With impending cold weather and early darkness there is nothing that brings warmth quicker than a good hearty meal; so round up your roasters and crock pots and get ready to satisfy that cold weather appetite with some traditional and simple recipes.
Shepherd’s Pie – for this you will need 2 pounds of ground beef, one chopped onion, 2 cans cream style corn, about 8 peeled potatoes, one fourth cup of butter and three fourths of a cup of sour cream along with pepper and salt to taste.
Boil the potatoes for approximately 45 minutes then mash them with the sour cream, butter, salt and pepper. Cook and drain the beef then add the onion to it and put it in a 13” x 9” pan, place the corn on top and then the mashed potatoes over all of it. Bake it for around 30 minutes at 350 degrees and then broil until slightly brown. Enjoy!
Irish Stew – one of the heartiest recipes for cold weather. Start with 2 pounds of beef or lamb, boned and cut in about ¼ inch strips, 3 thinly slice onions, 2 pounds of thinly sliced potatoes, 4 carrots cut up into about ¼” chunks, 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1 tablespoon of thyme, about 14 ounces of water and salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees, when you trim the meat leave a little bit of fat for some flavor. Season veggies and meat with the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary then place all of the items in a casserole dish, cover and cook for about two and a half hours. You will know it is ready when the liquid starts to thicken.
Simple Roast Beef in the Crockpot – This is one of those recipes that is very simple but tastes very difficult. Begin with about 4 pounds of beef top round boneless roast, ½ teaspoon of lemon pepper, 2 chopped onions, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup chopped celery, 1 cup chopped carrots, 3 quartered potatoes, 1 teaspoon of sugar, about 1 cup of either beef broth or dry red wine, depending upon your personal tastes, 1 small can of tomato sauce and about 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet or Dutch oven and brown the roast, that you have sprinkled with the lemon pepper, on all sides and drain the liquid. Mix the broth or wine in a bowl with the tomato paste and sauce along with the sugar; put the veggies in a crock pot and place the roast on top of them, then cover it with your mixture. Cover it and cook slowly for about 6 to 8 hours until veggies are tender and the roast is done.
Don’t be afraid to try new recipes, most are not as difficult as they seem and everyone will love your new found manly skills in the kitchen.
