Stuffed Breadsticks

This is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers. I throw a loaf of bread in the bread maker, prep the leftovers and we have a great lunch or dinner with little extra work. 

For the filling you can use just about anything. I had some leftover beef stew so I used that. I have also made this with pot roast, leftover thanksgiving turkey and gravy, chicken curry and most soups. I especially love German Lentil soup in them. With soups just strain the broth off and use the rest as the filling. I you want you can even thicken some of the broth for a sauce to bind it all together. If you start from scratch another thing we like to stuff them with is chopped chicken tossed with a little alfredo sauce.

If I am using something that has a really chunky filling, like stew or roast, I chop it up into fairly small pieces.

1 batch of bread dough

Leftovers

Melted butter

Granulated garlic

Dried oregano

Parmesan cheese

Roll the dough out so that it is large and thin. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut the dough into 4 in squares. Top with some of whatever filling you choose to use. Fold over and press the edges to seal. Brush with butter and sprinkle with the garlic, oregano, and grated cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes until the bread looks cooked and browned on top. These make great lunches as well. 

Beef Stew (for the freezer)

A traditional beef stew needs a few modifications to be frozen, but it is possible.

The main things are potatoes and flour thickened sauces dont freeze well. 

For the flour I simply didn't thicken it with anything, you can add a flour paste at the end of reheating to serve if you want it thicker, I plan on just serving it as as.

A to potatoes I just left them out. I plan on serving this over rice, baked potatoes, or pasta

but you could boil a pot of potatoes chunks and stir them in at the end. 

10 lb of beef, cubed

8 large carrots, cut into thick coins

4 large onions, diced

10 stalks of celery, sliced

2 family sized can cream of anything soup

1/2 c. dehydrated onions

8 beef bouillon cubes

2 tsp granulated garlic

black pepper

6 c. frozen peas

2 can corn

2 disposable turkey sized foil roasting pans

(I used the cheapo kind that where 13 inches x something, not the biggest but the cheapest)

Toss half of the beef, carrots, onions, and celery in each pan. Add 1 can of soup to each pan along with 1/4 c. dehydrated onion, 4 beef cubes, 1 tsp garlic, and black pepper sprinkled across the top. Add 3/4 c. of water and stir everything together. Cover with tin foil and bake at 290 for 2 hours. Stir everything, recover the pans with the tin foil and bake at 350 until the meat is tender, about 2 - 3 hours. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Stir 3 cups of peas and 1 can of corn into each pan. Let cool to room temperature and divide into serving sized pan. 

I got 6 pans out of this recipe. You can make the portions a little smaller than you think since this is served over something the meal will be bigger than just what is in the pan. Cover the top with tin foil and freeze fat. Once the pans are frozen solid you can stack them on top of each other in the freezer. 

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To Serve
Leaving the tin foil on top of the stew, bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the gravy is bubbly. If you freeze in a plastic baking pan or tupperware this can be reheated in to microwave. Cook for a few minutes, stir, and then cook again, stirring every few minutes, until hot.

Homemade Ravioli

Homemade ravioli can be a lot of fun as long as you know a few tricks to make the process go a lot easier. I work with a hand crank and a Norpro ravioli press.

My pasta dough recipe:

3 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp salt

6 eggs

2 Tbsp water

About 3 cups of your desired filling* 

(This is a great place to use leftover cooked meats)

Mix all in medium speed with the paddle, the whisk wont be able to handle it. Let rest, covered, 30 minutes. 

When ready to use split the dough into balls smaller than a baseball but bigger than a golf ball. Make sure the pasta you aren't working with at the time is covered with a damp paper towel to keep the pasta from drying out. Flour the dough on all sides and run through the hand crank on the "1" setting, re flour and then run through again on the "4" setting. Four was the thinnest I could make the dough without it being too thin to hold the filling. Spray the metal part of the ravioli press with no-stick cooking spray (this is really important or you wont be able to get the pasta off the press without ripping the pockets open) 

Press the off-white plate into the dough to create indents in the dough. Fill the pockets with your fully cooked filling. Make sure to not over fill and keeping all the filling in the middle so the edges can seal properly. 

Take a second sheet of pasta and slightly moisten on one side. Place the moistened side down on top of the ravioli press. Roll a rolling pin over the top to cut and seal the ravioli. Remove the excess from the side, flip over and push gently on a couple of the ravioli on one end to release. They should come right out. 

Place on a baking sheet while you finish the rest of the pasta. This recipe made about 8 dozen for me.

To make Toasted Ravioli:

 3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt to taste

2 eggs

1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. sour cream

Combine the bread crumbs, flour, and cheese. Taste for salt,
You want it a little saltier than you think, the eggs wash doesn't have any seasoning
and the pasta has very little salt, usually you add salt to the water. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, milk, and sour cream.

Dip the ravioli in the egg mix and then the bread crumbs. 

Lay flat on a baking tray, spray really well with butter spray,
and bake at 375 for 12 - 17 minutes or until golden. 

Serve with marinara sauce

*For my filling I sauteed 1 medium onion, chopped very finely, in butter until tender. I then added 2 - 3 cups of cooked, finely chopped, pot roast, about 2 tsp. dried basil, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1 cup of water and a beef bouillon cube. I simmered that for a while then drained off most of the liquid and added about 3 Tbsp italian bread crumbs (to soak up the rest of the liquid) 3 oz. of grated Monterrey cheese (it was all I had, I would have preferred mozzarella or even Asiago) and 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese. 

Other fillings I like are chicken, cream cheese and herbs or ricotta and spinach

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Freezer Ravioli

To freeze: Lay flat on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. When solid drop in a freeze safe bag. 

To serve: Drop the frozen ravioli into boiling water and cook until they float to the top. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce. 

Presto Pasta Night is being hosted by its founder 

at "Once Upon a Feast"

Mongolian Beef

I didn't have green onions on hand when I was making this, if you wish to use them add them after the beef is done cooking and saute until they are tender. They don't take nearly as much time to cook as white or yellow onions.

2 lb flank steak

2 large onions, sliced
splash oil

splash oil

1/2 in ginger, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp beef bouillon granules

1 c. water

1/4 c. brown sugar

Red pepper flakes to taste

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

Slice the flank steak against the grain very thin. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the beef and onions and cook over high heat, stirring, until completely cooked. Continue cooking until the liquid is completely absorbed. Reduce the heat to medium low-pour the sauce over the meat, simmer 3 - 4 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.


For the sauce. Heat the oil in a pot. Add the ginger and saute until fragrant. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Add the soy sauce, bouillon, water, brown sugar, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for 5 minutes. Combine the cornstarch and enough water to make a thin paste. Stir into the hot sauce mixture and cook until thick. Set aside until the meat is ready.

Apple Marinated Flank Steak

1 flank steak

McCormick Steak Seasoning 

3 c. apple cider

3/4 c. oil

1/3 Worcestershire Sauce

1 beef bouillon cube

1 Tbsp granulated garlic

Dash coriander
2 - 4 drops liquid smoke (optional)

Combine the cider, oil, Worcestershire sauce, beef cube, garlic, coriander, and liquid smoke.

Sprinkle both sides of the steak generously with the steak seasoning and rub in. Place in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 3 - 4 hours.

Remove from the marinade, sprinkle with meat tenderizer, poke all over with a fork, and sprinkle again with the steak seasoning.

Place on a broiler pan and broil for 8 minutes, flip and broil an additional 8 minutes.

Let rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve.

Crock Pot Pepper Steak

 I like this recipe a lot for the simple fact that like any good crock pot recipe, you  toss it all in the pot and leave it till it's done. And when it is done, you have a tasty home cooked dinner. 

(This is where the picture would go if I had one, sorry)

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1 Beef Roast, any cut, 3 - 4 lb.

1 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce

1 beef bouillon cube, crushed

1 c. rice

Combine all the ingredients, except rice, in a crock pot. Cook on high until beef is done, 

usually between 4 1/2 - 6 hours. 

The bottom of the crock pot should have about an inch of liquid in it, if not, add water. 

Add the rice and re-cover crock pot.  Cook an additional 30 minutes. 

Stir to combine the veggies and rice and serve with the beef. 

I usually shred the beef before I add the rice.

Juicy Herb Pot Roast

1 beef roast

oil

1 tsp. Granulated Garlic

1 onion, chopped (dehydrated work great)

1 Tbsp oregano

2 tsp. paprika

2 beef bouillon cubes, crushed

1 cup water

Heat oil in a large skillet. Sear the beef on both sides and place in a crock-pot. Sprinkle all the seasonings on top and drizzle slowly with the water. Don't pour it or it will wash the seasonings off the meat. 

Cook on low for 6 hours, until cooked, but not falling apart. Shred with a fork, this should be a little hard to do, don't wait until the meat is falling apart on its own.

Cook, shredded, for 2 hours on low until the meat is very tender and the liquid is coating the mat enough to make it sorta saucy.

Southern Brunswick Stew

The first time I ever had Brunswick stew was when I lived in Virginia. The scouts there used to sell it. Once we moved from there I pretty much forgot about it. Until I moved to Georgia, about an hour from Brunswick, and despite Virginia making the same claim, they maintain that they are where the stew originated.

It's also a great way to use up the extra squirrel and possum you might have laying around your fridge.

Again, sorry about the cell phone pictures not being all that inviting, it really has a nice reddish orange color and tastes great

3 c. chicken broth
3 c. beef broth
1 c. frozen lima beans
1 c. catchup
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 c. frozen corn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke dash tabasco
2 Tbsp dehydrated onions
1 carrot, diced
2 tsp brown sugar
1 potato, diced small
1 bottle beef OR 2 - 3 c. cooked shredded beef
1 c. cooked shredded chicken

Bring the chicken and beef broths to a boil.

Add the lima beans and boil for 10 minutes.

Add the corn, catchup, mustard, vinegar, garlic, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, tabasco, onions, carrot, brown sugar, potato, beef and chicken . Simmer together until the potatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes.

Watch carefully and make sure it doesn't boil dry, if it starts to add more broth.

OR dump everything in a crock-pot and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3

Hungarian Goulash

When I was a Girl Scout in Virginia we had an international event once a year. One year my troop chose Hungary, and we had a Hungarian women come and teach us how to make goulash. She said there were three things important to make authentic goulash. Never add flour, tomatoes, or peppers.

But then some people swear by those hings, so If I had to guess I would say it's like stew, there is no right or wrong way. Just make sure it has paprika, and lots of it.

Paprika should be bright red, and not brownish. To preserve both the color and the flavor of paprika store it in the fridge. She also said it had to be Hungarian paprika, I get mine in the huge Tones containers at Sams club, I think it's Spanish. So, um,...don't tell on me please?

Serve with a dollop of sour cream, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche

Check out the meatless version here

Saute
3/4 lb. beef strips
in
bacon drippings, butter, or oil
When cooked add
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
2 c. water
2 beef boulion cubes
(I used 1 regular and 1 sodium free)
2 Tbsp. paprika

Simmer over medium heat, covered, until most of the water is absorbed, but dont let is go dry. About 1 hour. You dont want it to cook faster than that either. Discard the bay leaves and add

3 - 4 potatoes, chopped
(about 1 baker sized per person)
1 qt. water
4 bouillon cubes
2 additional bay leaves
1 heaping T. paprika
1/4 t. black pepper
Simmer, covered until sauce is thick and potatoes can be crushed easily with a spoon. Crush a half dozen or so of them to mix in with the sauce a bit. This is really important since you will notice I don't add any thickener, just let the potatoes do the job. In the end the meat and potatoes aren't in a traditional sauce, its more like a thick paste that clings to the meat (in a good way!)

Tourtiere

John lived in Quebec for 2 years and while there learned to love tourtiere, a French Canadian Thanksgiving dish. I've made several different versions, but this is my favorite. I suspect every cook has her own version, there is no "right" way to make tourtiere.

2 round pie crusts
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp Canadian steak seasoning
1/2 onions
4 medium potatoes
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. real bacon bits
1 tsp JD's Bacon salt

Peel the potatoes and cut into small chunks. Cover with water and boil or microwave until tender. Drain and mash but no not add anything, butter, milk, etc...Set aside

Combine the beef, pork and Canadian steak seasoning. Cook in a large skillet until the meat is cooked. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the potatoes and mix well. Add the cheese, bacon bits, and bacon salt. Stir to combine again.

Lay one of the crusts in the bottom of a 9-inch pie pan. fill with meat mixtures and top with remaining crust. Crimp the edges to seal. I find that this is easier if I roll the bottom crust out a bit to stretch it before I put it in the pie pan. Prick the top a few times to let the steam escape. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20 - 30 minutes until top crust is browned.

Serve hot.

After you put the top crust on, but before you bake it, It can be covered in saran wrap and put in the fridge until ready to bake. I made this in the morning and then just baked when we wanted dinner

French Onion Pasta

So, so, simple, and so, so tasty.

Presto Pasta Nights #223 is at Debbi Does Dinner


1 large yellow onion, sliced
4 Tbsp butter
2 tsp. sugar
salt
1 can beef broth
5 oz penna rigate
1/4 c. mozzarella cheese, grated
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Heat butter in a large skillet. Add the onions, and cook over low heat until translucent. Add the sugar and salt and continue to cook over low heat until caramelized, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is tender.

Pour the pasta to a small casserole dish or two 6-in ramekins (or other small oven safe dish) along with any remaining liquid. Top with both cheeses and broil until golden.

This was a small batch, really just enough to test. If you are serving more than 2 double the recipe

Tostadas

One of my favorite dinner. Super fast and easy and yet savory, soft, crunchy, and delicious all in one.

Take a tortilla spread it with your favorite refried beans. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and broil until cheese is melted and starting to brown.

You can also throw of any leftover meat you might have to use up in your fridge

Top with your favorite vegetables and sauces and enjoy. I just fill several bowls with all the veggies and let everyone top their own buffet style.

Mine consisted of
Chopped Spinach
Cucumbers
Carrots
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Bell Peppers
Leftover corn with caramelized onions

And then a variety of sauces
Salsa Verde
Salsa
Sour Cream
Ranch