Sirloin Steak Kabobs

I was wanting red meat. Really bad. I was wanting kabobs. Really bad. I found this tasty recipe on recipezaar.com. It comes from Marie. The boys didn't put much on their skewers as far as kabobs go so there were quite a bit of raw veggies and uncooked meat left over. Let me just say....this was good material for stir-fry the following night!

Sirloin Steak Kabobs

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves minced garlic

Combine the ingredients well. This is your marinade.

Add:

3 lbs sirloin steaks cut into 1 inch cubes. Coat meat and refrigerate overnight.

Green bell pepper, cut into squares

Red bell pepper, cut into squares

Yellow bell pepper, cut into squares

1 small onion, cut into squares

mushrooms and tomatos would be very tasty as well....but I didn't have any

If you are using bamboo skewers....soak for 20 minutes before grilling.

Alternate meat and veggies on your skewers and grill till the meat is done to your liking.

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

I don't have a picture for this tasty meal! It was a huge hit with the family though. I got this recipe years ago from a Taste of Home magazine.

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

1 egg
1 can (1o 1/2 oz) condensed French onion soup, undiluted, divided
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 TBSP flour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp prepared mustard
hot cooked noodles or rice

In a large bowl beat egg. Stir in 1/3 cup soup, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add beef. Mix gently. Shape into 6 oval patties. Brown in a skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Discard drippings.

In small bowl combine flour and water until smooth. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and remaining soup.

Add patties back to skillet. Add sauce mixture. Cook and stir gently for a couple minutes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve patties and gravy over noodles or rice.

Tortilla Stack

I found this recipe while we lived in Arizona. Money was super tight for groceries. I think at this time we had roughly $20/week for groceries. Thank goodness for food storage I tell you! I found this recipe in a book from the library called The Crockery Cook.

Tortilla Stack
1 1/2 lb uncooked lean ground beef
1 pint pinto or black beans
8 corn tortillas, each cut into 6 wedges
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 pkg taco seasoning
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
sour cream
shredded lettuce
chopped green onion
chopped red bell pepper
sliced olives
peeled and chopped avocado
grated cheddar cheese

Combine soup and taco mix. Set aside.

Spray crockpot with veggie spray. Crumble 1/4 of ground beef into bottom of crockpot Top with 1/4 of beans. Top with 1/4 of tortilla wedges. Spread 1/4 soup mixture over tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/4 tomatoes. Repeat layers until all beef, beans, tortilla wedges, soup mixture and tomatoes are in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. Spoon onto individual plates. Top with sour cream, lettuce, green onion, bell pepper, olives or avocado if desired. Additional cheddar cheese may also be used.

Pepper Steak

We like Chinese food at our house. I am always on the lookout for something I think we all will enjoy. This went over well. I got this recipe from Taste of Home years ago.

Pepper Steak
1 lb boneless sirloin steak
2 TBSP cooking oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp salt, optional
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 large red OR yellow OR orange bell peppers, thinly sliced (I used green, orange and yellow)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp beef bouillon granules
3/4 cup hot water
1 TBSP cornstarch
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 tsp sugar

Cut steak into thin strips. Marinate with a bit of oil and cornstarch. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Combine beef bouillon and hot water. Set aside.

Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, cold water and sugar. Set aside.

In large skillet or wok brown steak in oil. Add garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is almost done. Add peppers and onions to skillet. Cook and stir until peppers are crisp-tender.

Add beef bouillon water to skillet.
Add cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until mixture boils and starts to thicken a bit. Serve over rice or oriental noodles.

Swedish Meatballs

I've only had Swedish Meatballs a few times in my life. I have enjoyed them the times that I ate them. So I was excited to try this recipe from Mom2Rose from recipezaar for the October 2009 recipe swap. She calls them Grandma Katie's Swedish Meatballs. I downsized for a family of 6. Her original recipe feeds something like 25 or more people.

Swedish Meatballs

a little over a pound of ground beef

8 oz ground pork

**6 strips bacon, crispy and finely crumbled
1 cup finely diced celery

1 large onion, finely diced

1/2 cup or so of breadcrumbs

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1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

16 oz beef broth

I cooked my bacon in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until done. I drained most of the bacon fat leaving just a little. Save the pan with drippings and set aside.

Combine all meatball ingredients from the ground beef to the breadcrumbs in a mixer. Make sure it is well combined. Make golf ball size meatballs.

Using extra breadcrumbs - coat each meatball and place on reserved cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile - combine soups and broth mixing well to remove any clumps. Add just a little to a crockpot. Add cooked meatballs. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs. Leave in the crockpot for just a couple hours or so.

We served this over rice. A very yummy comfort meal.

Pizza Casserole

Pizza Casserole
Who doesn't like pizza? Okay - I know there are people who do - but I am not acquainted with any of them. I like this casserole because of the possibilities. I got it from Taste of Home and the boys loved it so much they took it to school the next day for lunch!

3 cups uncooked spiral pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 can (8 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained (why not use fresh ones....)
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 14 oz jar pizza sauce
3 oz tomato paste
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 3.5 oz pkg sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I just have the kind in the canister. If you have fresh...by all means use it...)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or dutch oven - cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in mushrooms, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, tomato paste, sugar and seasonings. Drain pasta, stir into meat mixture.
Put half of the pasta mixture in a greased 9x13 baking dish. Add 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Layer half of the pepperoni. Repeat layers starting with the pasta and ending with the pepperoni. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes longer.

**I like the possibilities. If you like meat on your pizzas - add more meat to your layers. If you only like veggies - leave out the meat and add veggies to your heart's content. If you only are a cheese pizza kind of person - just leave out the meat and veggies altogether!

Taco Soup

This recipe belongs to my Grandma Stone. It is perfect for a dreary, drizzly, rainy Oregon day!

Taco Soup

1 - 1 1/2 lb ground turkey or hamburger
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red or green pepper, chopped
3 cups water
1 qt tomato sauce
1 qt stewed tomatoes
1 qt pinto beans
1 pint corn, drained
1 pkg taco seasoning mix

Brown turkey and add onion and peppers to saute. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with tortilla chips. May also add cheese, sour cream and guacomole.

**This does very well in the crockpot simmering all day.
**Freezer friendly.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers

I came across this recipe years ago. It is a family favorite. I don't make it often. When I do there are never any leftovers. I usually use 2-3 different colors of peppers but this time only used the green ones.

Stir-Fried Shredded Beef with Peppers
1 lb boneless beef sirloin or round steak
1 TBSP cornstarch
2 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 medium bell peppers
3 green onions
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp water
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
3 TBSP vegetable oil
1 tsp ground ginger
Trim fat from beef steak. Cut beef into very thin strips. Toss beef, 1 TBSP cornstarch, 2 tsp oil, the salt and pepper in ziploc bag. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Cut bell peppers into thin strips. Cut green onions into 1 inch pieces. Mix 2 tsp cornstarch, water, soy sauce and sesame oil. Set aside. Heat skillet or wok until very hot. Add 3 TBSP vegetable oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add beef and ginger. Stir-fry 1 minute or until meat is browned. Add bell peppers; stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in cornstarch mixture; cook and stir 15 seconds or until thickened. Stir in green onions. Serve over hot rice.
Serves: 4-5

Meatloaf and Stroganoff

After several years of not making meatloaf then experimenting with various ingredients - Russell really likes this recipe.

Candace's Meatloaf
2 lb ground beef
1/2 pkg onion soup mix
1 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 TBSP parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
**sometimes I add 1 cup shredded carrot as well.

Combine all ingredients either by hand or in a mixer. Press into a greased bread loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
**Double ingredients for 2 loaf pans. Freeze one unbaked for a later meal.

Now for the best part! Leftovers. We like meatloaf leftovers. I really like crumbling the meatloaf up to create a very flavorful stroganoff.

Stroganoff
leftover meatloaf, crumbled
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream

Combine all in large skillet. Heat through until bubbly. We like it over rice with a side salad fresh from our garden.

*It needs to be mentioned that I don't use cream soups often. I do like them on nights like last night though when I needed to put together a quick dinner.