This is a very hearty meal – and like so many crock pot meals, a great way to put something together, be able to run errands for a few hours – – and then come home to a hot cooked meal. This is reminiscent of a stew with the nice mushroom gravy flavor 🙂
10 Layer Beef Hash (Crock Pot)
8 servings
370 calories per serving
1 ½ lb. lean ground beef
6 medium potatoes thinly sliced
1 medium onion thinly sliced
½ t salt
½ t pepper
15 oz. can of corn, undrained
15 oz. can of peas, undrained
¼ c water
1 can fat free cream of mushroom soup.
Brown the meat in a skillet and drain. Layer the ingredients in the crock in this order:
¼ of the potatoes
¼ the onions
¼ the salt and pepper
½ the corn
¼ the potatoes
½ the peas
¼ the potatoes
¼ the onions
¼ the salt and pepper
½ the corn
¼ the potatoes
½ the peas
All the water
All the meat
All the soup
Cover and cook on high 4 hours. Be sure to give each person a serving that contains some of each layer.
Coffee used in meat marinades adds a great depth of flavor. This one combines some sugar, so the flavors really STICK to the meat well and that makes it all the more tasty !
Coffee and Steak
4 servings
185 calories per serving
1 t finely ground espresso
1 t Splenda brown sugar
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t onion powder
¼ t salt
¼ t pepper
4 4 oz. filet mignons
Pam
Heat a grill pan on medium high heat (or heat up the grill in the backyard !). Coat pan with Pam. Combine all the spices and rub into steaks. Cook 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
These beef rolls are like eating mini cheese steaks – so yummy ! Just look at the cheese dripping out the ends of the rolls !
Beef Roll
4 servings
227 calories per serving
¾ pound braciola beef (thinly sliced top round) cut into 4 pieces lengthwise
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 oz. pepper jack cheese thinly sliced into 4 pieces
2 t oil
7 oz. Very Veggie salad mix
1 ½ t Sherry vinegar
1 T oil
1 onion halved and cut into thin slices
1 ½ yellow or orange bell peppers sliced very thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 1 T oil in a skillet on medium high heat and add onions, peppers and garlic. Saute 7-8 minutes and then add salt, pepper and 1/2 c water. Cover and lower heat and simmer 2 minutes or until dried out. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Season meat with salt and pepper. Put a piece of cheese and ¼ the onion mix into the center of a piece of meat. Roll up long ways and secure the seam with a toothpick or mini skewer woven in to keep the meat from opening while cooking. Heat a skillet to medium high and add 1 t oil. Place meat rolls in the pan and cook about 8 minutes browning all sides. Lower the heat if it browns to quickly as you want it to stay in the pan long enough for the cheese inside to get melty.
Toss lettuce with vinegar and 1 t oil and season it with salt and pepper. Serve next to the beef rolls. Remove toothpicks from beef before serving.
Here is a video to help show you how to roll these up !
Another day. Another meatloaf 🙂 There are so many variations and I just have to try them all 🙂 So far my favorite is still Good and Healthy Meatloaf. But this one works too – it does not look so full of veggies, so it might do better with kids 🙂
Mushroom Meatloaf
6 servings
265 calories per serving
8 oz. assorted mushrooms (or all button mushrooms is fine too)
1 T oil
1 t garlic clove, minced
½ c parsley, chopped
½ c pureed diced tomatoes (canned)
8 oz. lean ground beef
8 oz. ground pork
1 c quick oats
½ medium onion
¼ c Egg Beaters
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t kosher salt
½ c ketchup
Pam
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a baking dish with Pam. In a food processor, pulse the onion until minced and then add the mushrooms and process until minced and then sauté them in a hot pan with the oil about 5 minutes. If they remain wet, drain the liquid out of the pan. Add garlic, parsley and tomatoes and then set aside.
Mix meats, oats, egg, Worcestershire, and salt into the mushroom mix. Shape into a loaf and set in baking dish or a loaf pan. Spread ketchup over the top and bake an hour or until done. Let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Don’t tell Julia child that we are not using her recipe ! This is a time consuming recipe, but it is great for special occasions – it’s not just everyday that you get Beef Bourguignon 🙂
Beef Bourguignon
6 servings
344 calories per serving
2 1/2 t oil, divided
1 1/2 lb. lean beef stew meat
2 c sliced onions
2 c sliced carrots
1 c diced green bell pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
12 oz whole mushrooms, quartered
1 14 oz. can beef broth
1 1/2 c red wine (a Burgundy or Beaujolais is recommended)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
3 T flour
2 T butter, softened
To caramelize onions, heat a skillet on medium high heat and add 1 t oil than add onion slices and cook on medium high heat for 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a bit if salt and pepper and then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes, again, stirring frequently. You want the onions to become a nice golden color, but remain very moist. If they start to dry out in the first 7 minutes, reduce the heat a little. If they start to dry out during the covered cooking period, add a tablespoon or more of hot water and mix well.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven* to medium high heat. Blot meat on paper towels – it will brown much better the drier it is. Add beef and cook until brown. Remove from pot and set aside. Add carrot, mushrooms and green pepper to pot. Cook 4 minutes then add onions and cook another 2 minutes and then return beef to pot. Add tomatoes, broth, wine, garlic, tomato paste, bay, salt and pepper to pot. Mix well and cover and bring to a simmer and cook on low for 2 hours. Discard bay leaf. Combine flour and butter and mix well until it becomes all incorporated into a paste. Spoon 1/2 c of pan juices into the flour and whisk until very smooth. Then add back to pan and stir. Serve immediately.
*Dutch Oven – every kitchen needs a Dutch oven – some recipes just do not come out the same without one. It is a very heavy duty pot that allows you to cook things slowly for hours without burning the contents. From soups to stews to sauces, this is a kitchen must have. I don’t think you need a really pricey one (some come in at over $330 ! yeeks !) as I have an $80 version that has been treating me good for years and years.
Spice, beef, onions, garlic, peppers – – these are a few of my FAVORITE things !
Spicy BBQ Beef
4 servings
322 calories
1 green pepper cut in strips
1 yellow pepper cut in strips
1 red pepper cut in strips
1 small onion cut in strips
1 lb. leftover lean grilled London broil, cut into thin strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
4 T soy sauce
1/2 c spicy BBQ sauce
Pam
Heat skillet to medium high. Remove from heat and spray with Pam. Return to heat and add onions. Cook until they are getting soft, about 5 minutes. Add up to ¼ c of very hot water if the onions get too dry and the pan needs some moisture. Add peppers and continue cooking 6 minutes. Again, add up to ¼ c very hot water if the peppers need more moisture. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. Cook meat and garlic for a few minutes and then add the soy, salt, pepper and BBQ sauce. Heat for another minute or 2. Combine meat mix and veggie mix.
If you start with fresh London broil, just broil or grill it to desired doneness and then slice.
This dish is very filling and the first time I made it I had to keep looking back at the calorie count to make sure I did not mess up and include a regular recipe in with my new low cal recipes !
I love stuffed cabbage, but it is a major undertaking when you are rolling them all individually. Get the same taste with so much less effort with this great ‘Lazy’ recipe. Here you just make a casserole with layers of all the ingredients and it cuts the prep time down incredibly.
Lazy Man's Stuffed Cabbage
4 servings
394 calories per serving
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup uncooked brown minute rice
1 onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 c ketchup in mix and 1/2 c for top of casserole
1 medium head of cabbage, sliced
Couple of drops of smoked flavoring (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t onion powder
Pam
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Brown meat and onion in a skillet. Drain well. Cut cabbage into small shreds (not so small as coleslaw cabbage, just smallish slices). Add tomatoes, ketchup, smoked flavor, salt, pepper, onion powder and rice to meat. Simmer 2 minutes. If rice needs more water to soak up, add it (last time I made it, it needed about ½ cup added) . Place a layer of cabbage in a large baking pan sprayed with Pam. Cover with a layer of the meat mix. Repeat with a layer of cabbage. Add extra ketchup to the top layer. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cabbage is tender.
There’s nothing like a hot bowl of stew on a cold night. This one is packed with goodness and tastes so very yummy !
Beef Stew
4 servings
275 calories per serving
1 lb. lean steak (sirloin, London broil, filet, etc.) cut into 1 inch cubes
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 c green beans
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (about 1 very large)
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef broth
1 can (14 oz.) fat free beef gravy
¼ t garlic powder
1/8 t onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t olive oil
Heat pan to medium high heat and then add oil. When oil is hot, add beef. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook beef until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add broth, gravy, and carrots. Bring to a boil. Then cover and cook 45 minutes on low heat. Add potatoes and cook another 30 minutes. Add green beans and cook a final 15 minutes.
Alternately, you can add all at once and crock pot this meal on low 5-6 hours – but the veggies will not be as crisp.
This crock pot meal is easier than easy ! Leftover meat, a couple cans and a little bit of chopping means only a 10 minute prep. Beef and Black Bean Stew
4 servings
232 calories per serving
8 oz. leftover grilled lean sirloin beef (grill an extra steak one night and freeze the left over portion to save it for this meal)
15.5 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
14.5 oz. can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
4 T sour cream
Place all except the sour cream in a crock pot. Mix well and cook on low for 4 hours.
Place a dollop of sour cream on each bowl before serving.
