Week of Feb 21, 2021

 Sun - Pot Roast

Mon - Egg Casserole and Pancakes (Amelia's B-Day Dinner!)

Tue - Ground Beef Taco Salads

Wed - Baked Potato Soup

Thur - Chicken and Rice Casserole

Fri - Beef Stroganoff

Beef Pot Roast
Ingredients
3 lb chuck roast
salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb bag carrots, chopped or baby carrots
4 celery, chopped

Pot Roast (crock pot cooked)

4 cloves garlic, pressed
6 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 tbsp thyme
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp browning liquid
5 cups beef or veggie stock
Directions
Brown roast in 2 tbsp oil on high heat preferably in the roasting pan or cast iron pot (Dutch oven) you will be using to roast meat in oven. Turning to brown on all sides. Remove meat. While still on high heat, add 1 cup of the stock, scrap pan. Add all other ingredients except potatoes to pan. Return meat and add enough stock so that liquid reaches about halfway up the side of meat. (Add more stock if needed) Bake covered with foil /lid for 3 hours at 350F. Turn meat over every hour. Remove meat. Add potatoes to pot, and return meat. the liquid should cover the potatoes. Add more HOT stock if need. Cover. Cook for one more hour or until potatoes are tender.
Roast should be fall-apart tender when done.
For Gravy:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp butter
mix together, whisk into drippings from roast pan on high heat. Boil, whisking constantly until thickness is reached.
NOTE: SLOW-COOKER directions:Add vegetables to bottom of cooker. Pour in stock and bay leaves. Put roast on top and add seasonings. Cook on high for 6 hours. At the last 2 hours, mix in the flour and butter mixture.

Ground Beef Taco Salad

Beef Taco Salad

1 (about 11 oz) sack Doritos or any corn tortilla chips

1 lb Ground Beef, browned, crumbled and drained

1/2 package taco seasoning

1 cup lettuce or cabbage

black bean salsa

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack and sharp Cheddar cheese

Tomatoes, Olives, Salsa, Sour Cream or salad dressing (optional)

Sprinkle meat with taco seasoning, add mix to coat. Heat bean salsa, on stove or microwave until hot. 

Layer salad: chips on bottom, then meat mix, veggie mix, handful of lettuce or cabbage, top with cheese, and salsa and sour cream or salad dressing, as desired.

Baked Potato Soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 box stock (chicken or veggie), heated
4 large baker potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup minced chives
grated Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb bacon, cooked crispy and broken up to chunks
Directions
In a large saucepot, over high heat melt the butter add the garlic. Cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add the hot stock and whisk to combine. Add potatoes. Add enough hot water to just cover potatoes. Stir in salt and pepper. Boil until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, cook bacon. DO NOT DRAIN potato water.
When potatoes are ready, mash in water with a masher. Leaving some lumps depending on how chunky you like your soup. Stir in the milk, cream, sour cream, and 1/2 the chopped bacon. Heat through, boil until desired thickness is reached. Serve in bowls with chives, cheese, bacon pieces and extra sour cream if desired.

Pancakes and Egg Dish
My daughter Amelia's birthday! Mickey Mouse Pancakes!
Pancakes - use pancake mix and follow directions for mixing.
Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet to medium (325 on the griddle). Use a large scoop for Mickey's head and a leveled small scoop for each ear. Wait to flip until bubbles form. Cook to golden brown on each side and cooked through. Pancakes are temperamental, if they burn too fast turn down the heat.

Oven Beef Stroganoff
2 lb stew meat (beef cubes)
1 can condensed Healthy Request mushroom soup
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp each onion salt, garlic powder, salt and pepper
water as needed
1 cup sour cream
3 cups whole grain egg noodles
2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp flour combined, to thicken gravy/sauce
Preheat oven to 350f. In a 9x13 oven safe pan, mix mushroom soup with 1 1/2 cans full of water until combined. Add Worcestershire sauce and seasonings, mix. Place meat in soup mix. Bake, covered with foil, for 2-3 hours until fork tender. Keep liquid level up to just covering meat. Add more HOT water as needed. Meanwhile, boil noodles, according to package.
When meat is done, take out to thicken sauce if necessary. To thicken sauce, combine 2 tbsp each butter and flour (do not use margarine). Whisk in sauce and boil until it reaches desired thickness. Add in sour cream. Mix with meat and noodles. Serve immediately. Serve with a green salad or a veggie. (We like seasoned green beans with this).