Cabbage Roll Casserole

It’s unassuming, and it looks well, homely. Call it names, go ahead. Cheap. Common. Easy. Plain Jane. Judge it, because I do, every time I assemble this cabbage roll casserole. Looking at it in a pre-cooked stage, I doubt my memory. Did I really like it that much? Yeah, it’s actually really very good and, it’s budget friendly.

I have served this to my family for years, and my Aunt Gloria makes it too. This recipe feeds an army, and with cabbage at 50 cents to a buck a head right now, it’s a must-try for budget-minded cooks. Don’t substitute brown rice in this recipe, unless you like crunchy rice.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

Adapted From Allrecipes.com, Submitted by Buchko

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 1/2 pounds chopped cabbage
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet, brown beef in oil over medium high heat until redness is gone. Drain off fat.
In a large mixing bowl combine the onion, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice and salt. Add meat and mix all together. Pour mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Pour broth over meat mixture and bake in the preheated oven, covered, for 1 hour. Stir, replace cover and bake for another 30 minutes. Raise heat to 425. Remove cover from dish, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts.

Slow Cooker French Dip Roast

My mouth waters every time I think about this recipe. Now, I’m not a big fan of packaged mixes, but I make an exception here. To get this depth of flavor without the packaged mix is something that could only come from making a demi-glace or a thinner, condensed stock, but who has the time or expense, right? With this recipe, I toast the rolls in the oven first. I’m not giving credit for this recipe because it is all over the Internet and just wouldn’t seem right to dole out accolades to any one person.

When I make this recipe I hear all kinds of yummy noises coming from my table, and with every bite. This recipe says to keep the juice on the side, but I immediately sauce the sandwich.  Make oven steak fries and a green salad, and you have one great meal. Totally company worthy for a casual supper.

Slow Cooker French Dip Roast

Recipe by, Lots of People on the Internet

3 1/2 pounds beef bottom round roast
2 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 package (1.1 oz size) Au Jus Mix
2 cups beef broth
6 French or Hoagie rolls

Directions:

Remove the top layer of fat on the roast. Place onion in bottom slow cooker; add roast. Combine wine, Au Jus Mix and broth; pour over meat.

Cover and cook on low 9 to 10 hours or until meat in tender. Slice the meat for sandwiches. Remove broth from pot (remove onions) and strain.

Serve in small bowls for dipping.

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd's Pie

My adrenaline was rushing. I charged in with a mission, my eyes darting around to find my prize. With my luck, there would have been a run on what I so desperately wanted. But there they were – - a beautiful stack of 10 pound bags of potatoes. The stock clerk was even there piling on more and more, making a glorious tower. These weren’t your average bags of russets – - they were 10 pound bags of russets for 69 cents each. I snatched two bags and a 1 1/2 pounds of green beans on a major sale too. I go to check out and the cashier said, “That will be $2.33.” That was for 20 pounds of potatoes and 1 1/2 pounds of green beans.  I came. I conquered. Oh, yeah.

So, let’s just say my family is eating potatoes. And more potatoes. But, they do keep well refrigerated. So far we have had one batch of potato soup, shepherd’s pie, and a beef stew with potatoes. I’m going to start getting fancy with the potatoes, making them into a quiche crust, and some Italian torta thing my cousin Jenny wants me to try. It looks really neat. I was going to try my hand at gnocchi (an Italian potato dumpling) but my friend Jennifer warned me that is a major undertaking.

This recipe is great for reinventing holiday leftovers. Let it cool for about 5 or more minutes before serving. It makes a ton.

Shepherd’s Pie

Laura Macklem

• 4 to 5 pounds of russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 or more warmed milk
• Salt and pepper
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cups of gravy
• 3,  14 1/2 ounce cans of vegetables, mix of what you like – - I use corn, carrots, string beans
• 2 TBSP butter, melted

Spray a large (larger than your average 9×13 casserole) with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 450.

Wash and peel potatoes and place in cold water. Bring to a boil and lower to simmer. Cook until tender and drain. Put 1/4 cup butter in bottom of large bowl. Spill drained potatoes over butter, and let sit for about a minute to allow the butter to start melting. Mix until butter is incorporated, and add salt and pepper to taste. Add warmed milk and mix. If potatoes are still too thick, gradually add more warmed milk until you reach desired consistency. Add canned vegetables to potatoes and gently fold in with large spoon to incorporate.

Brown ground beef with garlic and onion. Salt and pepper the beef mixture while cooking. Drain beef mixture and put at bottom of prepared casserole. Pour gravy over beef mixture. Place potato mixture over gravy and beef. Melt 2 TBSP butter and spread over potatoes. Bake until browned.

Spaghetti Squash Boats

Last night I made the most amazing spaghetti squash casserole. No, there was no actual pasta involved, but instead the squash itself looks like pasta. My two-year-old was skeptical because I baked and served it in the squash shell. She looked at the dish before even trying it and said, “I no wike dat!” My husband and I lied in unison. “It’s pasta.” She tried it and loved it. My five-year old took one bite and said, “I want this for lunch tomorrow too.” But, we ate it all.

Above are pictures of the squash cooked, roasted to be exact. (click on the pics and they will enlarge) There is a really big flavor difference in roasting the squash, and the usual way people are instructed to cook it — with a little water in the pan. Using water gives it more of a steamed flavor. Roasting the squash brings out all the sugars so beautifully and makes it sweet. Also, cook on a baking sheet, not a 9×13 because the higher sides will not allow it to carmalize as well.

If you have never cooked with this winter vegetable you are in for a real treat. Serve it with marinara on top for a low-carb dinner too. This is a must try! And I’m not lying.

Spaghetti Squash Boats
Adapted from Taste of Home

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
• 1/4 pound ground beef (I think I added more)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (my kids hate mushrooms, so I omitted)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) can stewed tomatoes with Italian herbs (wash your scissors, stick them in the can and cut them up before adding
• 1/3 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella or cheddar cheese

Directions

Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down, on a cookie sheet. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for about 20 – 30 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash, separating strands with a fork; set shells and squash aside.

In a skillet, cook the beef, garlic onion bell pepper, and salt/pepper. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add the mushrooms, basil and oregano. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in squash. Cook, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fill shells; place in shallow baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 4-6 side-dish servings or 2 main-dish servings.

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs

I am so mad at myself. I went to the dollar store and saw these 28 ounce cans of Hunt’s organic crushed tomatoes, for 99 cents. So, I grabbed three cans and fought myself internally on whether or not I should buy more. But, I didn’t. Now they aren’t carrying them, at least for now, and the same ones are $3.19 at the regular grocery store. It will be a cold day before I pay that. I used the cans I had, which is a bummer because my daughter Anna has been begging me to make my spaghetti and meatballs.

There is something special about homemade spaghetti and meatballs. I love watching the savory sauce bubble away in my slow cooker, with the meatballs all snuggled in the pot. I’m telling you, these meatballs are so tender they almost fall apart. The trick in them staying together so nicely in the first place is to put them together the night before and chill them. You would want to do that anyway, because who has time in the morning to roll meatballs while getting the kids ready, and breaking up their fights? The recipe calls for 1 1/2 pounds, but I use 2 pounds and somehow always get exactly 13 meatballs. When you are rolling them, keep in mind that they will shrink during cooking, and if you make them too small they are at risk for falling apart. And you really need the crushed tomatoes here because of the texture it gives, and the way it seems to accept all of the flavors. Just please, don’t pay $3.19 a can.

Italian Meatballs

Adapted from “Slow Cooker Favorites,” Betty Crocker Magazine 2003

1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef

1 small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1 egg, slightly beaten

Heat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix all ingredients and work it through your fingers well before rolling it into meatballs. Roll the meatballs into uniform sizes. Bake the meatballs until browned, but they do not have to be fully cooked. Put in the sauce (recipe to follow) and cook for 8 hours on low. Towards the end, (last half hour or so) take off the slow cooker lid and let the sauce thicken.

Marinara Sauce

“Slow Cooker Favorites,” Betty Crocker Magazine 2003

1 cup chopped onion

8 cloves of garlic (some of you may be tempted to cut back on that but don’t do it – - do not do it)

2 cans (28 ounces each) crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs that do not cost $3.19 a can

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp dried basil leaves

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker. Add meatballs and cook on low for 8 hours.