Asian Beef And Pepper Noodles–Quick Dinner

What dinner can be quicker than a stir fry? The answer to that is not too many.

Anything Asian is likely full of flavor. Most Asian stir fries are also economical because meat is, more than likely, used as a condiment. Stir fries are also a great place to use any leftover fresh veggies and meat. If you’re like me, you probably have bits and pieces of fresh veggies in your crisper. With me it’s usually bell peppers–I’ll have half or a quarter of a pepper. That’s perfect for this Asian beef and pepper noodles. With this, I was lucky enough to have several colors of bell peppers due to a sale.

Noodles

I use the Asian stir fry noodles because I love the chewy texture. They have a satisfying texture that spaghetti does not. But since my mantra is always “use what you have” then if you have good old spaghetti, use it here. Trust me I’ve made it with spaghetti and it’s very good.

If I’m using regular spaghetti, I tend to use the No. 8 because it’s a bit thicker that No. 9. Sometimes No. 8 is called spaghetti where No. 9 is called thin spaghetti.

Leftovers?

You betcha!

This is the perfect dish to use them up. I had some leftover uncooked round steak and pepper halves so I took advantage.

Now, I used beef but if you have some rotisserie chicken left over, then use it here. Also, feel free to change up the veggies either to what you have left in the crisper or to ones you prefer over my choices. The two constants here should be onion and garlic–unless you have allergies to either.

The Recipe

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Asian Beef & Pepper Noodles

Leftovers work great here.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: easy stir fry with leftovers, lo mein stir fry, using lo mein noodles

Servings: 4

Calories: 400kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1/2 each yellow orange & red bell peppers, cut in matchsticks
• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 2 cups Napa cabbage shredded
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
• 8 oz beef round steak cut in thin strips
• 2 tbs oil
• 8 oz lo mein noodles or spaghetti

Noodle Sauce

• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Cook noodles per package directions. Drain and set aside
• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet or wok. Add the beef and cook until browned.
• Add the peppers, onions, cabbage, and garlic in the same pan and stir fry until crisp-tender.
• Add the cooked noodles and sauce and toss until coated and heated through.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1734mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg

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Chalupas: Make Your Own!

Anyone will agree that what you make from scratch is almost always better than anything you buy in the store. These chalupas are no different.

Next time tacos are on the menu at your house–or party for that matter–don’t buy shells from the store; make these easy chalupas to hold all those fillings.

The fillings can be mostly anything you want. It doesn’t have to be like tacos.

These chalupas can be made in a disk shape or you can do the fold to make them like shells. Until I have my own video on how to do this, I’ve included a very good one in the recipe card instructions.

Just Three Ingredients

That’s right. Only three ingredients.

What makes these easy is that you use self-rising flour. But don’t fret if you have none. Trust me, you have all the ingredients on hand to make your own.

All you need is salt, flour and baking powder for your own. To one cup of flour add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder and voila, you’ve got it.

But I do recommend that you keep at least a two-pound bag of self-rising flour on hand. It does come in handy for a lot of things.

Filling

As I mentioned above, any filling you like will do here. In fact any taco-like filling would be great.

I’ve included one for ground beef that suits my tastes. As a rule, I’m not a lover of cumin so I go very light with it. I prefer a more garlicky taste and maybe a bit of heat (not included with this). So, adjust to your tastes. The fellow whose video I linked to in the recipe instructions gives a pretty standard ground beef taco filling., however, that comes before the shaping so you’d have to watch the whole thing.

The Recipe

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Chalupas

Easy to make chalupas

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chalupas with self-rising flour, copycat taco bell chalupas, soft taco shells

Servings: 8

Calories: 694kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

Chalupas:

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tbs vegetable shortening like Crisco
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup oil

Filling:

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin

Topping:

• 1/2 cup diced white onion
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup diced plum tomatoes
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Chalupas

• Heat the oil in a deep skillet or dutch oven. There should be at least 1-inch/2.5 cm in the pan. The oil is the right temperature if a little piece of dough immediately begins to sizzle when dropped in.
• In large bowl, combine the flour and shortening. Mix until the mixture looks like fine meal. You can use a food processor too.
• Gradually add the milk (you might not use all of it) until a soft, pliable dough forms. It'll be a bit sticky. If it's too sticky, add a teaspoon or two of additional flour. Form the dough into a ball; cover and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8 equal portions. This is easily done by flattening the ball slightly and cutting wedges, like a pie.
• Form each wedge into a ball and roll out on a floured surface to a thin circle about 1/8-inch/0.7 cm. Carefully place the rolled dough into the hot oil. Fry for about 30 seconds then flip. With tongs, grab one end and fold over, forming a shell. Fry each side of the shell for 30 seconds or until golden brown. If you don't want to make shells, they can be left as disks, frying each side for 30 seconds. Repeat with the remaining dough. Drain on paper towels and set aside. See this video if you need help forming the shells.
• Video link-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPEkWibcXKY - start at 5:13 for how to shape.

Filling:

• Brown the ground beef in a large skillet breaking up clumps; drain fat.
• Add the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cumin. Stir to combine.
• Divide the meat mixture among the 8 shells/disks. Mix the toppings and divide them equally between the chalupas.

Nutrition

Serving: 1taco | Calories: 694kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 708mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 861IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 169mg | Iron: 4mg

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Instant Pot Port Wine Short Ribs

Anyone who has read my site for a while knows that I am crazy for beef short ribs. I like them any way I can get them from slow roasted to gussied up.

Many also know of my recent dental journey–eventually, I will have implanted arches but in the meantime I have to put up with a temporary set of (what they call) “teeth.” To make a long story short, I have to eat food that’s relatively soft. What better way to tenderize any red meat but in the Instant Pot.

With these port wine short ribs, I don’t feel like I’m sacrificing anything. I will say that it’s not a dump-and-go recipes but it’s worth any extra steps because it’s awesome.

Which Port?

Your best bet here is either red or tawny port.

My advice is to buy a decent brand. The reason here is the taste for the recipe, of course, but it also makes a pleasant nip for dessert on it’s own. It also pairs well with a good bold cheese.

You could substitute a medium red wine if that’s what you have on hand but bear in mind that it won’t taste the same. It’ll be good, but just not the same.

Beurre Manie

This is a fancy name for soft butter mixed with an equal amount of flour.

It’s a great way to thicken any rich stew because it adds a lot of flavor and it really doesn’t have any starchy taste to it.

Beurre manie is an excellent way to thicken leftover gravies that have gone watery–especially ones made with corn starch. I always keep a bit in the fridge for handy use–1/4 cup soft butter blended with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

The Recipe

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Instant Pot Port Wine Short Ribs

Awesomely delicious beef short ribs

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beurre manie, instant pot gourmet beef ribs, ribs braised in port wine

Servings: 4

Calories: 774kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3 lbs beef short ribs
• 5 tbs flour divided
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic minced
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp each marjoram and thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup port wine divided
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup steak sauce
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 lb carrots cut into 2-inch/5 cm pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped onions
• 2 tbs unsalted butter softened
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Dredge ribs in 3 tbs of the flour. Reserve leftover flour.
• Preheat Instant Pot on Sauté high/more setting; add oil.
• Brown ribs in 2 batches on all sides. Remove from the pot.
• Add garlic to the pot and heat until fragrant, about 30 setons. Stir in tomato paste, marjoram, thyme and bay leaf. Sauté until tomato paste darkens in color, about 1 minute, then stir in reserved flour from dredging.
• Deglaze the pot with 1/2 cup of the port, scraping up any browned bits then cook until port is reduced by 1/3 then stir in the stock, remaining 1/2 cup of port, steak sauce, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
• Return ribs to pot and add the carrots and onion. Close and seal the pot and set on Manual or Pressure Cook for 45 minutes.
• Do a quick release on the pot and transfer the ribs to a plate. Cover with foil and let them rest for 10 minutes. Remove carrots to a serving bowl.
• Mix the softened butter and the remaining 2 tbs of flour together to form a paste (this is called beurre manie) and whisk this into the liquid to thicken. Stir in the wine vinegar
• Garnish with parsley if desired.

Notes

UK/EU--steak sauce is A-1 Steak Sauce. HP sauce or brown sauce is a good substitute.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 774kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 1559mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 19290IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 7mg

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Rouladen Is German Soul Food

Well, at least that’s what I call it.

My late husband was a first-generation American of German parents and this was a dish he loved. My mother-in-law would make it all the time. The curious thing is my husband was not fond of pickle so mom made a couple without the pickle relish.

I might add these are equally as good if you omit the pickle, but as a German friend said, “It ain’t rouladen then.” She, of course, was correct, but they’re still good.

I do add pickle but in a different form and that makes them even more awesome.

In A Pickle

This little trick with the pickle I learned from a very dear friend who was a chef and a restaurant owner.

Klaus was making rouladen for guests when I stopped in to say hello to him. I noticed that his rouladen had a pickle spear wrapped up in the meat. It made a nice presentation and when I tasted one, it was so delicious I couldn’t wait to use this trick myself.

Of course you can substitute sweet pickle relish for the dill pickle spear. The relish will make them a bit sweet and they are really good. The pickle spear doesn’t introduce any sweetness and the slight sourness adds a beautiful dimension to the beef rolls. I find they lighten up the taste a bit.

Round Steak

Thinly cut round steak is available in the meat case of most stores. However, as you know, the more that’s done to process anything always costs more.

Since you have to pound even the thinly sliced product to be even thinner, why not buy a round roast that you can cut yourself? What I do is usually buy an eye of round roast–whole. I then slice off steaks to be used for the rouladen then vacuum seal the other part to use as roast beef. I prefer the eye of round because it’s a solid piece of meat, but bottom round works pretty well too.

The Recipe

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Rouladen

German comfort food

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: German

Keyword: German comfort food, Oktoberfest, rouladen, traditional German dinners

Servings: 4

Calories: 418kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb thinly slices round steak--8 slices
• 3/4 cup finely diced onion
• 8 slices cooked bacon
• 8 dill pickle spears
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 tbs oil
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tbs flour
• 1/2 cup water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Pound round steaks with a meat mallet to about 1/8-inch thickness.
• Heat the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until it's just translucent. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Divide the onion evenly over each pounded round steak. Place a slice of bacon over the onion then place a dill pickle spear over that. Roll up and secure each roll with a toothpick.
• In the same skillet you cooked the onions in, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef rolls on all sides.
• Add the beef stock to the pan, heat to boiling then reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes or until the beef is tender.
• Mix the flour and water so there are no lumps.
• Remove the beef rolls from the pan and whisk in the flour/water mixture. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the beef rolls back to the pan and heat for 5 minutes to heat through.

Notes

What I do is get an eye of round roast and slice of thin slices then pound them down very thinly.

For UK readers--the bacon is streaky bacon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 418kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 2142mg | Potassium: 986mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 333IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 4mg

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Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

This has got to be one of the most beloved sandwiches ever and there’s a good reason. Instant Pot French dip sandwiches are  delicious; it’s that simple.

The most common way of making French dip is in the slow cooker. The long slow cooking is what gives the meat and the associated juices very flavorful. It takes at least 8 hours to achieve this so patience is definitely a virtue.

But did you know you can get the same flavor–and tastier at that–in a fraction of the time? Well you can and the Instant Pot is the way to do it! Pressure cooking extracts awesome flavor because of the method used. That’s a boon for recipes such as this.

Choose The Beef Roast

Without a doubt, one of the most flavorful cuts is chuck or shoulder. However, it may not be the ideal cut for this sandwich and the method of cooking–whether that be slow cooking or pressure cooking. Chuck is fatty which is why it is so flavorful. If you do want to use it, there’s quite a bit of prep work to remove most of the fat. Bear in mind that not only will the meat be fatty but so will the juice. This is the reason I shy away from it with French dip.

I prefer to use bottom round or sirloin. There’s much less fat and therefore much less prep and trimming. The juice will not be overly fatty; there’ll be just enough for good flavor. Also the piece of meat is pretty solid. Because of this, you can also slice it easily if you prefer slices on the sandwich rather than shredded meat.

FYI for my UK readers, bottom round is silverside for you.

Cheese

I like French dip with melted cheese, but if you don’t just omit it.

Provolone–especially the aged variety–has a nice piquant edge that adds a great flavor profile. That’s my general choice. But any cheese that melts can be substituted so if Provolone isn’t your bag, use a cheese that is.

The Recipe

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Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches

The Instant Pot gives the sauce the best flavor

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy french dip sandwiches, french dip in instant pot

Servings: 6

Calories: 566kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 3 lb bottom round beef roast
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 2 cups water
• 2 envelopes au jus gravy mix
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 sub/hero rolls
• 6 slices aged provolone

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• rim any excess fat from beef roast. Place roast in the Instant Pot. Top with onions.
• Mix water, au jus mix, garlic and bay leaf in a small bowl. Pour over roast.
• Seal Instant Pot and set for high pressure for 90 minutes. When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
• Remove roast and either slice or shred the meat. Split the rolls and divide meat evenly over each of the rolls. Place a slice of provolone on top of the meat on each and place under a hot broiler for about 2-3 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
• Serve with the pan juices.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 566kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 61g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 154mg | Sodium: 564mg | Potassium: 828mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 15mg

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Classic Stuffed Peppers–All-Time Favorite

When you think of favorite family meals, classic stuffed peppers come to mind.

There’s so many iterations on this recipe, it’s hard to keep up with them! I’ve even done a vegetarian version of quinoa stuffed peppers (it’s one of my favorites btw). However there comes a time you want a traditional version, and this more or less is it.

Each traditional version has slight variations, but the main ingredients are ground beef, rice and, of course, bell peppers. I use a combination of green and red bell peppers. Visually, the colors give eye appeal and I do find the red variety tastes a bit sweeter.

Prepping The Peppers

Whole or half? That’s pretty much up to you on how you like your stuffed peppers. I’ve stuffed them whole and half. My mom used to slice each pepper in half lengthwise and to be honest, I’m partial to that method for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that they are more stable in the pan and don’t fall over. The second reason is that they are easier to seed and remove the filaments. Doing this with whole peppers can sometimes destroy the pepper. I’ve had that happen a few times and I hate having to try to put it back together again.

Last but not least is that it plates up better and is much easier to eat. On the heels of that is that sometimes a humungous whole pepper with tons of filling is just too much for some people to get through. If anyone wants more, they can take another half. Less waste in my opinion.

Breadcrumbs?

Yes, breadcrumbs. And eggs too.

I remember my mother’s stuffed peppers and that was just ground beef, cooked rice and seasonings. To my taste, the ground beef filling was a little dry and mealy. Adding breadcrumbs and eggs to hold the meat together gives a much better texture–for my taste.

And yes, the sauce is based on good old condensed tomato soup. I find that it has a sweet-ish quality that goes very well with these stuffed peppers. Not to mention that it’s very convenient and has a creamy texture. That way, the sauce doesn’t have to be reduced if you prefer it thicker and less watery.

The Recipe

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Classic Stuffed Peppers

A classic comfort food meal

Prep Time25 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic stuffed peppers, one-pan stuffed peppers, stovetop stuffed peppers

Servings: 8

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tbs finely chopped onion
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 medium bell peppers sliced in half lengthwise seeds and veins removed

Sauce:

• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/2 can milk or water
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1/8 tsp oregano

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Mix the ground beef, onion, cooked rice, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Divide mixture equally between the 8 bell pepper halves.
• Add the sauce ingredients to a large deep skillet or dutch oven; stir to combine.
• Place peppers in pan with the sauce. Heat over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce heat tp lpw, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the center of the meat reaches 160F/80C/
• Nice served with noodles or over mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 576mg | Potassium: 477mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 423IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 3mg

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Beef Patties With Onion Gravy: Pure Comfort

These beef patties are in the same category as meatloaf and mashed potatoes–it’s pure comfort food and a traditional family favoirte.

The reason I love this meal is that not only is the gravy outstanding, but the beef patties are interesting as well.

In this recipe, you sauté the aromatics before adding them to the meat mixture. This especially comes in handy if you are using very lean–90 per cent and above–ground beef. The reason is you are not only adding the sautéed veggies but the oil they cooked in as well. This will make the beef less dry. That tablespoon of oil is the trick.

If you like the spurtle (affiliate link) in the above pic, I got it on Amazon.

That Mix Isn’t Just For Gravy

We all know those envelopes of brown gravy mix–because a lot of us cheat and use it for gravy. I do now almost exclusively because beef roasts are so extremely trimmed nowadays that there aren’t sufficient drippings to make the real deal. I think it tastes pretty good too.

However, that’s not the only thing I use it for. It’s also a great seasoning for burgers and lots of other beef-based recipes. This is one of those recipes. The idea came to me when it was called for in a pot roast recipe–not as a gravy component but as a seasoning.

Onions

I used one large onion, but if you want more, use as much as you want. By the same token, use less if you desire.

If you don’t like onions or they don’t agree with you, then they can easily be omitted from the gravy. It will taste fine without them.

Additionally, any medium red wine will do here. I’m just partial to Madeira with beef. If you have no wine on hand or just don’t want to use it, substitute with an equal amount of additional beef stock.

The Recipe

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Beef Patties with Onion Gravy

The ultimate comfort food

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beef patties with onion gravy, hamburgers with gravy, skillet salisbury steak

Servings: 6

Calories: 360kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup celery finely diced
• 1/2 cup onion finely diced
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix or 3 tbs bulk dry brown gravy mix
• 1 tbs olive oil

Gravy:

• 3/4 cup beef stock
• 1/4 cup Madeira wine
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Thickening:

• 3 tbs flour
• 6 tbs water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Cook onion and celery until tender but not browned; about 5 minutes.
• Mix ground beef, breadcrumbs eggs, cooked celery and onion and brown gravy mix in a large bowl. Divide into 6 equal portions and form into patties.
• Heat the same pan you used for the celery and onions over medium high heat. Brown patties on both sides. Remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, cook the onions for 5 minutes, being careful not to burn the onions. Deglaze the pan with the wine then add the beef stock, salt and pepper.
• Return the patties to the pan with the onions and stock, bring to a boil, cover then reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.
• To make gravy, remove the beef patties from the pan, mix the flour and water and whisk into the pan liquid. Cook, whisking frequently, until it bubbles. Cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Return patties to the pan and heat through.

Notes

If you don't want to use the Madeira wine, just add an additional 1/4 cup of beef stock. 

In UK, old-fashioned Bisto (the kind you have to cook) can be subbed for American brown gravy mix.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 360kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 516mg | Potassium: 715mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 118IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 5mg

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Easy Oven Cube Steak

I’m here to say this is one of the easiest recipes I ever made. Incidentally, I was a bit dubious that something so simple and with so few ingredients could be so darned good. That’s something I never seemed to learn either.

Since it’s winter and running the oven isn’t such a bad thing, I really encourage you to try this. It has a rather long cook time, but don’t let that fool you. This cube steak is tender, juicy and amazingly delicious.

Start With A Good Stock

The tastier your stock, the better this meal will be.

If you make your own stock starting with roasting/browning the bones, that’s an excellent choice. I’ve done it and I won’t lie–it’s time consuming. However, you end up with a finished product where you know exactly what’s in it. You can’t beat that.

Most times I don’t have the inclination nor the time to make my own. Yes, even with an Instant Pot which speeds up the process. Fact is, I got pretty lazy in my old age and mostly use stocks that are available in the supermarket. There are many good ones. And even though I’m pretty frugal, this is one place where I don’t pinch pennies with a store brand. If it’s labeled “rich stock,” believe it. It’s good. I often use the concentrated ones referred to as “bases.” They have a long shelf like and if you buy ones made with real chicken or beef, they’re comparable to your own homemade.

Add Ins

The original recipe on Just A Pinch had nothing added in. It was just the steaks and gravy.

Since I love mushrooms and had some baby bellas in the fridge, I added those. Of course if you hate mushrooms, don’t add them. But onions would be nice and some peas or carrots would make the meal complete.

The Recipe

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Oven Cube Steak

The very best cube steak you'll ever eat.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cube steak recipes, cube steak with gravy

Servings: 4

Calories: 719kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef cube steak
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms thickly sliced
• 2 tbs oil divided
• 32 oz beef stock
• 3 tbs butter

Seasoned Flour:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C
• Mix all seasoned flour ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup for thickening.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Dredge cube steaks in the seasoned flour and brown on each side--about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate when browned.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Saute the mushrooms until they start to get brown. Remove them from the pan.
• To the same pan, add the butter and let it melt. Whisk in the reserved flour so you get a nice smooth paste--this is called a roux. Let the flour and butter cook for 2 minutes so the flour cooks.
• Whisk in the beef stock and stir until it begins to thicken.
• Place the cube steaks and mushrooms in a 13x9-inch/3L oblong pan. Pour the gravy over the steaks/mushrooms, then cover with foil and bake for 2 hours.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 719kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 1403mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 6mg

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Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers–YUM

Do you love jalapeño popper dip and burgers? Then this recipe is a perfect combination for you.

Stuffed burgers are nothing new; I’ve been making them for quite some time. Mostly I do a stuffed bleu cheese burger with a reduced wine and mushroom sauce. However, I just love jalapeños and I love the dip so figured why not.

If you’d like something more zippy and robust, then the jalapeños may be replaced with a hotter pepper. And if you like no heat at all, then a bell pepper would be perfectly fine as well.

Stuffing Burgers

Everyone has their own way of doing this, so whatever works for you that’s the method to use.

What I do is make two smaller burgers, place the stuffing on one burger and top with another and seal around the edges. Now, if you want an 8-ounce burger, then you’d make 2 very flat 4-ounce burgers. You can get a better idea of how I do this in the photo below.

There are, of course, gadgets made specifically for stuffed burgers and if you have one, fine. But don’t go out and buy one especially for this since I don’t feel it’s worth it.

Just an FYI, but a little filling will always leak out no matter how well you seal the burgers.

Cooking Them

My favorite method is grilling be it on my gas grill or my trust grill pan on the stovetop.

Broiling works well too as long as you use a proper broiling pan so the fat drips down so it doesn’t cause any flare-ups. A skillet is my last choice since burgers always seem to just boil in the rendered fat.

You can do these in the air fryer too. In my 1800W basket-type model, they’re done in 5 minutes on each side at 400F/200C.

Another thing is the doneness. Unfortunately for lovers of super-rare burgers, that just won’t work here. They have to be at least done to medium so the cheeses melt.

The Recipe

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Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers

Burgers with a delicious surprise inside

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hamburgers in the air fryer, hamburgers with stuffing, jalapeño popper dip, jalapeño stuffed burgers

Servings: 4

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 tbs minced onion
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 tbs cream cheese softened
• 2 oz shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbs salsa
• 1 fresh jalapeno pepper diced
• 1 tbs olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat grill to medium or oven broil to high
• In a bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar, salsa, garlic powder, and jalapeno.
• Combine meat, salt, pepper, and onion.
• Divide meat into 8 even pieces and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
• Divide cream cheese mixture into 4 equal portions and flatten each into a pancake shape.
• Place each cream cheese mixture on top of 4 flattened meat portions. Top each with another flattened portion and seal the edges (see photo in post_.
• Brush burger with olive oil.
• To Grill:
• Grill burgers over medium heat 6-7 minutes on each side
• To Broil:
• Place burgers on a foil-covered pan approximately 6" from broiler. Broil 5-6 minutes on each side
• For Air Fryer: Air fry 5 minutes each side at 400F/200C. Bear in mind that your model (see post body) may need adjustment.

Nutrition

Serving: 1burger | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 384mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 396IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 136mg | Iron: 3mg

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Hamburger Parmesan

This is one of those cases where I should have thought of this sooner. However, I’m sure the idea is not original and I must’ve seen it somewhere before so no credit whatsoever is taken for this.

This hamburger Parmesan is one of those meals where there’s little work involved. Since the only “work” would be if you wanted the ground beef patties to have a bit more oomph than just plain shaped burgers. Of course that’s ok too and if you happen to have any pre-made burgers in the freezer. Then there’s essentially no work to this.

Whatever way you look at it, this is a meal meant for when you’re hungry but don’t want to cook. The surprise is it’s delicious and comforting.

Beef Patties

As I said before, plain beef patties will do just nicely if you’re not inclined to dress this casserole up much or just lack the time.

However, I went that extra step here to make the meat a bit more flavorful–mainly I had the time. I just think it improves the taste tremendously and suggest that if time permits, you take that extra step too. In fact, the meat mixture can be prepared ahead and kept in the fridge.

The Sauce

What makes this hamburger Parmesan so quick and easy is the store-bought sauce. This is another ingredient where I have at least one jar in the pantry. Usually it’s a premium brand that’s more than just the traditional marinara or meat sauce.

If you use a variety that’s got veggies or is chunky, that will improve the taste as well. Same thing goes for any meat or cheese-flavored sauces.

In the event that you only have marinara or a plain standard jar of sauce, it can be dressed up too with more onion, mushrooms or anything you’d put in your own sauce.

The Recipe

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Hamburger Parmesan

Purest form of comfort food.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 30 minute Italian meals, fancy hamburger caseroles, hamburger parmesan

Servings: 6

Calories: 615kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbs dehydrated
• 1 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 cup onions finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 28 oz jar pasta sauce
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 cup regular plain breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly spray a large baking dish (3-4Q/L) with non-stick spray.
• Mix the ground beef, fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, basil, oregano, onion, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine well. Divide into 6 equal portions and shape into patties.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Dredge patties in the regular dry breadcrumbs (I find this step stops a lot of shrinkage).
• Brown patties on both sides then place in the prepared baking dish.
• Pour sauce over the patties. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
• Remove foil and spread the shredded cheese over the patties. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes--until cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 615kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 181mg | Sodium: 2024mg | Potassium: 1138mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1160IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 369mg | Iron: 8mg

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