2 lbs. top sirloin steak, cut into very thin strips

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)

1 tablespoon minced onion flakes, OR 2 tablespoons diced fresh onion

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

4 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil preferred, divided, but vegetable oil can be used if needed

2 cups uncooked rice

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, optional

Prepare rice as directed on package. I used Basmati and added butter. 

While rice is cooking, slice steak into very thin strips. Place steak strips in a large skillet with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook thoroughly until browned; remove from skillet and set aside.

While steak is browning, in a medium bowl combine cornstarch and chicken broth, stirring until smooth. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sesame oil. Stir to combine thoroughly. 

After steak has been removed from the skillet, add garlic and onion along with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil and cook 1 minute on high until fragrant. Slowly stir in broth mixture. Add sriracha if using and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then add reserved cooked beef strips to the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Remove from heat. 

Serve Mongolian beef over cooked rice. Serves 4-6.

 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes

2 tablespoons of cooking oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced onion

1 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or sriracha to taste, optional

1-2 teaspoons of sesame seeds, optional

 

In a skillet, brown chicken in 1 tablespoon of oil and cook until done, stirring constantly. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet along with diced onion and garlic. Cook until barely golden brown. Add apricot preserves, soy sauce, ketchup, red pepper flakes or sriracha if using. Stir and bring back to a bubble over medium heat. Add chicken back to sauce mixture and stir until heated through and sauce thickens to a glaze. Serve over rice if desired, and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.

I substitute green beans for asparagus any time and it cooks in the same time.

3 lb. beef roast*
1 can beef broth or consomme
1 envelope onion soup mix**
4 or 5 pickled pepperoncini peppers

For the sandwiches:

6 hoagie sandwich buns
12 slices of smoked provolone cheese***
mayonnaise
spicy brown mustard****

*Nearly any cut of beef roast will work. I use beef chuck or sirloin tip roast.
**I used beefy onion soup mix, but regular onion or French onion works too.
***Regular provolone cheese, Swiss, Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese all work.
****Any type of mustard you like or prepared horseradish sauce will work.

Place peppers in slow cooker and lay beef roast on top of the peppers. Sprinkle onion soup mix around the beef roast, then pour the beef broth over all and place lid on slow cooker.

Cook on low 8 hours or on high 4-5 hours or until roast is tender.

Remove roast from slow cooker to a plate or platter and let rest while you prepare the other ingredients. Reserve broth. Save peppers to eat or discard.

Preheat oven to 400*.

Line a baking sheet with foil and prepare buns by spreading with mayonnaise and then with spicy  mustard or horseradish spread, placing them on the foil lined baking sheet as you get them done.

Slice or shred the beef roast and spoon a little of the broth over it to keep it moist. Heap prepared beef onto the prepared buns. Half each slice of cheese and place 4 halves of cheese on top of each portion of beef. Leave sandwiches open faced and place in oven.

Heat until cheese is melted, 5-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and place tops on buns. Ladle broth from slow cooker into individual serving bowls to dip sandwiches into.

Enjoy!

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp. seasoned salt or to taste
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced red and/or green bell pepper
1/2 cup oats, crushed crackers or 3 slices of torn bread

Mix well in large bowl. Pat into loaf shape in a foil lined baking pan. Bake at 375* for about 40 minutes or until done, then spread ketchup or tomato sauce over the top and increase heat to 425*. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. I sometimes put bacon slices on top before cooking and serve ketchup on the side.

2 1/2 lbs chicken wings
1 2/3 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 2/3 tablespoons ketchup
3/4 cup honey
2 -3 garlic cloves, minced



1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2 Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Mix together
the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, and salt.

3 Pour over the chicken.

4 Bake in preheated oven for one hour, or until sauce is
caramelized.

1 (10 1/2 ounce) can French onion soup
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper, to taste
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ketchup
1-3 t. Worcestershire sauce, to taste
1/2 t. mustard powder
1/4 cup water

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together 1/3 cup condensed French onion soup with
ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt and black pepper.

Shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown both sides of patties.

Pour off excess fat.

In a small bowl, blend flour and remaining soup until smooth.

Mix in ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce and mustard powder.

Pour over meat in skillet.

Cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can whole kernel or Mexicorn
1 can black beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
8 oz. cream cheese
1 pkg. fiesta ranch dip mix

prepared rice, Spanish rice or pasta, optional

Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. Drain corn and pour into slow cooker. Rinse and drain the black beans and add to slow cooker. Pour Rotel tomatoes over all in slow cooker. Cut up cream cheese in small pieces and add to slow cooker, then sprinkle the dry fiesta ranch dip mix over all.

Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours. Let set for about 30 minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken. Stir well then serve over prepared rice, Spanish rice or pasta if desired.

Alternate cooking method:

Preheat oven to 350*. Place ingredients as described above into a 13x9 baking pan or dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and uncover. Let set for 30 minutes before serving to let the sauce thicken. Stir well then serve over prepared rice, Spanish rice or pasta if desired.

Serves 4.

I prepared this following this recipe, but next time I make it I'll probably use 2 cans each of corn and black beans. Very good, hearty and filling.

2-3 lbs. beef cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1 tsp.  seasoning salt or to taste
2 tablespoons dried minced onion
6 cups hot water



1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large can sliced mushrooms, drained

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over high heat until it shimmers, then add cubed beef and stir frequently until browned on all sides. Add 6 cups hot water, beef bouillon, seasoning salt and dried minced onion. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove lid and turn heat back up to high. Boil until liquid is reduced by half the original volume, about 3 cups. Mix cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water. Set pot off heat and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring vigorously until well combined. Turn down heat to medium and set pot back onto heat. Stir constantly until mixture comes to a boil, thickens and turns glossy. Add mushrooms and sour cream and stir till well combined. Turn off heat and serve piping hot over rice, mashed potatoes, or wide egg noodles.

Serves 3-4 generously.

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup canned evaporated milk
1/4 cup diced onion or to taste
1 teaspoon seasoning salt or table salt
black pepper to taste
3/4 cup quick cooking oats, crushed saltine crackers or dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Mix all ingredients well and form into bite sized meatballs. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown meatballs on all sides in a little oil until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

Choose one method for making mushroom gravy:

Method 1:

1 can sliced mushrooms, drained, or 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Pour off oil from frying meatballs and place soups and mushrooms in the skillet and heat to boiling on medium heat, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Add meatballs, cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until heated thoroughly. Milk or water may be added if gravy is too thick for your taste. If using parsley, stir in just before serving or sprinkle over individual servings.

Method 2:

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 can sliced mushrooms or 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt or table salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

Pour off oil from frying meatballs and add butter to skillet. Over medium heat, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. When butter is melted add flour and stir briskly till well combined. Add milk and broth and whisk briskly to whisk out any lumps. Whisk constantly until gravy comes to a boil and thickens. Boil for another 2 minutes, whisking constantly to keep from sticking and scorching. Reduce heat to a bare simmer and add mushrooms and meatballs. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until heated through. Stir frequently. A little more milk or water may be added if gravy is too thick to suit your tastes. If using parsley, stir in just before serving or sprinkle over individual servings.

This is great served with cooked rice, noodles or mashed potatoes. Add a fresh salad or another veggie for a satisfying complete meal. 

Yields about 4 servings.

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1or 2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon grated ginger OR dash of ground ginger
chicken pieces of your choice

Preheat oven to 425*.

In a small saucepan bring sauce ingredients to a simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened and glossy. Place chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet and brush with sauce. Bake for about 45 minutes, brushing chicken with sauce every 10 minutes, until chicken is done and juices run clear.

Or, do what I did, which is to dip chicken pieces in sauce then spoon the rest over the top and bake as directed.

4 boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup bottled ranch dressing
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
4 Tablespoons oil

Preheat oven to 375*.

Coat a baking dish with vegetable oil spray and set aside.Wash and thoroughly dry chicken breast halves or chicken parts of your choice. Pour ranch dressing into a medium sized bowl. Mix Parmesan cheese and dry bread crumbs in a separate medium sized bowl. Dip chicken pieces in dressing, coating all sides evenly, then roll chicken in bread crumb and Parmesan cheese mixture. Place each piece of coated chicken into the prepared baking dish and drizzle with oil, then place into preheated oven and bake for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown and crispy, and juices run clear when fork is inserted in the center.

This is great served with green beans and homemade mashed potatoes, a green salad or veggies of your choice. My hubby raved over this and is already asking when I'm making it again. I'm sure this would also be great prepared with pork chops or pork steaks.

3-4 lb. beef chuck roast
1-2 tsp. seasoning salt
2 Tbsp. dry minced onion
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. beef bouillon granules or 3 cubes
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. browning sauce, such as Kitchen Bouquet, optional
Hot water to cover roast, plus more if needed
4-6 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 cups broth from roast
¼ cup cold water
5 Tbsp. cornstarch

Preheat oven to 400*.

You may brown the roast in a skillet with a little oil before proceeding with recipe if you wish.

Place beef roast in a large roaster or other covered pan. Sprinkle seasoning salt, minced onion, sugar, bouillon, soy sauce and browning sauce if used over and around roast, then pour in hot water to cover. I set mine on a burner on top of the stove and let it come to a boil before I place it in the oven to bake; this speeds up cooking time a bit. Cover with a lid or tightly crimped aluminum foil and bake for 2 ½-3 hours or until tender.

About 3o minutes before you estimate the roast will be tender, peel and quarter the potatoes and add to the roast pan. If necessary add additional water to cover roast and potatoes. Bake an additional 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are done.

Remove roast and potatoes to serving dishes. Measure or estimate about 4 cups of broth from the roast, if necessary adding additional hot water to make 4 cups. Pour the broth into a large saucepan and bring to a boil. While the broth heats, mix 5 tablespoons of cornstarch into ¼ cup of cold water; make sure cornstarch is dissolved. Remove boiling broth from heat and stir in cornstarch mixture all at once, stirring briskly. Stir until well blended and return to heat. Stirring constantly, bring back to a full rolling boil and cook 2-3 minutes until gravy is thickened and translucent. Remove from heat and pour into a serving bowl.

Cut roast into serving size pieces and serve with potatoes and gravy.

This is Jessica's favorite meal of everything I cook.

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 3-lb. frying chickens, cut in half


In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except chicken; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Set off heat and cool to room temperature. Reserve ½ cup for basting. Cover and refrigerate. Carefully loosen skin of the chicken; brush remaining sauce under skin of each chicken half, distributing sauce equally among chicken halves. Place chicken on grill rack; grill, uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 20 minutes. Turn; grill 20-30 minutes longer or until juices run clear, basting occasionally with reserved sauce. Or, place chicken on foil-lined baking sheets and bake at 375° for 45-60 minutes, covering loosely with foil to keep from over-browning if necessary. To reduce the sugar content for diabetics or for dieters, use diet cola.




1 small onion, chopped
6 boneless chicken breasts
garlic salt to taste
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted
black pepper to taste
1 8-oz. carton sour cream

Wrap bacon around chicken and secure with toothpick. (To reduce fat, use skinless chicken breasts.) In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, onion, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken in the bottom of slow cooker. Pour soup mixture over chicken; cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. Good served over rice. Serves 6.




¼ cup chopped celery
6-8 slices bread, toasted, torn into pieces
2 cans cream of chicken soup, undiluted
4 eggs
2 cans chicken broth or 3 cups broth from cooking chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 ½ tsp. sage
2 tbsp. margarine
1 small frying chicken, cut up-
Or- 3 large chicken breasts

Boil chicken; reserve broth. Let chicken cool; bone and discard skin, fat and gristle. Tear into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except chicken. Add chicken and mix gently. Add to crock-pot and cover; cook on low 6 hour or high 4 hours. More of the reserved broth may be added as needed to moisten as desired.



2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 4-tbsp. teriyaki sauce
1 bell pepper 4 tbsp. stir-fry sauce
1 onion 3 tbsp. oil
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained 3 cups hot cooked rice
1 dried red pepper, or to taste soy sauce





1 ½ lbs. boneless round steak OR boneless skinless chicken breast
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. oil
1 ½ cups diagonally sliced carrots
1 ½ cups diagonally sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. corn starch
2 cups hot cooked rice

Partially freeze steak or chicken; slice across grain into 3x1/4 inch strips. Combine next 5 ingredients; pour into a shallow dish and add steak or chicken. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or large skillet, coating the sides and heating medium high until hot. Add carrots, celery and onion; stir-fry for 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from the wok and set aside; keep warm.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok; drain the steak or chicken, reserving the marinade. Add the steak or chicken to the wok, stir-fry 2-3 minutes, just until browned. Combine reserved marinade with cornstarch; mix well and stir into steak or chicken in wok. Stir constantly until thickened. Combine hot vegetables and hot rice, tossing gently. Place on platter or serving dish. Pour steak or chicken and sauce mixture over rice and vegetables. Yields 4-6 servings.





4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
½ cup butter or stick margarine
1 cup sour cream
1 box top of stove stuffing mix

Boil chicken till tender. Reserve 3 cups broth. Melt butter and mix with stuffing mix, sour cream and soup. Place half of stuffing mixture in a greased baking dish and lay chicken on top; spoon remaining stuffing mixture over chicken. Pour 3 cups broth over all. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour.



2 tsp. paprika
¼ cup butter or margarine
1 (4-oz.) can mushroom pieces, drained
1 envelope onion soup mix
½ cup half-and-half

Rinse and pat dry chicken. Tear off 4 pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil. On each piece of foil, place 1 teaspoon butter, 1 tablespoon soup mix and ½ teaspoon paprika. Place chicken quarter in center of foil; repeat with remaining 3 chicken quarters. Sprinkle any remaining soup mix over chicken packets. Spoon 2 tablespoons half-and-half over each chicken packet and divide mushrooms among packets. Bring foil up and over chicken and seal each packet tightly. Grill over medium-hot coals about 45 minutes or until tender, turning packets every 10 minutes. Or, place on a large baking sheet and bake in a 400° oven for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is tender.



¼ cup vegetable shortening
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups self-rising flour
¼ tsp. baking soda
melted butter (optional)