This recipe was given us by Rose Hess, Prayer Minister for NBM.  Rose isn't sure where the recipe comes from, but she's sure it's delicious.

CrockPot Meatloaf

3 qt Crock pot

2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs
1 envelope dry onion soup mix
2/3  cup dry quick oats
1/2 cup ketchup
Save 2 tablespoons of ketchup to smear on top of meatloaf while cooking.

Set crockpot temperature to high for 2-4 hours or to low for 6-8 hours. 

5 hrs on low was good for us.
I make this recipe from the Complete Everyday Cookbook.  Sounds strange to put peanut butter in the gravy, but that makes the gravy creamy.  It's really good.  Let me know if you try it and what you think of it.

BRAZILIAN BEEFSTEAK


2  pounds round steak sliced 3/4 inch thick    4 tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 cup flour                                                              3/4 cup chopped onion and 3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                     1 large can solid pack tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon black pepper                                   1 can chicken or beef stock or broth
1/2 cup peanut butter

Cut steaks into 6 servings.  Mix the flour wth salt and pepper and coat the meat on all sides. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the meat on both sides/  Remove the meat and saute the onion until tender, but not brown.  Return the meat to the skillet.  Add the tomatoes and stock. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes.  Gently stir in the peanut butter and continue cooking for another 15 minutes, or until meat is tender.  Serve with rice or mashed potatoes.
This recipe has been a family favorite for years. When our daughter was a teenager, her friends would come and sit with her out on our front lawn in the evenings.  Inevitably, one of the friends would ask her if I would make the macaroni or the Chinese Rice for them, and of course, I did. We were happy to feed them because that way we always knew that these children were safe.    

Macaroni and Cheese
(my version)

In a large pan using 8 quarts of boiling water, cook a 16 ounce package of small macaroni noodles according to package instructions, using the longest time stated.  When cooked, drain noodles, but do not rinse. Place noodles in an 8-quart casserole dish.

In the empty pan, saute 2 large onions, 4 large cloves minced garlic, and small amount salt and pepper in olive or grape seed oil until onion just begins to brown. Add 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (you can use ground turkey, but we don’t like it) and cook till meat is browned.  To this add 2 - 1 pound 10 ounce jars of store bought sauce like Prego or Ragu.  Cover pan and turn heat to low.  Simmer twenty minutes.  Uncover pan and  turn off heat. Add 8 slices American cheese and 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, more or less cheese to taste. Stir mixture to  completely dissolve the cheese.

Mix meat sauce into noodles in casserole dish, making sure to complete coat all noodles so they won’t dry out.  Bake, covered, at 350* for half an hour. Uncovered and bake 10 minutes longer.  Serve with salad and garlic bread or garlic toasts.
This is another recipe I made often when the kids were younger.  It’s one they always ate up without a fuss.  It came from the back of a Minute Rice box and has really served its purpose for our family and friends.

SHANGHAI BEEF

1 pound round steak cut into strips1 medium red pepper, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons oil                   5 scallions, cut into 1” diagonal pieces
1 1/2 cups beef broth            3 tablespoons soy sauce
1- 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained     1 1/2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked

Saute beef in a wok or large skillet until brown.  Add cornstarch and blend well.

Add broth, water chestnuts, scallions, soy sauce, and pepper.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

Stir in rice. Cover pan; remove from heat.  Let stand 5 - 8 minutes.  Fluff with fork, and serve.  Makes  4 servings.
I found this recipe on the back of a box of Minute Rice sometime in the 1970’s.  This dish and the American Chop Suey dish were the two our daughter Karen and her friends requested the most.

CHINESE MINUTE RICE

1 egg, beaten1 teaspoon oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce    1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup chopped scallions, or onions 1 cup Minute Rice
1 cup water

In a 12” skillet that has a cover, scramble the egg in hot oil, breaking into pieces.  Add water, soy sauce, and onions; bring to a boil.  Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand five minutes, or until water is absorbed completely.

NOTE: A variation of this recipe that turns it into a meal instead of a side dish is the addition of 1 pound of ground beef. Increase the egg to two, and after you have scrambled the eggs, remove them from the pan.  Add the ground beef and cook until browned.  Add 1 1/4 cups water with the soy sauce and onions, and simmer five minutes to blend the flavors.  Now add the one cup of rice and the scrambled eggs; mix thoroughly.  Remove from heat and let stand the five to 8 minutes until all water is absorbed.  This is very quick, and a good Saturday night supper served with a vegetable.
Larry is a beef man, and was delighted with the results of this recipe.  He often asks me to make it for him.  Everyone I have ever served this to has been satisfied with the flavor and the tenderness of the beef.  The aroma is very inviting also.

You can make this with an inexpensive bottom or top round roast as well.  The cooking time in that case would be increased to 3 - 3 1/2 hours.  Assorted vegetables can be added during the last hour of cooking.  Add more water or beef broth as needed.

NO CHEW BEEF

(Created for Larry)

Saute 3 - 4 large onions cut in half and sliced with 3 large cloves of garlic, minced, in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven until onions are translucent.  (I use my heave black cast iron Dutch oven because it adds iron to the food.)  Remove onion mixture from pan, and set aside. 

Sprinkle 4 - 3/4 “ slices of bottom or top round steak with seasoned salt and pepper; add to pan and fry until all sides are browned. You will have to hold the beef up with tongs to brown the sides. Remove beef to warm platter.  Set aside.

Into the fond or brown bits in the pan, pour 1 cup brewed coffee, and allow coffee to loosen bits as you gently scrape them with a wooden spoon.  Add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, or to taste, to coffee.

Return meat to pan.  Cover each slice with some of the onion mixture.  Bring liquid to a boil; cover and reduce heat to simmer meat 1 1/2 hours, or until very tender.

Remove meat and onions to warm platter. Stir together 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 tablespoons cornstarch and four tablespoons water. Stir into broth in pan until thickened.  (Use only enough slurry to make a nice gravy.)

This is delicious served with white rice, or a small amount of mashed potatoes, or with wide egg noodles and broccoli.
This recipe comes from my friend Lorraine in Rhode Island.  In the mid seventies, we used to sit and pour over each others recipes and copy out the ones that sounded best.  I don't know where the recipe originates from, I just know it's good.

Steak Roll-Ups

1 box Stove Top Stuffing Mix, chicken or turkey made according to package directions
4 large beef cubed steaks
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1 16 ounce can Hunts Tomato Sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each dried thyme, dried rosemary and poultry seasoning
8 small onions
1 can Green Giant French-style    green beans, drained

Spread each cubed steak with an equal amount of stuffing mix.  Roll up and fasten with toothpicks.  Brown rolls in a 10-inch skillet; drain off fat.  Mix tomato sauce, salt, thyme, rosemary, and poultry seasoning.  Pour over rolls in skillet.  Add onions.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover; simmer 1 hour.  Stir in beans and cook until they are warm.

Note: You can actually make this using 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.  Simply pound out the chicken until large enough to hold the stuffing, roll, pick and brown as before.  Add the sauce and onions as before, but simmer only half an hour before adding the beans.
This recipe is from an insert that was in my Country Living magazine.  It was sent in by Ena Quiggle, an Honduran immigrant living with her family in Goodhue, Minnesota.  This recipe is quick to make and great served with broccoli, green beans, or Brussel sprouts.  Excellent left over as well.  It's one of my favorites.

Shanghai Noodles With Spicy Beef Sauce

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 minced fresh ginger root (1 teaspoon dried)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I add more, we like it spicy)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry or beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch
16 ounce vermicelli or angel hair pasta cooked
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup diagonally sliced green onion

Heat a wok or large skillet until hot: add the oil, garlic ginger and pepper flakes.  Saute 5 seconds.  Add onions and saute till onions are translucent.  Crumble in the beef and stir-fry till beef is browned.

In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup chicken broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sherry (or beef broth).  Stir into meat mixture.  Cover; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons chicken broth.  Add remainder of the can of broth to the meat mixture to heat through.  Add cornstarch slurry to thicken broth stirring constantly.  Add the 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to the bowl of pasta and toss well to coat.  Pour meat sauce over top and toss to combine.  (I put the bottle of sesame oil on the table because some of us like more than others.)