What's For Dinner? [Easy] BEEF STROGANOFF

Tonight you're getting a 2 for 1 special!  Haha.  I made regular ground beef stroganoff for Ryan and soy "ground beef" stroganoff for me.  Recipe is basically the same.  It's quick, it's easy, and best of all you can package the extra sauce portions and freeze them.  Then they're ready to thaw and add to hot pasta when you don't feel like cooking :)

Beef Stroganoff

2 cups of sliced mushrooms

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion (this is about 1/2 a large yellow onion)

1 (10 1/2 - 10 3/4 ounce) can of cream of mushroom soup

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/4 cup sour cream (for the soy version, use MORE sour cream)

Linguine (or whichever other noodles you prefer/have available)

Directions:

Saute the mushrooms in butter for about 5 minutes (I did it longer because I cooked the mushrooms for both recipes at once...meaning 4 cups instead of just the 2).  Remove from heat.

Brown the onion and ground beef together in a separate pot/pan.  Add garlic powder.  Remove from heat when done.

  

vs.

Add the mushrooms to the meat/onion mixture.  [Off the heat] Gently stir in the cream of mushroom soup, pepper, salt, sugar, and sour cream.  Allow to cool slightly.

Since I knew we wouldn't finish all this stroganoff tonight, I had my freezer tags (2"x4" labels) and baggies ready to go.  In quart size freezer bags (I only use the Zip-Lock Freezer bags b/c the Glad ones suck!), I portioned out 1-cup servings into individual baggies.  The labels say what day the sauce was made/frozen and how to re-heat it (hint: thaw, and then add a little milk to thin it if it's too thick when re-heating).  Now you have dinner for the evening and a bunch more portions for whenever you need them!

Yum.  Yum.  Yum.

What's for Dinner? YANKEE CHICKEN POTPIE

I LOVE to cook, so I figured at least a small part of the blog had to relate to that. So every so often I'll do a "what's for dinner" section. I'll try to include the recipe and photos also. Yum!

So for my first installment, tonight we're having Yankee Chicken Potpie. And by we're I mean Ryan - haha. I'm a vegetarian, but Ryan eats meat. I love to cook, so he's kinda my guinea pig. Lucky for him, I'm pretty darn good (if I may so)! But feel free to ask him, and he'll tell you the truth :)

The great thing about dinner tonight is that it is made in the slow cooker. Have a I told you how much I love my slow cooker??? I have this Crock-Pot, made by Rival:

It's great because it can make A LOT of food. But also works for smaller recipes. The prep time probably takes about 20-30 minutes and the total cooking time is 4 hours on the LOW setting. Enjoy!

Yankee Chicken Potpie

(This recipe is adapted from Lynn Alley's Recipe from her book The Gourmet Slow Cooker, Vol. II)

Mashed Potato Crust

3 large russet potatoes (peel 2, leave 1 unpeeled)

1 cup low-fat sour cream

4 cloves garlic (I used the jarred, minced garlic)

S & P

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh chives

Potpie Filling

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups of chicken stock

Pinch of nutmeg

S & P

1 leek, white and green parts ONLY, thoroughly washed, sliced thin

About 3 large carrots, diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed

1 cup of frozen peas (optional...I left these out - we don't like peas!)

1/2 tablespoon tarragon

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

Mashed Potato Crust

Boil a large pot of water. Cut the russet potatoes into large chunks and add to boiling water. Add a few dashes of salt to water as well. Boil potatoes until very soft, about 40 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove and drain the potatoes. Mash. Add the sour cream, garlic, and S&P, to taste. The potatoes should be creamy. You can add a splash of milk or some butter, depending on what consistency and flavor you prefer. Add the chives at the end, and mix.

Potpie Filling

In a large saucepan (over medium-high heat), melt 3 tablespoons of butter. Add the flour and cook, for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the stock and continue cooking for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. The mixture should be thick! Add the nutmeg and S&P to taste. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Saute the leeks, carrots, and celery for about 10 minutes. The veggies should be just getting soft, not mushy.

Transfer this into the slow cooker. Add the cubes of chicken. Gently mix everything together in the slow cooker. You should have a thick stew-like mixture now.

Cover and cook for 4 hours on LOW. Make sure the chicken is cooked through.

Spoon the potato crust over the top of the filling and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, until the mashed potatoes are brown around the edges.

Garnish with parsley.

Time for Dinner!