meat, tomato sauce, tomatoes and beans. Add seasoning. Start with smaller amount and adjust as needed. Simmer for an hour or so to let flavors combine. Serve with fritos and grated cheddar cheese.

Lasagna

I've tried a lot of different lasagna recipes, but this is my favorite. I usually double this recipe.

Lasagna

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix (I like McCormick)
8 oz tomato sauce
16 oz can V-8 juice
1 can whole tomatoes (15 oz), puree in blender
1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 box lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 container ricotta cheese
8 oz shredded mozzerella cheese

Brown ground beef, drain. Add spaghetti sauce mix, tomato sauce, V-8 juice, and whole tomato puree. Mix well. In 9x13 dish, layer meat sauce, noodles (uncooked), ricotta cheese, meat sauce, noodles, and rest of meat sauce. Top with mozzerella cheese. Bake at 350 for 1-1.5 hours. Let set for 15 minutes before cutting.

*Bake on a cookie sheet as juices might overflow.
*Cover at first, then remove foil and let cheese brown for 15-20 minutes.

Shredded-Beef Sandwiches

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

3lb chuck roast
1 large onion, cut in chunks
3 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
8 french rolls, split and toasted (if desired)
lettuce and cheese (optional)

Place meat and onion in slow cooker. Add bay leaves, salt, garlic powder, and cloves. Pour vinegar over meat. Cover and cook on low 11-12 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Remove meat. Discard bay leaves. Using two forks, shred meat, discarding any bones and fat. Strain juices, skim off fat, and reserve. Put shredded meat on rolls with cheese and lettuce. Pour juice over meat if desired. Use remaining juice for dipping.

Eye of Round Roast

This is GREAT for company because you can prepare it the night before and forget about it! It's delicious and is great leftover!

4-5 lb eye of round roast
Cavendar's greek seasoning
Lawry's seasoning salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Soy sauce (I use lite)
Worchestershire sauce
minced garlic (small jar)

Rub roast well with Cavendars, seasoning salt, and black pepper. Poke several holes in roast with a knife. Line bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with aluminum foil, and place roast on top. Mix equal parts of soy sauce and worchestershire sauce (about 1/3 cup each) and pour over top of roast, being careful not to let liquid escape the foil lining. Cover top of roast with minced garlic and wrap up really tight in the foil being very careful not to let juices leak. Bake for 30 minutes at 400, then reduce heat to 175 and bake overnight or about 10 hours. Strain garlic from the leftover juice; slice and serve with cooking juices.

I like to serve this with hashbrown casserole, green beans, Sister Schuberts rolls, and a green salad.

Steak with Bleu Cheese

This is a recipe from a friend and it is most delicious. We're having it for dinner with salad and green beans.

Steak with Bleu Cheese

2 lb flank steak (sometimes I buy a London Broil)
salt and pepper
1/2 stick butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced very thin (just the green parts)
1 tub bleu cheese crumbles

Salt and pepper the meat, wrap well in aluminum foil, and grill to desired doneness. Cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, melt butter and stir in cheese and green onions. Spread butter mixture over steak, slice and serve. This is so yummy and it is especially good the next day as leftovers!

If I buy a London broil, then I just sear it in a pan (both sides), then put in 325 oven until done. Usually about an hour or so. This is how I prepare this dish in the cold snowy months!