Flank Steak Sammies

Oh so easy, Oh so good!

Take one flank steak and marinate it in teriyaki for 2-8 hours.  Grill (or broil) about 5 min on each side.  Remove from grill and let set while you take hot dog buns, butter them and season with garlic powder and grill until toasted.  Cut steak THIN against the grain and serve on bun as sammie.  No need for anything else on the sandwich, I swear...plenty of flavor and juices!  YUM. I tend to serve this with hashbrown casserole. 

*Makes great leftovers too!

Taco Soup

1 lb extra-lean ground beef ( I used ground turkey)

1 onion, chopped

3 cans (15.5 oz each) mild chili beans, undrained

1 can (14.5 oz) whole tomatoes undrained

1 can (14.25 oz ) corn, undrained

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce

1 pkg Taco Seasoning

1 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown meat and drain. Add onions and salt and pepper to taste and heat for a few minutes. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; stir, breaking up tomatoes with spoon. Bring to boil; simmer on medium low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Top with cheese, sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips.

A few modifications: I used ground turkey instead of beef. For the corn I used mexicorn and the beans I used some cans hot and some mild. What really made this yummy....I used mexican four cheese with a touch of philadelphia.

Kraft foods recipe

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

1 1/2 lb. ground beef ( I use ground turkey)

3 Large bell pepper ( I like to use the colored peppers)

1 onion

2- 14 oz cans of beef broth

2- 10 oz cans of tomato soup ( I used Progresso Tomato Basil)

1- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups cooked rice ( I used brown rice )

salt, pepper, minced garlic (I used minced in jar and fresh that I pressed),

red pepper flakes to taste

In stockpot ground meat and drain. Add all seasonings to taste, bell peppers, and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, soup, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes (stirring occasionally). Add rice and heat through.

**received this recipe from my shower, but added some seasonings I use in my stuffed peppers.**

I also used Trader Joe's frozen colored bell peppers that are already cut into strips. I just thawed them and cut them into smaller pieces. Also from Trader Joe's I used their frozen already cooked brown rice. Heats in three minutes in the microwave...so easy and very tasty. I actually used a lot of organic ingredients, but I'm sure the taste is the same, just a little healthier.

The meal is delicious and a hit with my husband! For kids, you might want to limit the amount of the red pepper flakes.

Shell Casserole

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground pork

1 can tomato soup (progresso tomato basil is awesome in this)

1 26 oz can stewed tomatoes

1/2 lb cooked medium shells

1/2 onion chopped

1/2 green pepper chopped

mushrooms if desired

chili powder, oregano, and grated parmesan cheese to taste

Boil noodles while browning meat and drain grease. Add all other ingredients and cooked pasta together and mix well. Put mixture into a casserole dish, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Pepper Steak

1 1/2 lbs sirloin steak cut in chunks/strips

1/2 tsp salt

1 onion chopped

1 cup beef broth

3 Tbs soy sauce

1 green pepper

minced garlic

2 Tbs cornstarch

1/2 c cold water

Salt meat and brown slightly. Push meat to one side and add onion - cook until onion is tender. Stir in broth, soy sauce, and garlic. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add green pepper (can also add tomatoes and/or broccoli) cover and simmer 5 minutes. Blend cornstarch and water until it makes a paste and stir gradually into the meat mixture. Cook until boiling to desired thickness and serve over rice.

Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs stew meat

2 beef bullion cubes

1 tsp salt

3 Tbs Heinz 57 sauce

2 onions

2 potatoes

baby carrots

Season meat with salt and pepper. In a stockpot brown meat in a little oil. Dissolve bullion cubes in 2 cups of hot water and add to meat. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Cut vegetables to desired size and add to meat. Stir in Heinz 57, cover, and simmer an additional hour or until vegetables are very tender. Thicken with a small amount of cornstarch and water mixture.

**cornstarch mixture: mix cornstarch and water until it is paste like. Pour it into stew and stir. Continue to add this mixture until it is to your desired thickness**

We like to serve it on top of a slice of buttered bread.

Sloppy Joes

This is a homemade sloppy joe recipe from when I was little. My husband grew up on Manwich and prefers this much better. Just as easy as the canned version! The brand of Ketchup is the key ingredient. Can be tricky to found, but I find it at Walts.

1 lb of ground beef ( I substitute all gr. beef for gr. turkey)

1/2 bottle of Brooks Thick and Tangy Ketchup

2 Tbs mustard

2 Tbs sugar

2 1/2 Tbs white vinegar

minced onion, salt, and pepper to taste

Brown and drain meat. Add all ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.

Italian Beef in a Bucket

3 1/2 - 4 lb Beef Roast, sirloin tip, or rump

1 (12-16 oz ) jar of Italian giardinera, mild or hot

1 (12-16 oz ) jar pepperoncini

1 envelope, Good Seasons zesty Italian salad dressing mix

1 (10 3/4 oz) beef broth

Place the roast in a 3 1/2 quart crock pot and mix all other ingredients together, draining oil from giardinera. (When adding giardinera and pepporcini, use half of each jar for a mild version, or all for the spicy one.) Add all ingredients to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low setting for 18 hours.

To serve, take two forks and shred the roast (after 18 hrs the meat will shred very easy) and put on Italian bread.

** I have found that using a lot of pepporcini's makes it salty, so I use just a 1/4 of the jar.**

Blue Cheese Flank Steak...ala Crockpot

Another crockpot recipe. This one I got from "The Crock Pot Exchange" on Facebook.

1 1/2 lb flank steak
1/4 C. flour
1 onion, sliced
1/4 C. beef broth
1/4 C. red wine
1 pkg mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1/4 C. blue cheese crumbles
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Season steak with salt and pepper. Coat flank steak in flour and place in crock pot. Top with mushrooms and onions. Mix together wine and beef broth and pour over meat and onions. Next drizzle with oil and vinegar. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add in blue cheese and stir a bit. Enjoy!

**Addition: We made ours without mushrooms, as my husband hates them. It was very good, and he enjoyed the leftovers all weekend. And the house smelled GREAT! My parents made this; my mom was disappointed, but my dad loved it (he had his without blue cheese but with mushrooms)**

Dad's Beef Stroganoff

This is a family favorite! This is my dad's recipe, and beyond that I am unsure of the author...

1 1/2 lb round steak
2 T. butter
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 can (condensed) cream of mushroom soup
1/2 C. sour cream

*cooked noodles (or rice)

Slice beef into thin strips. In a skillet, on high heat, melt butter, and begin to cook steadk and onion. Cook until onionis tender and meat is no longer pink. Add soup and heat. Turn off heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over hot noodles or rice.

ADDITION: My father also adds a little Lawry's seasoning and garlic powder to his own rendition...which is AWESOME! However, there are no measurements...just "to taste."