Homemade Hamburger Helper

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (didn’t use)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced 
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste (1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes salsa style)
1/2 teaspoon salt (omitted)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon Penzeys Sunny Paris
1 + 1/2 cups milk
1 cup beef broth or water (Better Than Bouillon Sautéed Onion or Roasted Garlic)
2 cups elbow macaroni pasta, uncooked
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded (Colby-jack)
fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for serving)

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil is sizzling hot, about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Break up beef into small pieces to help even browning. Drain off fat.
2. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes.
3. Add tomato paste (diced tomatoes) and mix until well incorporated and season with salt, pepper and paprika.
4. Add milk, beef broth (onion or garlic broth), and uncooked macaroni. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the lid and simmer over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pan
5. Add cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve immediately.

Original recipe (in black)and picture from aheadofthyme.com

Greek Gyro

INGREDIENTS
Gyro Meat
1 lbs ground beef, medium or lean (not extra lean or the gyro will be dry)  1/2lb
1 lbs ground lamb, or pork, or use all beef  1/2lb
1 onion , large, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks  1/2 minced
6 garlic cloves   3

2 tbsp oregano, dried  1T
1 tbsp thyme, dried  1.5 t
1 tsp rosemary, dried, crushed  1/2t
2 tsp marjoram, dried  1t
2 tsp cumin  1t
3 tsp salt  1t
2 tsp black pepper  1t
Gyro Pitas
Oil, for cooking
Pitas
Lettuce, sliced
Tzatziki
Tomatoes, sliced
Red onions, sliced
Feta cheese, crumbled
French Fries, optional

INSTRUCTIONS
Place onion and garlic in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth.

In a stand mixer, mix the ground beef and lamb with the pureed onion, garlic and all the spices. Mix until the meat is a paste like consistency. Or mix by hand in a large bowl.

Optional: refrigerate the meat for 2 hours or up to 24 hours to marinate.

Preheat oven to 325°F

Line a baking tray with foil.

Shape the meat into a log and throw the meat down onto a kitchen counter 2 – 3 times to release any air. This keeps the meat compact while baking so it will not crumble when sliced. Optional: or shape meat into a loaf pan and bake like a regular shaped meatloaf. Cover the loaf pan with foil. Press the meat down to release any air pockets.

Tear a large piece of tin foil and place the meat in the center of the foil. Insert a skewer through the center of the shaped meat. Wrap the tin foil around the meat and squeeze the ends closed around the skewer. Note: be careful not to press or bend the foil into the meat.

Place the foil wrapped gyro onto the prepared baking tray and bake on the middle rack of your oven.

Cook for approximately 1.5 hours, flipping the foil wrapped meat once after 1 hour, until the meat reaches 160°F internal temperature. Note: if baking in a loaf pan just rotate the pan in the oven, do not flip the meat. Remove any excess fat or grease in the loaf pan while cooking.

Remove the meat from the oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before unwrapping the foil. When the skewer is cool enough to handle, stand the meat up using the skewer to hold it up and shave thin slices of meat off the skewer. Optional: if baked in a loaf pan – after baking thinly slice meat.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook shaved gyro for 2-3 minute per side until slightly crispy.

Assemble your gyro pita with warm pita bread, tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and some of the gyro meat. Optional: add some French fries for a classic Greek street food!

Roll up the pita tightly, wrap in foil or parchment paper to hold it together and make it easier to eat. Enjoy!

NOTES
Storage
This gyro recipe is the perfect make-ahead meal. You can cook the gyro meat ahead of time then pan fry the slices when you’re ready to eat. Store the cooked gyro meat in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Can you Freeze Gyro Meat?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked gyro meat for 2-3 months. I recommend slicing it before you freeze it, then you can take out as much as you need.
How to Reheat Gyro Meat
To reheat pre-sliced gyro, heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Pan fry the sliced gyros, then build your pita. 

Recipe & picture from fedbysab.com

French Onion Chicken & Rice

4-5 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp all-purpose seasoning blend (salt-free)
1 tsp Mural of Flavor **
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/4 tsp black pepper (or to taste)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

12 oz beef broth
1 10 oz cans French Onion soup
1 can long-grain rice

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large Ziploc add the olive oil, all-purpose seasoning, dried thyme, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder. Use your hands to massage the oil and seasonings into the chicken, making sure to hit the innards you sliced it open to get to as well. Cover and refrigerate at least an hour (3hrs).
Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
Pour your rice, French Onion soup, and broth into the baking dish and stir to combine thoroughly.  Place marinated chicken breasts on top of the rice mixture
Cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
Uncover and put it back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes. The liquid should be completely absorbed.  You can serve with caramelized onions on top of the chicken.***
Serve hot and enjoy!

**Italian Seasoning blend would work too. 
***Caramelized Onions

3 large Vidalia onions, sliced thin
1 tsp unsalted butter
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp granulated sugar

·      To make the caramelized onions place a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and oil.

·       When the fat is shimmering add in your onions and toss to coat in the oil and melted butter.

·       Reduce the heat to medium-low and let cook, stirring frequently. After about 15 minutes add the sugar and salt. Continue cooking – and stirring – for another 15 minutes. After a while, they may begin to stick to the pan and when they do, you’ll transition to cooking them longer and then scraping them from the bottom of the pan and flipping more than stirring. Pay attention during this part so they don’t burn – you might need to reduce your heat even further.

·       Continue until the onions are a deep dark brown. It usually takes me around 45 minutes to get the color and texture I want. Once they are ready, turn off the heat and stir in the beef broth to deglaze the pan. Remove the onions to a heat-safe container to rest.

 
Recipe created from my mom’s recipe and one found on deepfriedhoney.com

Beef Stroganoff

2 tbsp olive oil
1 pound round steak, cut bite size
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup onion finely chopped
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp salt

In a skillet heat the olive oil. Add round steak, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook round steak on med heat until tender. Drain any cooking juices. Mix in a drizzle of olive oil then add allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, onions and mushrooms, stir to mix and cook on med-lo heat until mushrooms are tender.

SAUCE
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth (Better Than Bouillon-1c sautéed onion broth, 1c roasted garlic broth)
1 cup heavy cream**
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Optional: add10 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons butter then whisk in flour, continue to whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour into the round steak skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles.

picture from Betty Crocker

**Heavy Cream Substitutes 

This recipe was created using parts of a Swedish Meatball recipe on The Recipe Critic

The Best Swedish Meatballs

MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon parsley chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup onion finely chopped
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
⅛ teaspoon Pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
In a medium sized bowl combine ground beef, panko, parsley, allspice, nutmeg, onion, garlic powder, pepper, salt and egg. Mix until combined.
Roll into 12 large meatballs or 20 small meatballs. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 Tablespoon butter. Add the meatballs and cook turning continuously until brown on each side and cooked throughout. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil.

SAUCE

1 tbsp. olive oil
5 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
2 cups beef broth (Better Than Bouillon-1c sautéed onion broth, 1c roasted garlic broth)
1 cup heavy cream**

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and flour to the skillet and whisk until it turns brown. Slowly stir in beef broth and heavy cream. Add worcestershire sauce and dijon mustard and bring to a simmer until sauce starts to thicken. Salt and pepper to taste.
Add the meatballs back to the skillet and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

**Heavy Cream Substitutes 

Original recipe (in black) and picture from therecipecritic.com

Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken

For the Chicken
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 eggs beaten
½ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
oil for frying

For the Honey Sauce
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or Tamari sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (**substitution note)
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions
Place eggs in a bowl and stir with a fork until blended.
Combine flour and cornstarch in a plate and stir together until incorporated.
Heat about 3-inches of oil in a deep frying pan.
Dip each piece of chicken in the egg mixture and then dip it into the flour mixture.
Add chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
Drain chicken on paper towels.
In the meantime, prepare the honey sauce.
Set a pan over medium heat; add in honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic. Whisk to combine.
Bring sauce to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and pour sauce over chicken.
Garnish with sesame seeds and serve.

**If you don’t have rice wine vinegar you can use white wine vinegar at a 1:1 ratio. To add just a hint of sweetness, add 1/4t of sugar per tablespoon of the white wine vinegar.

Original recipe (in black) from easyweeknightrecipes.com

Savory Club Steak

6 club steaks
3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon MSG-free onion soup mix
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 (10-ounce) box mushrooms, sliced thick
1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
1/4 cup Baron Herzog Chenin Blanc or other dry white wine

Prepare the Steaks

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Rinse steaks and pat dry; place them in a roasting pan. Rub steaks with minced garlic. 
• Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with onion soup mix. Bake tightly covered for two hours.
• In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and mushrooms until soft.
• In a separate bowl, combine steak sauce and white wine.
• Remove steaks from oven, top with onion mushroom mixture, and pour sauce over steaks. 
• Lower oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover tightly and bake for an additional 50 minutes

Original recipe and picture from kosher.com