Beef Stroganoff

My husband and I love beef stroganoff! This version is super simple to make. We grill steaks at least once a week in our home and we usually cook a little too much; so we always have leftover steak. And that's where this easy beef stroganoff recipe came about. Plus the flavor of the mouth watering grilled steaks add so much deliciousness to this dish. 

P.S. On some of my recipes, mostly the ones I just throw together, I am really bad about measuring. I usually just put a little here, taste and put a little there, taste some more. Sorry if it's not all exact, but I'm sure it will always turn out good. :) So, just bare with me, please and thank you!

Ingredients:

- leftover steak, sliced thin (about a pound)

- 1 onion sliced

- olive oil

- butter

- beef broth or better than bouillon beef base

- 2 tbsp flour

- 3/4 cup sour cream

- salt and pepper

- garlic salt

- egg noodles

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in large skillet. Saute onion on medium heat til translucent and has a little golden brown color.

Add sliced steak and saute for a few minutes. Add salt, garlic salt and pepper to taste.

Add 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour, stir together and brown a couple minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 tbsp beef base. (or beef broth)

This is Better Than Bouillon Beef Base. This stuff is amazing! I have the chicken base as well. You can get it at the grocery store, on the aisle next to all the other chicken and beef broths. They are a staple in my refrigerator! 

Bring to a boil for a few minutes, then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add 3/4 to 1 cup of sour cream, however much you prefer.

Serve over buttered egg noodles.

It's that easy and so very tasty!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

I do not have much of a sweet tooth...I know some of you are thinking weird, right? I don't care for icing and such, it's just too sweet for me. However, this cream cheese pound cake is to die for. It is SO good and moist! As well as super easy to make.

Ingredients:

- 3 sticks butter, softened

- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

- 3 cups sugar

- 3 cups cake flour (I prefer Swan's) Don't ask "why cake flour?", that's just how my mom taught me and what she says goes. :)

- 6 eggs

- 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325'

Using electric mixer, cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth. Add sugar and mix until light and fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time, alternating between an egg and some flour, beating well after each addition.

Add the vanilla. Beat together for 2 to 3 minutes on low, until well blended and smooth.

The batter is the best part! Sometimes, I let my kids have a taste, but I usually save the beater for me. :)

Pour your yummy batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 325' for 1 hour and 25 minutes. You can also do the toothpick test and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready. 

Cool cake in pan for 20 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack or cake plate to cool completely.

It is so yummy by itself, but is also extra good with some sliced strawberries and whipped cream on top! ENJOY!

Ma's roast beef

This is Ma's (my grandmother) amazing roast beef recipe. My mom taught it to me years ago and it has become one of my family's favorite dishes. I love making this on a Sunday and inviting all my family over for dinner; it cooks all afternoon and the house fills with its delicious aroma. I almost always serve this roast beef with white rice, butter beans (or young sweet peas) and rolls. My favorite part is the warm, buttered rolls sopped up by the mushroom gravy...yum!

Ingredients: 

- chuck roast

- 1 bag of whole carrots, cut in 2 inch chunks

- 1 onion, sliced

- 6 to 8 red potatoes cut into 4 chunks

- 2 small cans Campbell's cream of mushroom soup 

- garlic salt

- season salt

- pepper

- flour, for dredging

- heavy duty aluminum foil

Heat a skillet to medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.

Season the chuck roast with garlic salt, season salt and pepper, liberally on both sides. Dredge with flour.

Add the roast to the heated skillet. Sear on both sides about 5 minutes til you get a golden brown crust. This caramelizes the meat and gives it great flavor!

You need a baking pan with sides. Get your heavy duty foil, you need a large piece, big enough to line your pan and cover the roast.  (probably bigger than you think...later on you will need to crimp the foil together and make what I like to call a tent, to keep the steam in.)

Transfer the roast onto the foil lined pan. 

Season the veggies with some garlic salt, season salt, pepper and dust with a little flour.

Add a little more oil to the skillet if needed.

Add the veggies and sauté for about 5 minutes to give them a little caramelization too.

Put the veggies in the pan surrounding the roast. 

Now you need to add both cans of soup, slather on top of the roast.

Here comes the crimping part of the foil...ya know to make your tent.

Meet the 2 top ends of your foil together, crimp it tight and fold twice. Then crimp your sides of the foil together and fold tightly. There's your tent. It should look something like this below.

Put the roast into a preheated oven at 325' and cook for 4 hours.

Bring the family together, eat and ENJOY! :)