Shepherd's Pie

I have a go to Shepherd's Pie recipe that everyone loves.  But I have to include this one, because it is a great way to use up leftover roast. In fact, that is how I found it. John and I really like it, but my kids aren't quite in love with it.  It is particularly easy if you use potato pearls from the cannery, and I am known for skipping the whole sauted onion step as well.  

• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 14 tablespoons butter, divided (1 stick plus 3/4 stick)
• 1 1/2 pounds leftover pot roast, cubed
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 to 10 medium red new potatoes
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups instant biscuit mix
• 1 1/2 cups niblet corn or mixed vegetables, prepared according to package directions
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  Pot Roast Layer:
  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute onion in 2 tablespoons butter. Add pot roast and cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.
  Potato Layer:
  Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes and transfer to a mixing bowl. Whip potatoes with an electric mixer, mixing until moderately smooth. Don't over beat them; a few lumps are nice. Add 1/2 cup heated milk, 1 stick butter, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Whip again until mixed. Adjust thickness by adding more milk, if desired.
  Biscuit Layer:
  Combine biscuit mix and 1 1/2 cups of milk. The mix should be thinner than that of normal biscuit mix but not runny.
  Spray a 9 by 9 by 2-inch pan (or any similar casserole dish) withcooking spray. Layer mashed potatoes halfway up the sides of the dish. Next, spread a layer of corn or mixed vegetables on top of the potatoes. Then add the layer of pot roast and onions with cream of mushroom. Pour the biscuit mix over the meat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over top. Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes or until top is golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

Skillet Beef Stew

This was an attempt to use up leftover roast beef.  I took this recipe from Real Mom Kitchen and tweaked it to what I had and it turned out awesome. John didn't love the sweet potatoes in it, but he doesn't really like much of anything, anyway! :)

• 2 cups chopped leftover roast beef
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups  beef-flavored broth
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (I just used milk)
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or 2 tsp. ground mustard)
• 1 lb peeled, diced sweet potatoes (not yams. They are not orange on the inside, they are white.)
• 2 medium carrots, thinly sliced (1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet,melt butter. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes. (To speed things up, place chopped potatoes in bowl with about 1/4 water.  Cook in microwave 3-5 minutes) Stir in salt, pepper and flour. 
2. In small bowl, mix broth, whipping cream and mustard with wire whisk. Add to beef mixture. Stir in potatoes and roast beef.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; cook 15 minutes until vegetables are tender and sauce is slightly thickened. If the sauce is too thin at the end of the cooking process, increase the heat to medium-high and cook uncovered another few minutes until the liquid reduces and is slightly thickened.  Sprinkle with parsley. 

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

These are great when I have some leftover rice. I throw together a little fried rice and cook these up.  It makes a quick and delicious meal when using frozen meatballs. 

• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a large, shallow baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and onion. Sprinkle with ginger, seasoning salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and sugar. Shape into one inch balls.
3. Place meatballs in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes; set aside.
4. To make the sauce, mix enough water with the reserved pineapple juice to make 1 cup. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the juice mixture, 1/3 cup water, vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Stir in cornstarch, ginger and seasoning salt, until smooth. Cover and cook until thickened.
5. Stir pineapple chunks, carrot, green pepper and meatballs into the sauce. Gently stir to coat the meatballs with the sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until meatballs are thoroughly cooked.

Smoky Double Cheeseburger

1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 c. soft bread crumbs
3 oz. smoked cheddar cheese, finely shredded
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. dijon-style mustard
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/4 lb. ground beef
4 1/4  to 1/2 inch onion slices
4 hamburger buns
1/4 c. mango chutney or cranberry relish
1/2 c. lettuce or spinach leaves
1 to 2 oz. Asiago or Parmesan

In a large bowl combine egg, bread crumbs, smoked cheddar, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and pepper. Add ground beef and mix gently. Firmly shape into 4 1/2 inch patties; set aside.

Grill onions for 6-8 minutes until tender, turning once. Remove from grill. Add patties to grill. Cook for 9-12 minutes or until meat is done, turning once.

Spread bottoms of hamburger buns with chutney or relish, top with lettuce, patties, onion slices, if using, shaved cheese and bun top.

Navajo Tacos

This is great for the leftover chili.  And the fried rolls are great!  I did a couple of extras and we ate them with butter and honey. Take the rolls out of the freezer about 2 hours before you eat.  You don't really want them to rise.

Navajo Tacos

thawed roll dough
chili, leftover or from a can
cheese, shredded
lettuce, shredded or torn
salsa
sour cream

onion, whatever kind you like green, purple, sweet (I use green onion)

olives, sliced (I didn’t do any this time)

Heat a pan with oil. Your gonna deep fry the roll dough. Once you get the oil to prime frying temperature, flatten a piece of roll dough and put it into the hot oil. Fry the one side until golden, then flip to cook the other side. Once that side is golden, remove from the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towel. Continue doing this with all your dough. Once complete, top the fried dough with chili, cheese, and other toppings.

Sweet Chili

When I did this, I used 2 cans of kidney beans, 2 cans of chili beans, and a can of great northern beans.  I didn't have any tomato paste, so I used tomato sauce. I added a tablespoon or two of BBQ sauce and everyone loved it.

Sweet Chili

In a soup pot, brown:

1 pound hamburger
1 medium onion
Drain off grease.

Then add:

5 (15 oz) cans of Kidney Beans, undrained
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 cans tomato soup
4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 cup brown sugar

Simmer for 1 hour.

From Real Mom Kitchen

Rainbow Rotini

This calls for chicken, but I usually just use ground beef and it works well. I also usually double this.

6 oz. dried multicolored rotini
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans (I have used both kidney and black and both work as well.), drained
1/2 c. chicken broth
2 plum tomatoes (I leave these out)
1/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper

Cook pasta according to pkg., drain. Meanwhile, saute chicken or beef in oil in large skillet. (If using beef leave out the oil) over medium heat fro 12 minutes or until done. Cut into small pieces and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to skillet, stirring for about 4 minutes or until tender. Mix in chicken and remaining ingredients; heat through. Remove from stove and gently stir in pasta.

Ranchero Beef Hash

1 lb. small red potatoes, chopped
2 tbsp. cooking oil
1 med. carrot, shredded (I leave this out)
leftover roast or steak, chopped
Salt and ground pepper
1 tbsp. butter
4 eggs
salsa

For hash, place potatoes in a 1 1/2 quart microwave safe dish.  Add 2 tbsp. water. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes in microwave, stirring once.  Drain potatoes.

In a large skillet heat oil over med. high heat. Add potatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally until potatoes are lightly browned and tender. Stir in carrot; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add roast or steak, using a spoon to break beef in bite-size pieces, heat through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

In large skillet melt butter over med. high heat. Break eggs in skillet; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cook eggs 3-4 minutes, until whites are set and yolks begin to thicken. For more doneness turn egges and continue cooking 30 seconds.
Divide hash among plates. Top with one egg and salsa.

Rancher Stew

Lindsay Walden
1 lb hamburger
1 onion
1 can corn
1 can white hominy
1 can yellow hominy
1 can diced green chilies
2 cans stewed tomatoes
3 cans Ranch Style Beans

Brown hamburger with onion. Add everything else. Do NOT drain anything.

Taco Soup

Rachel Ward

1 lb. ground beef
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
1 can corn
1 taco seasoning packet (or about ¼ c.)
¼ c. onion, chopped (I use dried onion, a small handful)
1 can kidney beans
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
Chips and shredded cheddar

In large pot brown ground beef and sauté onions; drain. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, corn and tomato sauce. Add taco seasoning, bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with chips and cheese
(I don’t like canned tomatoes, so instead I use 2 cans of corn and 2 cans of tomato sauce.)

Mom's Sloppy Joes

-From Real Mom kitchen

These are lots better than the mix and just as easy.

1 pound hamburger
1/4-1/2 cup onion chopped
1 can condensed tomato soup
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp or more barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns
8 slices of american cheese, if desired

Brown together the hamburger and onion. Add the soup, sugar and barbecue sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. You can add more barbecue sauce to make it the consitency you like. Serve on buns.

Texas Hash

Lindsay Walden
1 lb Ground Beef
1 large can tomato sauce
Green bell pepper
Onion
1 cup water
Rice
Brown 1 lb ground beef. Drain grease. Add 1 large can tomato sauce. Chop up green pepper and onion. Mix with tomato sauce and 1 cup water. Add dry rice to mixture- cook in over with a covered skillet until rice is done, approximately 30 minutes.

Savory Garlic Marinated Steaks

Lindsay Walden
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
3 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS honey
2 TBS olive oil
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp liquid smoke flavoring
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 (1/2 pound) rib-eye steaks

In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. Preheat grill for medium0high to high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Discard leftover marinade.

Mexican Melt

Lindsay Walden
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can tomato soup
½ cup of milk
½ cup of salsa
Grated cheese
5-6 tortillas cut into wedges or small pieces

Brown meat. Add soup, salsa, milk and tortillas. Sprinkle cheese over it and let melt. Serve with tortilla chips and Spanish rice.

Beef Enchiladas

Lindsay Walden
1 lb ground beef
1 can olives (small, pitted), chopped
1 package of cream cheese
1 can tomato sauce
1 small chopped onion
1 can red enchilada sauce
Green onions, chopped
1 small package of corn tortillas
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Grated cheddar cheese

Sauté onions and brown ground beef. In small bowl, add cooked meat and onions to tomato sauce. In skillet, heat olive oil. Warm both sides of tortillas. Wipe oil off with paper towels. With butter knife, spread cream cheese on tortilla. Add meat mixture and then roll up. Place in a 9X9 pan. Once pan is full, sprinkle chopped olives over tortillas. Pour red enchilada sauce over those. Sprinkle chopped green onions over that. Then cover with grated cheese. Cook until cheese is melted at 350˚F (usually about 30 minutes).

Marinated Flank Steak

Rachel Ward

1 1 ½ to 2 lb. flank steak
¼ c. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tbsp. dried
1 tbsp. fresh chopped marjoram or 1 tsp. dried
1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. pepper
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Trim fat from meat. Score both sides of steak in diamond pattern by making shallow cuts at 1 inch intervals; set aside. In small bowl stir together rosemary, marjoram, oregano, garlic, paprika, salt, red pepper and black pepper. Stir in oil until combined. Spoon herb mixture evenly over both sides of steak. Rub in with your fingers. Place steak in shallow dish. Cover and marinate 1 to 24 hours.

For a charcoal grill, place meat on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 17 to 21 minutes or until medium doneness, turning once halfway through grilling. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.
Transfer grilled meat to cutting board. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. To serve, slice very thinly across the grain.

Shepherd's Pie

Rachel Ward

Potatoes:
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped
¼ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. rosemary
½ c. milk
1 tbsp. butter
½ tsp salt
¼ black pepper
(For the potatoes, I use food storage potato pearls but add the thyme and rosemary)
Meat Filling:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion chopped
½ c. beef broth (I always use water and it works fine)
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ½ c. corn (one can works great)
1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Potatoes:
Boil potatoes with thyme and rosemary. Cook until tender. Drain and return to pot. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper and mash.
Meat:
Brown beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. In bowl combine broth, ketchup, Worcestershire, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Add to beef and cook until bubbly and thickened. Stir in corn and parsley. Preheat oven to 350. Transfer beef to shallow 2 qt. casserole. Drop spoonfuls of potatoes on top. Bake 40 minutes or until potatoes are golden.

Mexican Lasanga

This was a favorite growing up. We had it often. For years I scraped the topping off of the tortillas because I didn't like it. So, I know first hand that it is almost as good without the topping. Just so you know. . .

Mexican Lasagna

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. Monterey Jack, shredded
1 small tomato, chopped
6-8 flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
Chopped olives
½ c. salsa

Brown ground beef with onion. Drain fat. Season with cumin, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add salsa and tomato Remove from heat and set aside. Divide one can of beans evenly among flour tortillas. Spread beans thinly over tortilla, sprinkle with olives and cheese. Roll each up and place in greased 9x13. Pour meat sauce over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes.

Spicy Roast Beef

Spicy Roast beef
Rachel Ward
3lb round tip roast
1 to 2 tbsp. cracked black peppercorns (I just use pepper)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
¼ c. soy sauce
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. dry mustard

Rub pepper and garlic onto meat. Put roast in slow cooker. Make several shallow slits in top of roast. In small bowl combine remaining ingredients and pour over roast. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or High 4-5 hours.