BBQ Comfort Meatballs

Classic Beef Stew

Classic Beef Stew

recipe from tasteofhome.com

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1-1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed beef broth, undiluted
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 cup sliced celery (1-inch lengths)
• 
  

Directions

1. In an oven-proof Dutch oven, brown beef in batches in oil; drain. Return all meat to the pan. Add onions, tomatoes, broth, tapioca, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil.
2. Cover stew and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 hours. Stir in carrots, potatoes and celery. Bake, covered, 1 hour longer or until meat and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Cheese Steaks with Peppers

Cheese Steaks with Peppers
Recipe from Martha Stewart Living
Serves 4

1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 Medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 small red bell peppers, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
1 lb minute steak (top round or top sirloin), cut into thin strips
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded provolone (4 oz)
4 hoagie rolls, split

In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium.  Add onion and peppers and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring until softened, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate.  Add remaining teaspoon oil to skillet and increase heat to medium-high.  Add steak, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until cooked through, 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small pot, heat evaporated milk and Dijon over medium until hot.  Remove from heat and whisk in provolone until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.  Divide steak and vegetables among rolls and drizzle with sauce.

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Balsamic Glazed Steak and Pasta

Recipe from tastyplanner.com

Adapted by Tyson

Steaks

2-3 Thin cut steaks

2 Tbsp olive oil

Salt

Course ground pepper

Pasta

1 Lb bow tie (or any) pasta

1 box Beef Broth (or use beef bouillon cubes in the water)

Balsamic Sauce

1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 Cup olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (yellow mustard works fine)

1 Tbsp parsley, roughly chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

2 Cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp rosemary

1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp sugar

Toppings

1 Sliced green onion

Feta cheese

Sprinkle steaks with salt (liberally) and pepper. Put 2 Tbsp olive oil into a frying pan and heat the pan on high until steaks are hot enough to sear. Place steaks in frying pan until seared on both sides (doesn't take long so be careful) and cook until cooked the way you like. If steaks are a little thicker you could put them in the oven. Slice steaks into thin strips.

Bring beef broth to a boil and add pasta. Cook until al dente. Strain.

Add in all sauce ingredients except parsley (if using fresh) into a small sauce pan. Heat sauce up to a very light boil (whisk constantly), turn heat down until everything is mixed and homogenous.

Once noodles are cooked, Place some noodles on a plate/bowl and add steak slices on top. Drizzle sauce on top. Add green onions and feta cheese.

Papa's Tri Tip Roast

Papa's Tri Tip Roast

Recipe from Papa Fin

Tri Tip Roast

Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Garlic Granules (or Garlic Powder)

Black Pepper (not fine ground)

Cover tri tip with Lawry's seasoning salt, massage into roast. Then cover with garlic granules, massage in. Cover with black pepper, massage in.

Let marinate in fridge for 24 hours.

Cover a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and put roast on sheet. Set oven to broil, rack on an upper rack. Stick roast in the oven for 5-10 minutes on each side or until roast is seared on the edges. (If using a thinner roast or other steak then it may be done after this depending on how cooked you like your steak.) Then stick the roast on a lower rack (continue to broil) for another 5-10 minutes on both sides (just watch it and take it out when steak is cooked how you like it).

Pineapple Bacon Burgers

Pineapple Bacon Burgers

Recipe and picture from Our Best Bites

1 lb. ground beef

4 slices bacon

4 slices pineapple

BBQ sauce

4 Hamburger buns

Combine beef and 2-3 Tablespoons BBQ sauce. Form into patties (add some breadcrumbs if it is having a hard time forming into patties). Cook both sides on the stove or grill until cooked through.

Meanwhile, fry the bacon and grill pineapple (although I didn't cause I only had crushed pineapple and wasn't cooking on the grill).

Put the burger on the bun, followed by some more BBQ sauce, pineapple, and bacon.

Samburgers

Samburgers

Recipe and picture from Our Best Bites

1 1/4 Ground beef

3 Tbsp A1 Sauce (I used Worchester sauce)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 Cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp oregano

1 Tbsp dehydrated onion

Other burger condiments

Mix all ingredients together and form into patties. Cook both sides on the stove or BBQ until cooked through.

Lasagna

Lasagna
Recipe from Brittany Graham

1/2 lb ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, diced
1 jar pasta sauce
1 1/3 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked

In a 9x9 baking dish, pour 1 cup of pasta sauce (or just enough to cover the bottom) of the pan. In a frying pan add ground beef, garlic, and onion. Cook until meat is brown. Add the rest of the pasta sauce to the meat mixture. In a small bowl, mix together cottage cheese and egg.

Layer in the baking dish:

3 noodles
1/3 of meat sauce mixture
1/2 of the cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
1/3 of meat sauce
rest of cottage cheese mix
1/3 of mozzarella cheese
3 more noodles
rest of meat sauce
rest of mozzarella
Parmesan cheese

Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour. Take off cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Dressed Up Sloppy Joes

Dressed Up Sloppy Joes
Recipe from Our Best Bites blog

1 lb. lean ground beef
Seasoning salt to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp mustard
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp Worcestershire
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
Freshly ground pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns

Stovetop instructions:
Brown ground beef, onions, green peppers, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, and Worcestershire. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crockpot instructions:
Brown ground beef, onions, green peppers, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burger

Herb and Cheese Stuffed Burger
Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
3 tsp Dijon mustard, divided
2 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
2 Tbsp ketchup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves
1 lb lean ground beef
4 rolls or buns
Lettuce and tomato slices, optional

In a small bowl, combine cheddar cheese, cream cheese, parsley and 1 tsp mustard, set aside.

In another bowl, combine the onions, bread crumbs, ketchup, salt, rosemary, sage and remaining mustard. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into eight thin patties. Spoon cheese mixture onto center of four patties; top with remaining patties and press edges firmly to seal.

Grill burgers, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat for 5-7 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 160 and juices run clear. Serve burgers on rolls with lettuce and tomatoes if desired.

Meatballs with Cream Sauce

*This recipe was worth it just to see how much Eden LOVED these. She ate several and kept asking for more.

Meatballs with Cream Sauce
Recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook

1 egg, lightly beatne
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
3 Tbsp flour

Cream sauce:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
1 14-oz can chicken broth
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 1/2 in balls. Roll in flour, shaking off excess. Place 1 in. apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake uncovered at 400 for 10 minutes. Turn meatballs; bake 12-15 minutes longer or until meat is no longer pink.

Meanwhile, for sauce, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually add broth and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Drain meatballs on paper towels; transfer to a serving dish. Top with sauce; sprinkle with parsley.

Crockpot Lasagna

*This is a pretty basic lasagna recipe but done in a slow cooker. Why I like this? You don't have to pre-cook the noodles. I just don't enjoy trying to mess with the cooked noodles. I also use pre-cooked, frozen ground beef. I'll often take a whole package of ground beef, cook it all up and then split it to the amount needed. Then I'll label and freeze the rest. Makes it easy for this cause in the morning you don't have to even take out the skillet and brown the meat.

Crockpot Lasagna
Recipe from Macie Stratton

1 lb. Ground beef, cooked
4-5 Cups spaghetti sauce
8-10 Lasagna noodled, uncooked
1 Egg
24 Oz. cottage cheese
2-3 Cups mozzarella cheese or Italian blend, shredded

Combine ground beef and spaghetti sauce in bowl. Combine egg and cottage cheese in another bowl. Layer sauce, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, cheese. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

Stuffed Green Peppers

*Orange peppers are a little sweeter, so my kids liked it better than green peppers. Plus, they were cute on Halloween.

*Can use pre-cooked rice. If you use cooked rice then take out the water and the 15 minute cooking time. You could also make with Italian sausage and hot sauce if you like it spicy.

Stuffed Green (or Orange) Peppers
Recipe from the Finlinsons

6 Green peppers
1 Pound ground beef
1/3 Cup onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 lb (16 oz) can tomatoes
1/2 Cup uncooked long grained rice (white, brown, or wild)
1/2 Cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup corn (fresh, frozen, or canned), (optional)

Cut off tops of green peppers (save and dice tops), remove seeds and membranes. Cook green pepper cups upside down in a little salted water about 5 minutes; drain. Sprinkle inside of cups with salt.

Cook ground beef, onion, and green pepper tops until meat is lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, corn, water, and uncooked rice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese. Stuff peppers; stand upright in baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

*I used leftover hamburger buns that were kind of small and the meatballs were large. It only took one meatball to fill the sandwich cause they were so large.

*I liked this recipe but I'm sure it would have been pretty good using any type meatball recipe....but I suppose all the extra stuff adds to it.

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatball Sandwiches
Recipe from Picky-Palate.com

1 lb ground beef
1 egg
2 Tablespoons mlk
1 Tablespoon hot sauce
1/2 Cup Italian Seasoned bread crumbs (I used crushed crackers)
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

12-15 inch Mozzarella balls, marinated in olive oil (I used shredded and formed into balls)
1 26-oz jar of favorite pasta sauce
4-6 Buns or rolls of choice
4 slices of Provolone cheese, each cut into halves

Preheat the oven to 350. Place beef, egg, milk, hot sauce, bread crumbs, parmesan, salt, pepper, oregano and basil in a large bowl. With hands or large spoon, mix until well combined. Scoop about 1/4 cup meat mixture in hands, press 1 mozzarella ball into the middle of meat and form a ball around the cheese. Do this until all the meat and cheese is used up (makes about 12-15 large meatballs. Place meatballs into a 9x13 baking dish that has 1/4 cup olive oil in the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes, flip meatballs and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Place pasta sauce into a large pot, add meatballs and simmer on low heat. Place 1/2 of the provolone cheese onto the cut sides of the rolls. Place onto tin foil or baking sheet and broil for 1-2 minutes or until rolls are toasted and cheese is melted. Place meatballs on bottom half of rolls, spoon sauce over meatballs and sprinkle with parmesan. Close with top roll and serve warm.

Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie
Recipe from my mom

1/2 Bag of spaghetti noodles (maybe a little less)
1/2 Lb ground beef, cooked (optional)
1 Cup cottage cheese
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
Spaghetti sauce

Cook spaghetti noodles according to package and drain. Pour noodles into a pie pan, 8x8 baking dish, or similar dish. Mix in Parmesan cheese and butter to noodles until butter is melted. Mix together cottage cheese and egg, layer over noodles. If adding ground beef, add a layer on top of cheese and egg mixture. On top, put a layer of spaghetti sauce (may be about 1/2 the bottle...needs lots). Poke holes into the spaghetti noodles for the sauce to get inside. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Shepherd's Pie

*This is the very basic shepherd's pie...and I love it this way. Most people try to add more to it and make it more complex and difficult than it really needs to be. Other versions are good...but this is the quickest and easiest way to do it and I really do love it.

Shepherd's Pie
Recipe from my mom

1/2 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1 can green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup or tomato soup
Mashed potatoes (I just use potato pearls, talk about easy huh?)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Cook ground beef over the stove until browned. In a small, square baking dish, combine soup, beans, and cooked ground beef. Mix together. Make mashed potatoes. Put potatoes on top of mixture then put shredded cheese on top of that. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbling on the sides.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili
Recipe from The Finlinsons

*It seems a little intimidating because of all the ingredients but it's actually pretty easy. To make faster you can use pre-cooked, frozen ground beef. I can also make this a pre-made mix with all the spices and powders. Also, this recipe needs to simmer for an hour, so prepare ahead of time.

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
2 vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. cocoa
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 c. tomato sauce
1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained with a small amount of oil or butter mixed in

Toppings (optional):

Shredded cheddar or Colby jack cheese
Red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Onion, chopped
Fresh tomato, chopped
Cilantro, chopped
Green onion, chopped
Avocado
Sour cream

Brown ground beef (or thaw pre-cooked ground beef) and drain and set aside. Set a large pan over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges (about 8 min.). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 min.). Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black pepper and salt. Cook, stirring constantly until the spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the broth, water, vinegar, sugar and tomato sauce. Add cooked ground beef. Bring chili to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Turn down to medium/low heat and let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve over spaghetti and add toppings.

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers

Grilled Santa Fe Burgers
Recipe from Jackie Williamson
Makes 4 patties

1 Lb. ground beef
3/4 Cup cheddar cheese
1/4 Cup salsa
1/4 Cup crushed tortilla chips
1/4 Cup sliced green onions (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix. Shape into patties and grill until cooked through. Serve as is or on toasted buns.

Mom's Teriyaki Chicken or Beef

Mom's Teriyaki Chicken or Beef
Recipe from Mom

1 Cup soy sauce (if using Kikkoman, do 3/4 cup soy sauce and 1/4 cup water)
1 Cup sugar
4-5 Chicken thighs and/or legs or 1 cut up chicken or thinly sliced beef
1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated or 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (optional but recommended)
1 Clove of garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together (make sure the mix fully covers the chicken/beef, if not, make more sauce). Cover and marinate in the fridge for an hour or more (overnight works well or freeze at this point and cook it up at a later date). Put in baking dish, cover, and bake at 350 for 1 hour, turning occasionally. OR cover and cook on the stove. Put on high heat until it comes to a boil. Cover and turn to low heat for about 45 minutes. OR grill it until crisp on the edges.

*Don't have to marinate before cooking, just do all you can.
*Chicken breasts are much tougher than the thigh, you can use it but it's not nearly as good.