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Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

20 Mar

I apologize that the pictures doesn’t look more appetizing, but my husband was eager to dig into this!  Neither of us are Irish, but we do like to have corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day.  Best time of year to make it, the ingredients are all cheap at the store!  This is wonderfully easy in the slow cooker, and the taste is amazing!  Of course, you have to somewhat like corned beef and cabbage to fully enjoy it.  The vegetables do get very tender, so make sure that’s what you want.  If you don’t want them as tender, add them about halfway through cooking.

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Original recipe here
Serves 6 – 8 

What you need:

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
10 baby red potatoes, quartered (I only had baby butter golds, so that’s what I used)
1 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
4 cups water (I had 2 cups of chicken broth that needed to get used, so I used 2 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water)
1 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
6 ounces beer, optional
1/2 head cabbage, coarsely chopped

How to make it:

Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker.  Pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables.  Pour the beer over the brisket.  Sprinkle the brisket with the spices from the packet.

Cover and cook on low setting for 6 – 7 hours.   Stir in the cabbage and cook for 1/2 to 1 hour more.

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Tomato Meat Sauce

8 Mar

 

Some day, I will get a chance to try making my own pasta.  For now, one of our favorites is tortellini, and I normally get the Six Cheese Tortellini from Schwan’s.  I normally use a jar of tomato sauce with this, but since I had tomatoes, green peppers, and onion from Bountiful Baskets, I decided to make my own sauce.  I didn’t really do any measurements, just added in as I went.  It turned out pretty good!

 

Tomato Meat Sauce

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
6 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 6 oz can tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef.  Add garlic, onion, green pepper, and parsley.  Cook until onions and peppers are soft.  Add sliced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Crush tomatoes as they cook.  Let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.  Serve with your favorite pasta.

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Moussaka and Pastitsio all in one!

23 Feb

 

I tried to think of a new name for this, but with the migraine I have, I’m not feeling too creative at the moment.  This is a combination of 2 of my favorite Greek dishes, Moussaka and Pastitsio.  I got the Italian themed veggie pack from Bountiful Baskets this week, and it had an eggplant and a zucchini.  Not really enough to make Moussaka or something like Eggplant Lasagna, so I decided that adding some pasta, like in Pastitsio, it would make a great meal.  I was right, it turned out great.  I put the pasta on the bottom, then the zucchini and eggplant, then the meat sauce, then the bechamel sauce.

 

Moussaka and Pastitsio All in One

What you need:

Filling:
1 eggplant, cut lengthwise, 1/2 in  width
1 zucchini, cut lengthwise , 1/2 in width
Salt
Olive oil
1/2 lb macaroni (supposed to be long macaroni noodles, but they are hard to find, so elbow macaroni or a noodle like penne or ziti works too)
1 eggs
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
1 lb ground beef or lamb (for meatless, use diced mushrooms, zucchini or eggplant)
1 medium onion
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Grated Kefalotiri, Parmesan, or Romano cheese

Cream sauce (krema):
2-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set on paper towels for 15-20 minutes to let them drain.  Pat tops with a paper towel.  Spray or brush each side of the eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake in oven for 10 minutes, flip slices over and bake for another 10 minutes, until they are tender and slightly brown.

Boil macaroni according to package; drain; return to pan.  Melt the 1/4 cup butter, beat in egg, and stir in with macaroni.

In a skillet, brown onion and ground beef or lamb.  Add tomato paste, and seasonings.  Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.

Make cream sauce. Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour in 1/4 cup flour; brown slowly. Beat 2 eggs with 2-1/2 cups milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into butter and flour mixture very slowly; mix well. Cook over low heat until it thickens.

To assemble, grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Add macaroni mixture to pan and press down with a piece of wax paper.  Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese.  Lay out eggplant and zucchini in a single layer.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.  Spread the meat sauce evenly.  Pour cream sauce evenly on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Freezes best unbaked, thawed for 1/2 hour, then baked as above.

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Cheesy Spinach Burgers

7 Feb

I first got this recipe from a cookbook from my mother-in-law, Favorite Brand Name Recipes.  The original recipe calls for a pouch of Lipton onion soup mix.  I don’t normally have Lipton onion soup mix on hand, and I always seem to forget it, so I improvise.  The ground beef, spinach and cheese are the same, I just out other things in place of the soup mix.  And I think the results are fantastic.  Tonight, I made this on my outdoor grill (have to keep using it to get my money’s worth out of it, right?), but I have made these on the George Foreman indoor grill and they are great as well.

Cheesy Spinach Burgers
Based on recipe here

What you need:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 cup diced onion, optional (or less, depending on your level of taste)
1 cup shredded cheese, I used cheddar or Mexican blend usually, but mozzarella would work too

How to make it:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Form into 8 patties.  Cook as desired, until no longer pink.

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Easy Crescent Taco Bake

4 Feb

 

I had ZERO motivation for dinner tonight.  I had fully intended to make Cabbage Rolls today, but after prepping all of my Bountiful Baskets veggies, I was worn out.  So, I had crescent rolls that needed to be used and thought some kind of taco pie sounded good.  I found this on the Pillsbury website, and it was quick and easy to make for dinner, plus tasted good.

 

Easy Crescent Taco Bake
Based on recipe here

What you need:

1 can refrigerated crescent rolls
1 lb lean ground beef
2 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Other toppings, if desired, such as shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Grease a 9″ deep dish pie plate.  Separate crescent roll dough into the 8 triangles.  Press into the pie dish, covering bottom and sides.

In a medium-sized skillet, brown ground beef.  Drain any excess grease.  Stir in the taco seasoning and the salsa.  Simmer for 5 minutes.  Pour into the pie dish.  Cover top with the shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

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Moussaka (Eggplant Casserole)

16 Jan

Moussaka is a dish that I have never helped make nor have I made it myself.  It’s been on my list of recipes to try for a while, and I knew it was close to Pastitsio, so it shouldn’t be too difficult.  When I got eggplant in my Italian themed veggie pack from Bountiful Baskets, I decided it was time to give it a try.  Normally, you would need more than one eggplant, but I decided to make it as an eggplant and zucchini casserole since zucchini was on sale at the grocery store this week.  I also wanted to use the mushrooms I got in my basket, so I incorporated them into the meat sauce.  It turned out amazing, I’m very happy with the results!  It’s somewhat lighter than Pastitsio, because it’s vegetables instead of pasta.  Next time, I think I may come up with a mix of the eggplant, zucchini, and noodles.

If you would like to make this meatless, substitute another package of mushrooms, diced, or some diced zucchini and/or eggplant for the 1 lb of ground beef or lamb.

Moussaka

What you need:

Filling:
1 eggplant, cut lengthwise, 1/2 in  width
3 zucchini, cut lengthwise , 1/2 in width
Salt
Olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 lb ground beef or lamb (for meatless, use more mushrooms, or diced zucchini or eggplant)
1 8 oz package whole mushrooms, diced
1 medium onion
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Grated Kefalotiri, Parmesan, or Romano cheese

Cream sauce (krema):
2-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and set on paper towels for 15-20 minutes to let them drain.  Pat tops with a paper towel.  Heat olive oil in a large skillet and brown eggplant and zucchini slices.  Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown onion and ground beef or lamb.  Add mushrooms, tomato paste, and seasonings.  Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make cream sauce. Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour in 1/4 cup flour; brown slowly. Beat 2 eggs with 2-1/2 cups milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into butter and flour mixture very slowly; mix well. Cook over low heat until it thickens.

To assemble, grease a 9 x 13 pan.  Sprinkle bread crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan.  Lay out eggplant in a single layer.  Spread half of the meat sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with grated cheese.  Lay out zucchini in a single layer.  Spread the remaining meat sauce over the zucchini.  Pour cream sauce evenly on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Freezes best unbaked, thawed for 1/2 hour, then baked as above.

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Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

12 Jan

 

I know it doesn’t look very pretty, but really, it is very good.  I read this recipe for Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff last week on CrunchyMetroMom, and decided I wanted to try it sometime.  Then, I was able to get some of the ingredients cheap at the store this week, so I decided it was time to make it.  Here is the cost breakdown:

1 1/2 lbs stew meat: $6.54 (I need to work on a way to get stew meat cheaper!)
1 1/2 packages of whole mushrooms, $1.99 each at Fry’s: $2.99 total
2 cans Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup, $1 each at Fry’s minus $.40 off 2 coupon doubled to $1: $1 total
24 oz container of French Onion sour cream dip, $2.29 at Fry’s, $.095/oz: $.76 for 8oz
8 oz. bag No Yolk egg noodles, $1.25 at Safeway minus $.40 off 1 coupon doubled to $1: $.25

So, the total cost for this meal is $11.54, should have cost $17.08.  Not bad to feed the 4 of us for dinner, plus enough leftover for 1 person’s meal.   And, a $5.54 cost savings may not seem like much, but that savings over time would add up quickly.

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Pastitsio (Baked Macaroni and Meat)

1 Jan

Last year for New Year’s Day, I cooked a variety of Greek dishes for my family, and continued on with that tradition this year.  It’s the best time to make all this food, lots of hands here to help with the preparations.  I really love Pastitsio.  It’s almost like a lasagna or baked Italian pasta dish would be, just seasoned a little differently.  It’s a little time-consuming to get all the parts done, but worth it in the end.  This can be made up ahead of time and frozen just before baking, then thawed and baked when you are ready to have it.

Pastitsio (Baked Macaroni and Meat)

Filling:
1 lb macaroni (supposed to be long macaroni noodles, but they are hard to find, so elbow macaroni or a noodle like penne or ziti works too)
3 eggs
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
Grated Kefalotiri, Parmesan, or Romano cheese
1 lb ground beef or lamb
1 medium onion
1 12 oz can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cream sauce (krema):
2-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Boil macaroni according to package; drain; return to pan.  Melt the 1/2 cup butter, beat in eggs, and stir in with macaroni.  Spray a 9″ X 13″ X 2″ pan. Add macaroni mixture to pan and press down with a piece of wax paper.  Sprinkle generously with the grated cheese.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown onion and ground beef or lamb; add tomato paste and seasonings.  Cook for 5 – 10 minutes.  Spread meat mixture over macaroni noodles in pan and spread evenly.

Meanwhile, make cream sauce. Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour in 1/4 cup flour; brown slowly. Beat 2 eggs with 2-1/2 cups milk, salt, and pepper, and pour into butter and flour mixture very slowly; mix well. Cook over low heat until it thickens. Pour over macaroni/meat mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes, or until golden brown.

Freezes best unbaked, thawed for 1/2 hour, then baked as above.

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Bierocks

14 Nov

When I get cabbage, this is one of my favorite recipes to make.  This recipe came from a friend in my mom’s group, and everyone that has made it, loves it.

Bierocks

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
2-3 cups cabbage, chopped
Seasoned salt
Ground pepper
Shredded cheese,  I usually use cheddar, but any kind will work
2 cans of Grands biscuits

How to make it:

Brown ground beef in a large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in onion and cabbage. Simmer, stirring frequently, until cabbage and onion are tender. Season with seasoned salt and pepper to your taste.  Let cool for 5 minutes.  Stir in shredded cheese.


Roll out a biscuit.   Place a couple tablespoons of the filling in center of each biscuit.

Gather up the sides of dough and pinch shut over the filling.  Repeat for each biscuit.

Place seam-side down on greased cookie sheet. Brush tops with beaten egg white or olive oil.


Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees, or until biscuits are golden brown.

If you don’t want to as many at once, you can freeze half of the filling to use at another time.

Casserole version:

Instead of 1 can of Grands biscuits, use 1 can of crescent rolls.  Spray a casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray, and spread half of the crescent roll dough in the bottom of the dish.  Add the filling mixture, then spread the remaining half of crescent roll dough on the top.  Bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

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Ground Beef & Cabbage Stew

6 Nov


Ok, I know at first glance, this doesn’t really look appetizing.  In fact, my good friend that I got this recipe from jokes that this dish should be called “Pig Food”.  I promise though, that it does taste good even though it doesn’t look very good.  And both of my girls eat it with no argument, so that says something if the kids will eat it.  It’s really easy to throw together, most of the time is spent on chopping vegetables to put in it.

Ground Beef  & Cabbage Stew

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 of a yellow onion, diced
1/2 lb of carrots, sliced
4 1/2 cups water
5 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 can peas, or 2 cups frozen or fresh peas

How to make it:

Brown ground beef in a large pot.  Add in carrots and onions, and cook until onions are translucent and carrots have started to soften.  Add the water, bouillon cubes and potatoes.  Make sure there is enough water to cover all of the meat and vegetables, add more if necessary.  Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to let it simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are both soft.  Add in cabbage, and cook until it begins to wilt.  Add in peas and cook for a few minutes longer to allow peas to cook.  Serve immediately.

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