Philly Cream Cheese and Tomato Pasta

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound fusilli or rotini pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 jar of your favorite red pasta sauce (I used Prego Mushroom)
• 3/4 block of cream cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and onion on medium high heat.
3. Drain the grease off of the beef, and return to the stove.
4. Add in the garlic and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add the sauce and bring the whole mixture to a simmer.
6. Once it is simmering, add in the cream cheese and parmesan and stir well.  It will take about 5 minutes for the cream cheese to melt and incorporate into the red sauce.  Keep stirring.
7. At this point, you can either mix together with the pasta in a large dish, or you can just serve on top of the pasta, whatever floats your pasta-loving boat!
8. Serve with a green salad, as the sauce is very creamy and rich.

My review:  This was amazing, and something I just threw together on a weeknight for dinner.  I planned on making spaghetti, but opened the fridge and saw cream cheese, and it was all over after that.  It was such a good hot meal after a crappy cold rainy day.  We both loved it, and it was another one where we were fighting over who got to eat the leftovers.  Yum!

Saucy Burgers!

10 cooked burgers (grilled or pan cooked, either way)
1 cup ketchup
2 cups water
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together and stir them, until boiling.
Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add burgers.  (At this point, you can put them in the crock pot with the sauce, if you like, and leave on low for up to 6 hours).

My review:  These are delicious.  I seriously love them.  Yum!  This recipe is easily halved or doubled, or even more!  Delicious. 

BBQ Round Steak

This makes about six servings.  Believe me, you're going to want leftovers.

3 pounds Round Steak, cut into portions

Flour, for dredging

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tbsp Yellow Mustard

1 (29oz) can tomato sauce

1 cup water

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan.  (make sure that pan has a lid!)

Dredge the steaks in flour and cook until brown on both sides.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, and then add to the steaks.

Cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours. The steaks should be fork tender.

My review:  This is the most amazing, fork tender, melt-in-your-mouth, delicious meat that I have ever tasted in my life.  It's amazing because round steak is a cheaper cut of meat, too.  Served with mashed potatoes, the sauce is great used as a gravy.  I can't tell you enough times how delicious this was.

Sirloin Steaks with Dijon Mushroom Sauce

Recipe adapted from Simple & Delicious

3-4 Sirloin Steaks (about 1.5 lbs)
Lawry's Season Salt
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup beef broth
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp crushed dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Sprinkle steaks lightly with season salt on each side.  Broil 4 inches from the heat for 6 minutes on each side, or until your desired doneness.
While your steaks are cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Saute the mushrooms until tender.  Once tender, stir in the remaining ingredients.  Bring the liquid to a boil, then cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Serve the sauce over top of the steaks.

This sauce can also be served over pork chops, if you prefer that over steak.

My review:  This tasted like something from a restaurant.  It was amazingly delicious.  The sauce had the right tinge of dijon to make it spicy and the depth of the sauce because of the herbs made it really pop.  Make this!!  I want to try it on top of pork chops next!

Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce

So first, I apologize for no picture.  I forgot. 


Second, this recipe is a copycat of the Tastefully Simple Pomegranate Chipotle Sauce.  So if you want to go the simple route, buy it from them.  But this is pretty easy to make and incredibly delicious.  You can make double and triple recipes, because it refrigerates well for up to 3 weeks.



This sauce is good on ribs, chicken, pork chops, wings, or even spread on top of cream cheese as a dip.



Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp brown sugar
3chipotles in adobo, diced thin
1 tbsp adobo
1 tbsp lemon juice


Heat oil and garlic in a skillet on medium heat until the garlic is softened.
Add pomegranate juice, tomato paste, molasses, dry mustard, brown sugar, chipotles, and adobo.
Mix together with a whisk to combine all ingredients.
Simmer and let reduce for 10-15 minutes, or until it reduces to your liking.  (I let mine get pretty thick, because I like a thicker sauce, but you can let it more runny, especially if you would like to use as a marinade).
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Refrigerate any unused sauce for up to 3 weeks.

My review:  This was delicious, spicy, and sweet.  It definitely has a kick to it.  I have used it to marinate chicken breasts for grilling, as a sauce for chicken wings, and on ribs, and haven't found a way I don't like it yet!  It would also be good as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets.