One-Pan Italian Pasta

Recipe & picture courtesy of Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min
Makes: 8 servings, 1 cup each

• 2 lb. ground beef
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 cups bow tie pasta (farfalle), uncooked
• 1 medium zucchini, sliced
• 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

1. Brown meat with garlic in large skillet; drain. Return to skillet.
2. Add tomatoes with their liquid, the broth and water; mix well. Bring to boil. Add pasta and zucchini; mix well. Cover. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 min. or until pasta is tender.
3. Stir in tomato paste and Italian seasoning until well blended. Sprinkle with cheese.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Beef and Beer Chili

Recipe & picture courtesy of My Recipes

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
• 8 ounces extralean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser)
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute.
3. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Perfect Winter Beef Stew

Recipe & picture courtesy of Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 2 hr 15 min
Makes: 8 servings, 1-1/4 cups each

• 3/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
• 2 lb. beef for stew, such as chuck roast, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 6 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped
• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 1-1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (14-1/2 oz.) beef broth

1. Pour dressing over beef in shallow glass dish. Refrigerate 30 min. to marinate. Meanwhile, cook bacon in large saucepan on medium heat 5 min. or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from saucepan; discard drippings. Drain bacon on paper towels.
2. Add mushrooms and onions to saucepan; cook on medium-high heat 10 min., stirring occasionally. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Add beef, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, broth and bacon to saucepan; stir.
3. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally; cover. Simmer on low heat 1 hour 30 min. or until meat is done and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally and removing the lid for the last 15 min..

How to Prepare Stew in Slow Cooker

1. Marinate beef and cook bacon, onions and mushrooms as directed. Remove beef from marinade; discard marinade. Add beef, onions, mushrooms and remaining ingredients to slow cooker.
2. Cook 10 to 12 hours on LOW (or 5 to 6 hours on HIGH). Stir in 2 Tbsp. flour mixed with 2 Tbsp. water. Cook 15 min. or until sauce is thickened.

**Personal Review: This had very little flavor – I would highly reccomend marinating the beef for more than 30 minutes to give the beef a bit more flavor.  We also ended up adding Franks Red Hot Sauce, garlic powder and salt & pepper to give it a bit more flavor.  I did this in the slow cooker as well on low heat.  We threw the leftovers into the fridge for the next day and it tasted great.  This was much better as a leftover than first taste.**

Venison Pepper Steak

Recipe source unknown

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. venison round steak
• 2 green peppers, cut in 1/4″ slices
• 2 medium stalks celery, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 clove fresh garlic, crushed
• 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms (or 4 oz. can drained)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups beef broth or beef bouillon
• 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp brown gravy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/3 cup cold water
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut venison into very thin slices crossgrain while still partially frozen (this makes it easier to slice thinly).
2. Saute until browned the venison, peppers, celery, onions, garlic and mushrooms in butter. Add beef broth, soy sauce, salt and pepper and simmer covered for about half and hour until the meat and vegetables are tender.
3. Thicken broth with the cornstarch mixture. Blend in brown gravy sauce. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Venison Chili

Recipe source unknown

Serves 6

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 lb venison burger
• 1 qt tomatoes
• 1 3/4 cup beef broth
• 6 oz tomato paste
• salt
• 4 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 2 cans Mexican chili beans

1. Heat oil. Cook onions, celery, and garlic over medium heat until vegetables are soft. Add burger, breaking meat up with a fork; cook until meat is done throughout.
2. Add tomatoes and their liquid, beef broth, tomato paste, salt, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, oregano, allspice. Cook over low heat for 1 hour.
3. Add beans, heat through.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

Texas-Style Brisket

Recipe & picture courtesy of Rachael Ray

SERVES 8
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 4 hr

• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• One 6- to 7-pound trimmed beef brisket, patted dry
• 2/3 cup beef broth
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

1. Soak 3 cups wood chips in water according to the package directions or for 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix together 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon pepper and the garlic powder; sprinkle all over the brisket.
2. Remove the racks from the grill. Arrange a large drip pan or disposable baking sheet on one side of the grill to catch the drippings. Drain the wood chips and transfer to a 2-foot-long sheet of heavyduty foil. Wrap tightly, creating a secure pouch, then poke 10 holes in the top to create a smoker box. Place the pouch on the side of the grill opposite the drippings pan. Set the racks in place, close the grill and preheat to 350°.
3. Arrange the brisket, fat side up, over the drip pan. Grill, covered, turning once, until lightly charred, about 30 minutes. Wrap with a large sheet of heavy-duty foil and return to the grill, fat side down. Lower the heat to 325° and grill until fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (Be careful when unwrapping the brisket, since there will be lots of juice inside the foil packet.).
4. In a medium saucepan, bring the beef broth, ketchup, vinegar and hot sauce to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
5. Let the brisket rest, wrapped, for 30 minutes; carefully unwrap and pour the juices into a cup. Thinly slice the meat against the grain, arrange on a platter and pour the juices on top. Serve with the barbecue sauce on the side.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet**

 

Slow Cooker Chili

Recipe source unknown

Serves 12

Spice mixture

• 3 tbsp favorite chili powder
• 3 tbsp New Mexico-style or a medium to hot chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

Chili

• 2 lbs beef sirloin or chuck, trimmed of fat
• 1 large onion, peeled, chopped
• 1 large green pepper, washed, cored, chopped
• 2 tbsp canola oil, divided
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 2 cans (15 1/2 oz.) hot or mild chili beans
• 1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes with their liquid
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1 can (14 oz) less sodium beef broth

1. In a small bowl, mix all the spice mixture ingredients; set aside.
2. Place the beef in the freezer for 20 minutes before cutting into pieces.
3. Meanwhile,, chop the onions and green pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of canola oil. Add the onions, and saute about 5-8 minutes. Add the green pepper and garlic, and continue cooking another 8 minutes. While the onions and green pepper cook, remove the meat from the freezer and dice it into small pieces.
4. Place the onion mixture into a slow cooker. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of canola oil to the skillet and use medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add the beef pieces to the skillet. Brown the meat on all sides. Sprinkle with a few tbsp of the spice mixture and toss to coat.
5. Add the seasoned meat to the slow cooker. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce and half the beef broth and the remaining spice mixture. If the mixture seems to too thick, add more beef broth to desired consistency.
6. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is very tender. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve topped with shredded cheese and sliced greens and with corn bread.

 **Personal Review: No Review Yet**

French Onion Soup

Recipe courtesy of Family Circle

Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 28 minutes
Broil: 7 minutes

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large onions (about 2-1/2 pounds total), halved and thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) beef broth (not condensed) (see Note)
• 1/4 cup sherry or red wine
• 6 1/2-inch thick sliced French bread, cut on a slight diagonal
• 1/4 pound Gruyere or Swiss cheese

1. Melt butter in a large, deep pot (one that has a lid) over medium heat. Add onions, and stir to coat with butter. Cover; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are very soft and begin to turn golden brown.
2. Uncover and increase heat to medium-high. Stir in sugar. Cook, uncovered, 6 to 7 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with flour and cook 1 minute longer. Stir in broth, sherry or wine and 1 cup water. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
3. Heat broiler. Spread bread slices onto a baking sheet; toast under broiler for 1 to 2 minutes per side (or use a toaster). Set aside. Place six oven-proof bowls or crocks onto baking sheet. Divide soup evenly among bowls (about a cup in each).
4. Use a vegetable peeler or cheese plane to thinly slice pieces of cheese. Place slice of toast on each serving of soup, top with cheese. Heat under broiler for 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Carefully remove from oven and serve warm.

Note: Try reduced-sodium broth, if desired.

**Personal Review: No Review Yet** 

Garlicky Steak and Asparagus

Recipe & picture courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens

2 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Grill: 3 to 4 minutes

• 1 12- to 14-oz. boneless beef top loin (strip) steak, cut about 3/4 inch thick
• 1 or 2 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. cracked or coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 8 to 10 thin asparagus spears, trimmed (6 oz.)
• 2 tsp. garlic-flavored olive oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 Tbsp. dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp. Dijon-style mustard

1. Rub the steak on both sides with a mixture of the garlic, pepper, and salt, pressing in the mixture with your fingers. Place the asparagus in a shallow dish and drizzle with the oil. For sauce, in a medium skillet stir together the broth and wine. Cook over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup. Whisk in mustard; keep warm.
2. Preheat an indoor electric grill on high setting, if available. Place steak on the grill rack. If using a covered grill, close lid. Grill until steak is desired doneness. (For a covered grill, allow 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare or 5 to 7 minutes for medium. For an uncovered grill, allow 6 to 8 minutes for medium rare or 8 to 10 minutes for medium, turning steak once.) If space allows, add asparagus to covered grill for the last 2 to 3 minutes or for uncovered grill the last 4 to 5 minutes of grilling. Cook asparagus until crisp-tender.*
3. Spoon sauce on serving plate. Cut steak in half crosswise. Serve steak halves atop sauce with asparagus on top. Makes 2 servings.

*Note: The asparagus cooking time will vary with the size of asparagus. Also, if there is no room on the grill, the asparagus can be grilled after the steak.

Conventional Method: Prepare as above through Step 1. Place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare or 10 to 12 minutes for medium, turning once and adding asparagus to the rack of the broiler pan the last 2 minutes of broiling. Serve as directed above.

  **Personal Review: No Review Yet**