Recipes from Home-Hamburger Goulash

            Next up this week, is a Phelps County recipe for Hamburger Goulash.  Now, my mom used to make goulash quite a bit and has a very good recipe for it.  So, to be fair, I must admit that to some degree I expected this goulash recipe to taste exactly like my mother’s version.  For obvious reasons, this was not the case!  One thing that I think really makes this recipe different is the barbeque sauce. 

            During dinner, Chris reported that he thought this was one of the most flavorful goulash recipes he had ever tasted.  He absolutely loved it!  While I enjoyed it too, my own expectations prevented me from feeling as strongly about it as Chris did.  I did have it for lunch the next day, and seemed to enjoy it a lot more the second time around. 

            What I would like to do next is make my mom’s version, and see what Chris thinks of that.  This would be a good opportunity for me to compare them more objectively.  I think it seems like I didn’t like this recipe, which is not the case.  If you are looking for a flavorful take on this classic dish, give this recipe a try.  If your mother made this dish and you really enjoyed that version…ask your mother for her recipe!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-1 lb. Hamburger

-1 medium onion, chopped

-1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

-1 tsp. salt

-dash pepper

-2 Tablespoons brown sugar

-2 Tablespoons BBQ sauce

-1 Cup Ketchup

-1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz)

-1 ½  cups macaroni, cooked

Preparation:

Brown meat, add onion, green pepper, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.  Simmer 10-15 minutes.  Fold in tomatoes, ketchup, BBQ sauce and macaroni.  Simmer ½ hour, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy!

Recipes from Home-Dorito Casserole

            Recipe two of this so-called “Holdrege week” I could hardly wait to make, and it was all I could do to keep Chris from eating the ingredients before I made it!  What is this recipe, you ask?  Well, my friends, it’s called Dorito Casserole!  Does this sound too good to be true, or what?!  To make the story even better, the preparation is very simple and turns out very well.  I was a bit disappointed in the finished product, but think this has more to do with how much I had built this one up in my mind than any real problem with the dish.

            At my house, simplicity is key, and this one certainly fits the bill.  I was running late getting home this night, and asked Chris to just get the meal started for me, and it was seriously all but finished when I walked through the door!  Now if I could just trick him into making all of our meals…

            So, if you are a lover of chips (as I unfortunately am) give this one a try.  I think that it would be one kids would really enjoy as well, and they could help with the preparation by crunching up the chips!  Just make sure to keep those chips hidden (or buy two bags) to avoid falling victim to the appetite of a hungry husband!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-1 lb. ground beef

-1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

-1 (12 oz.) can enchilada sauce

-1 (16 oz.) bag nacho doritos

-3 cups grated cheddar cheese

-salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown ground beef, drain.  Add soup and enchilada sauce, salt and pepper; set aside.  Crush Doritos and in an 8X12 casserole dish layer chips, meat mixture and cheese, repeat layers, ending with cheese.  Bake at 300 degrees until cheese is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Recipes from Home-Reuben Casserole

            A year or so ago, my sister-in-law, Abbie, gave me a cookbook called Favorite Recipes from Phelps Memorial Health Center.  Phelps Memorial Health Center is the name of the hospital in Holdrege, so what this little treasure is, is a compilation of employees best recipes.  So, if you think about it, it is a book filled with everyone’s best.  I mean, if I was asked to submit a recipe for a cookbook, I would certainly bring my “A game.”

            So, I was flipping through it, and decided to have “Holdrege Week” at our house and give 3 different recipes a go.  The first one I selected, Reuben Casserole, I will admit was more for Chris than me.   I myself have never eaten a reuben, but figure since I am now Irish by proxy I better learn to enjoy a little corned beef.  Chris reportedly loves the stuff!

            The recipe was very simple to put together, and the end product was very nice.  While talking it over at dinner, Chris and I both decided that less sauerkraut would have been “more” in this instance.  I would also note that if you are like me and do all of your grocery shopping on Sunday, this needs to be your Monday night dinner if you don’t want your kitchen wreaking of corned beef!  If you enjoy a good reuben, try this out!

Slainte!

Recipe:

-6 slices rye bread, cubed

-1 (16oz) can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

-1 lb. deli sliced corned beef, cut into strips

-1/4 Cup Thousand Island Dressing

-2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spread bread cubes in bottom on 9 x 13 inch baking dish.  Spread sauerkraut evenly over the bread cubes.  Layer beef strips over sauerkraut.  Pour dressing over all.  Spray aluminum foil with cooking spray and use to cover baking dish.  Bake in oven for 20 minutes.  Remove cover, sprinkle with cheese, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  (Bread cubes may be placed on top, rather than the bottom, if preferred).

Enjoy!

Skillet Rib-Eye Steaks & Broiled Peppers with Melted Cheese

            Hi Everyone!  If you hadn’t deduced this by now, my schedule recently has not been conducive to preparing meals and blogging about them.  While I must be honest and admit that not a single meal has been prepared by me over this last week, I do have a backlog of recipes to share with you!  Hopefully, if the coming week goes as planned, I will find myself back on track.  To think that I idealized this time of year and thought that home cooked meals and goodies would be flying out of my kitchen while holiday tunes played in the background.  Maybe this week that will happen…  Hey, a girl can dream!

            The first thing that I would like to share with you is two recipes taken from Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home cookbook, for Skillet Rib-eye Steaks and Broiled Peppers with Melted Cheese.  This meal was easy and delicious! Chris was in love with the steaks and I think I ate my serving of the peppers and half of his.  Since having them, I cannot get them out of my mind!  They were SO good! 

            Recipes in this cookbook, are organized by season which is really nice, as Martha takes into consideration which ingredients will be more readily available, as well as what kinds of preparation will be more feasible for the given season.  Thus, pan frying the steaks as opposed to grilling, etc.  Remember, Martha knows best!  Try this one soon and let me know how it turns out!

Slainte!

Skillet Rib-Eye Steaks

Recipe:

-2 bone-in-rib-eye steaks (about one lb. each)

-coarsely ground salt and pepper

-1/3 cup loosely packed small rosemary sprigs, leaves picked from stems and coarsely chopped

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-2 garlic cloves

Preparation:

-season steaks with salt and pepper

-sprinkle half of the rosemary on top side of the steaks.  Let sit at room temp for 20 minutes

-heat skilled over medium heat, then add oil and garlic

-add steaks, rosemary side up.  Cook about 5 minutes, then turn.

-cook the other side, then transfer to a cutting board

-add reserved rosemary to skillet, until it begins to sizzle.  Stir and coat with the oil, spoon oil/rosemary mixture over the steaks.  Slice and serve!

Broiled Peppers with Melted Cheese

Recipe:

-4 fresh peppers, halved lengthwise

-Asiago cheese; I used a cheaper version like Monterey jack or something

Preparation:

-heat broiler; place pepper halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet.  Broil about 6 minutes

-remove from heat and add cheese, continue broiling (2-3 minutes) until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!