- Beef Strogonoff
It's actually what I'm making tonight! It's so good that one of the kids (Luke) actually asked for it, which is a non common happening with my kiddos. I love this meal because it turns out really well in the crockpot, and now that I work 8-5 M-F, it can cook itself while I'm at work. Just a few ingredients, set it, and forget it. Here's a good recipe for beef strogonoff if you don't have one and would like to try it: https://sl.bing.net/jvgzsulBNHo. It's good over noodles, or rice--my only tip regarding that is that it will get mushy and not so yum if you mix it with/poor it over the noodles and end up with leftovers.
2. Meatloaf
Historically, I don't like meatloaf--so if you're turning up your nose right now, I get it, I do. But...I stumbled upon this recipe from an old neighbor--(basically, I made a change to it)--and it's the BEST! Everyone that tastes this meatloaf is pleased and asks for more. I promise! The picture doesn't do it justice. The thing I love about this meal is that I can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven when I get home from work. You then only have to make the potatoes or rice or whatever you choose to serve on the side of it. Recipe here: https://sl.bing.net/gpfOLbSHORE.
Don't forget:
- Broil it at the end for ten minutes, that keeps it from looking like saucy ketchup as you see pictured, but rather dark and yum with a bit of crisp.
- Don't get meat that is too fatty or too lean. I like between 80-85%. If it's too fatty it'll be soggy, if it's too lean, well, it tastes gross. And yes, it gets dry.
- So here's the change, the trick, the magic...replace half of the ketchup with BBQ of your choice. This is both for the loaf itself and for the sauce. Amazing.
3. My husband's sausage gravy
My husband isn't from the states so he didn't grow up eating biscuits and gravy like some of y'all maybe did. The first time he tried it he was in Georgia for the army and he had no hopes for it tasting good. I think he was okay with it, but he never asked for it since we met--until he learned to make my favorite dish for me. He puts a bit of a twist on it (as we do most our dishes) and I swear it's the best I've ever had. I'm sure part of that is because he cooks it for me, but you'll love it too. And it's quick for those weeknights! All you have to do is throw a can of biscuits in the oven, and maybe some eggs and/or bacon. It depends on how much time and ingredients you have. Here's an easy recipe for you, because Papa Gnome says he won't give away the full secret, but I'll tell you, add spicy sausage and a TON of butter to the recipe: https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/a55390/easy-sausage-gravy-recipe/. Enjoy!
4. Slow Cooker pot roast
This is a) another recipe that you can prep then throw in the crockpot while you're gone for work and b) one we like to put a twist on, which makes it ridiculously delicious. The kids actually eat this one too. I typed out a recipe for you, using the same ingredients as us, but you can put your own twist on it, too. Make it yours!
Our tips that we swear by are:
- Be sure to sear the meat on the stove, with lots of seasoning, if you have time. I use garlic, onion, pepper, adobo, chilli peppers, and oregano.
- We add gravy/french onion soup mix to the crockpot, either powder or can, bay leaves (be sure not to eat them), corn, carrots, tri color mini potatoes, sometimes a sweet potato, a sweet onion, grape juice, and beef broth.
- It cooks on low about 8-10 hours. Depending on your work schedule, you can cut it into smaller pieces, and it'll cook faster. Or you can do, and this is actually optimal, high for four hours and low for four. But you can play with it. It's done when it falls apart with a fork.
5. Lasagna
I used to do meat lasagna with a mix of half ground beef and half spicy sausage, but the kids have transitioned to preferring cheese lasagna. I don't have a real recipe, so I pulled this one for you: https://sl.bing.net/facSXnIAHkG. I love this meal because, like the meatloaf, I can prep it ahead of time and pop it in the oven when I get home. One thing I've forgotten to mention before is that, and this is the case with all these meals, we have a lot of people in our family but we still always have enough for two nights. You can extend or half the recipe to adjust.
My tips for lasagna:
- I use oven ready noodles. The longest part of lasagna aside from baking is prepping the noodles. And it can get frustrating. Just be sure to pour your sauce over each layer of the oven ready noodles. Otherwise they won't soften.
- Season, season, season. I do not want to eat noodles, sauce, and cheese. I use italian seasonings (basil, onion, garlic) in the sauce, parsley etc in the cheese mixture, and on the meat (when I do meat): sazon, garlic, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Bake with foil on, until the last 15 minutes, to give the cheese a chance to brown up a bit. Mmm.
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