Beef Stroganoff - slow cooker

• 2 pounds beef stew meat (already cubed)
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 bottle (or can) dark beer or one can beef broth
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• vegetable oil
• 1 bag egg noodles
• 1 cup French onion dip
• 1 pint mushrooms (optional)
• 1 bag frozen peas (optional)

Heat about 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. When hot, toss in diced onion and garlic. Cook until translucent. Dump into slow cooker. Fill ziplock bag with flour, salt and pepper, toss in meat and shake until well coated. Dump 1/2 bag into skillet (add 1 tablespoon more oil if necessary) brown meat on all sides (about 6-8 minutes). Toss into slow cooker. Repeat with the other half bag of meat. Pour about ¼ of the bottle of beer into skillet to deglaze the meat/flour bits from bottom of pan. Scrape into slow cooker, then add rest of beer and mushrooms to slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Gravy should be thick and meat tender. Add peas, salt and pepper to taste. Prepare noodles per directions. Just before serving add sour cream to slow cooker, mix. Add noodles to slow cooker and mix or put them on the plate and spoon stroganoff mixture over the noodles.

Easy Leftovers Shepard Pie

• leftover meat loaf sliced or 1 pound ground meat browned with 1/2 onion, salt & Pepper
• 1 can creamy mushroom and roasted garlic soup
• 1 small package mixed vegetables or corn / or use a can of creamed corn
• leftover mashed potatoes about 2 cups
• Sliced cheese or shredded cheddar cheese (use cheese of choice or omit completely)

Spray 2 quart casserole. Place meat loaf slices to cover entire bottom of pan (it's okay if they over lap) or spoon drained browned meat on bottom of pan. Spoon entire can of soup over meat. Sprinkle entire bag of mixed vegetables over soup and meat mixture. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

• 12 ounce beef, sliced on bias
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Low Sodium)
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 1 head broccoli
• 4 tablespoons sweet & sour sauce (I use my home made recipe)

marinate the beef with the garlic powder and soy sauce for a minimum of 30 minutes (I tend to do this in the morning). Blanch (place into boiling water for about 2 minutes) and shuck the head of broccoli. Set aside.
In wok or large sauté pan heat olive oil (about 2 tablespoons) add onion. Cook until translucent. Add beef and marinade to pan. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring once. Add Broccoli, cover and cook another 20 minutes stirring often. Serve over rice.

Corned Beef w/ Vegetables

• 1 (3 pound) corned beef brisket
• 4 or 5 garlic cloves (smashed)
• 2 or 3 large shallots, peeled and quartered
• 2 tablespoons pickling spice
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 2 (12 ounce) bottles of dark beer (Guinness for me, of course)
• 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
• 6 carrots peeled and cut into 2" pieces
• 6 red potatoes cut into 2 " pieces
• 1 small head of cabbage cored and quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh dill

Preheat oven to 250ºF.  To a large sized roaster add first 7 ingredients.  Cover and place in the oven. Braise for 3 hours turning the meat once.  After three hours add carrots, potatoes, cabbage and dill. Cover again and braise another 2 hours.  Remove from oven. Let sit for about 10 minutes.  Remove to plate surrounding meat with vegetables.  Serve with soda bread.

Italian Meatballs

• 1 pound ground meat
• 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 small onion minced into tiny pieces

Using your fingers squish all ingredients together but only until just combined well.  Do not over mix!
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Put an additional 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs into a bowl. Set aside. Spray a casserole or cake pan with PAM. Set Aside Roll meatballs into golf ball sized pieces.  Toss in bowl of loose bread crumbs until coated and place each ball on baking pan.  Cover with foil. Bake 35 Minutes.
Uncover. Add 1 large jar spaghetti sauce to pan covering meatballs. Bake an additional 20-30 minutes. During this second baking time boil your noodles for spaghetti or heat rolls until mozzerella cheese is melted for meatball sandwiches.

Sloppy Joes

• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 lb. Ground Chuck
• 1/2 med onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic(minced)
• 3/4 cup ketchup 
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Add butter to skillet over med. high heat. Add ground chuck and cook until brown. Drain off fat. Add onions and garlic a pinch of salt and a bit of pepper, cook until they begin to soften. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chilli powder, dry mustard, Worcestershire and water. Turn heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes more.

This is my version of a quick and easy go to recipe for sloppy joe's. When the hubby is not around I will also add 1/2 red or green pepper, diced.

Pizza Buns

• 1 pound ground meat
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1  package small dinner rolls (split horizontally to make 24 tops and bottoms)
• 1 jar cheese whiz or 8 cheese slices (quartered)
• 1 jar pizza sauce
• Grated Parmesan Cheese

Place about 1 tablespoon oil in fry pan and heat. Dump chopped onion in pan and let sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add ground meat and brown as usual. In the meant time separate tops from bottoms of dinner rolls. Place on cookie sheet cut side up. Spread each bun half with Cheese Whiz or top with 1/4 slice piece of cheese. Top each half bun with a 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon of sauce (more or less) in the center of each half, until all sauce is used. top with heaping teaspoon spoon full of meat mixture in the center of each half bun on top of the sauce. Sprinkle each half bun with grated Parmesan cheese. Preheat oven to 350°F bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until buns are golden and crunchy.

Be creative, these can be topped with any type pizza toppings.

Easy Sweet BBQ Cocktail Meatballs

2 - 3 lbs Italian style meatballs (home made or frozen)
1 (12 oz) jar chilli sauce
1 (12 oz) jar grape jelly

Mix chilli sauce and jelly in bottom of a 1 - 2 quart crock pot. Toss with meatballs. Warm on low for about 4 hours (or high for 2 hours before lowering the temperature to low before serving).

Crock - Pot Beef Stew

• 1-2 lbs beef stew meat cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1/4 cup flour + 2 Tablespoons
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 lb potato peeled and chopped
• 2 or 3 large carrots chopped
• 1 (14.5oz) can beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons Gravy Master (or Kitchen Bouquet) 
• 1 bay leaf

1) Peel and chop potatoes and carrots. Place in bottom of crock pot.
2) In plastic bag or medium sized bowl combine flour, salt and pepper.
3) Add meat pieces to the flour mixture, toss to coat completely. Set bowl of flour aside.
4) In the bottom of a fry pan add oil and heat on med high until just before smoking.
5) While oil is heating and meat is cooking mince garlic and chop onion.
6) Add 1/3 meat pieces to the pan and cook until all sides of meat are browned. Remove with slotted spoon to crock pot. Repeat this process until all meat is browned.
7) Lower heat to medium, add garlic and onion to the fry pan after meat has been removed. Sprinkle lightly with a bit of salt cooking until just translucent.
8) Add 1/4 to 1/2 can of beef broth to fry pan and scrape off the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add a small amount of broth to the bowl with the remaining flour. whisk in the 2 additional tablespoons of flour.
9) Add all broth to the crock pot along with Worcestershire sauce, paprika and Gravy master.  Drop in bay leaf.
10) Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours stirring once or twice during the process. (My crock pot seems to run high so I cook mine 4 hours stirring twice.

Savory Cocktail Meatballs

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 medium onion (minced)
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon Accent
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 can(s) golden mushroom soup.

Preheat oven to 350ºF .
In large bowl kneed spices into ground beef.
Roll into teaspoon sized balls and place on baking sheet.
Bake approximately 45 minutes until done.
Drain off grease.
In frying pan, slow cooker, or baking dish, top meatballs with mushroom soup and toss.
Heat until warmed.

This is an excellent hot dish for a party all by itself. Serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles and you have a great entree.