Delicatessen Slow Chili

About a million years ago, I signed up to be a part of The Nest's "Test Kitchen" - I wasn't selected for the first round, but in July (like, 5 minutes before we moved!) I was contacted to be a part of a second installment.

The Nest Magazine sent me this recipe for Delicatessen Slow Chili... along with the All-Clad Metalcrafters Soup Pot (for which I canNOT find a link).  Sweet!

So I stumbled around boxes and packing tape and donation piles and created our last real meal in our little townhouse.  There's something kind of off about eating chili in July, but it was one of the best chili's I've ever made.  

The recipe/giveaway was a part of their Fall 2010 issue, but alas - my photo and comments ended up on the cutting room floor.  Booo.  (Do magazines have a cutting room floor?)  However, not only did I snag an awesome new pot (which I highly recommend - I use it ALL the time!), but to make up for it, The Nest Magazine gave me another go-around with a new recipe for their Winter 2010 issue - I can't wait to blog about that one too, once the issue is out.

I couldn't find a link to the recipe, so I'm typing it out as it appears in the magazine, with my changes in parenthesis.  Don't be put off by the number of ingredients; we all probably have 90% on hand (or appropriate substitutions).

Delicatessen Slow Chili

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Ferraro, executive chef at Delicatessen in NYC

• 1/2 pound pork shoulder, diced
• 1/2 ground beef (I omitted the pork and doubled the beef)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 clove garlic, roasted (I omitted and diced 2 cloves)
• 1 1/2 chipotle en adobe, finely chopped 
• 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans (I used one can)
• 1/2 cup cooked kidney beans (I used one can)
• 1 1/2 cups canned and peeled Italian plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white beef stock (couldn't find "white" anywhere, so I used regular)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce
• Optional toppings: sliced avocado, sour cream, sliced scallions, shredded cheddar...

Season the pork and beef with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat pot over high heat.  Add oil and then the pork and beef.  Cook for 10 minutes until browned.

Drain off excess oil and add dried seasonings.

Remove meat from the pan and set aside.

Add the onions and minced garlic to pot and cook until tender.

Add chipotle en adobe and roasted garlic.

Add the meat and the rest of the ingredients and cook over a slow simmer for 2 hours, continuously skimming excess fat.

Taste and add final seasoning of salt and pepper.

Serve with desired toppings.  (I served this over rice.)

Crockpot American Chop Suey

Anything is the crockpot is bound to be a winner, and if you create a pasta crockpot meal, well... that's just pure awesome.

It's rare that I make a recipe that calls for dry pasta to go into the crockpot, so I was surprised by the starchy, gummy texture of the elbows.  Is that normal?  It was a little bit of a turn-off for me, actually, so next time I think I would just cook the pasta separately on the stove.

This makes a TON, so be prepared to eat a lot of leftovers (I mixed some ricotta in for lunch the next day - yum!).  

Crockpot American Chop Suey

from A Year of Slow Cooking

• 1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
  
• 5 bacon strips, diced
  
• 1 large onion, diced
  
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes --- any flavor, or plain
  
• 1 can water (empty tomato can)
  
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  
• 1 (26-ounce) jar prepared pasta sauce
  
• 1 (16-ounce) package elbow macaroni (I used brown rice pasta)
  
• 1 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet, brown the beef, bacon and onion all together until the meat is no longer pink. Drain well and plop into your slow cooker. Add everything else into the pot except for the pasta and cheese.

Stir to combine. Cover and cook on  low for 6 to 8 hours, or high for about 4. Stir in the raw pasta and cook on high for approximately 30 minutes, or until pasta is bite-tender. Serve in a wide-mouthed bowl with a handful of cheese on each serving.

Layered Fiesta Casserole

I have been receiving complimentary copies of Food and Family from Kraft, as I'm sure many of you do. Even though it's usually one big commercial for their products, I've certainly found my share of yummy things! They recently started charging for this, and as much as I enjoy it, I won't be subscribing.

I found this recipe for a Layered Fiesta Casserole in their last issue and added it to my menu immediately. It absolutely did not disappoint - it was easy and fantastic.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 jar (16 oz.) TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
• 4-6 corn tortillas (12 inch)
• 1-1/2 cups KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided

HEAT oven to 375°F.

BROWN meat with peppers in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet. Stir in salsa, tomatoes and corn.

SPREAD 1 cup meat mixture onto bottom of 9x9-inch baking dish; top with 1 tortilla. Cover with layers of the remaining meat mixture and cheese; top with remaining tortillas and meat mixture. Cover with foil.

BAKE 25 to 30 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese; let stand 5 min. or until melted.

Crockpot Asian Beef and Noodles

This crockpot meal was another winner from my friend Colleen. There is nothing better than dumping stuff into a crockpot and sitting around a delicious-smelling house while an appliance cooks dinner for you!


I tried to heed her advice about finding a low-sodium stir-fry sauce, but alas, I was also unsuccessful. Later, I googled a recipe for making my own, so I will try one of them next time.

Saltiness aside, this was absolutely delicious, and I'll definitely make it again!

Sidenote: I've never before had Ramen noodles. I've heard people mention how cheap they are and how it's the major food group of college students and starving artists, but I had no idea exactly how cheap they are. Dude, I got a package of 6 for 99 cents! Wowzers!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken
• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat. In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper. Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).

At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles. Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 10 minutes more. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

Superbowl Snack Throwdown: Cheeseburger-Ka-Bobs

In the middle of Disney World, the idea for these Cheeseburger-Ka-Bobs popped into my head for this week's edition of HighLowAha's Superbowl Snack Throwdown. Make sure you visit their site and vote on the right for your favorite this week!

Due to my Rebel's untimely fall during our vacation last week (on our last night, luckily), I had to use my Cybershot for these pictures. Coupled with the lack of natural light here in New Jersey these days, I doubt I'll be scoring any photography points this week (and for as many weeks as it takes for my poor camera to be fixed!). But that's okay, because what I miss out on from behind the camera, I'm sure to make up for in taste!


While shopping for this appetizer, I stumbled upon Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning. I've never used it before (I've actually never even seen it before!) but grabbed it to use in this recipe. I am SO glad I did; I might never make a burger without it. The perfect blend of spices made these mini burgers as tasty as they are cute.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to these little guys is the very valuable lesson I learned: my kid will eat anything on a stick. Over the course of 24 hours, he probably devoured close to half of these (minus the onions, aka "the yucky purple things"). If I had given him a cheeseburger with all of these ingredients, he'd probably have 8 bites and call it a meal. Shrink things down and impale 'em with a toothpick, though, and you've got a kid who's in dinnertime heaven!

These adorable and delicious little snacks are perfect for your Sunday (or Monday!) game watching, and if I may deviate from the football theme slightly - they'd also be perfect for some World Series viewing. Go Yankees!!

Ingredients

• 1lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Grill Mates Hamburger Seasoning
• 24 cubes cheddar cheese
• 1 red onion, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 24 pickle slices
• 24 cherry tomatoes

Combine the beef and seasoning in a bowl. Create golf-ball sized patties (I got 24) and flatten slightly; grill outside or on a stovetop grill pan.

Stack the mini burgers along with the rest of your ingredients. Stick a tomato at the top of your toothpick, with a pickle underneath, then an onion chunk, then a burger, and finally the cheese as a base. Continue with the rest of your ingredients. Serve, eat, and enjoy!

Taco Casserole

My friend Colleen came to visit Daniel after his birth, and in addition to the sweetest little overalls outfits, she brought a delicious Taco Casserole for us to have to dinner. Since then, every time I refer to her in conversation, my husband always says, "She's the one who brought us that good taco dinner, right?"


It was so delicious, and I couldn't wait until she posted it on her blog so I could cook it again.

I followed the recipe exactly (which she got from Taste and Tell) and heeded her recommendation to add salsa to the beef. Delish!


Ingredients

• 16 oz. taco sauce
• 12 ounce can buttermilk biscuits
• 4-6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 4-6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 can sliced olives, drained
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 jar salsa

Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. Spread taco sauce evenly over bottom of dish.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Place biscuit pieces in hot sauce, turn to coat. Sprinkle biscuits with half of the cheese and the olives. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

In a large skillet, combine ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, cumin and chili powder. Cook until ground beef is cooked through and add the jar of salsa.

Sprinkle the ground beef mixture over the baked biscuit mixture. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake an additional 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Marsala Burgers

This hasn't been a very good summer for grilling, at least in my opinion.  It pretty much rained through July, and then gave way to humidity of evil, tortuous levels.  On those days, the idea of stepping outside for 10 seconds longer than absolutely necessary was pretty much ruled out.

So when I found this yummy-sounding burger recipe on Smells Like Home, I was excited to make a burger that didn't require a shower afterwards.

These were different from any burger I've had, but I really enjoyed them.  They felt almost like a gourmet or upscale kind of patty, and I liked that.  The only issues I ran into were my own fault; I made the burgers a little too thick, so they didn't cook all the way through.  Of course, I didn't notice this until the part when you put them back in the pan, so they had to hang out there a little longer than I wanted - which in turn made the marsala sauce reduce a bit too much.  But the flavor was fabulous, and now I know for next time!

Ingredients

• 12 oz ground beef (85%/15% works well here) or ground chuck
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 ounces assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup sweet Marsala
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• crusty French bread baguette

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

 

Shape the ground beef into 4 oblong patties, about 4 inches long each. Drizzle the patties with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat on the opposite sides. Cut the french bread into pieces a little shorter than each of the patties and set aside.

 

Brown the patties in the skillet on both sides until the burgers are medium rare. Transfer the burgers to a plate and keep warm; leave the juices in the pan.

 

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the shallot and garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add another 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, if necessary. Add the mushrooms and sauté until tender and the juices evaporate, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Add the Marsala. Simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and the rosemary sprig. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return the burgers to the skillet. Cook burgers until they are medium, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Add 1 oz of cheese to the top of each burger and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt, about 2 minutes.

 

When the cheese has melted, remove the burgers from the pan and place on the French bread. Top the burgers with Marsala sauce and then the top of the French bread. Serve hot.

1960's Craptastically Good and Ridiculously Easy-to-Make Beef Casserole

Before I had even joined one of my message boards, there had been a recipe collection and distribution. One of the women was gracious enough to send me the document, and I sat for hours, happy as a clam, going through them.


This one, submitted by a woman named Pat, totally caught my eye and I couldn't wait to make it. Besides, you read the name - just the title radiates with goodness!

The meal absolutely lived up to its name, and I was kind of bummed that my husband took the leftovers. Hee hee! This will for sure be a repeat here.


Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 medium onion (diced)
• 1 can Campbell’s tomato soup (undiluted)
• 1 can green beans (drained) (I used about a cup or so of frozen mixed veggies)
  
• Mashed potatoes
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown the beef and onion. Drain. Add the tomato soup and the green beans and stir. Transfer to a three quart baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbly (30 minutes).

Barbeque Meatballs

When the Pioneer Woman posted this recipe for BBQ Meatballs last week, I was tempted to run out and make them immediately.

Well, I restrained myself, but I did make them on Sunday because, quite frankly, I couldn't wait much longer.


They were really easy to assemble, and I'm glad I remembered to start them early since they take a lot of time between freezing, browning, and baking.

The result? AWESOME. Unbelievably delicious. When she says "Comfort food to the max," she is NOT kidding around.

I served my husband's on a roll to make a sub...

...and I just plopped mine down atop my mashed potatoes!

Meatballs

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 3/4 cup oats
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons very finely minced onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• plenty of ground black pepper

Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 4 to 6 tablespoons onion
• Dash of Tabasco

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all meatball ingredients. Roll into medium-small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Place sheet in freezer for five minutes.

Remove from freezer and immediately dredge in unseasoned flour.

Brown meatballs in canola oil until just brown. Place into a baking dish.

Combine all sauce ingredients. Pour over meatballs and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve with egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty french bread.

Cheeseburger Pie

This dish by Kayla over at Central Cooking really caught my eye. Who doesn't love a good cheeseburger, and who REALLY doesn't like a meal that is super quick to prepare?


We really enjoyed this dinner, although it didn't really serve us as well as leftovers. But it was quite yummy!

I served these with (frozen *cough cough*) sweet potato fries and it was a great comfort meal type dinner.

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

From: Bettycrocker.com (also on the Bisquick box)

• 1 Pound Lean (at least 80%) Ground Beef
• 1 Large Onion, chopped (1 cup)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (4 oz)
• 1/2 Cup Original Bisquick® Mix
• 1 Cup Milk
• 2 Eggs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.

In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.

Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Not-Sagna Pasta Toss

This fake-out lasagna might very well be the dish that sealed my love affair with Rachael Ray.

One of the first book I ever purchased of hers was either the 365: No Repeats or Express Lane Meals. I forget which, but one of them had this meal in it and I fell in love. While I think I'm beginning to shy away from her newer stuff (some of it is just weird), I will always have a special place in my heart for "vintage" Rachael.


This initial meal is one that I have made countless times and is fully enjoyable each time. I have added mozzarella to mine, because, really, you can't make a meal with "lasagna" in the title and NOT use mozzarella!

Anyway, this past weekend we were having George and Denise (and Abby!) over for dinner, and I was looking for something comfort-food-ish while still being entertaining-appropriate. This was a big hit, and I believe George's facebook status that night may have sung this meal a praise or two...

Ingredients

• 1 pound curly short cut pasta
• Coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, eyeball it in your palm
• Black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, eyeball it in your palm
• 1 teaspoon, several drops, Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dry red wine, a couple of glugs
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at table
• 2-4 oz fresh mozzarella, diced
  

Heat a large pot of water to boil for pasta. Salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need a ladle of the starchy cooking water to help form sauce before draining.

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add the meat and break it up into small bits as it caramelizes. Once meat has good color to it, 4 to 5 minutes, add garlic, onions and red pepper flakes and season with salt, pepper, allspice and Worcestershire sauce. Cook another 5 minutes, deglaze the meat and onions with red wine, cook off a minute, then combine about 1/2 cup of stock into the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 5 minutes.

Place ricotta cheese in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Add a ladleful of boiling, starchy pasta water to the ricotta and stir to combine. Add a couple of handfuls of grated Parmesan to the ricotta and mix it in.

Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with cheeses. Add half the thick meat sauce to the pasta bowl and combine. Tear or shred the basil and add to the meat and pasta, toss again. Taste to adjust salt and pepper. Serve bowlfuls of Not-sagna with extra sauce on top and more grated Parmesan to pass at the table.

Easy Shepherd's Pie

I saw this recipe for an Easy Shepherd's Pie in Kraft magazine, and was excited to see it in Brooke's blog.

I admit that I totally cheated and used the mashed potatoes in a tub from Shed's Spread - the garlic kind, so I omitted the garlic from the recipe.

This was pretty good, although kind of dry. I ended up serving with the leftover gravy just to get a little more... moisture? in there.

Not the best meal I've had, but pretty good for an easy recipe. And definitely a nice bowl of comfort!

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 cups hot mashed potatoes
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 cup beef gravy

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet. Meanwhile, mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

DRAIN meat. Return to skillet; stir in vegetables and gravy. Spoon into 9-inch square baking dish; cover with potato mixture and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through.

Echilada Casserole

I couldn't wait to make this casserole that I found on Ally's blog!

(I'm sorry that my pictures are so big...!)

I accidentally used marinara sauce instead of just plain tomato sauce, so that gave it a bit too much of an herby/Italian flavor. Actually, I think next time I might use the sauce from these enchiladas - yum!

Otherwise, this dish was a definite winner, and I can't wait to make it again.


Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. ground turkey
• 1 can re fried beans
• 1 Tbs. canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
• 1 jar tomato sauce
  
• 2 Tbs. Chili powder divided
• 2 Tbs. cumin Divided
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika divided
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• Pinch of sugar
• a few shakes of cayenne powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 18 corn tortillas
• 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Heat a medium sized skillet over medium heat and add ground turkey. Add 1 Tbs. of chili powder, 1 Tbs. cumin, a tsp. of oregano and salt and pepper. Cook until evenly browned. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Wipe out skillet with paper towels and add oil. Put skillet over medium heat and saute onions. When onion becomes translucent add garlic and parsley. Cook another minute. Add tomato sauce and the rest of the spices and sugar. Let simmer about 5 minutes.

Transfer ground turkey to a mixing bowl and add re fried beans and about 1/4-1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Mix well.

In a 9x13 casserole dish layer 6 tortillas on the bottom, cover with sauce, then meat-bean mixture, then cheese.

Repeat the process ending with tortillas, sauce and more cheese. Cover and cook for 25 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes.

Beef and Polenta Pie

I tore this out of Rachael Ray's magazine, and when I later saw it on someone else's blog (I cannot for the life of me remember whose...), I figured that was some divine intervention, telling me I must make this.

So I did.

I guess if I were grading this dinner as I would my students' essays, I'd give it a C+. It was average. Nothing terrible, but nothing fabulous.


Would I make it again? Ehh. I don't know. I'd have to really be in the mood for it.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• One 6-ounce package portobello mushroom caps, cut into cubes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 pounds ground beef
• Salt and pepper
• One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• One 10-ounce package frozen green beans, thawed and drained

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, lower the heat and simmer.

2. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups water and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Whisk in the polenta until thickened, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the cream, cheese, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth; pour into a large casserole dish.

3. Stir the green beans into the beef mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, until warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture over the polenta and top with more parmesan.

Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

My search for a yummy beef stew on Cooking Light's website led to this yummy dinner from the OCtober 2005 issue of Southern Living.


Perhaps the best part of this meal was that there was NO work involved. I mean, you literally just dumped it all in the pot and that was it. Awesome. Totally awesome.

I really enjoyed the flavor and tenderness of this stew. I wasn't a huge fan of the frozen veggies I used (yep, totally went that route), but that was no fault of the recipe. Oh, I also totally forgot about the tomato paste, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

I served this over campanelle.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds round steak, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces*
• 1 pound small red potatoes, quartered*
• 1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 red bell pepper, diced**
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes**
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker, and cook, covered, on LOW 7 hours and 30 minutes.

*2 (1-pound) packages frozen stew vegetables may be substituted for carrots and potatoes.
**1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with green peppers and onions may be substituted for red bell pepper and diced tomatoes.

Yield: Makes 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 293 (23% from fat); FAT 7g (sat 2.6g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.4g); IRON 4.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 42mg; CARBOHYDRATE 26g; SODIUM 702mg; PROTEIN 31g; FIBER 4g

Southern Living, OCTOBER 2005

Meat"loaf" Parmesan

Another hit from Brooke!

She said it was her husband's favorite, and I can see why - it DOES taste like a giant meatball!! Mine sort of didn't keep its "loaf" shape, but that's okay. Delicious nonetheless!


I wanted to throw some shredded mozzarella inside and/or on top, but realized I had none. So... I chopped up a couple of things of string cheese. ;)

I served the meatloaf with this.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Heat oven to 375°F. Using your hands, mix together beef, half the spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, half the Parmesan cheese, onion, egg and Italian seasoning in a medium mixing bowl. Shape into loaf and place in an 12x8x2-inch baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and cheese. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or to desired doneness. During baking time, if desired, use a baster to remove excess grease from pan.

Lentil Soup with Beef

When I saw Giada's Lentil Soup with Beef on Amy's blog, I knew it'd be a perfect soup to make and freeze for lunches or quick dinners.


I hovered over my cutting boards and stove over the weekend making a couple of pots of soup, and this one did not disappoint! Everything just melds together to create this amazing bowl of yumminess... perfect for fall. And it makes a TON - I think I ended up stashing 8 2-cup servings in the freezer...

Next time, I think I'd also like to throw some corn and/or peas and/or beans in there... mmm...

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 large celery stalks, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

6 (14-ounce) cans beef broth

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups (about 11 ounces) lentils, rinsed

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Add half of the beef and cook until brown, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a bowl. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, rosemary, and oregano to the pot. Saute until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Return the beef and any accumulated juices from the bowl to the pot. Add the broth and tomatoes with their juice. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

Cover and simmer until the meat is just tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Add the lentils.

Cover and continue simmering until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

Stuffed Meatloaf

When I first saw Giada's Stuffed Meatloaf recipe, I couldn't wait to try it. The homemade stuffing just sounded so ridiculously good!

When the day came to make it, however, I was pressed for time and just used Stove-Top. Sigh...


It was still really, really good, though, and I can't wait to try it again with her stuffing.

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 8 ounces ground veal (I just used about a pound and a half of ground beef)
• 2 cups (packed) Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta, recipe follows, or your favorite stuffing
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup grated provolone
  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, pork, and veal. Pack half of the meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Spoon the stuffing over the meat in the pan, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Top with the remaining meat mixture, enclosing the stuffing completely and pressing firmly. Spoon the marinara sauce over the meatloaf, then sprinkle with the provolone cheese.

Bake, uncovered, until the meat loaf is firm to the touch in the center and has pulled away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices and serve.

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta:

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Two-Sauce Weeknight Lasagna Bowls

A couple of weeks ago, I was on the phone w/ my grandmother. She knows how much I love to cook and try new things, so she was telling me about an episode of Rachael Ray where she made this fake lasagna dish. She described it so well that I had to look it up and check it out.

Coincidentally, the day I went to the Food Network's website to see the recipe, the show aired. Cool! And yes indeed, it looked amazing.

And yes indeed, it TASTES amazing!

I was at first intimidated by the number of ingredients, but it's really all stuff I have on hand anyway. I love dishes where I don't have to buy a lot of stuff!

It was super easy to throw together, and I just love the white sauce mixed in first. It really adds a whole 'nother level of flavor and sets it apart from regular old pasta with meat sauce.

Ingredients:

• Salt
• 1 pound Campanelle pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta, a couple of thick slices, chopped (I omitted.)
• 3/4 pound ground beef pork and veal mix or ground beef
• 1/2 large carrot, peeled and grated or finely chopped
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, 2 chopped or grated, 1 peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice, a couple of pinches
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste (I actually ended up also adding some crushed tomatoes; I really couldn't imagine this "lasagna" dish without it!)
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• Nutmeg, to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus some to pass at table
• A handful fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
  

Heat large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add pancetta and render 2 to 3 minutes then add meat and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 to 5 minutes, add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more to soften onions and carrots bits then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to simmer.

While red sauce cooks, cut remaining whole clove of garlic and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, thicken 8 to 10 minutes.

Toss pasta with white sauce and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing in. Garnish with parsley.

Orange Beef and Broccoli

I tore this out of the May, 2008 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, even though I'm not a big beef eater. I say that a lot about beef and pork, don't I... but truthfully, I'm just a poultry girl. I could chicken or pasta every night and be very happy.

But I try to vary my menu, so once in awhile I'll throw in some cow or pig.

This dish was okay, but not spectacular. I think the orange flavor was a bit strong, so next time I might lessen the amount of zest. Also, I can't help but think that this would be SOOOOO GOOD with chicken...

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of broccoli
• 1 1/4 cup of beef broth
• 3 TBSP hoisin sauce*
• 2 TBSP soy sauce*
• 2 TBSP plum sauce*
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• zest of one orange, juice of half an orange, and wedges for serving
• 1 3/4 boneless sirloin
• 1/4 veg oil
• 1 jalepeno chile, thinly sliced (I omitted.)

*The recipe suggested a time-saver: use a bottle of Asian Stir-Fry Sauce in place of the hoisin, soy, and plum sauces. I did just that - I used 7 tablespoons.

1. In a large skillet, bring 2 cups salted water to a boil. Cut the broccoli into 1-inch florets. Boil until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes; drain the broccoli and rinse under cold water. Reserve the skillet.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, plum sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir in the orange peel.

3. Slice the steak 1/4 inch thick, then cut the slices crosswise into thirds; toss with the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch.

4. In the reserved skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the steak and jalapeño and cook, turning, until the meat is barely pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer the meat to a paper-towel-lined plate; discard the excess oil. Add the broth mixture to the skillet and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the meat, broccoli and orange juice and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Serve with the orange wedges.