Beef & Broccoli

• 1 pound boneless round steak, cut into thin strips
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 2 C water
• 2 Beef bullion cubes
• 2-3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1 bag frozen cut broccoli (or fresh)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 small onion diced
• salt and pepper to taste 

optional add-in's that I love:

1 C shredded carrots

8 oz. can water chestnuts

Directions

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, water, bullion, and soy sauce. 

In a large skillet or wok over high heat, cook and stir beef in a little bit of olive oil 2 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Add salt and onions and cook until translucent. Stir in broth mixture, ginger, garlic, and broccoli. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens.

Serve over rice.


Serves approx 7 (1 C) servings   4 pt+ each serving

Bacon cheeseburger rollup

I like to think of this as our wintertime burger--it's fast, easy, no grill needed...and it fits the bill when you're wanting the burger taste, but not the burger calories!

1 pillsbury classic pizza crust

8 oz uncooked lean ground beef (7% fat)

1/2 C hormel bacon pieces (or 7 pieces of turkey bacon cooked crisp and crumbled)

1 C reduced fat cheddar cheese

1/2 small onion, diced

In nonstick pan, cook ground beef with onion--let cool.

Meanwhile, spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and roll out pizza crust. Gently flatten dough with your fingers (the goal is to make it a little thinner, but not TOO thin). 

Once the meat has cooled, sprinkle it over the dough, leaving approx 1/2-1 inch around the edges. Sprinkle bacon and cheese over meat. 

Starting from one edge, roll up horizontally like you would when making cinnamon rolls (you want to have a long roll, not a shorter one), Pinch the seam together and place underneath the rollup on the cookie sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Let cool for a few minutes, and then slice to serve! We usually cut into 9 slices--1 slice per serving. Dip in whatever sauce you like. Perfect for little fingers! :)

SERVING: 1 slice  5 pt+

Italian Meatballs

(adapted from this recipe)

• 1.3 lb. lean ground beef (I used 7% fat)
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp Italian seasonings
• 1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, garlic and cheese. Using your (clean) hands, mix all the ingredients well until everything is combined. Form small meatballs, about the size of a ping ping ball (1/8th cup each).

Heat the 1 tbsp olive oil on medium high in a large saute pan. Add the meatballs and saute until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. (Don't worry about cooking all the way through at this point.) When brown, place on a paper towel to soak excess oil, then add the meatballs to your sauce and cook about 20 minutes. (I just used a jarred Ragu sauce).

This is delicious on with Spaghetti or on a sub sandwich! 

make 27 meatballs (makes 9 servings of 3 meatballs each)  3 pt+

Our "no Jack Daniels" Grill Glaze

• While browsing the internet a few months ago, I came across this copycat recipe for Jack Daniels glaze, like you would order at TGIFridays. While I don't know if it's identical, per se, it's really a great glaze! Not being alcohol drinkers, we omit the actual Jack Daniels....
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• We love this on burgers, chicken...ALL meat really. Be sure to add sauce liberally. It's delicious! :)
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• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup Kikkoman's teriyaki sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tsp roasted garlic (I just used minced)
• 3 teaspoons minced white onions
• 1 teaspoon crushed pineapple
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Combine water, pineapple juice, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir occasionally until mixture boils, then reduce heat to simmer.Add garlic and remaining ingredients to pan and stir. Let simmer for 35-45 minutes or until sauce has reduced by 1/2 and is thick and syrupy.
2. To use, grill meat until almost done, then use the glaze otherwise it will burn.

Swiss Steak

Warm and tasty...a great comfort food. And sorry about the picture. Some things taste great and look terrible! :)

Swiss Steak:
1 lb. round steak, cut into 4 pieces.
1/2 C flour
1/4 tsp. salt
dash of pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic herb seasoning
2 T vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 medium onion, sliced
2 C water
2 beef boullion cubes

Combine flour and seasonings in a flat dish. Dredge steak pieces in seasoned flour mixture and pound with meat mallet until steaks are about 3/8 inch thick and flour is pounded into the meat.

Heat 2 T oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Add meat. Brown well on both sides.

Once browned, add onions, add water and boullion cubes. Cover with tight lid and turn to medium low heat, cooking for an additional 1-2 hours, adding water as needed.
****Keep an eye and check every 20 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't dry up. You can also do this in the oven instead, placing it in a casserole dish and adding an additional 2-3 cups in advance, covering with foil while cooking.

Use drippings for gravy! Yum...

Flank Steak with Corn and Red Pepper Quesadillas

I originally got this recipe from the Good Housekeeping magazine. You can check it out here. We've made a few changes here and there...and we love this on a Spring/Summer night. It makes a great alternative to the normal barbecue!

1 lime
4 teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoonbrown sugar
Salt
1 (about 1 1/4 pounds) beef flank steak
3 ears corn, husks and silks removed (or we use a few small frozen ones sometimes)
1 large red pepper, seeded and cut into quarters
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
3/4 cup(s)(3 ounces) shredded reduced-fat (2%) Mexican-style cheese (and yes, the Mexican style DOES make a difference)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (we omit these)
Plain fat-free Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream (optional)

Prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling over medium heat.

From lime, grate 1 teaspoon peel and squeeze 1 teaspoon juice. In small bowl, combine lime peel and juice, chili powder, cumin, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub steak with chili powder mixture to season both sides.

Place steak, corn, and pepper on hot grill rack. Cover grill and cook steak and vegetables 12 to 15 minutes or until corn is browned in spots, pepper is lightly charred and tender (turning vegetables occasionally), and steak is medium-rare or desired doneness (turning steak over once).

As vegetables are done, transfer to cutting board. Transfer steak to another cutting board; let stand 10 minutes to allow juices to set for easier slicing.

When vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut kernels from cobs and coarsely chop pepper. Place tortillas on work surface. Evenly divide cheese, green onions, corn, and peppers on half of each tortilla. Fold each tortilla over filling to make 4 quesadillas. Grill quesadillas about 2 minutes or until browned on both sides, carefully turning over once. Return quesadillas to same cutting board; cut each in half.

Thinly slice steak and serve with quesadillas and yogurt if using.


Serves 4

***My kids love these quesadillas. They are full of good stuff and are easy to handle!

Steak Soup

If you try no other recipe from my blog, you MUST try this one! We love this soup in our house. It is hearty and delicious--a real crowd pleaser!

1 pound ROUND STEAK trimmed of fat
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 C chopped celery
1 C onion (finely chopped)
1 C tomato (diced)
3 tsp. season salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
6 C water
4 beef boullion cubes
1-2 tsp kitchen bouquet
flour/water mix (make a rue)

***if you are wondering about the carrots in my picture, it is because I always add them. They are not part of the original recipe, but we love them--just add with everything else and simmer.

In a large pot, brown your meat and the saute onion and celery in the drippings (I just leave all the meat in as well) Add seasonings, boullion, tomatoes and water. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours (you can also do this as a crockpot soup if desired). Make a rue to thicken the soup and cook for a few more minutes. Then remove from heat and add 1-2 tsp kitchen bouquet. Enjoy!!!

Serving size: 1 CUP
Servings: approx. 7

4 points+


In case you don't know what kitchen bouquet is, you can find it in the marinade aisle. If you haven't used it before, you will love it! This is a staple in our house--we love it for gravies and marinades, and beef-based soups/stews. Here is a pic in case you need some guidance.

Taco Soup

TACO SOUP
1/2 pound ground beef
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can whole kernal corn with liquid
2 C water
1 small onion
1 can Kidney beans undrained
2-3 TBSP Taco seasoning (I like a little more, personally. But this is a good place to start)

Brown the mean & onion in a pot and drain well. Put back and add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes. Top with sour cream, cheese, and corn chips.

LEFTOVER IDEAS:I love to use leftover taco soup for my taco salad as well. I just drain almost all the brother and add another tablespoon or so of taco seasing. Grab your lettuce and fresh cheese, sour cream or dressing, and you are all set! This mixture freezes really well too, so we usually have taco soup one day, a few days later have taco salad, and then freeze the rest for another taco salad later.Another thing we do with our leftover mixture (once made ready for taco salad) is make some quick boxed Spanish rice and put the rice, beans, meat mixture and cheese on tortillas for ultimate burritos. Yummy!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Brown Sugar Meatloaf
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 pound of ground beef (you can omit sausage and use only ground beef too)

1/2 pound maple sausage

3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a bread pan. Press half the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the half the ketchup over the sugar. Save the other half of both these ingredients to put on the top.In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.Top with ketchup/brown sugar and bake in preheated oven for about 70 minutes or until juices are clear.

***After that time, I usually turn off the oven and let it sit in there while we are setting the table and the oven is cooling down--lets the juices really mix with the meat.

Shepherd's Pie

Quick and easy, comfort food from my childhood days!

--8 oz  lean Ground Beef
--1 can of green beans (drained)
--1 can tomato soup (condensed)
--approx 1 1/2-2 C mashed potatoes (I use instant in a pinch...4 servings)
--3/4 C reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Brown and drain ground beef. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an 8x8 pan, put cooked ground beef, top with green beans, pour condensed tomato soup over that, and then top with potatoes. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Serves 6   5 pt+

Inside-Out bacon cheeseburgers

Inside-Out bacon cheeseburgers

--everything you love about a bacon cheeseburger, stuffed inside--

I got this recipe from Kraft Foods magazine--it is one of our favorite burger recipes!


1 lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Ranch Dressing, divided
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 KRAFT Singles, cut into quarters
4 hamburger buns, split, lightly toasted
4 lettuce leaves
8 slices tomato

PREHEAT grill to medium heat. Mix meat and 2 Tbsp. of the dressing. Shape into 8 thin patties. Mix remaining 1 Tbsp. dressing and the bacon. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. of the bacon mixture onto center of each of 4 of the patties; top with 2 Singles quarters and second patty. Pinch edges of patties together to seal.
GRILL patties 7 to 9 min. on each side or until cooked through (160°F).
COVER bottom halves of buns with lettuce and burgers. Top with tomatoes and top halves of buns.