Brown sugar chili and cheese grits

http://www.eunamaes.com/2016/10/brown-sugar-chili-and-cheese-grits.html


Photo and recipe credit: http://www.eunamaes.com/

Nacho burgers

This burger recipe from Bobby Flay had our name all over it- salsa and cheese sauce on a burger??  Yes, please!

NACHO BURGERS

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

Salsa:

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

3 plum tomatoes, finely diced

2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Salt

Cheese sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Burgers:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

Vegetable oil, for brushing

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

4 hamburger buns, split and toasted

Sliced pickled jalapeños and blue corn tortilla chips, for topping

Instructions

To prepare the salsa, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt.

To prepare the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Whisk in the milk and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened (5 minutes). Stir in the Jack cheese until melted, then stir in the pecorino; season with salt and pepper. Let cool until spreadable.

To prepare the burgers, heat a grill to moderately high heat. Form the beef into 4 patties and brush with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until browned outside and medium within, about 4 minutes per side. Place the burgers on the buns, top with the cheese sauce, salsa, jalapeños and chips, and serve.

Mongolian beef

This recipe from Six Sister's Stuff is billed as a copycat of the mongolian beef from P.F. Chang's.  I'm not sure I've ever ordered that dish so I can't vouch for the copycat part, but either way, it's delicious.

MONGOLIAN BEEF

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons vegetable oil 
½ teaspoon ginger, minced 
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 
½ cup soy sauce 
½ cup water 
¾ cup dark brown sugar 
vegetable oil , for frying (about 1 cup) 
1 lb flank steak 
¼ cup cornstarch 
2 large green onions, chopped

rice, for serving

Instructions

Sauce:
Heat 2 tsp. of vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium/low heat.  Don't get the oil too hot.  Add ginger and garlic to the pan and quickly add the soy sauce and water before the garlic scorches.  Dissolve the brown sugar in the sauce, then increase the heat to medium and boil the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens (may require a sprinkle of corn starch to thicken). Remove it from the heat.

Beef:
Slice the flank steak against the grain into 1/4" thick bite-size slices. Tilt the blade of your knife at about a forty five degree angle to the top of the steak so that you get wider cuts.  Dip the steak pieces into the cornstarch to apply a very thin dusting to both sides of each piece of beef.  Let the beef sit for about 10 minutes so that the cornstarch sticks.  As the beef sits, heat up one cup of oil in a wok (you may also use a skillet for this step as long as the beef will be mostly covered with oil). Heat the oil over medium heat until it's nice and hot, but not smoking. Add the beef to the oil and sauté until brown. Stir the meat around a little so that it cooks evenly.  After a couple minutes, use a large slotted spoon to take the meat out and onto paper towels.  Dab excess oil off meat with a paper towel and add to saucepan with the sauce in it.  Put the pan back on the oven over medium/low heat.  Add chopped green onions and let sauce simmer until warm. Serve over rice.

Worcestershire burgers with homemade ranch dressing

We made these Worcestershire burgers from Rachael Ray a few weeks ago, and one look at that gooey cheese and dripping sauce and we knew they were going to be delicious!

WORCESTERSHIRE BURGERS WITH RANCH DRESSING

Yield: 4 burgers

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp grated onion
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 deli slices (not too thin) Provolone cheese
3 Tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 cup sour cream
1/4 - 1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup finely chopped dill, parsley, chives and thyme
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce
1 clove garlic, grated
Bread or rolls of your choice

Instructions:
Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle pan over medium-high heat. Combine the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt and lots of pepper. Form into 4 patties (thinner at the center and thicker at the edges for even cooking). Add the oil to the hot pan, add the patties and cook, turning once, for 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare to medium. Top the patties with the cheese, folded to fit the burgers, during the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and remove from the heat.

In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, buttermilk, herbs, lemon juice, hot sauce and garlic; season with salt and pepper.
Put the cheeseburgers on the roll bottoms and top with the shallots. Slather the roll tops with the dressing and set into place.

      

Beef and bean burritos

We made the Pioneer Woman's beef and bean burritos a few weeks ago for a quick, delicious dinner.  She mentioned a particular Mexican tomato sauce (El Pato hot tomato sauce), so I sought it out at my local Hispanic market.  A few days later I saw it at Target, so hopefully it's easily accessible for you, too!  (We made the basic version without optional fillings, and it really doesn't get any easier than this!)


BEEF AND BEAN BURRITOS
Yield: 6 burritos

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 of an onion, chopped
• 1 can (7 Ounce) Mexican Tomato Sauce Or Enchilada Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Cumin, Oregano, Chili Powder, Garlic To Taste
• 1 15 oz can refried beans
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 6 flour tortillas
• Extra Grated Cheese, For Sprinkling
• Extra Sauce, For Drizzling
• Cilantro, Optional
• Optional Filling Ingredients: Mexican Rice, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Green Chilies, Pico De Gallo

Instructions

Brown ground beef with onion and season to taste. Pour in sauce and simmer over low heat. Add water if mixture gets too dry.

Heat refried beans in a saucepan. Add cheese and stir in till melted. Keep warm.

Heat tortillas in microwave for one minute.

Spread a small amount of beans on each tortilla. Add meat. Fold over ends, then roll up. Place two burritos on a microwave-safe plate. Drizzle red sauce over the top and sprinkle with more grated cheddar. Microwave for one minute, or until cheese is melted and burritos are very hot. Serve immediately.

OPTIONAL: Fill burritos with any additional ingredients you like. 

Spicy stewed beef with grits

We made this spicy stewed beef with grits from the Pioneer Woman for dinner this week, and Robert promptly declared it one of the best things I've EVER made.  In fact, he can't stop talking about it.  We used our favorite grit recipe from Food + Wine magazine, so if you prefer the Pioneer Woman's version with cheese and bell pepper you can find that recipe here.  Run, don't walk, to make this for dinner tonight.


Spicy Stewed Beef with Grits
Serves: 6


Ingredients:


1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cubed
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
2 cups low-sodium beef stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup quick grits
Kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:

Heat oil and butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid is thick. (Watch the meat occasionally and add more beef broth as needed.)


For the grits, combine the stock, cream, butter and garlic in a large saucepan. Add 1 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and bring to a boil. Slowly whisk in the grits and cook over low heat, whisking often, until thick and completely smooth, about 10 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.  Serve meat - juice and all - over the grits.

Cast iron steaks

Wow, who doesn't love a recipe with just 4 ingredients??  These cast iron steaks are from the Rachael Ray show and couldn't be simpler.  (We made the bacon-wrapped potato skins from the same episode, but weren't really wowed by them so they aren't making the cut for a blog post).

Ingredients:

• 4 flat iron or strip steaks
• 3 to 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Directions:
• Bring steaks to room temp and dress with Worcestershire, a little EVOO, lots of salt and coarse black pepper. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat to smoking. Add steak and cook 8 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare. Allow steaks to rest a few minutes then slice, sprinkle with parsley and garlic, and drizzle with EVOO.

Slow-cooker French dip brisket

It's Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year- but also the busiest!  May I recommend this delicious slow-cooker French dip brisket?  Prep it in the morning, then after a day of work, last-minute gift shopping, Christmas party hopping, etc, it will be there waiting for you.  Don't be afraid to get messy and dunk your bread in the sauce!!

Pat's famous beef and pork chili

We're always looking for new chili recipes around here, and I found this one on the Food Network site for Pat's famous beef and pork chili.  Pat is a Neely, of Neely's BBQ in Memphis.  This is a great traditional, hearty chili.  We topped ours with sour cream, scallions, and Fritos, of course!  Oh, and the recipe says it feeds 4-6, but I'd say it's more like 8-10.

French onion dip burgers

So it's back-to-back burger posts here on Lindsay's Menu, but what can I say, we love grilled beef!  We made these french onion dip burgers from Rachael Ray last week for Sunday dinner, and they were DELICIOUS!!  There's just something fun about putting potato chips on a burger. (Pile on the creamy caramelized onions, too- you won't regret it!).

Basil burgers

We've finally had success growing basil this year (thanks, Miracle Gro!), and these basil burgers were the perfect reason to pluck some of those yummy leaves off.  This is a pretty simple burger- the meat is just seasoned with salt and pepper, and the blender makes quick work of the basil cream sauce.  It's a twist on the classic tomato-basil-mozarella combo-- and it's delicious!!

Meatballs a la pizzaiola

We made these meatballs a la pizzaiola last week. They were from a Giada de Laurentiis episode about spicy foods, but personally I don't think they're hot so don't let that scare you away! The key here is the smoked mozzarella- it is easy to find at our Kroger, right next to the regular fresh mozzarella in the 'specialty cheese case'. I served ours swimming in marinara sauce over whole wheat pasta. Yum!

English muffin burgers

The official name of these burgers are Niman Ranch burgers, but since that is referencing a specific brand of meat (which I didn't use), I've renamed them English muffin burgers. This is a simple recipe, but the few ingredients are very flavorful, and this is one great burger!

Memphis Beale Street burgers

Last week we tried Memphis Beale Street burgers from the Neely's, of Memphis BBQ fame. This one is a no-brainer - big meaty burger with bacon, pepperjack cheese, and a barbecue-mayo sauce. Since we don't have the Neely's dry rub or sauce, we subbed with our favorites from McClard's. YUM!

Photo credit: Foodtv.com

Burgers al pastor

Dinner last night was burgers al pastor from Mexican Made Easy. These burgers don't have many ingredients but they have a lot of flavor! (I did a mix of ground pork and ground sirloin instead of all pork - I'm a believer that anything called a burger should have some beef in it). Simple and delicious!

Jalapeno popper sliders

Dinner tonight was jalapeno popper sliders from Rachael Ray. They taste just like a jalapeno popper on top of a hamburger. Robert raved about the cream cheese topping and asked if he could eat it with a spoon - sure, why not?? Make sure you have enough pepper slices because we liked having some in every bite. We'll definitely be making these again!!

Asian lettuce wraps

Dinner tonight was Asian lettuce wraps from Sunny Anderson on the Food Network. We love ordering these at PF Chang's, and it's so easy to make at home, too! We followed the recipe as is, with the addition of some chopped water chestnuts. These take no time to pull together - 10 minutes from start to finish - so they're great for a fast meal. Try them, you'll love them!!

Brazilian feijoada

Dinner tonight was Brazilian feijoada, a pork and black beans stew. This is a slow-cooker recipe, which makes it a winner in my book, although it does take a bit of prep before you can just throw everything in for the long simmer. We garnished ours with orange slices, scallions, and hot sauce, and served it over rice. Expectations were high for this dish because I had to go to three different grocery stores to gather all of the ingredients (helpful hint: Fresh Market has beef short ribs every day, while Whole Foods only has them occasionally. In fact, I suggest calling around and finding a store that carries both pork shoulder AND the ribs before you venture out). Also, I kept an eye on it and added extra broth throughout the day when it looked too dry. Anyway, despite yesterday's frustration of hunting down those ribs, I licked my bowl clean and smacked my lips on this one. Robert nicknamed it Meat Heaven, so I think he'll be requesting this again.

Italian hand-cut steak chili

We made this slow-cooker Italian hand-cut steak chili recipe from Rachael Ray this week, and we finished it in record time. Robert loves chili with steak vs ground beef, so I knew this would be a hit with him. The pancetta is a nice touch, and definitely use the optional garnishes - we did fontina cheese, onion, and pepperoncinis. Delicious!!!

Best. burger. ever

We had some friends over last night to watch the Jets vs Steelers, and it was a unanimous decision that these spicy poblano burgers from Cooking Light (!) were PHENOMENAL. Like, top-5-best recipes-ever material. The toppings are fantastic - I spread the chipotle sour cream on thick and added a big helping of the pickled red onions, too. Seriously, make these immediately- you won't be disappointed.