Posted on Feb 19, 2009 under Kitchen |
Yesterday I HAD to use up a pound of ground beef that was in my fridge. I was TOTALLY uninspired, just didn’t know what to do with that ground beef, UNTIL I took the girls to their piano lesson. I was sitting there on the couch looking at my friends new Simple & Delicious (from the publishers of Taste of Home) magazine, and found this recipe. It looked very yummy, and it used all real foods, and included an ingredient that none of us have ever had before. Great candidate for dinner!!!! 
The picture that I took of it doesn’t look nearly as good as it tasted….this was REALLY good! The only change that I made was that I doubled everything but the meat (and I would say that that was a very wise decision, because the doubled portion of meat would have been too much, I think), and I had let the kids use the last of the cheddar cheese for their lunch so I used a little bit of parmesan cheese instead of the cheddar.
Pierogi Beef Skillet (from Simple & Delicious Magazine Mar/Apr 09)
(Lori’s note: I’m posting the recipe as it appeared in the magazine, not with my “changes”)
SERVES: 4
- 1 pound ground beef (I used 4% fat and it was fine)
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 c. flour
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 (16 oz) package frozen cheese & potato pierogies, thawed
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed & drained
- 1/2 tsp. salt (I will leave this out next time)
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain, reserving 3 Tbsp. drippings (because I used 4% fat ground beef, I only had about 3T of drippings left….maybe a little less, it did not affect the gravy at all). Sprinkle flour over beef and drippings; stirring until blended. Gradually add beef broth, making sure you incorporate each addition before adding more. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened (mine took closer to 5 minutes).
Stir in the pierogies, vegetables and seasonings. Cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until heated through (my pierogi & veggies were still slightly frozen, so I covered it and let it cook for 5-6 minutes). Sprinkle with cheese, serve.
This was a HUGE hit, and reminded us of a skillet shepherd’s pie. I can’t wait to use pierogies in other dishes….they were SOOOO good! I can’t believe I’ve never tried them before now
I also baked some whole grain fat free banana bread, and some regular whole wheat bread. It’s been WAY TOO LONG since I baked (probably a month), and I wanted to provide some yummy, whole grain, naturally sweetened treats for my family
Here are a couple of pictures
Last week’s meals stayed mostly on schedule….we had some last minute guests for dinner the night that the chili mac was scheduled, and I knew that one of our guests wouldn’t appreciate the chili so I decided to make a pasta bake that night instead. Here’s this week’s menu:
Sunday, 1/8/09
- oven baked chicken
- potato salad
- green salad
Monday, 1/9/09
- taco crescent bake
- bacon ranch green beans
- mexicorn mixed with rice
Tuesday, 1/10/09
- beef tips in mushroom sauce
- veggie
- mashed potatoes
- green salad
Wednesday, 1/11/09
- cheddar chicken broccoli
- glazed carrots
- salad
- fruit
Thursday, 1/12/09
- chicken pot pie
- salad
- cinnamon apples
Friday, 1/13/09 R’s 16th birthday party!!!!!
- tacos (taco bar)
- mexican rice
- refried beans
- salad
- chips & salsa
- birthday cake and ice cream and chocolates
Saturday, 2/14/09
- undecided…..don’t know if we are having grandparents here to celebrate R’s birthday or not, but today is her actual birthday, so she gets to choose whatever she wants
A special thank you to Laura at Organizing Junkie for hosting this every week. If you’d like to see other menus or post your own, please click on the banner above to get to Laura’s blog.
I know, I know, the last time I posted my menu plan on my blog was week 3, but I have had a menu plan the past 2 weeks, just didn’t find the time on Sunday/Monday/Tuesday to post it…..and by the time I had the time later in the week both weeks to post it, I just didn’t see the point. I know, I know, bad me I actually have the next 2 weeks planned, but since I’m only doing the shopping for one week today, I’m only going to post one week (and that will allow for any carryover meals next week also). I’m still using the Menus4moms menus (I use the free version), and LOVING them…..every single recipe that we have used has been very good!!! These ladies definitely know what they are doing in their recipe development and recipe tasting. I am beginning to substitute my own homemade ingredients in place of some of their convenience ingredients (such as canned cream of _________ soups, etc). Also, if you are looking for the menus4moms menu that coordinates with mine, I am using menus from the archives, so I will make sure to link the recipes for you
Sunday, 2/1/09 SUPER BOWL SUNDAY:
- pulled pork sandwiches using kalua pork recipe that I posted a few weeks ago
- cole slaw
- chips
- carrots & celery with homemade ranch dressing
Monday, 2/2/09
- beef & broccoli
- rice
- mandarin-pineapple salad
- steamed or stir-fried chinese veggies
Tuesday, 2/3/09
Wednesday, 2/4/09
- stuffed shells
- jello parfait
- green salad
Thursday, 2/5/09
Friday, 2/6/09
- homemade thai chicken pizza
- homemade ham & pineapple pizza
- salad
Saturday, 2/7/09
- tri-tip
- twice baked potatoes
- corn on the cob
- salad
Sunday, 2/8/09
- roasted turkey
- stuffing
- mashed potatoes & gravy
- veggie
To view more menus or to post your own, please visit Laura’s blog at Organizing Junkie by clicking on the banner above. Also, if you are looking for some tips for organizing your home, she’s got some awesome ones on her site!
