Italian Meatballs

Italian Meatballs
1/2 c. milk
4 slices soft bread

4 beaten eggs
1/2 c. finely chopped onion

4 cloves finely chopped Garlic
1/4 c. finely chopped Italian Parsley

¼ c. Parmesan Cheese
2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

3 lb. ground beef (or combination of Beef, Pork and Veal)

 

 

In a bowl soak the break in the milk for 15-20 minutes

Squeeze out the bread and discard the milk

Add all the other ingredients to the bowl and mix just to combine, over mixing can make the meatballs tough

Shape into 1 inch meatballs and place on a baking sheet

Bake at 375°f oven for 15-20 minutes

 

After baking, for spaghetti and Meatballs, put into the tomato sauce simmering on the stove for 15 minutes or longer before serving over spaghetti

 

Meatloaf

Meatloaf

Never has a dish caused so much discussion as meatloaf. You either love it or hate. I love it. The first Chef I was apprenticed to made the most incredible meatloaf I ever had. It was a mix of Beef, pork and Veal with veggies in it. The next Chef I worked for made his with spinach mixed in it and bacon. I combined the two into one recipe and am very happy with it.

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 lb. Ground Pork

1 lb. Ground Veal

2 T Butter

1 large Onion, diced

2 ribs of Celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

8 ounce box of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 tomato, chopped

Pinch nutmeg (In the German Restaurant I worked in we always grated fresh)

2 cups unseasoned bread crumbs

¼ cup whole milk

2 eggs

1 T salt

1 tsp pepper

4 T tomato Paste

4 slices bacon

 

Melt butter over medium heat and add veggies, sauté until veggies are soft, add nutmeg.

Take off heat and allow to cool to room temperature

 

In a large bowl mix bread crumbs with milk and eggs and allow to sit for 5 minutes

 

Into breadcrumb mixture add ground meat, cooled veggies and salt and pepper. Mix just until combined and bread crumbs are well distributed. Over mixing will make meatloaf tough

 

In a loaf pan put 2 strips of bacon in the bottom and press the meatloaf mix in to it, making sure to pack it well. Smear the tomato paste over the top of the meatloaf and top it all with the last 2 strips of bacon

 

Bake in a preheated 300°f oven for 2 hours

 

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing

 

Shepherds Pie

Shepherd’s Pie

6 Large Potatoes

2 T butter

1 cup milk

1 lb Ground Beef

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

1 onion diced

2 cloves Garlic (garlic powder is ok too)

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°f

Peel and quarter the potatoes into a pot of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until soft. Drain well and mash them with the butter and add enough of the milk to make them creamy.

In a skillet brown the ground beef and cook the onions. Drain the excess grease from the pan and add the tomatoes, garlic and frozen Vegetables. Simmer for 10 minutes

If you skillet is oven proof use it if not put the beef mixture in an oven safe dish

Top with the mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted

Serve with a tossed salad for an easy meal

Beef Goulash

Beef Goulash

So this recipe got it’s start last week when a friend on one of my Social networking sites posted that her family needed help in making their food budget get a little more bang for it’s buck.

That got me thinking about all my other friends and people that for what ever reason are having money struggles right now

As a chef I can help you make tasty meals. As a friend I can tell you there are tons of websites out there that can help you with your food budget with shopping tips and coupons

So starting with this recipe look for the Budget Meal Category in my blog from now on and these will help you with your food budget

1 lb Ground Beef

½ cup beef broth

3 Carrots, Grated

1 15oz can diced tomatoes

2 tsp Sweet Hungarian Paprika

1 tsp Brown Sugar

2 T flour

1/3 cup Sour Cream

16 oz elbow macaroni (make according to the directions on the box)

In a skillet brown the ground beef and drain the excess fat. Return the Ground Beef to the pan

Add the beef broth, carrots, and tomatoes. Season with the Paprika, Salt and Pepper to taste, and the brown sugar. Bring to a boil and then simmer.

In a small bowl mix the flour with ¼ cup water. Add to the simmering Goulash and allow to cook for 10 minutes

Stir in the Sour Cream and allow to simmer 5 more minutes

Serve over the Macaroni with some veggies on the side

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs:

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 1/2 pound ground beef, 80-85% lean
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• ½ lb mozzarella Cheese cut into small cubes
• 1 cup pure olive oil

Tomato Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juice
• 1 bay leaf
• ¼ cup parsley, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 basil leaves
• Pinch or more of red pepper flakes if you like

Spaghetti:

• 12 cups water
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garlic Bread:

• 1 stick soften butter
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 loaf Italian Bread, cut into 3/4-inch slices

For the Meatballs: Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, except mozzarella cheese and olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Roll meat mixture into 1 ½ inch balls and stuff each with a cube of mozzarella making sure to fully enclose it. Heat the oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry until golden brown, but not cooked through completely. (remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.)

For the Tomato Sauce: Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add pureed tomatoes and juice, bay leaf and parsley, salt and pepper and red pepper flakes, if using, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add meatballs and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Remove the bay leaf , add the basil and serve.

For the Spaghetti: Bring salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente (8-10 minutes). Drain well in a colander, toss in sauce, and serve with meatballs and Parmesan cheese.

For the Garlic Bread: Combine butter and garlic. Spread evenly on bread and bake in a preheated 400°f oven until browned.

Ranch Burgers

Ranch Burgers

First I think we all need an education on what Ground beef to use for burgers. I get so many questions about it at work so here is my answer….Burgers need fat to taste good, the lower the fat content the more dry they will be. I recommend an 85/15 or an 80/20 blend, any less then that dry and more then that flare ups and shrinkage. I also recommend Ground Chuck because it has a better flavor profile for burgers than any other Ground Beef.

2 lbs Ground Beef

1 (1oz) package Ranch Dressing mix

1 egg, slightly beaten

12 Ritz crackers crushed

1 small onion, minced

6 Burger Buns, bakery buns are better

Preheat Grill to 400°f-450°f.

In a large bowl, mix Ground Beef, Ranch Dressing Mix, egg, Crushed Crackers, and onion. Form into 6 patties about ½ to ¾ inch thick

Brush Grill Grate with oil

Place patties on the grill. Grill 5 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160°f.

Toast buns on the grill

Serve burgers on toasted buns with toppings like sliced tomatoes, lettuce, onion, etc

Beef Enchilada Casserole 2

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1 26 oz can Red Enchilada Sauce

1 4.5 oz can Chopped Green Chilies

6 oz Corn Tortillas, cut into strips

4 oz shredded Colby or Cheddar Cheese

Heat Oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with food release spray

Brown Ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain. Add Corn, Enchilada Sauce and Green Chilies; mix well

spoon 1/4 of the beef mixture into the bottom of the casserole dish. Top with 1/3 of the tortilla strips. Repeat layers ending with beef mixture on top. Cover with foil

Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and return to the oven 5 minutes

options

-topped with sliced black olives after the cheese

– mix precooked Pinto Beans into the beef mixture

– top with sour cream and/or Salsa at service