Where's the Beef?

Years ago, a certain burger chain asked the question, "Where's the beef?

Today's post deals with six beefy recipes, including Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast and Chef John's American Goulash. Enjoy!

GROWN-UP SLOPPY JOES

This is from Everyday Diabetic Recipes, and begins, "Who says Sloppy Joes are only for kids? We've lightened up the typical kid's meal with fresh vegetables and added a bit of spice for good measure. Your kids will still like it, and so will you!"

Cook Time: 15 minutes; Serves: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.everydaydiabeticrecipes.com/Beef/Grown-Up-Sloppy-Joes.

Ingredients

1 pound 95% lean ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 small zucchini, shredded

2 cups light spaghetti sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

8 whole wheat, sandwich thins, split

Directions

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, onion, and zucchini over medium-high heat 10 to 12 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink and zucchini is tender.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in spaghetti sauce, garlic powder, chili powder, and black pepper. Cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes, or until heated through.

Spoon over bottom halves of sandwich thins, cover with tops, and serve immediately.

HOMEMADE SLOPPY JOES

This yumminess is from John Mitzewish - aka Chef John - on allrecipes. For this recipe, Chef John wrote, "Homemade Sloppy Joes don't have to be difficult to eat. Despite the name of this iconic retro dish, the secret to a great Sloppy Joe is a thick, rich, almost dry consistency, which allows the sandwich to be eaten with your hands. Serve on hamburger buns."

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Cook Time: 55 minutes; Total Time: 1 hr 10 minutes; Servings: 6

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/220182/homemade-sloppy-joes/.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1/2 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups water, divided

3/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

Directions

Gather all ingredients.

Place ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbled, about 10 minutes.

Stir in green pepper and garlic; cook and stir until softened, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and stir, scraping the pan to dissolve any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.

Add remaining 1 cup water and bring mixture to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mixture is thick, about 40 minutes.

Season with salt, black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne pepper. Serve and enjoy!

CHEF JOHN'S AMERICAN GOULASH

This comes from Chef John at Allrecipes. He wrote, "One of my all-time favorite comfort food meals growing up was the beef goulash they served in my school cafeteria alongside a slice of buttered white bread and a carton of milk. Little did I know that it wasn't really goulash, but an Americanized version, invented to stretch a small amount of beef into enough food for a not-so-small family. This is one of those very simple dishes that does not taste simple--perfect for your weeknight dinner rotation."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour; Additional Time: 5 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 12

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/275489/chef-johns-american-goulash/.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 pounds ground beef

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons paprika

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 bay leaves

1 quart chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce

1 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 cups elbow macaroni

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese (Optional)

Directions

Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir until liquid is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add garlic, salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, Italian seasoning, and bay leaves.

Cook and stir until flavors come together, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and marinara sauce. Rinse out the jar with 1 cup water and pour into the pot. Add soy sauce, stir, and bring soup to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer to let flavors intensify, about 30 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high and bring soup to a simmer. Add macaroni; simmer, stirring occasionally, until just barely tender, about 12 minutes. Check for doneness after 10 minutes.

Remove goulash from heat. Discard bay leaves; stir in parsley and Cheddar cheese. Cover and let rest for 5 minutes. Taste and season as desired.

Chef's Notes:

Make your own Italian herb mix with any desired blend of oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley, and basil.

Feel free to swap water for chicken broth.

You can also add beans to turn this into an excellent pasta fazool.

CREAMED CHIPPED BEEF ON TOAST

This is from Lisa at allrecipes. The recipe begins, "This chipped beef recipe is straight from my mom. We called it SOS (Same Ole Stuff), and it's great comfort food! It's easy to make and tastes great with a cold beer."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes; Makes 4 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/20225/creamed-chipped-beef-on-toast/.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1-1/2 cups warm milk

1 (8 ounce) jar dried beef, chopped

1 pinch cayenne pepper

bread, toasted

Ingredients

Gather all ingredients.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add flour and whisk until smooth.

Add milk a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until thickened.

Stir in beef and cayenne; cook until warmed through.

Serve over toast.

Recipe Tip

This recipe can also be made with 3/4 pound browned, drained hamburger meat.

GROUND BEEF AND SWEET POTATO SKILLET

This is from Andrea Mathis, M.A., RDN, LD at Eating Well, and begins, "This ground beef and sweet potato skillet is a fast, hearty meal made with just five simple ingredients (not counting oil, salt and pepper) for a flavorful one-pan dinner. The sweet potatoes cook until tender, soaking up the savory flavors from the beef and veggies. With no complicated prep or cleanup, it’s a satisfying and stress-free option for any night of the week."

Active Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 30 minutes; Servings: 4

To view this online, go to https://www.eatingwell.com/ground-beef-sweet-potato-skillet-11706161.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 medium red onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound lean ground beef

2 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and diced (4 cups)

2 medium green bell peppers, chopped (1 cup)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and minced garlic; cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ground beef; cook, stirring occasionally and breaking it apart, until no longer pink, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in diced sweet potatoes, chopped bell pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Nutrition Information: Serving Size: 1-1/2 cups; Calories: 263, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 70mg, Carbohydrates: 18g, Total Sugars: 5g, Added Sugars: 0g, Protein: 26g, Fiber: 3g, Sodium: 259mg, Potassium: 744mg

IRISH BEEF POT PIE

This is from Diabetic Gourmet, and begins, "Tender Flat Iron Steaks are quickly cooked in a hot skillet before adding mushrooms, carrots and peas – and it’s tossed in a savory gravy. The Irish beef pot pie is topped off with flaky pastry dough for a truly satisfying meal. Flat iron steak is also called butlers’ steak or oyster blade steak."

Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipe/irish-beef-pot-pie.

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds beef Flat Iron Steaks

1 package (8 ounces) cremini mushrooms, sliced

1-1/2 cups frozen crinkle-cut carrots

1-1/2 cups frozen peas

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided

1 teaspoon minced garlic, divided

Salt and Pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 can (14 to 14-1/4 ounces) ready-to-serve beef broth

1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 15-ounce package)

Directions

Heat oven to 425F.

Cut beef steak lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1/4-inch thick strips.

Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot.

Add mushrooms; cook and stir 3 minutes. Add carrots, peas, 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon garlic; cook and stir an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until carrots and peas are defrosted. Remove from skillet; set aside.

In same skillet, add 1/2 of beef; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon; set aside. Repeat with remaining beef.

Dissolve cornstarch into beef broth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir about 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thickened and any browned bits on bottom of skillet are dissolved. Return vegetables and beef to pan; stir to combine.

Place beef mixture in 2-inch deep, 9-inch pie plate or similar sized round baking dish. Unfold pie crust on flat surface, pressing out fold lines with fingers.

Place crust over beef mixture allowing edges to drape over pie plate. Sprinkle remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon garlic evenly onto top of crust. Place pie plate on 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan.

Bake in 425F oven 16 to 18 minutes or until crust is golden.

Remove from oven to wire rack; let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 402; Fat: 18 grams; Sodium: 490 milligrams; Cholesterol: 58 milligrams; Protein: 27 grams; Carbohydrates: 31 grams