Beef Stroganoff

I am always keeping my eyes out for mark downed meats.  Most people over look the tougher cuts, but with a little simmering in the oven, these can become the best dinners.  When I saw this nice cut, my husband and I both said beef stroganoff.  It's not difficult to make and your house will be filled with wonderful aromas as it cooks.

You will need:
2 pounds chuck roast, (stew meat, or similar), cut into 1 inch cubes and patted dry
1 Tabs. each salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
3 Tabs. vegetable oil
2 Tabs butter
1 jumbo, (or 2 large) onions diced
2 garlic cloves, (minced)
1/2 pound mushrooms, (sliced)
2 Tabs. paprika
2 cups beef stock
3 Tabs. tomato paste
2 Tabs. dried parsley
1 Tabs. Dijon mustard
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper.

Add the chopped meat.  Lightly dust the meat with the flour and shake off the excess flour.

In a dutch oven, (over medium high heat), add the vegetable oil.  When the oil is hot, add the beef and cook until brown on all sides, turning as it cooks.  When the meat has browned, remove from pan and set aside.

 Add the butter to the dutch oven pan and melt.

Add the chopped onion and minced garlic.  Cook, (stirring frequently) until the onion is translucent, (about 2 or 3 minutes).

 Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 more minutes.

Add paprika and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.

Add the tomato paste, and stir well.  Cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef broth.

Add the Dijon mustard.

 Add the dried parsley


Note: If you have fresh parsley on hand, feel free to use it.

 Add the browned meat back to the pot.

Stir well  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, (make sure to scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan).  Cover the pan, place in the oven, and cook for 2 to 2 - 1/2 hours until meat is tender.

Once the meat is cooked, remove from oven

Add the sour cream, and stir well.  Your stroganoff is ready to serve.

Some people like to enjoy their stroganoff served plain.

In our house, we like to serve our stroganoff on top of egg noodles.  You can also top it off with another little dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy !

Raspberry Oatmeal Squares

Sometimes you're looking for a treat that's quick, easy to make, and can be made with ingredients you already have in the pantry.  Or, maybe you've have to bring a treat to a party and you're short on money and time.  These raspberry oatmeal squares are just the answer.  And they're tasty.

You will need:
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cups sweetened coconut
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oatmeal
3/4 cup (8 oz) raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray the bottom of 9 X 13 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar together until fluffy.

Add the flour.

Add 1 cup of the coconut.

 Add the oatmeal.  Mix together well.

 Remove 1 cup of the mixture.

Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of the 9 X 13 pan.

 Spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the oatmeal mixture.

Note:  you can substitute cherry or apricot preserves, (store bought or homemade).

Sprinkle the 1 cup of oatmeal mixture over the top of the raspberry preserves.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of coconut over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes, until the top starts to turn a golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Once cooled, your raspberry oatmeal squares are now ready to serve.  You can get 12 to 16 squares, (depending on how you cut).

Notice the nice layers, with the raspberry in the middle, the coconut nicely browned on top.

A pan of this does not last long at our house.

Enjoy !

Baked Chicken and Rice

At our house we always have leftover chicken, ready to use in many recipes.  And one easy recipe that requires few ingredients, yet can feed a whole family is my baked chicken and rice casserole.  It's quick, requires few items, and easily feeds 6 to 8 people.

You will need:
2 cups of instant white rice
2 cups water
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup, (10.75 oz)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, (thawed)
1/4 cup milk
salt
pepper
ground sage
garlic powder
onion powder

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray.

In a medium pan, bring the water to a boil.  Add 1/2 teas of salt and the rice.  Stir, cover, and remove from heat.  Allow to sit for 5 to 7 minutes, until the water has been absorbed.  Fluff the rice with a fork, after the rice is done.
Note:  for more flavor, you can cook the rice in chicken broth.

While the rice is cooking, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, soup, sour cream, 3/4 cup cheese, vegetables, milk, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon ground sage,. Stir together until blended.

Note: you can use your choice of cheese, (cheddar, or a cheddar mix works best).  Also, you can substitute turkey for the chicken.  You can also use leftover chopped vegetables.

Add in the cooked rice.  Stir together well. Taste the rice mixture for seasoning.  Does it need a little more salt or pepper?

Pour the rice mixture into the prepared pan.  Add the remaining 1/4 cup cheese on top of the rice mixture.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top starts to turn golden brown.

When the casserole is done, remove from oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.  And your casserole is ready to serve.

Your yummy casserole has meat, vegetables, cheese, and rice.  All the components of a complete meal.  It's filling and yummy.  It stores well in the refrigerator, and reheats easily.

This doesn't last long at our house.

Give this a try and your family won't complain about leftover chicken.

Enjoy !