This recipe comes from a Pampered Chef party I went to last week.  Really yummy! And even though I don't have the $85 Deep Covered Baker or the correct measuring utensils or the Simple Slicer or the Mix N Chop or the $10 Italian Seasoning, it didn't turn out too bad Sunday night for dinner using my old pan, etc.   Instead of cooking in the microwave according to the original instructions, I cooked it all on my range.

ITALIAN BEEF HOAGIES

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/4 tsp salt and pepper
1 onion
1 red and 1 green bell pepper
1 envelope dry Onion Soup mix
1 T Italian seasoning
1 T red wine vinegar
6 slices provolone cheese
1 package hoagie rolls

Place ground beef, salt, pepper, onion soup mix, Italian Seasoning, and vinegar in pan and cook until beef is cooked through.  Add onion and peppers and cook until soft.
At this point you can place cheese on top of mixture, cover and melt or do like I did and let everybody put the cheese on their own sandwich.  Serve on hoagie rolls. 

Southwestern Beef Wraps

Nathan brought these to Kelli and Patrick's family home evening in July for me. I didn't get to try them then so I decided to make them again for my family. They are so good and so easy. The meat would make great baked chimis or taquitos, I think.

The recipe is from Our Best Bites, which is becoming one of my favorite sites for recipes.

Southwestern Beef Wraps
by Our Best Bites

1 onion, chopped
2 1/2-ish lb. beef roast, trimmed of fat but left whole
1 heaping tsp. chili powder
1 heaping tsp. garlic powder
1 heaping tsp. cumin
1 heaping tsp. Kosher salt
2 bell peppers (you can use 2 green bell peppers or mix it up a little with red, yellow, or orange; just make sure one is green), chopped
1 14 1/2 oz. can Mexican-style diced tomatoes OR 1 can of Rotel tomatoes (regular or mild, depending on your preference)
Small flour tortillas
Other desired toppings: cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, lettuce, etc.

Put onion in bottom of crock pot. Combine chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and salt. Rub all over meat. Put meat in crock pot. Add peppers and tomatoes. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-9 hours. Shred meat and serve with desired toppings.

Both times I've made this I used one green and one red bell pepper. I also have some of the leftovers in my freezer waiting to be used another day. According to Our Best Bites, you can assemble the ingredients in a freezer safe container (but do it backwards; ie. tomatoes, peppers, meat, onions) and freeze. When you're ready to use it just add 1-2 hours onto the cooking time.

Click here for printable version.

Meatballs in Cream Sauce

Meatballs-

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 c. oats
1 egg
1/4 c. diced onion
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp.pepper
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
3 Tbsp. flour

Sauce--

2 Tbsp. butter
3 1/2 Tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
14 oz. chicken broth
2/3 c. milk
2 tsp. dried parsley

For meatballs-- Combine all ingredients except flour. Mix well and roll into 24 balls. Roll in the flour. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, shaking the pan occassionally so that they brown evenly.

For sauce-- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and seasonings until smooth. Gradually add broth and milk; stirring constantly. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add parsley. Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce. Serve over hot pasta.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

These were so yummy. We used the leftovers to make quesadillas the next day. So good and so easy!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef for Sandwiches
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 bay leaf
1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix (such as Good Seasons brand)
1 (5 pound) chuck roast

Combine water and beef broth with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix. Whisk to combine.

Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork (I did this step about 45 minutes before eating so the shredded meat had time to absorb more of the juices in the crockpot). Serve on crusty rolls with cheese, if desired

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

Patrick LOVED this recipe. I don't have a BBQ grill so I just used my Foreman Grill and it turned out well.

Hawaiian Beef Teriyaki

1 can pineapple chunks with juice (15 oz.)
1 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 Lb. beef sirloin, cut in 1 inch cubes

Mix together all ingredients, excluding beef. Set aside about 1/2 c. of the sauce, cover and refrigerate. Add beef to remaining sauce and marinate, covered and refrigerated overnight (better yet, seal the marinade and beef in a large Ziploc bag and place in a bowl, then place in the fridge-- either way works). Thread beef onto skewers. Discard leftover marinade. Broil or grill about 8-10 minutes, turning once, until beef is cooked. Place beef in a large bowl, pour remaining sauce over the cooked beef and stir until well covered. Serve with rice (or grilled fresh pineapple).

Shepherd's Pie

I found this recipe in the Buffalo Ridge Cookbook early on in my marriage and have made it many times since. Emmalin really enjoyed it tonight! 1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (14.5 oz) can stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 c. frozen corn
1 c. frozen green beans
Mashed potatoes, I use 5-6 potatoes or you could use potato pearls
shredded cheese

Brown meat and onion in skillet. Drain. Cook frozen veggies (or use canned if you prefer, just drain the veggies first). Stir stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce into meat. Add corn and green beans. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Drop mashed potatoes on top of meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Warm until cheese is melted.