Food and Beverage Blog

Our snow this morning was only a dusting but the temperature has hovered around in the 30s trying to reach 40 degrees. I have been cold all day, especially every time I looked out a window and saw the grey skies and bare trees. So I have been thinking of something to make a good hot evening meal. The day has also made me lazy and I have an aggravating headache so I wanted something that would be easy. I came up with a skillet concoction of Sweet and Sour Beef and Cabbage to go with the leftover pinto beans I cooked the other day. If this dish sounds good to you, check it out in the Beef Recipes section of this site. My German heritage really comes through in my love of cabbage. If you don’t like cabbage, I’m sure you can find something else to suit your tastes in the vast array of recipes we offer here. Stay warm!

SWEET AND SOUR BEEF AND CABBAGE

1 1/2 lbs lean ground chuck

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

2 tbsp dried parsley flakes

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 medium head of cabbage, cored, cut into 6 wedges

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tbsp Splenda brown sugar blend

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground chuck, onion, celery, and bell pepper until the meat is browned and the veggies are tender. Drain in a colander and rinse with hot water. Wipe the skillet with paper toweling to remove excess grease. Return the mixture to the skillet. Sprinkle the parsley flakes, salt, pepper and garlic powder over the mixture. Arrange the cabbage wedges over the mixture. Combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, and Splenda brown sugar blend; stir until well blended. Pour the sauce over the cabbage and meat mixture. Cover and bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately while hot.

Beef casserole is such an easy meal to make in the slow cooker and it is one of the most classic crockpot recipes of all time. You can use ground beef to make crock pot beef stews or casseroles or stewing beef. Tough beef tenderizes when you slow cook it so you can use a cheap cut of beef if you want to, and rest assured that it will come out succulent and juicy.

This recipe has macaroni in it and it is best to make the macaroni separately and add it to the crockpot fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time. You can cook pasta in the slow cooker but it is just simpler to cook it on the stove and then combine everything. This recipe serves three or four people.

What you will need: 1 lb ground beef, 1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons red wine, 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules, 1 chopped onion, 1 teaspoon salt, 6 oz macaroni, 1 cup sour cream, 4 oz canned mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce,

1 1/4 cups hot water,

How to make it:

Brown the onion and ground beef in a skillet, and then drain off the fat. Transfer it to the slow cooker. Stir in the garlic powder, salt, flour and Worcestershire sauce. Add the wine, bouillon granules and wine and stir well.

Cover the crock pot and cook the beef casserole for two and a half hours on low. Cook the macaroni and add it to the casserole with the sour cream and mushrooms. Cook on high for fifteen minutes and serve.