Mama’s Goulash

 My mama's goulash was one of my favorite meals growing up. Now it's a favorite of my granddaughters. Takes only 15-20 minutes to make. Serves 4-6, but expect seconds! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 15oz cans of Italian Stewed tomatoes
1 15oz can of tomato sauce
16 oz macaroni
Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook the ground beef until done and set aside on a paper towel to soak up grease. Cook macaroni 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water right away to stop cooking process. In the same skillet cook the chopped vegetables until the onions are translucent. Add the meat back in then add the stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce, stir well. Let simmer 10 minutes. Fold in the macaroni then season with garlic powder and salt and pepper. Serve Yum Yum!

How to Make Beer and Bacon Mac & Cheese

Who would like beer and bacon in their Mac & cheese? Well learn how you can add beer and bacon with this Taste of Home recipe. Serves 6 Total Time 40 minutes 

Ingredients: 

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

6 bacon strips, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cups 2% milk

2/3 cup brown ale or chicken broth

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Additional green onions

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 375°. Cook macaroni according to package directions for al dente; drain. 
• Meanwhile, in a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels. In the same pan, add garlic; cook and stir 30 seconds. Stir in flour until blended; gradually whisk in milk and beer. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes.
• Stir in cheeses until blended. Add macaroni, green onions, salt, pepper and half the bacon; stir to combine. Bake, uncovered, until bubbly, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining bacon and additional green onions. Serve immediately.

Cheeseburger Shepherd’s Pie

 

This Cheeseburger Shepherd’s Pie is a BHG recipe that combines flavors of a juicy cheeseburger in this delicious food mashup. They used ground chicken, but you could easily swap for ground turkey or beef. I also substituted the 1.5 cups of frozen whole kernel corn with 1 tomato, diced. Who puts corn on their cheeseburger?  Serves 6 Total Time: 1 hour 

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1.5 lbs ground beef, turkey or chicken 

1/2 cup red and/or green pepper, chopped 

1/3 cup yellow or white onion, chopped 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

1 tomato, diced 

3/4 cup water

1 6oz can tomato paste

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 

1/4 cup pickle relish

1/4 cup yellow mustard 

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 

1.5 lbs mashed potatoes, refrigerated 

Garnish: sliced green onions or chopped pickles, optional 

Directions

:

Make your mashed potatoes and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an oven-safe 4- to 5-qt. pot with cooking spray. Cook the next four ingredients (through garlic) in the pot over medium-high heat until meat is browned. Drain off any fat. 

Stir the next five ingredients through the mustard into the meat mixture. Bring to boil then reduce heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and top with mounds of mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted. Top with garnish, if using. 

Smothered Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce

This Smothered Pork Chops in Mushroom Sauce is pretty easy to make in about 45 minutes. I had them along with some Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes (I used this recipe and substituted the red potatoes for yellow potatoes and peeled them). Serves 2 

Ingredients: 

2 thick pork chops 

2 tablespoons olive oil plus more if needed

Salt and pepper, to taste 

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

6 oz brown mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons butter 

2 cups beef broth 

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 

Directions:

In a large skillet on med/high heat add the olive oil. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper, then sprinkle on Parmesan cheese and pat it down. Brown all sides and cook until a golden brown 15-20 minutes. Check doneness internal temperature should reach 145F. Remove to a plate, cover with foil.

Add the mushrooms and another tablespoon of oil, if needed. Cook until brown about 3 minutes. Remove from skillet. Add the flour and butter and stir to combine. Add in the broth, heavy cream, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and whisk until combined. Let simmer until thickened. About 10 minutes. Add the pork chops and mushrooms back in the sauce. Cook on medium until pork chops and mushrooms have reheated. Taste test to see if additional salt and pepper are needed. 

Surf & Turf

If you decide to stay in for Valentine’s Day or just snowed in (like I am), this Surf & Turf would be a great meal for two. I found this recipe on Reddit, it looked so good I had to share it with you. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 lb shrimp 

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/4 cup dry white wine or chicken broth 

2 tablespoons butter 

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Dash of red pepper flakes, optional 

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley 

2 6-8oz filet steaks

2 tablespoons each butter & olive oil 

2 Rosemary sprigs 

Salt and pepper, to taste 

Shrimp Directions: 

In a large skillet on med/high heat add the olive oil, when hot add the sliced shallots and garlic. Sauté until shallots have softened, about 1 minute. Add in the wine or chicken broth, butter and lemon juice cook until reduced by 1/2 then add in the shrimp, salt and pepper, to taste and the red pepper flakes, if using. Cook until the shrimp turn opaque (pink), about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. 

Remove steaks from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and preheat oven to 400F. Preheat your cast iron skillet until hot (test with a drop of water, if sizzles, it’s ready) add oil. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper, to taste. When oil is hot add the steaks and place the rosemary sprigs next to them. Sear steaks 2 minutes per side. Add a tablespoon each on top of each steak and place the cast iron skillet in the oven and cook to desired temperature, 5 minutes for medium rare. Take skillet out of oven and place steaks on a serving plate. Cover with foil for 5 minutes to let steaks rest. Top each steak with shrimp and parsley. 

How to Make Parmesan Pork Tenderloin

This Parmesan Pork Tenderloin looks soooo good, I also think you can substitute pork tenderloin with pork chops. Serve with some mashed potatoes and a side salad. Yum Yum! Serves 2 Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin (3/4 pound) 
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
1 small sweet onion, sliced and separated into rings 
1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 
1 garlic clove, minced 
2 teaspoons butter, divided 
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided 
1/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth 
2 tablespoons port wine or additional beef broth 
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional 
1/8 teaspoon each dried basil, thyme and rosemary, crushed 
Dash pepper 
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch 
3 tablespoons water 

Directions:

Cut pork into 1/2-in. slices; flatten to 1/8-in. thickness. Coat with Parmesan cheese; set aside. In a large skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil until tender; remove and keep warm.

In the same skillet, cook pork in remaining 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil in batches over medium heat until juices run clear, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove and keep warm. Add broth to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Stir in wine or additional broth; add seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into pan juices. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Serve with the pork and the onion mixture.

Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp

From EatWell 101 ...this Spicy Garlic Lime Shrimp is not only lip-smacking delicious, but it’s also a very quick easy dinner recipe that takes minutes to make. 

You can easily double this recipe if you need to feed a crowd. We guarantee you won’t get enough of this quick budget-friendly meal. You will make this shrimp recipe again and again! Are you a baby spice girl like me? Omit the cayenne pepper or crushed chili pepper flakes. Serves 2 Total Time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on or off)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 pinches Cayenne pepper or crushed chili pepper flakes
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Sliced lime wedges, for garnish

Directions: 

Combine garlic, honey, lime juice, salt and Cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Heat up a non-stick pan or skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and butter. Sear shrimp on both sides for about 4 minutes total, then add the garlic honey lime sauce. Cook the shrimp, flipping side from time to time until the garlic honey lime sauce starts to caramelize. Garnish the garlic-lime shrimp with chopped cilantro and serve immediately with steamed vegetables, over rice or in a salad. Enjoy!