Crockpot Italian Roundsteak

This is a great hearty meal for a busy day.  Throw everything in your crockpot.  You don’t even have to pre-thaw the meat.  Let it simmer all day and by the end of the day when you are tired and your kids are all hungry, you won’t have any work left to do, but serve.  Okay, and clean the dishes. :)

2 lbs. round steak (thawed or frozen)
2 cans tomato sauce
1 packet lipton onion dry soup mix
4 TBSP. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. oregano
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 Red Potatoes, cut in half
5-8 Carrots, peeled and chopped about 1” thick
1 large zucchini, quartered

Place the meat on the bottom of your crockpot.  Place tomato sauce and all seasonings next.  Top with potatoes, carrots and zucchini.  Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-7.

Meatloaf

This is my favorite traditional meatloaf recipe.  I have to admit, I haven't tried hoards of meatloaf recipes.  The few I've tried I didn't care much for, so I've stuck with this same recipe for years.  If you love ketchup and brown sugar on top of your meatloaf, then this probably isn't the recipe for you.  There is no special kick to it, but it's moist, flavorful and the kids all love it AND it's super easy!

Ingredients:
1 envelope lipton onion soup mix
2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Shape into loaf in 13x9 inch baking or roasting pan.  Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done.  Let stand 10 minutes.  Serves 8.

Chicken Fried Steak with Creamy Pepper Gravy

I got this recipe out of a Southern Living Magazine about ten years ago while we were living in Iowa. It's been a favorite ever since! Normally I make it with pounded flat chicken breasts, but for the sake of this blog, I actually DID buy cube steak! It's great either way.
Ingredients:
1 egg white, beaten
2 3/4 cups milk, divided
20 saltine crackers, crushed
1 cup flour, divided
2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper, divided
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 cup vegetable oil
6 cube steaks
1 TBSP. butter

Instructions:
Combine egg white and 1/4 cup milk in a bowl. Combine crushed crackers, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and poultry seasoning in a shallow dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Dip 3 steaks, 1 at a time, into egg white misture. Dredge in seasoning crumbs. Preass to coat. Fry 4 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove to a wire rack. Then keep warm in a 225 degree oven. Repeat procedure with remaining three steaks. Drain hot oil, reserve browned bits and 2 TBSP. drippings. Melt butter in drippings over medium heat. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup flour, remaining 1 tsp. salt and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups milk. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Beef and Brocoli

My kids LOVE a good stir fry, so tonight we had beef and broccoli. Ingredients:
Top Sirloin (however much you want)
Brocoli (however much you want)
Carrots, optional
Onion, optional

Marinade:
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon water
2 tablespoon cornstarch

Thinly slice the steak and marinate in the marinade mixture for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking. Heat oil in a skillet and cook until meat changes color, but still has slight pink in the middle (1 to 2 minutes). Don't over cook. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel.

To cook Vegetables:
1/2 cup water (more if you use carrots and onion)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar

Sauce:
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon water

Mix sauce in a small bowl and pour over vegetables and meat and heat through right before serving.

Thickener:
2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1 pound fresh broccoli
1 TBSP. minced garlic

To Cook Broccoli:
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

Saute the garlic in a little olive oil until it smells yummy. Add brocoli and saute for a few minutes. Add water, salt and sugar and cover and bring to a boil and let simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, leaving the vegetables slightly crunchy. Add meat and sauce and serve over rice.

Garlic Wet Rub

I made up this garlic rub tonight to try on our steak. It was SO yummy! Apply it heavy, because there is no such thing as too much! (okay, so my opinion anyway!). Sorry, I don't have a picture of this one! We tried some of the leftovers on salmon the next night. It was great too. If you love garlic, you should love this.

7 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 1/4 tsp. salt
3 TBSP. olive oil
1 1/2 TBSP. lemon juice
3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. pepper
Steak

Put all of the ingredients in your blender and blend to a liquid paste. Baste on your meat while grilling.

Taco Soup

This is a recipe I make all the time. My family loves it. Typically when I make it, I will five times the batch and then freeze it in meal-size freezer bags. I figure if I'm going to take the time to make it, I might as well make a bunch. It's perfect for those nights when you just don't want to cook...just get it out and throw it frozen into your crockpot on low or even warm and dinner is done! Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
2 cans mexican diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, don't drain the liquid
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz.)

Brown the ground beef and saute the onion with the beef. Add the taco seasoning mix, tomato saue and tomatoes. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low. Or....just brown the ground beef and saute the onion and dump the rest in your crockpot on warm (if you are leaving it all day) or low if it is only for a few hours. Serve with fritos, cheese and sour cream.

Mongolian Stir Fry

This is a basic Mongolian Beef recipe, but I added more vegetables to it than your typical Mongolian Beef and turned it more into a traditional stir fry. It turned out yummy. I doubled the recipe for the sauce and it was perfect. I did fry the meat tonight. Next time I wont. But I do have to say, it was sure good fried! Even if it wasn't healthy!Ingredients:
Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root (I used the canned minced ginger)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 pound beef flank steak, sliced 1/4 inch thick on the diagonal
1 cup vegetable oil for frying
2 bunches green onions, cut in 2-inch lengths

Directions:
Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook and stir the garlic and ginger until they release their fragrance, about 30 seconds. Pour in the soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Raise the heat to medium-high, and stir 4 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce boils and slightly thickens. Remove sauce from the heat, and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a deep-sided skillet. Drop the meat slices into the hot oil and fry until the edges become crisp and start to brown. Remove and drain on paper towel. Pour the oil out of the skillet or wok, and return the pan to medium heat. Return the beef slices to the pan, stir briefly, and pour in the reserved sauce. Stir once or twice to combine, and add the green onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, and cook until the onions have softened and turned bright green, about 2 minutes.

That's the official recipe. Of course, I sauteed my veggies in a little oil, added the meat and then put the sauce over the entire thing right before serving.