Beef Archives - Crafty Cooking Mama

One Pot Pasta & Meatballs

May 1, 2018 by Amanda 1 Comment

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cooked Perfect® Fresh Meatballs for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

This quick, delicious & hearty one pot pasta recipe is perfect for all your busy nights! Get dinner on the table in less than half an hour!

The weather is slowly starting to warm up. The winter hibernation is just about over and the hustle & bustle of warm and sunny days will begin.

Each year it seems like I’m everywhere but in the house during warm weather. So much work to do outside. So many places to go, be and see.

Less time in the house means less time in the kitchen. Preparing meals from scratch can be timely, but I still try to get it done as much as possible.

Some days though – it’s just not happening. I try my best to stay away from fast foods and heavily processed prepared foods.

I keep my kitchen stocked with ingredients to keep myself from falling into unhealthy mealtime scenarios. Ingredients that can be easily tossed together for last minute, quick cooking meals.

I recently discovered Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs. They are fresh and homemade without being homemade by you!

Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs are fully cooked and ready to heat. Seriously. They’re perfectly packed in a Microwave Steam in Pouch. About two minutes in the microwave and you have a flame broiled meatball, LOADED with flavor, ready to add to your quick culinary creations.

Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs are all natural, with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Something you can feel good about feeding your family.

You’ll find Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs in 6 mouthwatering flavors in the refrigerated meat & poultry section at your local grocery store. There’s something for everyone – for every meal idea and flavor combination.

Italian Style Beef & Pork
Korean BBQ Beef & Pork
Sundried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Chicken
Italian Style with Parmesan & Mozzarella Chicken
Spinach and Feta with Parmesan & Mozzarella Chicken Meatballs
Taco Seasoned Glazed Beef and Pork Meatballs

I’ll admit – I grabbed all the available flavors at my store. I tried them all – and they tasted fantastic as a stand alone. My favorite was Sundried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Chicken.

Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs make it simple to make a quick and complete meal. I cooked some pasta, dumped in some tomato sauce and added sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers and a bag of shredded cheese. I threw the meatballs in the microwave and tossed them into the pot of pasta. That’s it! Served with a salad & bread – dinner is complete.

Here’s to keeping junk food off your dinner table!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Amanda ♥

**Ready to eat? Find Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs at a store near you**

**Snag a coupon!!! save $1.00 on Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs**

One Pot Pasta & Meatballs

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

25 mins

This quick, delicious & hearty one pot pasta recipe is perfect for all your busy nights! Get dinner on the table in less than half an hour!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Pasta

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound of pasta
2 - 24 oz jars of your favorite tomato sauce (or 5-6 cups of your own sauce)
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (I used a 7.5 oz jar)
¼ cup roasted red peppers, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese, Italian blend
2 packages of Cooked Perfect Sundried Tomato & Roasted Garlic Chicken Meatballs

Instructions

Cook pasta & drain. Return to pot.
Stir in sauce and heat pot over medium/low heat.
Stir in sundried tomatoes, red peppers or whatever add-ins you prefer.
Stir in cheese.
Microwave each pack of meatballs. Add to pasta.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Food Lion’s Shop & Earn Program + Our Favorite Steak Marinade

April 2, 2018 by Amanda 2 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Food Lion for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today I’m sharing with you everything you’re definitely going to want to know about Food Lion’s Shop & Earn Program. Oh, and while I was shopping there I had to grab a few steaks! So, I have to share our favorite quick & easy steak marinade ♥

I really do want to be an organized & prepared shopper. Each week I have the best intentions to cut coupons, make shopping lists, take a look at store sales, plan, be a smart shopper – you know, save money.

It just never works out that way.

I’m busy. I get sidetracked. I’m scatterbrained. I always have a million different things to do – I’m like a whirlwind going in a million different directions all day. This is life.

My grocery trips usually end up to be last minute. Like we just ran out of milk, bread and whatever my toddler decides she’s currently willing to eat. Oh, and since I’m at the store – let me do some grocery shopping for the the week.

No list. No coupons. Not much direction. Just trying to grab what I need, or guess I might need, and get out.

Luckily, Food Lion’s Shop & Earn Program and app do all that smart shopper stuff for me. I log in, and EVERYTHING is right there for me on my phone – even the card itself. Coupons I can load to my card, the stores weekly flyer, special sales, my earned rewards, recipes, my shopping history and even….get this…a shopping list I can create!

What’s great about the Food Lion’s Shop & Earn program is that it’s customized for me and rewards me for what I buy. I get reward dollars for things I buy in certain categories – not specific products or brands.

That’s really why many store rewards programs don’t work for me. Most programs are designed to push you to buy certain brands or products. With Food Lion’s Shop & Earn program I have the freedom to shop the way I want, and get rewarded for buying the things I want to buy.

For example. You earn dollar rewards for purchasing certain amounts in “Cleaning, Paper and Laundry”, “Meat and Seafood Department”, “Deli/Bakery Department”, “Dairy Department”, “Produce Department”, “Frozen Foods” & “Candy/Gum”. So you’re earning dollar rewards for your regular shopping!

During my last Food Lion shopping trip I stopped in to grab a few things for a quick dinner.

Food Lion has an awesome meat department and I was happy to find New York Strip Steaks on sale! Dinner was decided that easily.

I headed to the organic section and found a selection of all kinds of goodies – plus some stuff I needed for a quick marinade.

I hit up the produce department and grabbed some veggies to go along with our steaks – potatoes and asparagus are my go to sides for a steak.

Oh, and the bakery. I can’t leave without a fresh loaf of bread.

Onto our dinner. I do pretty much all the cooking in our home. Except steaks – my husband is the steak guy. Be it grilled or broiled – he makes the perfect steak – every single time.

He makes the simplest marinade with basic, on hand ingredients. He pours the ingredients into ziploc bags, shakes it up, and tosses the steaks in. After an hour or two, occasionally flipping the bags around, the steaks are ready to grill. I personally prefer to use as least plastic as possible, so I marinade in bowls or glass baking pans, flipping the steaks a few times.

Dinner made simple, delicious and at a great price!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Amanda ♥

Food Lion saves me even more money when I use Shop & Earn. It’s simple to sign up – you can do it right from your phone or computer! Download the App and activate your Shop & Earn rewards to start saving today!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Food Lion's Shop & Earn Program + Our Favorite Steak Marinade

Prep time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour

A quick, simple & delicious steak marinade made with basic, on hand ingredients!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: marinade

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon steak seasoning

Instructions

Combine balsamic vinegar, water, olive oil and steak seasoning in a dish that will fit all steaks.
Add steaks, marinade for an hour or two at room temperature. While marinading, flip steaks a few times.
Grill or broil steaks - enjoy ♥
*Note* You can easily add additional amounts to this marinade for larger amounts of steaks.

Meal Prep, Meat Grinders & Meatloaf

November 1, 2017 by Amanda 4 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LEMLoveToProcess #CollectiveBias

This is a long, heartfelt post. I’m proud of hunting and raising our own livestock. It involves a lot of time & work, but is worth every ounce of energy. I was introduced to The Big Bite® Grinder from LEM™ Products and this marvelous piece of equipment makes parts of the work so much easier. Please read on….

Interested in the LEM™ Big Bite® Grinder? Hover over the photo below to click through to the LEM website!

I come from a proud family of sportsmen & conservationists. My father, God rest his soul, was a hunter, trapper and fisherman.

To this day I tear up remembering his love of the land and wildlife. I’m proud to carry on that tradition. My husband is an avid hunter and my 11 year old daughter is now mentoring with him. Just as my father, we take from the land but give back as well.

Hunting seems to be a controversial issue these days. It is viewed as a barbaric and primitive. Such thinking really couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality of it is, if you eat meat, something had to die.

There’s two ways to go about doing this. You can walk into your local grocery store, buy a neat package of butchered meat and never consider where it came from.

Seems easy, sure. But do you know where that meat came from? Do you know how it was bred, born, raised and fed? Do you know the conditions these animals were kept in until it was time for slaughter?

Then there is hunting. Animals were born as nature intended, in their natural habitat living off their native land. You can’t possibly match that with any other type of meat.

Controlling the numbers of deer herds is a necessity for the ecosystem. In many areas certain game populations are wildly out of control or have the potential to get there. Witness deer starving to death during the winter or dying of disease changes many peoples opinions of hunting. Due to our ever growing population, with the our ever growing need to build more homes, roads and every other structure to support that growth – there is only so much habitat left for wildlife.

I understand that some people can’t or won’t hunt. I certainly don’t intend to talk down on those people.

You do have choices, though. There are other options for ethical meat. It’s not hard to find a farm that raises livestock in ethical conditions. It may seem costly upfront, but when you run numbers after all is said and done – it ends up cheaper to fill your freezer. Many of these farmers will also sell you large portions (1/4 or 1/2 of the animal) of beef and pork.

Then we move to butchering. I’ll admit that I can’t “field dress” an animal, nor can I disassemble the animal. I have no problem butchering.

The key to butchering is practice, knowledge, good sharp knives and a few other tools that make the process easier.

In comes The LEM Big Bite Meat Grinder. This marvelous piece of equipment is a TOTAL game changer when it comes to processing meat. It grinds LARGE quantities of meat quietly, effortlessly, perfectly and in half the time with no clogging. The Big Bite Grinder has an auger created to pull meat through versus having to push it. Grinding used to be the biggest hassle of processing meat – not anymore! It’s such a smooth operation! Last year I became so frustrated with my name brand (not mentioning names) meat grinder that I tossed it.

Everything on The LEM Big Bite Meat Grinder is of superior quality and stainless steel. Disassembling, cleaning and assembling the grinder is a breeze.

The LEM Big Bite Meat Grinder also has a sausage stuffer set-up that I’m very excited to try out! I have no experience in making sausage so I’m excited to get going on that venture.

LEM believes in this grinder so much that they have extended the warranty to 5 years!

Check out this video about what really makes The LEM Big Bite Grinder stand apart from the rest!

Another great thing about processing your own meat is that you can butcher and package any way that works for you. Make portions custom to what you’re family eats. Besides steaks, my second favorite part of a deer is lean roast to cut into cubes for stewing. I cut and package 2 pound packages.

Everything that is left gets ground. I have different methods that make sense for me. Venison is very lean, so you may need to add fat to it depending what you’re using it for.

When I process meat for tacos, sauce meat, one pot or casserole kind of meals, I grind the meat as is. I appreciate it it lean for these uses.

For burgers, meatballs, meatloaf – I add fat. For burgers I prefer bacon ends, for other ground fatty meats I grind a fatty pork butt. Either or work in both applications. Your ratio should be about 80% lean mean to 20% fatty meat.

I also make life easier for myself by making ready to go mixes. I’ll mix up 20-30 pounds of a meatloaf or meatball mix, package and freeze in various size portions. When I need it I only have to thaw, shape and cook.

Hunting, homesteading and a little hard work truly make you appreciate nature and all have, all we take and all we can give back.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Homesteading!

Amanda ♥

Visit LEM for more information on The Big Bite Grinder!

LEM is a family owned company, passionate about bringing innovation to game processing. They have an awesome selection of products for all your homesteading & game processing needs! Check them out!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Meal Prep Venison Meatloaf

Prep time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour

Meal prep a BIG batch of meatloaf (venison or beef) and have "ready to go" dinner in the freezer.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Meatloaf - YAY

Serves: 10 pounds

Ingredients

8 pounds venison, ground
2 pounds fatty pork, ground
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, finely diced
3 cups panko
3 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sage
8 eggs, beaten
3 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
vacuum bags

Instructions

Cube and grind venison & pork together. I like to freeze the meat 15 -20 minutes prior to grinding and freeze an additional 15-20 minutes before second grind.
In a large mixing bowl, combine panko and all seasonings - set aside.
Place meat on large surface to mix. (Counter, cutting board or very large mixing bowl)
Using gloved hands, mix garlic and onions into meat mixture until mixed throughout.
Add in panko/seasoning mix.
Mix with hands, add in beaten eggs & worcestershire sauce.
Mix until everything is combined.
Separate meat mixture into (5) - 2 pound loaves.
Vacuum seal & freeze.

Pizza Burger | Cheeseburger Mini Stromboli

February 7, 2017 by Amanda 6 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KetchupWithFrenchs #CollectiveBias

Pizza Burgers AKA Mini Cheeseburger Stromboli. A fun, easy & delicious dinner the whole family will love! Recipe for pizza dough too ♥

I cook dinner on a nightly basis. Preparing meals at home is not only the most budget friendly way to feed a family – it’s far more health conscience. It’s great knowing exactly what’s going into your food and what you’re feeding your family.

It’s important to keep mealtime fun and exciting. We all get in “dinner time slumps”. We’re tired, we lose inspiration and end up serving the same old, go-to meals.

Sometimes it’s fun to step back, take your existing menu and switch it up. Take a look at some of your family’s favorite foods and get creative with them.

Pizza. Cheeseburgers. These are all-time favorites in most homes. How about combining them? You just know this is gonna be good…!

So what are we doing here? Layer cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions & a burger patty in the center of the pizza dough. Carefully wrap & pinch the dough to cover. Bake till golden brown. Pretty simple, right?

Now let’s talk ingredients.

Ketchup. Not all ketchup is created equal. I insist on serving a ketchup that tastes delicious and is made with REAL ingredients. That’s why I love French’s Tomato Ketchup. French’s Ketchup uses high quality tomatoes and real sugar – no high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, or artificial flavors and colors.

French’s is proud to partner with Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks that leads the nation in the fight against hunger. French’s partnership will provide 10 million meals in 2017. That’s something we can all feel great about!

Onto pizza dough. It’s one of my favorite ingredients – it’s such a versatile dough! Besides pizza, there’s so many other delicious meals you can create. Garlic knots, pretzel sandwiches, calzones, stromboli and of course these clever Pizza Cheeseburgers.

Now you can go and buy pizza dough. You’ll find it at your local grocery store or you can usually grab a chunk from your local pizzeria. This is a judgement free zone, you do what’s best for you. That being said – it’s unbelievably simple, cheap & quick to make pizza dough yourself. I made these Pizza Burgers with both store bought & homemade pizza dough in one weeks time. The homemade dough version was voted favorite from everyone.

As for the burgers – they’re best homemade. Not only are they tastier & juicier – you can also size the patty to your liking. I try to make them about 2 1/2″ round so I can get everything easily wrapped up in the dough deliciousness.

So liven up your mealtime menus and get some fun & exciting new foods in your dinner rotation!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Cooking!

-Amanda-

What are your ideas for fun new meals?

Visit here to find awesome recipe inspiration & ideas with French’s!

Visit here for more information on French’s products

Check out more videos from French’s!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Pizza Burger Cheeseburger Stromboli

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

40 mins

Pizza Burgers aka Mini Cheeseburger Stromboli. Combine two family favorite foods for a fun, easy & delicious dinner! Recipe for pizza dough to follow.

Author: Amanda

Serves: 6 burgers

Ingredients

For Burgers:
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon French's Tomato Ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried minced onions
pinch of salt, pepper & smoked paprika
For Pizza Burger:
1 pound pizza dough (if refrigerated let sit out at room temp for about 20 minutes before using)
6 cooked burger patties
6 slices of your favorite cheese, folded into fourths OR approx 1 cup shredded cheese / 2-3 tablespoons each burger
French's Tomato Ketchup
Mustard
pickle chips/slices
onions (optional)
2 tablespoon butter, melted
a pinch of garlic powder, Parmesan cheese & dried parsley
flour for dusting

Instructions

For Burgers:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Roll beef mixture into 6 even size balls.
Pat/shape into patties, about 2½" round.
Cook burgers your preferred method and to just below your preferred temp. I cooked mine on a cast iron skillet to about medium rare - they will continue to cook a bit when in oven.
Let cool down a little before assembling pizza burger.
To assemble Pizza Burger:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Dust a nonstick cookie sheet with a bit of cornmeal or flour.
On a floured surface, cut pizza dough into 6 even portions. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.
Shape dough into rounds, just about double the size of the burger. Make sure the dough rounds are of even thickness - you don't want the centers too thin. If the dough is springing back too much, let it rest at room temp for a few more minutes. If dough is too sticky, dust hands with flour.
Place cheese (slices or 2-3 tablespoon shredded) in center of dough. Squirt ketchup & mustard on cheese. Place a few pickle or onion slices on next. Finish with burger.
Carefully fold, pinch and pull dough to cover burger and sides. Make sure dough is covering all areas.
Place wrapped burger on cookie sheet, seam side down.
Repeat with remainder of ingredients.
Brush tops with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic powder, parmesan cheese and parsley.
Bake for 14 - 18 minutes until tops are light golden brown.
Let burgers rest for a few minutes, serve & enjoy.

Pizza Burgers AKA Mini Cheeseburger Stromboli | Fun, easy & delicious | www.craftycookingmama.com

5.0 from 2 reviews

Pizza Dough

Prep time

100 mins

Total time

1 hour 40 mins

This makes about 1 pound of foolproof, delicious pizza dough. You can easily double or triple this recipe and refrigerate or freeze dough for a later time.

Author: Amanda

Serves: 1 pound

Ingredients

1 teaspoon instant dry yeast
¾ cup warm water 105°-110°F
2 cup flour
1½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

I use a stand mixer for this recipe, but you can just as easily do this by hand.
Dissolve yeast in warm water. I combine the two in my stand mixer and mix with dough hook until dissolved.
Add in flour, salt and sugar. Using mixer & dough hook knead for about 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic and not overly sticky. If kneading by hand - knead dough for about 5-8 minutes.
Place dough in a large greased bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft free spot for about an hour and a half. The dough should almost double in size.
Use immediately or refrigerate until needed.

I found French’s Tomato Ketchup and everything I needed to create my fun dinnertime deliciousness at my local Walmart store!

Saucy Meatballs – They’re What’s for Dinner :)

May 16, 2016 by Amanda 21 Comments

A BIG thank you to Ragu for sponsoring this post!

I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite meals – good old Spaghetti & Meatballs.

Every family has their favorite meals. Some extravagant, others simple. We have a favorite for all occasions – from extra special meals to quick busy weeknight meals. Our everyday favorite is spaghetti & meatballs with red sauce. The red sauce is an absolute. Throw in a loaf of fresh bread and a simple salad and my family is in mealtime heaven.

My family loves my homemade sauce. Simmered for hours, it’s been customized to perfection for my family’s tastes. As much as we love it, there just isn’t always enough time in the day for it. I often need delicious meals that are quick, nutritious and cost effective.

I suppose it’s predictable, almost humorous, that spaghetti and meatballs would be an Italian family’s favorite meal. We just can’t help it! Would the three Italian grandmas approve / have approved? Absolutely! How about Halina, my Polish grandma? She made a mean Bolognese sauce and loved meatballs!

Let’s talk about meatballs. A lot of people are in shock when they find out I used dried minced onion in my meatballs. Ohhhh….the horror. There is a reason for this. One might assume it’s to get out of chopping onions. I don’t love chopping onions, but I don’t mind it terribly. The reality of the matter is, most people find bits of raw, uncooked onions in their meatballs a bit offensive. Not me, I actually welcome the crisp & bold contrast in the soft meatball…but…they’re not all for me. Alternately, you could chop an onion and saute it until translucent, if time allows.

A meatball is not complete until it’s simmered in a potful of red sauce, soaking up all that saucy goodness. There was no time for a homemade sauce on this occasion so I was excited to try a new jarred sauce – Ragu Homestyle. There are five flavors, something for every sauce connoisseur. Roasted Garlic was perfect for our tastes. Loaded with bright & bold flavor of vine-ripened tomatoes, onions and fragrant herbs, there will be no need to doctor this sauce up – just heat and serve straight from the jar. Its thick and hearty texture hugs every noodle, every meatball, every bite.

Serve those saucy meatballs over pasta, in a fresh roll topped with cheese or skip the fancy accompaniments and eat them straight from the pot 🙂

Seriously – put back that bag of frozen meatballs. Making your own is way too simple and so much more delicious. Find your perfect sauce and dinner is complete!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Amanda-

Head over to Ragu for tons of recipes and dinner time inspiration!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Italian Meatballs

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

Family Favorite Meatballs in Red Sauce | Quick, Easy & Delicious

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
3 cloves garlic, minced/pressed
2 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
½ teaspoon oregano
pinch black pepper
pinch sage
2 eggs
2 jars Ragu Homestyle Pasta Sauce - Thick & Hearty Roasted Garlic

Instructions

Remove ground beef & pork from refrigerator about 15 - 20 minutes before starting.
Prep a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and a spritz of cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, minced garlic, minced onion, salt, basil, parsley, oregano, pepper and sage.
Gently mix in ground beef, pork and eggs. This is easiest done by hand (disposable gloves are great) but also mixes well with a large fork.
Scoop out meat mixture and roll into meatballs. I use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop - but you're looking for them to be about walnut/golfball sized. You'll have about 24 - 30 meatballs.
Drop onto cookie sheet and repeat with remaining meatball mix.
Pour 1 cup hot water around meatballs on cookie sheet. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Carefully remove foil off top of cookie sheet (steam). I use a slotted spoon and drop meatballs straight into pot / dutch oven.
Cover with sauce, simmer reduce heat to low and cook for 20 -30 minutes, gently stirring occasionally.
Serve meatballs on top of pasta with lots of sauce or on fresh rolls topped with shredded cheese.
Enjoy 🙂
These can easily be made ahead of time and thrown in sauce when needed. They freeze great too!

Family Favorite Spaghetti & Meatballs with Red Sauce | Quick, Easy & Delicious | www.craftycookingmama.com

Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket

April 13, 2016 by Amanda 15 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MadeWithTheMasters #HeinzBBQ #CollectiveBias

There’s something almost magical about transforming one of the toughest cuts of beef into tender, rich, smokey deliciousness. Don’t be intimidated – you don’t have to be a pitmaster to smoke a brisket to BBQ perfection!

It’s finally getting to that time of the year. Fire up those grills & smokers – it’s time to get outside & do some cooking!

True BBQ is indeed an art and in no way am I master of it. I love BBQ – I love smoking & grilling – I’ll call myself a “hands on” enthusiast 🙂

I picked up a beautiful beef brisket on sale. Most people look at the price tag of a big hunk of meat and go into sticker shock. Really, though, when you calculate how many people will be fed from that 10+ pound hunk of meat you realize how little you are actually spending.

Depending where you live, you might not have much of a brisket selection. It’s often said to buy grass fed beef or the best grade brisket, but there are not always choices. I’m sure if you planned ahead, your butcher or grocer would be happy to order you a choice brisket, but plan I did not. I went with a “USDA Select” brisket and it turned out fantastic. There are also “corned” briskets. You’re not going to want that for smoking. Corned briskets are brined – save the corned briskets for cabbage & potatoes or perhaps a pastrami. I have found smaller 3-4 pound pieces of “trimmed” brisket at my grocery store. Sounds great until you look at the price – they were averaging $30 bucks. Eeeek – no thanks! Really, I didn’t spend too much more for a whole 10 pound “packer” brisket.

When it comes to smoking, temperature trumps. Use times as reference, but you’re keeping an eye on the temperatures of your smoker and the meat. There are a lot of factors that can and will effect timing. Starting temp of meat, size of meat, your smoker & setup, outside temperature and the amount of times your poking around in your smoker are a few common examples.

That being said, I’ll keep the rest simple. The biggest rule – start early, start earlier. If you’re planning on 10-12 hours of cook time add an additional 2 hours of wiggle room. I’ve heard of many meals being ruined because a brisket ended up taking 12+ hours to cook instead of 10. It’s easier to get done a little early and keep a brisket warm for a few hours than it is to have no brisket at all. Also account for the resting time. I like to let a brisket rest for an hour before cutting it – some people prefer even longer. Understand that this is an all day event and your best starting at the crack of dawn. It’ll all be worth it.

I use a simple rub on my brisket – salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika. That’s it. Just salt and pepper will work fine, too. I let the smoker do it’s job of flavoring and serve the brisket with a good BBQ sauce.

Speaking of good BBQ sauces – man, oh man, I found a new one and I am in love. Heinz Kansas City BBQ Sauce. Heinz? The ketchup people? Yup, they make barbecue sauces too and they mean business!

So what does Heinz know about BBQ sauce? Oh, you can trust they’ve done their homework. They’ve hunted down some of the biggest & baddest pitmasters to create a sauce that defines Kansas City BBQ. Heinz Kansas City BBQ Sauce was crafted with Joe & Mike Pearce of Slap’s BBQ in, where else but, Kansas City.

This thick sauce is loaded with authentic sweet, smoky, tangy spice that we know, love & expect from Kansas City. Go ahead and slather down everything with this delicious goodness – this sauce will seriously take your BBQ game to a new level! Even better, Heinz BBQ is 100% Natural. No high fructose corn syrup, no mystery ingredients – just loaded with simple ingredients that you & I would use at home.

I swear, when you make a good brisket, it’s almost life changing. You find it hard to believe that you, little old you, just transformed that big tough piece of meat into this tender, rich, smokey beautiful beef goodness. The first bite into your BBQ masterpiece is an out of this world experience. Wow! They say BBQ is addicting – I totally get it!

Hope you all love this Smoked BBQ Brisket recipe! Enjoy yourselves, your company and cooking out! I adore Heinz Kansas City BBQ Sauce and can’t wait to check out their whole line of regional BBQ sauces!

Thanks so much for stopping by 🙂

-Amanda-

What will you be cooking out this BBQ season?

Visit Heinz BBQ for loads of barbecue inspiration!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Smoked BBQ Brisket

Prep time

1 hour

Cook time

14 hours

Total time

15 hours

Low & Slow Smoked BBQ Beef Brisket - Kansas City Style.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Beef

Cuisine: American

Serves: 10 - 12 servings

Ingredients

10 - 12 pound beef brisket
4 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
additional salt & pepper
Heinz Kansas City BBQ Sauce (approx 2 - 3 tablespoons per slice of brisket)
Additional supplies - charcoal, wood chunks or chips, aluminum foil, digital thermometer

Instructions

The day/night before:
Dress brisket. Trim fat down to about ¼". Remove any silverskin.
Mix together salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder in a bowl.
Rub meat down with spice mixture.
Wrap brisket in saran wrap and refrigerate. Do this at least the night before - 24 hours prior.
The day of:
About an hour before smoking remove brisket from fridge and let rest at room temp.
About half an hour before cooking - get smoker going and up to temp. You want to cook at about 225°.
My smoker has a water pan so i fill that with a 50/50 mix of water & apple juice.
Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt and pepper on brisket.
When smoker reaches temp, throw brisket in, fat side down.
I start with a handful of soaked mesquite chunks and add a chunk every hour of cooking.
Smoke until brisket temp reaches about 150°-160° (approx 3 - 5 hours) Carefully remove brisket, wrap tightly in a few layers of aluminum foil, and return to smoker.
Continue to smoke at 225° until brisket reaches 195° - 205° (approx 4 -8 hours)
Remove brisket from smoker and rest for an hour before cutting.
Cut meat against the grain (pay attention - there's two different muscles on a packer brisket - so the grain will run different directions on each side) Cut just before before serving.
Slather cut slices with LOTS of Heinz Kansas City BBQ Sauce, serve and enjoy. It doesn't get much better than this 😉
*NOTES*
Cooking times will vary greatly. Monitor smoker temp and meat temp - use a good digital thermometer.
Estimate about an hour smoking for every pound. Expect to add about 10-15 minutes to cook time every time you remove the lid off the smoker.
I use mesquite wood chunks for smoking - use whatever you prefer and follow bag instructions (soaking time etc) I added a handful of chunks when starting and added a chunk every hour until I wrapped the brisket in foil. After the brisket is wrapped, there is no need to add any more wood.
If you're new to smoking you'll find a wealth of information online. Spend a few hours researching & reading - it really makes all the difference!

Tamale Pie

December 16, 2015 by Amanda 8 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #YesYouCAN #CollectiveBias

This Tamale Casserole is a quick, simple and delicious dinner you can have on the table in about 45 minutes! Perfect for the busy holiday season or every other busy night of your life!

Christmas is almost here. Every single year I declare that I will be ahead of the rush and there will be no last minute madness for me. I have the best intentions. Then life carries on and I struggle to find extra time to do any Christmas shopping. Before you know it, time is up and I’m out running amuck with all the other last minute crazies.

Such is life. We’re all busy – even more so at this time of the year. When things get hectic it’s easy to forgo household duties. Laundry piles up and dinner sadly turns to leftovers, frozen foods and take out.

Stop right there! Put that frozen pizza back in the freezer. Keep driving past the fast food junk. You can make dinner time happen. You can make a delicious and nutritious meal. You can do this without a ton of effort or time. You can make a fun, flavorful and exciting dinner that the family will love. Yes you can! You got this!

As for the piles of laundry, I’m still working on that.

You can prepare a fabulous meal using a combination of pantry staples, fresh produce and fresh meat in about 45 minutes.

This Tamale Pie doesn’t involve a whole lot of work – the most you’ll be doing is browning the ground beef. From there you simmer the beef with the taco seasoning, RO*TEL and corn. Make a simple crust with cornmeal, press it into a greased pie dish, top with the meat mixture and bake. That’s it.

RO*TEL is one of my favorite canned ingredients – it gives this dish so much of it’s flavor and zest.

I offer a variety of simple toppings with this tamale pie to keep everyone’s tastebuds happy. Snipped cilantro, green onions, avocado slices, hot sauce, sour cream – top it up with whatever your family likes. I also served this Tamale Pie with a side of Rosarita refried beans topped with melted cheese and chipotle hot sauce. Yum – good eats!

Cheers to a flavorful and exciting home cooked meal that doesn’t take hours of fussing. Cheers to sitting down with the family and eating a meal together. It’s important to make time for those that matter most!

You got dinner covered. Now, onto the next task….

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Cooking!

-Amanda-

Need more meal ideas for your busy life? No worries – we all do! Visit “Yes You Can” for more recipes, inspiration and tips!

4.5 from 2 reviews

Tamale Pie

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

25 mins

Total time

45 mins

This Tamale Casserole is a quick, simple and delicious dinner you can have on the table in about 45 minutes! Perfect for the busy holiday season or every other busy night of your life!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: dinner

Serves: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
2 cans RO*TEL, undrained (10 oz)
1 packet taco seasoning (1 oz)
1 can corn, drained (15 oz)
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
⅓ cup milk
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1½ cup shredded cheese
Pam Cooking Spray
sliced black olives (optional)
optional for topping - lettuce, avocado, cilantro, spring onions, sour cream, hot sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Spray a pie dish using Pam Cooking Spray.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain grease.
Add envelope of taco seasoning, both cans of Rotel and can of drained corn. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring often. If mixture gets too dry, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Combine cornmeal, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk and oil.
Mix together cornmeal mixture and egg mixture.
Pour mixture into greased pie dish - use a spatula or back of spoon to make an even layer.
Spoon meat mixture evenly over cornmeal crust.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.
Cool for about 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Top with black olives, lettuce, avocado slices, cilantro, spring onions, sour cream, hot sauce or anything else you prefer.
Enjoy 🙂

Tamale Pie | Tamale Casserole | Quick, Easy & Delicious Dinner Using Rotel | www.craftycookingmama.com | #yesyouCAN

Greek Gyro Dip

December 3, 2015 by Amanda 12 Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on the behalf of Knauss Foods. All opinions are completely my own.

Who doesn’t love a gyro drenched in tzatziki sauce? I’ve created a simple, yet authentic tasting, Greek Gyro Dip using Knauss Dried Beef!

When I say dried beef, what is the first thing thing that comes to mind? I bet most of you think of Creamed Chipped Beef. Rightfully so, it’s an all American comfort food. Drench that gravy goodness all over fried potatoes and toast and it’s home cooking breakfast heaven.

Let’s forget about Creamed Chipped Beef and talk some more about dried beef. Dried Beef is a slow cured, lean beef which is mildly salty, yet beefy and smoky. These 100% beef slices from Knauss Foods are gluten free, contain no MSG, and are 98% fat free. Loaded with flavor and ready to go. I love the convenience of a quality ingredient that involves no kind of prep work. Pull a pack or two out of your fridge and get creative at meal time! After tasting it straight from the pack, I realized it could be added to a variety of snacks, dips, appetizers and foods.

Still not sure if you’re familiar with dried beef? You’ll find it in your grocers refrigerated section with luncheon meats, hot dogs or maybe even breakfast potatoes.

Let’s talk about snacks. Between the holidays and football we are all doing a lot of entertaining and visiting. Snacks are a definite – dips are a must. Really though, dips are becoming more & more predictable. I enjoy the classics as much as everyone else – but there’s only so much Buffalo Chicken Dip or Spinach Artichoke Dip I can handle. I decided it was time to take my dip game to the next level.

Often my inspiration for creating a recipe is attempting to duplicate or even simplify a dish I love. The instant I nibbled on a piece of dried beef one thought popped straight into my head. Gyros. I absolutely love a gyro. I’ve never attempted to make them at home because I don’t have the set up to make shaved lamb. Knauss Dried Beef made the perfect substitute for the shaved lamb!

The most work you’ll do when making this dip is fussing with the cucumbers. I’m all for keeping things as simple as possible, but cucumbers tossed in this dip “as is” will result in a watery mess of a dip. No one wants that. Seriously – I drained almost 1/4 cup liquid from the cucumbers. To solve the cucumber dilemma, you’ll just salt and drain them. No real work is involved here, just an hour of resting time. After that, stir everything together. Done.

As in any cold dip, the dip is better after sitting for a few hours allowing the flavors to blend. Of course I couldn’t wait to try it. My pitas weren’t ready but I dove right into that dip with a soft flour tortilla. It was the Greek gyro goodness I was after 🙂

I served this dip with fresh pita slices, tomatoes and lettuce. No one bothered with the tomatoes or lettuce, instead the dip and the pita disappeared. Quickly. Everyone loved it – they all said it was like eating a mini gyro. Perfect – that’s exactly what I was going for!

I’m so excited about how delicious and easy to make this Greek Gyro Dip is! If you like gyros, this dip is a must try! If you’re tired of serving the same old snacks and dips to your guests – then this is an exciting new dip to make. There is so much more you can do with dried beef than just Cream Chipped Beef!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Amanda-

Visit Knauss Foods for more information, recipes & inspiration!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Greek Gyro Dip

Prep time

70 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Who doesn't love a gyro drenched in tzatziki sauce? I've created a simple, yet authentic tasting, Greek Gyro Dip using Knauss Foods Dried Beef!

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: dips, appetizers

Cuisine: Greek, American

Serves: 2½ cups

Ingredients

2 medium sized cucumbers
kosher salt
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (I used a 17.6 oz container)
2 package of Knauss dried beef (3 oz. packages)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoon lemon juice
fresh pepper to taste
sliced pitas, flatbread or naan (for dipping)

Instructions

Peel, seed and dice cucumbers. (To seed cucumbers - cut in half lengthwise and use spoon to scoop out seeds)
Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over cucumbers and toss.
Let cucumbers drain for 1-2 hours in a colander over a bowl. Occasionally toss cucumbers around and press with a spatula or spoon to force out liquid. Before using, wrap cucumbers in paper towels and squeeze out any excess liquid.
In a bowl, combine cucumbers, Greek yogurt, dried beef, garlic, dill and lemon juice. Stir.
Add a crack or two of fresh pepper.
Dip can be served immediately, but is best after refrigerating for an hour or two to allow flavors to blend. Serve with fresh pita slices, flatbread or naan.
Dip can be stored for a day or two in the fridge. If liquid starts to form (from those stubborn cucumbers), blot up with a paper towel & stir dip.

Greek Gyro Dip | Use Knauss Dried Beef Instead of Shaved Lamb | Who doesn't love a gyro drenched in tzhaki sauce? A simple & authentic tasting recipe | www.craftycookingmama.com

Want to make your own pitas? Good for you! It’s pretty simple and will save you quite a few bucks! I don’t have my recipe posted quite yet – but I found a recipe super similar to mine. Visit Half Baked Harvest for their fabulous pita recipe!

Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

May 25, 2015 by Amanda 1 Comment

Meatloaf rocks! I love making endless meatloaf combinations with various ground meats. It’s fast, fun and (usually) delicious. It’s also a hearty, cheap meal that you can sneak all kinds of leftovers into. My family, well, let’s say they don’t always share my enthusiasm. Except for this meatloaf. Perhaps because it’s Italian inspired or maybe because it’s kind of a giant meatball loaded with ham and cheese. Whatever the reason – this Stuffed Italian Meatloaf is a family favorite.

Here’s the thing. As much as I love meatloaf – this one involves a little more effort. I don’t make it often. It’s not that it’s difficult – it just involves a few minutes of patience while rolling it and putting it together. In other words, it involves more than just plopping a ball of meat into a loaf pan. I’m running low on extra patience these days. I’m working on that.

I’ll jump to the chase and give you the secret to making any stuffed meatloaf successful. It’s simple. You take a BIG handful of the meatloaf mixture and set it aside. What I am stashing raw meatloaf mixture for? Here’s why. After you roll and press together you’re meatloaf, you’ll notice there are areas that are a bit thin or lacking meat from forming. These areas will be around the seam and at the ends. Guess what happens if you attempt to bake it like this. You’ll find your “stuffed” meatloaf is now swimming in 1 1/2 cups of gooey melted cheese that’s supposed to be inside of it. (It’s happened to me more then once) Simple fix – patch up all those areas with the reserved meatloaf mixture.

That being said, this should now be a no fail for everyone. Throw down a sheet of wax paper and pat out the meatloaf mixture into a 12″ x 10″ rectangle. Lay down the ham and cheese, leaving a 1″ margin around the edges. To “roll” lift wax paper to bring edges of loaf together. Press together edges and ends. You should now have a cigar type roll. Fill in any thin areas with reserved meat mixture, paying attention to ends and around the seams.

Not too bad, right. After it’s finished baking, I pour a ladle of tomato sauce that’s been simmering away on top of the meatloaf. I sprinkle more shredded cheese on top of the meatloaf and throw it back in the oven until the cheese is melted. Yum. I serve this with pasta and tomato sauce, lots of fresh bread and a salad. It’s a wonderful dinner and a change of pace from your average, everyday meatloaf.

You can easily fill and top this meatloaf with various veggies, meats and cheeses. Like spinach, tomato and mozzarella – delicious. Hope this inspires a stuffed meatloaf dinner sometime soon! Thanks for reading!

-Amanda-

Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

75 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

Forget that boring meatloaf dinner! Change it up with an Italian Meat Roll filled with ham & mozzarella cheese and topped with tomato sauce.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Meatloaf - YAY

Serves: 6 - 8 servings

Ingredients

¾ cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon parsley
1 tablespoon basil
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon sage
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, diced
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup dry red wine
1½ pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
¼ pound of deli ham slices (I usually use a bit more)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, DIVIDED
¾ cup tomato sauce
wax paper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
In a large mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, parsley, basil, oregano, sage, salt , pepper, garlic and onions.
Add in ground beef, ground pork, eggs and wine. Mix until well combined.
Lay out a 15" piece of wax paper.
Set aside a LARGE handful of meatloaf mixture.
Pat out meatloaf mixture onto waxpaper into a 12" x 10" rectangle.
Leaving a 1" margin around edges, lay out ham slices on top of meat. Sprinkle 1½ cups of shredded cheese on top of ham.
To "roll" lift wax paper to bring edges of loaf together. Press/pat/pinch together edges and ends. You should now have a cigar type roll.
Fill in any thin areas with reserved meat mixture, paying attention to ends and around the seams.
Carefully place meat roll onto a baking pan, seam side down.
Bake for 70 minutes.
Remove from oven. Pour on tomato sauce (I usually have a pot going) and sprinkle remaining ½ cup shredded cheese on top.
Pop meatlaf back in oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
Serve and enjoy : )

Braised Beef Cubes with Green Peppers

February 2, 2015 by Amanda 5 Comments

We all have certain foods, tastes and smells that take us back. There are so many foods that bring back smiles and memories for me. If there’s one meal (ok – there’s a whole slew of meals) that makes me think of my Polish Grandmom it would be stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage. She made both of them often. They were cheap, hearty and filling meals. Green peppers, beef, rice and tomato sauce – that combination, in any form, makes me think of my Grandmom, Halina.

This is a simple meal, nothing complicated. It involves minimal prep work followed by two hours of simmering. Plan ahead to get an early start on it and it’ll make a great and easy dinner any night of the week.

Here’s the run down. Prep the veggies & beef. Generously salt the beef and brown on all sides – set aside, saute the onions until a caramel brown, throw in garlic & saute for a minute. Add in remaining ingredients and browned beef, stir and bring to a bubbly boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. I told you it was easy : )

After 2 hours of patience you will be rewarded with delightfully tender beef. Serve a big saucey spoonful over a bowl of rice. This meal is perfectly hearty and delicious.

I hope you enjoy this wonderfully simple meal as much as my family does. Thanks for reading and Happy Cooking : )

-Amanda-

Braised Beef Cubes with Green Peppers

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 hours 10 mins

Total time

2 hours 20 mins

Tender beef cubes with green peppers braised in tomato sauce.

Author: Amanda

Recipe type: Beef

Serves: 5-6 servings

Ingredients

3 tablespoon olive oil
1½ lbs beef cubes
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green peppers, chopped
1 can / jar tomato sauce, approx 15 oz
1 can crushed tomatoes, 14.5 oz
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
¼ teaspoon chili powder
pinch pepper
pinch oregano
salt & pepper to taste
rice for 5-6 servings, prepared

Instructions

Heat oil over medium/high heat in a large skillet or dutch oven.
Generously salt beef cubes.
Add beef cubes and brown on all sides. Set aside.
Add onions and saute until a caramel brown.
Add garlic, saute for a minute.
Add green peppers, tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, paprika, salt, basil, chili powder, pepper, oregano and beef.
Bring everything to a bubbly boil, stirring continuously.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 2 hours or until beef is tender.
Salt & pepper to taste if necessary. Serve over rice.
Enjoy : )

This quick, delicious & hearty one pot pasta recipe is perfect for all your busy nights! Get dinner on the table in less than half an hour!

Ready to eat? Find Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs at a store near you

Snag a coupon!!! save $1.00 on Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs

Today I’m sharing with you everything you’re definitely going to want to know about Food Lion’s Shop & Earn Program. Oh, and while I was shopping there I had to grab a few steaks! So, I have to share our favorite quick & easy steak marinade ♥

Food Lion saves me even more money when I use Shop & Earn. It’s simple to sign up – you can do it right from your phone or computer! Download the App and activate your Shop & Earn rewards to start saving today!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LEMLoveToProcess #CollectiveBias

Interested in the LEM™ Big Bite® Grinder? Hover over the photo below to click through to the LEM website!

Pizza Burgers AKA Mini Cheeseburger Stromboli. A fun, easy & delicious dinner the whole family will love! Recipe for pizza dough too ♥

A BIG thank you to Ragu for sponsoring this post!

I’m sharing one of my family’s favorite meals – good old Spaghetti & Meatballs.

There’s something almost magical about transforming one of the toughest cuts of beef into tender, rich, smokey deliciousness. Don’t be intimidated – you don’t have to be a pitmaster to smoke a brisket to BBQ perfection!

This Tamale Casserole is a quick, simple and delicious dinner you can have on the table in about 45 minutes! Perfect for the busy holiday season or every other busy night of your life!

*As for the piles of laundry, I’m still working on that.*

Who doesn’t love a gyro drenched in tzatziki sauce? I’ve created a simple, yet authentic tasting, Greek Gyro Dip using Knauss Dried Beef!

**Ready to eat? Find Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs at a store near you**

**Snag a coupon!!! save $1.00 on Cooked Perfect Fresh Meatballs**

As for the piles of laundry, I’m still working on that.