Shredded Beef

1 chuck roast (4-5 lbs.)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 (14 oz) fat-free beef broth
1 large onion; sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Trim any excess fat from roast and place it in a large roasting pan.
3. Sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
4. Press the spices into the roast with your fingers.
5. Pour can of broth around the roast taking care not to pour it over the spices.
6. Peel and thinly slice onion.  Separate rings and add them to the roast.
7. Cover the roast with foil and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until 185 degrees. Baste meat every 30 min or so.
8. Remove beef and move to platter or shallow bowl.  Shred using two forks.  
9. Can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.

Makes about 8 cups shredded beef.

App. serving: 1/2 cup - 138 calories - 4 g. fat - 44 mg cholesterol- 22 g. protein - 1 g. carbs - trace amount dietary fiber - 235 mg sodium

Italian Meatball Sliders

From:  www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

24 frozen meatballs, thawed
2 cups marinara sauce
8 ounces sliced provolone or mozzarella
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasonings
24 dinner rolls or 8 hot dog buns cut in thirds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9X13 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Warm the meatballs in the marinara sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Separate the dinner rolls or hot dog buns and place one saucy meatball on the bottom roll. Top with mozzarella or provolone. Place the top roll on and push down slightly. Place meatball slider in the pan and continue to assemble the rest of the sliders. 

Microwave butter in a bowl in the microwave until melted. Add garlic powder and Italian seasonings and mix well. Brush tops of buns with melted butter mixture. 

Toast in oven for 8-10 minutes or until toasted. I like mine a little more on the soft side...not so toasty.

BBQ Bacon Meatball Sliders

24 frozen meatballs
Favorite BBQ sauce
24 small slices of cheddar cheese
Bacon; cooked and cut in thirds
8 gourmet hot dog buns; cut into thirds
2 T. butter

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook meatballs according to directions; place in heated bbq sauce
3. Place one meatball, a slice a cheese, and piece of bacon on each 1/3 of hot dog bun
4. Line a 9x13 pan with foil and brush tops with melted butter.
5. Toast sliders for 8-10 minutes; watch closely!!

Created recipe for 2011 Superbowl!!

Teriyaki Meatballs

From: Marianne Stoker

Note: I double the meat to make 24 meatballs or just buy meatballs from Costco

Meatballs:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
2 T. milk
1 T. finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt

Sauce:
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 clove garlic; minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
2 1/4 cups beef broth

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Combine beef, bread crumbs, milk, onion, egg and salt; mix thoroughly but lightly.
Shape into 12 meatballs (remember to double if you have a larger family or using as an appetizer)
Place in a baking dish, bake for 25-30 minutes or until browned

SAUCE:
In sauce pan, blend together cornstarch, soy sauce, sugar, garlic and ginger.
Gradually stir in beef broth.
Cook over medium low heat until thickened.

Add meatballs to sauce and serve!

Serve with rice and stir-fry vegetables or leave in crockpot for an appetizer.

Serves 6

Dinner In a Pumpkin

From:  Tanya Purcell (2009)

Perfect meal to warm everyone up before heading out on Halloween night!!

1 hour prep time
1 1/2 to 2 hours cook time

1 medium pumpkin (or squash)
1 onion; chopped
1 garlic clove; minced
2 T. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground beef
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms; finely chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup (10 3/4 oz)
3 cups cooked rice

**Optional:  2 T. brown sugar and 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mixed together**

1. Before starting the recipe, cut off the top of the pumpkin and thoroughly clean out the pulp and seeds.
2. Optional, but highly recommended....rub the inside of the pumpkin really well  with the brown sugar-spice mix
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
4. In large skillet, saute onions in vegetable oil until tender.
5. Add and brown ground beef
6. Add soy sauce, mushrooms, brown sugar and soup
7. Simmer for 10 minutes; stirring occasionally
8. Add cooked rice
9. Spoon mixture into cleaned out pumpkin shell
10. Replace pumpkin top and place entire pumpkin, with filling, on a baking sheet into the oven.
11. Bake for 1 1/2-2 hours or until the inside of pumpkin is tender enough to eat.
12. Put entire pumpkin on table, remove lid and serve!!!

Make sure you scoop out some of the pumpkin while you are serving too!!  Great and fun way to get a serving of vegetables!!

Sloppy Joes

1 T. vegetable oil
1 green bell pepper; chopped
1 red bell pepper; chopped
2 garlic cloves; chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
3 T. tomato paste
1 c. BBQ sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. hot sauce (recommend Tabasco sauce)
Hamburger buns

1. Heat oil in large skillet with straight sides.
2. Add bell peppers and garlic.  Saute until tender; about 3 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add ground beef to vegetables.  Stir and cook for about 8 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink and fully cooked.
5. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, bbq sauce, worcestershire, and hot sauce into the skillet; stir and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
6. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

Serves: 6

Juicy Loosey

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (best if you use a lower %)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. black pepper
4 slices American cheese (NOT cheddar)
4 buns
Favorite condiments and toppings

1. Place beef, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, and pepper in bowl; mix well.
2. Portion into 8 thin patties
3. Fold cheese slices in half twice so you have a stack of cheese slices. Place 1 stack of cheese on top of 4 of the patties.
4. Top with another patty and seal edges together real tight.
5. Cook on grill; do not puncture patties, the cheese will all cook out!

Miracle Lasagna

From:  Tanya Purcell (2009)

1 (45 oz) jar prepared spaghetti sauce with meat
**(I add my own 1 lb. hamburger cooked with 1 medium onion and 1 minced garlic clove)**
6 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 (16 oz) container cottage cheese
3 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1. In 2 qt. baking dish, spread 1 c. sauce
2. Top with 3 uncooked noodles, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and 1 c. sauce.
3. Top with remaining noodles and layer again.
4. Cover and make at 375 degrees for 1 hour.  
5. Remove cover, top with remaining cheese and cook until cheese is completely melted.
6. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting

Baked Beef

From:  Tanya Purcell (2009)

3 lb. stew meat; cut into very small pieces
2 cans golden mushroom soup
3/4 can water
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix
Fresh mushrooms; saute (optional)
** I also add 1 cup mini carrots**

Cooked Rice; enough for your family
Chow mien noodles (optional)

1. Brown stew meat on top of stove for just a few minutes.  
2. Combine soups and water, then mix in meat, carrots and mushrooms
3. Bake in 375 degree oven for 1 1/2-2 hours to make sure the meat is well done.
4. Serve over cooked rice.  Can top with chow mien noodles.

Hawaiian Meatballs

Meatballs: (make these or buy the "homestyle" meatballs from the store)
1 ½ lbs. ground beef
2/3 c. cracker crumbs or bread
½ c. chopped onion
2/3 c. evaporated milk
1 tsp. season salt
1/3 c. flour
3 Tbs. shortening

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape meat mix into 30 balls. Roll in flour.
2. Brown meatballs in shortening or broil them for about 10 minutes. Drain excess fat.
3. Meanwhile prepare sweet-n-sour sauce. Pour over meatballs and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes.

Sweet-n-Sour Sauce:
1 can (13 ½ oz) pineapple chunks
2 Tbs. cornstarch
½ c. vinegar
½ c. brown sugar
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 c. coarsely chopped green peppers.
1 Tbs. chopped pimentos (optional)

1. Drain pineapple chunks. Reserve juice. Measure juice; add enough water to make 1 c. of liquid.
2. Blend together pineapple liquid and cornstarch until smooth. Stir in next 4 ingredients.
3. Cook until thickened and clear.
4. Add pineapple chunks, green peppers, and pimentos. Mix well. Simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Serve over cooked rice. Makes about 6 servings.

*My mom has had this recipes since 1980! So, it must be good to be in our family recipes for that long! They can be either a main dish or just keep the meatballs in the crockpot with the sauce and use as an appetizer too.

Basic Pot Roast

I have made this several times and have loved it!!

1 (4-pound) boneless Chuck pot roast, neatly tied
Salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped celery
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons thyme
4 cups beef stock
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoon butter, softened

1. Pat roast dry and season with salt and pepper.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
3. Add the roast and brown on all sides, about 15 minutes total.
4. Transfer the roast to a plate and pour out all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan.
5. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook over moderate heat, stirring until golden.
6. Place the roast back in the pan along with the bay leaves, thyme, and enough of the beef stock to come up 2/3 of the way up the beef
7. Bring the pot roast to a simmer on top of the stove, skim, cover tightly, and set in the lower third of a 350 degree preheated oven.
8. Regulate heat so that the liquid remains at a gentle simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the beef is tender.
9. Turn the roast over several times during its braising.
10. Transfer roast to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes, covered with aluminum foil to keep warm.
11. Skim off any fat from the surface of the liquid. Strain the liquid.
12. To thicken the sauce slightly, bring the liquid to a boil.
13. For each cup of liquid, stir together 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon flour.
14. Whisk the butter mixture into the liquid. Simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.
15. Slice the pot roast and serve with the sauce and boiled new potatoes.

**Recipe from my sister Tanya

Steak, Bean, and Rice Burritos

1-2 lbs. steak meat; cut into thin strips
1 Tbls. spoon oil
Salt
Pepper
Fajita Seasoning
Burrito Size tortillas
Refried Beans (La Costena brand are awesome!)
Rice
Tomato Bouillon
Cheese
Sour Cream
Guacamole
Salsa

1. Cook rice according to package; adding 2 tsp. tomato bouillon to every 1 c. of water
2. Heat oil and add steak; season to taste
3. Heat beans
4. Heat tortillas
5. Add beans, rice, steak, and cheese to tortillas and roll up like a burrito
6. Place burrito in warm skillet until slightly brown on both sides
7. Top with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole