Beef

Today's post deals with beef, for so many reasons. Check out the Ground Beef Casserole with Potatoes and Cheese, the Barbecue Lasagna, and the rest of today's yumminess. Enjoy!

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER HELPER

This is from Priya Krishna in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, 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."

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Yield: 4 servings

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

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 1/4 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, 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 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.

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.

MEATBALLS

This is from Kay Chun in The New York Times cooking enewsletter. For this recipe, Kay wrote, "A mix of garlic and herbs pack these homemade meatballs full of flavor, while milk and egg keep them super tender during cooking. They can be prepared a few hours ahead and refrigerated, then simply popped into the oven. The meatballs are extremely versatile — enjoy them over saucy spaghetti, roasted with a dipping sauce or tucked in between bread with mozzarella cheese. Add some freshness and color by mixing a couple tablespoons of finely chopped fresh parsley into the ground beef."

Time: 40 minutes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024341-meatballs.

Ingredients

1 large egg

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup whole milk

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a combination of dried oregano, basil, thyme, marjoram or oregano)

1 pound ground beef, at least 20-percent fat, or a combination of beef and pork

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Warm marinara sauce, for dipping (optional)

Preparation

In a medium bowl, beat egg and add bread crumbs and milk; mix well and let stand until the bread crumbs soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, salt and Italian seasoning, and mix until well combined. Add beef and gently mix (hands work best here) until well blended. Form the mixture into 12 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. On a large rimmed baking sheet, arrange the meatballs in a single layer and drizzle with oil; toss to evenly coat. Roast until golden and cooked through, turning meatballs halfway, about 20 minutes.

To serve over pasta, cook meatballs using this method (or see Tips for cooking on the stovetop or in sauce), then distribute over bowls of sauce-covered noodles. (For 4 to 6 servings, toss 1 pound of spaghetti with 3 cups of warm marinara.)

Tips

Stovetop Method: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are tender and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Simmered in Sauce: In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil over medium. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Add 2 cups of tomato sauce or marinara (be careful of sputtering) and stir to evenly coat the meatballs. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes longer.

ATHENIAN MEATLOAF WITH YOGURT-CUCUMBER SAUCE

Makes 8 servings

Source: TBC

Find this recipe at: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/1258.shtml

Ingredients

2 pounds 96% lean Ground Beef

1 cup soft bread crumbs*

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup 2% milk

1 large egg

1 tablespoon plus 1-1/2 teaspoons dried Greek seasoning, divided

1 cup low-fat or regular Greek-style yogurt

1/2 cup diced cucumber

* To make soft breadcrumbs: Tear several slices of fresh bread (French or whole wheat work well) into 1-inch pieces and pulse in a blender or food processor to make coarse crumbs. One slice of bread yields about 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine Ground Beef, bread crumbs, onion, milk, egg, 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.

Shape beef mixture into 10 x 4-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Bake in 350F oven 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours, until instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160F.

Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cucumber and remaining 1-1/2 teaspoons Greek seasoning in medium bowl. Set aside.

Let stand 10 minutes; cut into slices. Serve with cucumber-yogurt sauce.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 187; Protein: 26 g; Fat: 6 g; Sodium: 240 mg; Cholesterol: 95 mg; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Dietary Fiber: .4 g; Carbohydrates: 6 g

BARBECUE LASAGNA

This yummy recipe is from a long-since-forgotten emailing list that my son was on for a few years. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 cup ketchup

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon prepared mustard

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby or mild cheddar cheese

1 cup (8 ounces) small-curd cottage cheese

1 egg

Directions

In a skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. For barbecue sauce, combine the next 13 ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Spread about 1/4 cup barbecue sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and half of the beef.

Spread with half of the remaining barbecue sauce; sprinkle with half of the mozzarella, cheddar and Colby cheeses. Repeat layers.

Combine cottage cheese and egg; spoon evenly over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting.

BEEF TORTILLA CASSEROLE

This comes from Old El Paso, and begins, “An enchilada dinner kit creates a hearty beef casserole that's in the oven in just 20 minutes.”

Prep Time: 20 Minutes; Total Time: 50 Minutes; Makes 6 servings

View this online at https://www.oldelpaso.com/recipes/beef-tortilla-casserole.

Ingredients

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 box (14.2 oz) Old El Paso™ enchilada dinner kit

1/2 cup water

1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso™ chopped green chiles

1 cup sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion, stirring occasionally, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in both pouches enchilada sauce (from dinner kit), the seasoning mix (from dinner kit), water and chiles; heat until hot.

In ungreased 11x7-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup of the beef mixture. Cut tortillas (from dinner kit) in half. Place 6 tortilla halves on beef; spread with 1/2 cup of the sour cream. Top with 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1 cup of the beef mixture and remaining 6 tortilla halves. Top with remaining sour cream, remaining beef mixture and remaining cheese.

Bake 30 minutes. If desired, serve with additional sour cream, diced red bell pepper and chopped fresh cilantro.

Expert Tips

Serve a tossed salad wtih fruity chunks of pineapple, mango or oranges.

GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE WITH POTATOES AND CHEESE

This yumminess comes from Diana Rattray on The Spruce Eats. Diana wrote, “Corn, tomatoes, and potatoes and cheese make this ground beef casserole a whole meal. The casserole is similar to a cottage pie or this crockpot Chinese pie.

“If your ground beef is not extra lean you might want to brown it first. See the tips for instructions.”

Prep Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 75 minutes; Total Time: 95 minutes; Yield: Serves 6.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90% or better)*

1 cup chopped onion

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons salt

1-1/2 cups corn kernels or 1 can (15 ounces), drained

16 ounces diced frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed, or about 3 to 4 cups mashed potato or cooked diced potato

1/4 cup flour

1 green bell pepper, chopped

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2 cups shredded sharp or mild Cheddar cheese

Directions

Combine beef, onion, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine corn, potatoes, flour, melted butter, and chopped green bell pepper.

Pat the beef mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; top with the corn and potato mixture.

Bake uncovered at 375° for 45 minutes; sprinkle with the cheese and bake ground beef casserole 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until browned and potatoes are tender.

*If the ground beef is not extra lean, you might want to brown it first. Brown the beef with the onions win a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain well and then mix it with the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and salt. Proceed with the recipe.