Beef Recipes

If you're of a certain age, or love checking out old commercials from the '80s, you may remember the old Wendy's commercials that ask, "Where's the beef?"

Well, today's recipes all have one thing in common: here's the beef, including Adam Richman's Flavor Bomb Steak Chili and Homemade Hamburger Helper. Enjoy!

LASAGNA

This is from Regina Schrambling on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “In 2001, Regina Schrambling went on a week long odyssey in search of the ultimate lasagna recipe. She tested several, and finally found her ideal in a mash-up of recipes from Giuliano Bugialli and Elodia Rigante, both Italian cookbook authors.

“‘If there were central casting for casseroles, this one deserved the leading role. But its beauty was more than cheese deep. This was the best lasagna I had ever eaten. The sauce was intensely flavored, the cheeses melted into creaminess as if they were bechamel, the meat was just chunky enough, and the noodles put up no resistance to the fork. Most important, the balance of pasta and sauce was positively Italian. At last I could understand why my neighbor Geoff had told me, as I dragged home more bags in our elevator, that all-day lasagna is the only kind worth making.’”

Time: 4 hours; Yield: 8 to 10 servings

This was featured in “The Noodle and I: A Face-of at the Oven”, and can be viewed online at https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/9530-lasagna.

Ingredients

For the Sauce:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 medium red onions, finely diced

2 large cloves minced garlic

8 ounces pancetta, diced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good red wine, preferably Italian

2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3/4 pound ground sirloin

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano

2 eggs

10 sprigs fresh parsley, leaves only, washed and dried

2 large whole cloves garlic

1/2 cup flour

1 pound Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet

For the Lasagna:

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

2 extra-large eggs

2 cups freshly grated pecorino Romano

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 pound mozzarella, grated

16 sheets fresh lasagna noodles, preferably Antica Pasteria

Preparation

For the sauce, heat 1/2 cup oil in a large heavy Dutch oven or kettle over low heat. Add the onions, minced garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, until the onions are wilted. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Raise heat slightly, add the wine and cook until it is mostly reduced, about 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pan, and add their juice. Add the tomato paste and 2 cups lukewarm water. Simmer for 1 hour.

Combine the sirloin, cheese and eggs in a large bowl. Chop the parsley with the whole garlic until fine, then stir into the beef mixture. Season lavishly with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until all the ingredients are well blended. Shape into meatballs and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dust the meatballs lightly with flour, shaking off excess, and lay into the hot oil. Brown the meatballs on all sides (do not cook through) and transfer to the sauce.

In a clean skillet, brown the sausages over medium-high heat. Transfer to the sauce. Simmer 1 1/2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, pecorino Romano, parsley and all but 1 cup of the mozzarella. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

Remove the meatballs and sausage from the sauce, and set aside to cool slightly, then chop coarsely. Spoon a thick layer of sauce into the bottom of a 9-by-12-inch lasagna pan. Cover with a layer of noodles. Spoon more sauce on top, then add a third of the meat and a third of the cheese mixture. Repeat for 2 more layers, using all the meat and cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, and cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle reserved mozzarella evenly over the top. Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER

This is from Priya Krishna on The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Priya wrote, “Think of this as the most luxurious Hamburger Helper you’ve ever had. It’s how Mark Rosati, the culinary director of Shake Shack, turns leftover ground beef into a complete weeknight dinner. The entire dish — even the pasta — is made in one pot, and melds the indelible comfort of macaroni and cheese with the complexity of a good Bolognese. This definitely has a kick, so adjust the hot sauce according to taste.”

Yield: 4 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020728-homemade-hamburger-helper.

Ingredients

1/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable

1 large yellow onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

5 strips uncooked smoked bacon, finely chopped

1 pound ground beef

1 cup dry white wine

3 cups chicken stock or water

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/4 to 1/3 cup hot sauce

2 teaspoons hot smoked paprika

1 bay leaf

8 ounces elbow pasta

5 slices American cheese, ripped into small pieces

1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar

1/2 cup finely chopped chives

Preparation

Heat a large (12-inch) sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, and add oil and onion; season lightly with salt and pepper. (The hot sauce added in Step 6 will add a lot of flavor, so be careful not to overseason here.) Let cook until the onions turn light beige in color and begin to caramelize, 20 to 25 minutes.

Add garlic, and cook until fragrant and starting to brown ever so slightly, about 2 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and add bacon and ground beef, using the back of a large spoon to break up the meat into smaller pieces. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the meat starts to sear and develop a crust on the bottom of the pan, 12 to 15 minutes.

Remove pan from the heat and carefully drain off most of the fat, leaving a little in the pan to keep the meat moist.

Return pan to the medium-high heat and add white wine, allowing it to reduce until the mixture is almost dry, about 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, hot sauce, paprika and bay leaf to the pan. Mix until combined and bring to a boil over medium-high.

Once the mixture is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 9 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low and stir in both types of cheese, stirring until completely melted and sauce is thickened.

Remove the pan from heat, stir in chives and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

SLOW-COOKER BEEF STROGANOFF

This is from Betty Crocker, and begins, "When you transform a classic special-occasion meal into an easy-breezy weeknight dinner, it’s no wonder that you’re a top-rated recipe by hundreds of home cooks. Find out what all the buzz is about and try this beef stroganoff slow cooker recipe the next time you’re in need of mealtime inspiration."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes; Servings: 8

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

2 lb boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into 3x1/2x1/4-inch strips

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 can (10.5 oz) condensed golden mushroom or cream of mushroom soup

1 carton (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 oz cream cheese, cubed (from 8-oz package)

1 container (8 oz) sour cream

6 cups hot cooked noodles or rice

Directions

In 12-inch skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add beef strips, onion and garlic; cook 7 to 9 minutes or until beef is browned.

In 3 1/2- to 4 1/2-quart slow cooker, mix beef mixture, soup, mushrooms, salt and pepper.

Cover; cook on low heat setting 5 to 6 hours or until beef is tender.

Stir cream cheese into beef mixture until melted. Stir in sour cream until well blended. Serve over noodles.

Expert Tips

Sprinkle with finely chopped fresh parsley for a bright finish.

Beef sirloin steak is more tender than other cuts of beef that are used for stews. Cooking the beef in butter until browned, results in the best flavor. Then the very low heat of the slow cooker keeps the meat tender.

With the slow braising of the stroganoff, the cream cheese creates an instantly smooth sauce, that combined with the sour cream stays thick and rich.

It’s easier to cut the beef into clean slices when it’s partially frozen for about 1 hour.

To save precious minutes in the morning, use minced garlic in a jar. You could also cut up the beef the night before and refrigerate.

ADAM RICHMAN'S FLAVOR BOMB STEAK CHILI

This comes from Adam Richman on Today's website. Adam wrote, "My local bar in Brooklyn, New York hosts a chili cook-off every Super Bowl. One year, a guy brought in chili with chunks of steak in it instead of the traditional ground beef. Even though his chili didn't win, the texture alone, even the novelty of having huge chunks of steak in it, made his stand out. Plus, with the sweetness and richness of the flavors created by the combination of cocoa, oyster sauce, coffee and the umami bomb that is Maggi seasoning, this chili will be one that people will remember for a long time.

“Technique tip: if you see her any meat with very savory seasonings, make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pan with stock, alcohol or some kind of liquid to create a depth of flavor. For a slightly thicker chili, you can stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of corn flour.

“Swap option: You can use serrano chilies instead of jalapeños or a combination of both. You can also add 5-8 drops of liquid smoke."

Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 2 hours; Servings: 6 - 8

To view this online, go to https://www.today.com/recipes/adam-richman-s-flavor-bomb-steak-chili-recipe-t172165.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of beef for stew, cut into roughly 1-inch chunks

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large white onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, roughly smashed and chopped

3 jalapeños, two of them chopped and seeded, one of them only chopped, retaining seeds for extra heat

2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried onion flakes

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

3 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce

5 tablespoons tomato paste

Two 32-ounce containers beef stock

Two 15-ounce cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed with cool water

One 10-ounce can chopped tomatoes

2 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 cup strong black coffee

To serve

Shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Crumbled cornbread

Sliced jalapeños

Sour cream or Greek yogurt

Preparation

Preheat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat with 2-3 tablespoons of oil.

Liberally season the steak with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear the cubes of meat completely on all sides. Use tongs to place meat and don't overcrowd pan. When they are browned, remove meat from Dutch oven using tongs and let it rest on a towel-lined plate.

Add a little bit more oil to the Dutch oven, and then add the onion, garlic and jalapeños.

When the onion begins to soften add all the spices. Stir thoroughly. After about 1-2 minutes, add the oyster sauce and the tomato paste. Stir thoroughly.

After cooking for roughly 2 minutes, add all the beef stock and stir, making sure you scrape all of the caramelized bits of oyster sauce, spices and tomato paste off the bottom of the pan.

Then add the beans, tomatoes, cocoa, coffee and reserved beef. Stir to combine thoroughly and reduce heat to low bringing the mixture to a simmer. Cover, and cook for two hours or until desired consistency is achieved.

Serve hot with the garnishes of your choice.

CROCK POT LASAGNA

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list, and begins, “Discover the fix-it-and-forget-it way to make lasagna! It's so easy.”

Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 jar (26 to 28 oz.) tomato pasta sauce

1 can (8 oz.) no-salt-added tomato sauce

1/2 pkg. (9 oz. = about 8) no-boil lasagna noodles

1 jar (1 lb.) Alfredo pasta sauce

3 cups (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Brown ground beef in large skillet over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.

Spray 4 to 5 quart crock pot/slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato pasta sauce in bottom of sprayed slow cooker. Stir remaining tomato pasta sauce and tomato sauce into ground beef.

Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce in the crock pot/slow cooker, breaking noodles as necessary. Top with 1/3 of the Alfredo pasta sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly.

Repeat layering twice, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

Cover and cook on LOW heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours. If desired, cut into wedges to serve.

MEATLOAF EXPRESS

This is also from Campbell’s Kitchen, begins, “Making them mini not only slashes the cook time, but makes mealtime fun, too. These single-serve meatloaves bake under a sweet and savory topping to ensure moist and flavorful little loaves that your whole family will love.”

Prep Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Serves: 6 people

To view this online, go to https://www.campbells.com/kitchen/recipes/meatloaf-express/.

Ingredients

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed French Onion Soup

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup honey mustard (honey Dijon-style)

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1 egg, beaten

Directions

Set the oven to 425°F. Stir the soup, ketchup and honey mustard in a medium bowl.

Thoroughly mix the beef, bread crumbs, egg and 1/4 cup soup mixture in a large bowl. Season the beef mixture as desired.

Shape the beef mixture into 6 mini meatloaves. Place the mini meatloaves into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Pour the remaining soup mixture over the meatloaves.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the meatloaves are cooked through.