Beef Bourguignon Soup

4 bone-in short ribs

Salt and pepper

1/3 cup cornstarch

4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 oz. mushrooms, cut into 1/8's

3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

1 medium onion, diced

4 carrots, finely chopped

1 carrot, cut into 1/2" pieces

2 strips bacon, thinly sliced diagonally

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 cup dry red wine

8 cups beef stock

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional)

Season ribs with freshly ground salt and pepper.

Coat ribs in cornstarch.

Heat olive oil in heavy pot (I use enameled cast iron) over medium-high heat. Add ribs to preheated pot.

Brown ribs on all sides until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.

Add chopped mushrooms to pot.

Cook mushrooms until brown. Transfer to a bowl.

Add onions, celery, carrots and sliced bacon to pot and cook until caramelized; about 7-8 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste.

Place the ribs back into the pot.  Add minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme.

Raise the heat to high.  Add red wine; stirring constantly and scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan with a wooden spoon.  Continue cooking until slightly reduced; about a minute or so.

Add beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for approximately 2 1/2 hours, or until beef is tender.

Remove ribs from pot and allow to cool. Separate the meat from the bones and discard bones.  Shred meat into bite size pieces and return to pot.

Return mushrooms to pot and bring to a simmer.  Add 1 Tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar (optional) and stir. 


Season with salt.

Serve in a bowl over cooked egg noodles or jasmine rice for a really hearty soup.  

Note: Can also thicken slightly with cornstarch if desired.

Slow Cooker Meatballs

This is probably one of the easiest recipes possible, but is always a "hit" wherever or whenever you serve them.

1.5 - 2 pounds of meatballs (I use Italian Style)

1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce

1 can jellied cranberry sauce



Open can of cranberry sauce and place in medium mixing bowl.

Add entire bottle of chili sauce.

Stir until well-combined.

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour frozen meatballs into slow cooker.

Pour chili sauce/ cranberry sauce mixture over meatballs.

Cook on High for approximate 3-4 hours.

Baked Spaghetti

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 cups water

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large green pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp. dried parsley ( or approx. 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley)

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

3 small bay leaves

2 lbs. ground beef

8 ounces uncooked angel hair spaghetti

*1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

*1 cup grated cheddar cheese

* Or, can use 2 cups Cheddar Jack cheese blend

Chop onion and green pepper.

Chop garlic.

In a medium stockpot, combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, chopped onions, peppers, and garlic, parsley and all seasonings. Add bay leaves and stir gently.

Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and let simmer for approximately 45 minutes.

While the sauce mixture is simmering, Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook until desired brownness.

Drain any fat from browned ground beef and add beef to sauce.

Stir until well-combined.

Cook pasta according to the package directions and drain well in colander.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover the bottom of a 13" x 9" pan with sauce. Add a layer of half of the cooked pasta.

Top with approximately 3/4 cup grated cheese mixture.

Repeat layers.

End with a final layer of sauce on top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

Top the spaghetti with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and return to oven for about 5 more minutes -- or until cheese is completely melted.

Cut into squares and serve with salad and garlic bread.

Bavarian Style Cube Steak (Crockpot)

1 - 1/4 lbs. cubed steak

1 Tablespoon cooking oil

2 1/2 cups water

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 envelopes mushroom gravy mix

2 Tablespoons vinegar

Quickly brown steaks in hot oil.

Flips steaks over and brown the other side.

Remove steak from skillet and place in bottom of crockpot.

Chop onion.

Combine gravy mix and brown sugar in medium mixing bowl.

Add water and vinegar to gravy mixture.

Add chopped onion and stir until well combined.

Pour mixture over steak in crockpot.

Cook on LOW setting for approximately 7-8 hrs. 

Thicken gravy with cornstarch (mixed with water) prior to serving, if desired.

Note: This recipe can also be prepared in a skillet. Quickly brown steaks on both sides. Add onion and cook until onion is almost tender. Combine water, gravy mix, brown sugar and vinegar; pour over steaks in skillet.

Cover and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes or until desired doneness.

Thicken gravy with cornstarch (mixed with water) prior to serving, if desired. 

Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

This is one of my husband's favorite "comfort foods".  He loves Creamed Chipped Beef, so I recently surprised him with some -- and served it to him in bed, no less!!!  That's TRUE "comfort food", isn't it?

6 oz. sliced dried beef, rinsed in cold water **

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup minced onion

2 Tablespoons flour

2 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

8 slices of buttered toast

Melt butter over medium heat in skillet.

 Add chopped onion and saute until tender.

Sprinkle in flour, stirring constantly until smooth -- about 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add milk while stirring.

Cook 5 - 8 minutes until the sauce is thickened.

Add chipped beef, then salt and pepper to taste.

Keep stirring gravy until well-combined and desired thickness.  Add parsley, if desired, and remove from heat.

Toast bread slices.

Pour gravy over toast and serve.

**  Note:  I substituted thinly sliced beef pictured above, because dried beef is a little too salty for our liking.  If you use, dried beef like this,

be sure to rinse the beef off prior to making recipe.  The beef I substituted works fine, too.