Beef Pot Pie

Beef Pot Pie

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 lb lean beef sirloin, cut into small cubes

Garlic salt and pepper

2 tsp celery flakes

1/2 cup red wine

1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Beef Base

Water

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 heaping cup frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 box Pillsbury Piecrust Allready

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the onions until translucent and soft. Add the beef cubes and brown well, stirring occasionally. Season with garlic salt, pepper and celery flakes. Stir in wine, beef base and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until very tender, about an hour and a half. Add more water to keep the meat covered if needed. Stir in the potato cubes and cook until potato is just barely tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the peas and carrots. Mix the sour cream and flour in a small bowl until smooth and then whisk it into the beef mixture, stirring constantly until smooth. Cook until slightly thickened. 

Heat oven to 425^ F. Following instruction on piecrust box, use one of the crusts to line a deep dish pie plate. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef and vegetables to the pie plate. Pour enough gravy over the beef mixture to just cover it. Place the second pie crust over the beef and tuck the edges under the bottom crust. Crimp to seal. Cut 4 small slits into the top pie crust. Place the pie dish on a large cookie sheet lined with foil to catch any drips. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Very good dinner.

Beef in Beer

4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 large onions, sliced

3 lbs beef for stew, cut into 2-inch chunks

Salad Oil

2 tbsp flour

1 (12-oz) can beer

1 cup water

1 beef bouillon cube

1 small bay leaf

2 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp thyme leaves

1/8 tsp pepper

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until browned; remove to a 3 quart casserole.  Cook onions in drippings until tender and lightly browned, stirring often.  Remove to casserole.

In drippings over medium-high heat, cook beef a few pieces at a time, until well-browned (adding some salad oil if needed).  Remove to casserole.

In same skillet over medium heat, into an additional 2 tablespoons hot oil, stir flour and cook, stirring until dark brown.  Gradually stir in beer and the remaining ingredient except vinegar.  Cook until slightly thickened.

Pour into casserole, mix well.  Bake, covered, in 350^F oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes until meat is fork tender.  Spoon off fat from sauce.  Stir in vinegar. 

Serve with parslied potatoes and a tossed green salad.

Delicious!!

Baked Steak with Cream Gravy

Baked Steak with Cream Gravy

4-6 small sirloin steaks, about 1/2" thick

Seasoned Salt and Pepper

1 cup flour

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 onion, cut in half and sliced

12-oz can evaporated milk

10-oz can Campbell's Beefy Mushroom soup

Pound the steaks until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Season with seasoned salt and pepper and dredge them in the flour. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large heavy skillet. Brown the steaks quickly on both sides, turning only once. Place the meat into a 9x13" dish. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until they are transparent. Stir in about 1/4 cup flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the evaporated milk until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the beefy mushroom soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over the steaks, cover the pan tightly with foil anb bake at 350^ for 1 hour.

We had this with Rice and Green Beans. It was good!

Quick Black Beans and Rice

2 cans Black Beans

1 teaspoon cumin

1/4 cup catsup

1 tablespoon diced pickled jalapenos

Hot, cooked Rice

Pour the black beans into a large skillet.  Add the cumin, catsup and jalapenos and stir until well combined.  Cook over medium-high heat until the mixture comes to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve the beans over the hot rice.  I like them with a dollop of sour cream.  Delicious, quick and easy.

Option 1:  Add 1/2 cup meat drippings from Roast Pork.  My favorite!

Option 2:  Saute a small chopped onion in a bit of bacon grease until translucent, before adding the beans to the skillet and proceeding as listed above.  Add some chopped bell pepper to the onions if you wish.

Option 3:  Substitute 1/2 cup Salsa for the jalapenos.

Yankee Chicken Chili

Yankee Chicken Chili

16 oz pkg Great Northern Beans, washed

32 oz chicken broth

4 oz can chopped green chiles

2 Tbsp Ancho chile powder

1/2 cup Sofrito

Garlic Salt & Pepper

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp Hot Mexican chili powder

1 large Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped

1 Lime

1 cup water

Place the beans in a crockpot with the chicken broth, green chiles, ancho chile powder, sofrito and Garlic Salt & Pepper. 

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Season the chicken breasts with Garlic Salt, pepper and Hot Mexican chili powder and cook in oil over medium heat until well browned on both sides., adding chopped onions about halfway through cooking time. Squeeze lime juice over chicken and onions and add water. Bring to boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits, then add mixture in skillet to the beans in the crockpot. 

Cook on high 6-8 hours or until beans are tender. Chop the chicken and return to the pot. Simmer 5-10 minutes and then serve.

6/11/11 - This was really good, especially the broth and the chicken. Try making this without the beans (just a Braised Chicken kind of thing). The beans were actually kind of bland, so I may experiment with a sour cream/salsa based topping or maybe a Ranch/Sour Cream flavor.

White Bean Pot

White Bean Pot

1 lb dried Great Northern Beans

7 cups water

¾ lb smoked ham, cubed

4 carrots, scraped and diced

1 large tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 large onion, chopped

¾ cup chopped fresh parsley

¼ cup chopped celery

1 clove garlic, minced

¾ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp paprika

1/8 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp dried marjoram

1 lb smoked sausage, cut into ¼-inch slices

1 tbsp  butter

Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven.  Add water, and bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes.  Remove beans from heat; cover and let soak 1 hour.  Return to heat; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour.  Add ham, carrots, tomato, onion, parsley, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and marjoram; stir well.  Bring mixture to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Brown sausage in 1 tbsp butter in a skillet; stir into bean mixture and serve.

Very good! 8/3/07

Terry's Texas Pinto Beans

Terry's Texas Pinto Beans

1 pound dry pinto beans 

1 (29 ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth 

1 large onion, chopped 

1 Tbsp diced jalapeno pepper 

1 tsp roasted garlic

1/2 cup green salsa 

1 teaspoon cumin 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 

Water

Salt to taste

Place the pinto beans in a slow cooker, and pour in the chicken broth. Stir in onion, jalapeno, garlic, salsa, cumin, and pepper. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 1 inch. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or until beans are tender. Add salt to taste.

Adapted from allrecipes.com recipe by the same name. These are really delicious! Next time I'll add a smoked turkey wing and I'll bet they'll be even better!