Garlic and Rosemary Prime Rib

This rub can be used for lots of different cuts of beef as well as chicken or pork. It became a fast favorite in our house!

 Rub:

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
3-4 garlic cloves minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
MULTIPLY this recipe times the number of pounds your roast/chicken is.

Prime Rib:
Let the roast stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.
Then grab a large pan and heat it as hot as possible.
Add the prime rib and sear all of the sides.
Then rub the rub all over the outside of the meat.
Place roast on a rack in the pan with the rib side down and the fatty side up.
Roast for 1 hour.
Then turn off oven. Yep, turn it off. Many ovens allow you to set this automatically.
Leave roast in oven but do not open oven door for at least 3 hours.
About 30 to 40 minutes before serving time, turn oven back to 375 degrees F and reheat the roast. Important: Do not open the oven door at any point until ready to serve. Just store it in there until it's time to reheat.
 This works with any size roast and even with roasts of different sizes cooked together. It also doesn't matter if you do a standing rib or rolled rib roast. You just have to trust in the process.

Creamy Spaghetti Casserole

spaghetti squash (or um... 8oz of spaghetti)
1 pound ground beef
1 1/2 - 2C spaghetti sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped red or green peppers
1/3 cup chopped onions
8 ounces cream cheese
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Place spaghetti squash cut in half, upside down in 1/4 inch of water into your microwave for 4 minutes.
Brown ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and heat.
Combine onions, peppers and butter in small glass bowl. Cover and microwave 4 minutes on HIGH until soft.
Add cream cheese to vegetables and stir well. Microwave for 20 seconds or until you can spread it.
Using a 10 x 6 dish, assemble in the following order:

1. Thin layer of spaghetti sauce with beef on the bottom of the casserole dish.
2. Spaghetti squash
3. Cream cheese/vegetable mixture
4. Spaghetti sauce with beef
5. Parmesan Cheese (amount subject to your own taste)

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Make this ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze 

Shredded Drunken Beef Tacos

1 (4 pound) frozen rump roast
1 cup white wine (or beer)
2 (7.75 ounce) cans Mexican style tomato sauce
3 tablespoons crushed garlic
seasoned salt to taste
1 bunch green onions, chopped 

Place the frozen roast in the slow cooker. Pour the wine and Mexican style tomato sauce over the top. Season with garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. 
(I found the Mexican tomato sauce in the Mexican aisle by the Ro*tel. It was not by the Salsa and Taco sauce like I thought it would be.)  

Cover, and cook on Low for 9 hours. When done, the roast should shred easily with a fork. Shred the roast into the juices, and mix in the chopped green onions.

This recipe can also be made in the oven. Roast for 8 or 9 hours at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C)

Add your beef to tortillas with all of your favorite toppings.

Freeze the extra for later!

Bacon and Bleu Cheese Meatloaf

If you don't love bleu cheese.... well you should.  :)
Here's a low carb friendly comfort food. My husband is the meatloaf lover in the family. By taking out the bread crumbs (I detest soggy bread products) and adding bacon/bleu cheese, I think its much more palatable. Delicious even. Think bleu cheese burgers... in a loaf.
Serve this with some buttery mashed cauliflower and you're all set.

4 slices bacon
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds ground beef
1 cup  blue cheese, crumbled
2 eggs
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups parmesan


-Sauce-

4 Tablespoons Butter
1 Yellow Onion cut into half rings (or whatever)
2oz cream cheese (about 4T)
1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon until it almost crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes.

* I've actually taken to just wrapping the bacon around the loaf b/c otherwise it's hard to know if the meatloaf is done. The bacon makes it look pink even when it's done. *

Remove from skillet and coarsely chop. Place in a large mixing bowl.
In the same pan, using the remaining rendered fat, add the onion and garlic.
Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, over medium heat.
Add to the bowl with the bacon.
To the mixing bowl, add the ground beef, blue cheese, eggs, and thyme.
Use your hands to combine, but don't over mix.
Add parmesan. Toss to combine.
Form the mixture into a loaf. You can freeze it at this point if you'd like.
Place loaf on a cooling rack that has been set on top of a jelly roll pan. (needs to have ridges to keep the fat from going everywhere.)
Bake until the loaf is firm and reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF, about 45-55 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

While it's cooling... make your sauce.

Over high heat, saute your chopped yellow onion in 4 tablespoons of  butter. It's going to create some color as it caramelizes. You want them somewhat dark but not burnt. 5 to 7 minutes is a good estimate, but keep an eye on them. My middle burner is VERY hot so I use one of my less powerful ones. You may or may not have that choice.
Reduce heat to simmer and pour in softened cream cheese. (microwaved for 30 seconds)
Cook until melted fully. You may need to add a bit of white wine or chicken stock to thin it if you prefer a thinner sauce.
Stir in blue cheese until mostly melted.
The pour over the top of your meatloaf or spoon some onto your plate and place a slice of your cooled meatloaf on top of it. 

Low Carb Philly Melt

Beef of your choice, shredded, shaved, or in small cubes. (I use leftovers usually or Hormel Roast Beef packets)
Half of a green pepper diced or julienned
1/4 onion julienned or diced
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cube (2oz) cream cheese (Some people use cheese whiz instead, I guess?)
Thin slices of mozzarella or swiss cheese

Start your beef in a pan on medium high heat. Let it sear on one side, 2 mins.
Flip the beef and add worchestershire sauce and veggies.
Cook until everything is done. Then add cream cheese. Melt and stir everything together.
Plate your meat and veggies on a plate. Top with swiss or mozz cheese. (I like swiss)
Then cover the plate with another plate or aluminum foil until the cheese melts.
Serve hot

Low Carb "Lasagna"

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
8 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (half of a regular sized bag)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese 

Brown the hamburger with the onion; drain off the fat. 
Mix in the garlic powder and spaghetti sauce.
Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a medium-size microwaveable bowl for about 40-60 seconds. Stir until creamy; beat in the egg until well mixed. 
Spread half of the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of a greased, 8 x 8" glass baking pan. Spread the egg/cream cheese mixture over the meat; top with the mozzarella, then the rest of the meat.
It may not completely cover the top, but that's ok. 
Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. 
Bake at 350º about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly. 
Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Low Carb Chicken Bacon Alfredo Thin Crust Pizza

 
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup Asiago cheese, shredded (You can use Parmesan too)
1/4 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces mozzarella cheese or pizza blend, shredded



1/3 brick of cream cheese
1T butter
2 cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/2 C tomatoes, diced
2 strips of bacon, diced
4 oz shredded mozzerella

In a medium bowl, whisk the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. 
Whisk in the eggs until the mixture is well-blended and smooth. 
Add the Parmesan and seasonings, then stir in the 8 ounces of mozzarella until completely moistened. 
Spread the cheese mixture evenly in a  9x13" glass baking dish lined with parchment paper. 
I really recommend the parchment paper. Otherwise, this will stick to the dish like glue. 
Misting the bottom of the dish with a little water will keep the parchcment paper in place while you spread the mixture. It's going to look like there isn't enough to fill the dish. There is. Just keep spreading. 

Bake at 375º 20-25 minutes or until evenly browned, but not too dark. Let cool completely on a wire rack. 

Refrigerate, uncovered, until shortly before serving time. The longer it sits in the fridge, the crispier it gets during the second cooking.

In a sauce pan mix 1/3 brick of cream cheese and 1T of butter. Melt together. Add garlic powder to taste. 
Spread on the pizza "crust" and top with diced chicken, cooked bacon, and diced tomato. 
Top with mozzarella.  

Bake at 375º about 15-20 minutes or until toppings are bubbly. Let stand a few minutes before cutting. 

Crust can be frozen. 
This crust is not crispy but you can pick it up. 


While the crust ingredients may sound strange, I think you'll agree that you won't feel like you're missing out at all if you follow the recipe.  :)

Taco Lettuce Wraps

More lettuce wraps for your low carb enjoyment ;)

1

container (18 oz) refrigerated taco sauce with seasoned ground beef

1/4

cup chopped green onions (4 medium)

1/2

cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (2 oz)

1/4

cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

12

large leaves Bibb lettuce, rinsed, patted dry with paper towels

Makes 6 servings (2 wraps and 4 tablespoons sauce each)

 

Heat the ground beef, toss everything together, load it into a bib lettuce leaf. 

Soy Ginger Marinade

I started off using this marinade on a flank steak. It was fantastic so I want to use it on more things! I'm thinking next it will marinade the meat for my beef and  broccoli and I will reserve half of the mixture for the sauce. All of these flavors together are amazing and bold but not over powering.

In a small bowl or zip top bag:
Grate2T Ginger
6 Garlic cloves (or less - I like garlic)
1/4 C soy sauce (low sodium is best or it gets a little salty)
1/4 C EVOO
3T lemon juice (about half of a fresh lemon - fresh is mmmm good! and it cleans the garlic smell off your hands)
salt to taste

Mix and add to meat. This recipe is for about 2lbs of meat. It'll keep in the fridge for about a week. It does not freeze well.

This is from BHG.com 
My hubby is on a low carb diet so I'm sourcing new recipes this week.  :)

Lemon Butter Flank Steak

Makes: 4 servings

Prep: 20 minutes Marinate: 30 minutes Cook: 17 minutes

 

ingredients

• 1-1/2 
  lb. beef flank steak
• 142
  cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 4
  Tbsp. olive oil
• 4
  tsp. finely shredded lemon peel
• 2
  Tbsp. lemon juice
• 2
  cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4
  tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1
  recipe Lemon Butter (below)
• 4
  cups shredded Napa cabbage
• 1
  cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2
  green onions, bias-sliced into 1-inch pieces

directions

1. Place steak in a shallow dish. Add cilantro, half of the olive oil, the lemon peel and juice, garlic, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and the red pepper. Turn steak to coat. Cover; chill 30 minutes to 1-1/2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Lemon Butter; set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet heat remaining oil over medium heat. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Cook steak 15 minutes or to desired doneness, turning once. Cover; let stand 10 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Season with salt and pepper. Serve steak with vegetables and Lemon Butter. Makes 4 servings.
Lemon Butter: In bowl combine 3 Tbsp. softened butter; 3 Tbsp. minced lemongrass; 1/4 cup cilantro; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; and salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste.

nutrition facts

• Servings Per Recipe 4 servings
• Calories492
• Total Fat (g)35
• Saturated Fat (g)12,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)17,
• Polyunsaturated Fat (g)2,
• Cholesterol (mg)82,
• Sodium (mg)400,
• Carbohydrate (g)7,
• Total Sugar (g)3,
• Fiber (g)2,
• Protein (g)39,
• Vitamin C (DV%)79,
• Calcium (DV%)13,
• Iron (DV%)22,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Soy Ginger Flank Steak

We cut these into strips and added sour cream and cheese. Then wrapped them in a lettuce leaf. It's sort of Chinese meets Mexico, but it works!

2T grated ginger
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 EVOO
3T lemon juice
6 chopped garlic cloves
2lb flank steak
salt/pepper to taste - I did not add any. This has tons of flavor and the soy sauce has plenty of salt anyway.

Mix everything together in a zip top bag. Marinate overnight and then grill or broil 3-4 minutes on each side. This is best served medium at most and probably better medium rare. It's not a soft cut of meat so cooking more than that makes it chewey. Also remember to let it rest for 10 minutes after cooking and cut against the grain for a more tender bite.

Groentesoup (Dutch Vegetable soup)

1 quart vegetable or beef broth
3 cups water
1-2 potatoes cubed fairly small (so they get done)
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1 roma tomato, finely chopped
a stalk or two of celery, chopped
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup corn
1/4 cup beans of your choice
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/3 cup noodle pasta of some sort, crumbled (spaghetti usually)
1/2 cup rice
1 pound ground beef
1 T liquid Maggi or more to taste (substitute - soy sauce)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 T parsley, chopped

Bring broth and water to a boil. Dump in all of the vegetables. Cover and simmer 25 minutes. Add the pasta and rice. Combine the ground beef with the parsley. Roll into little meatballs about 1/2 inch in diameter. Drop the raw meatballs into the soup pot and simmer 10 minutes.  Add the liquid Maggi, salt and pepper and taste. Add more as needed. Make sure your meatballs and potatoes are done!  :)

Meat(ball) and Potato Casserole - aka modified Tater Tot Casserole

Katen wanted to help me cook today while Ana napped and I didn't feel like browning meat or taking the risk of having her burn herself so "Meat(ball) and Potato Casserole" was born. :) This is so fast and easy that I just might do this again. Often. 

Tater Tots - about half of a package (you could easily use cubed hashed browns too)
frozen meatballs (about 20)
1 can cream of onion soup or any "cream of" soup 
1 can of mixed veggies or use about a cup to a cup and a half of fresh, diced fairly small
(using cream of onion soup eliminates the need for a pkg of onion soup mix which adds a ton of sodium)1 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese or whatever is in the fridge right now
optional (a couple of chopped green onions)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch casserole pan with cooking spray. In the pan, mix the cream of onion soup, sour cream, and veggies. Add frozen meatballs and stir to coat meatballs. Arrange the meatballs evenly in the pan. Then add the tater tots in between the meatballs. Top with shredded cheese. Bake 40 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve. 

This freezes really well too! 

Katen is my favorite sous chef!

In the oven! 

For the freezer:
Mix meatballs, tater tots, and veggies in a 9 x 13 pan. Freeze.
Thaw (it doesn't have to be completely thawed).
Mix soup and sour cream together, pour over tater tots.
Top with cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour

Italian Meatball Soup

pioneer woman's recipe

Ingredients
Meatballs:
¾ pounds Ground Beef
½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
3 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Minced
1 whole Egg
2 cloves Garlic
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Black Pepper
¼ teaspoons Ground Oregano
2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
SOUP
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
7 cups Low Sodium Beef Stock
2 cups Water
½ teaspoons Salt
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
¾ cups Onion, Chopped
¾ cups Carrots, Chopped
¾ cups Celery, Chopped
1 cup Russet Potato, Chopped (do Not Peel)
½ pounds Cabbage Chopped
Grated Parmesan Cheese To Serve
TIED IN A CHEESECLOTH BUNDLE
4 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, Minced
2 whole Bay Leaves
1 teaspoon Peppercorns
Preparation Instructions
To make meatballs, combine all meatball ingredients and mix well. Shape into small balls and chill for 30 minutes.
Gather 4 tablespoons parsley, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a cheesecloth bundle. Tie to secure.
After chilling, heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a heavy pot. Briefly brown meatballs, then remove to a plate. To pot, add beef stock, water, salt, tomato paste, and herb bag. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.
Add onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Simmer 15 more minutes. Remove herb bag.
Add cabbage and meatballs. Bring to a boil, then simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
Serve with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over the top.

Drunken Ribs

2-1/2 to 3 lb. pork or beef ribs
1 12-oz. beer

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp. dried rosemary, crushed

8 small gold or red potatoes (8 oz. total)

12 oz. peeled fresh baby carrots

1/4 cup cold water

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 Fresh Rosemary sprigs
Directions

1. Place ribs in a large zip top bag. Add beer, garlic, and rosemary. Seal bag. Turn to coat. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning bag occasionally.



2. Place potatoes and carrots in bottom of 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add ribs on top of carrots and potatoes. Pour ale mixture over everything. Cover and cook on low-heat setting 8 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting 4 to 4-1/2 hours.



3. Remove ribs and vegetables from cooker. Cover to keep warm. Measure 2 cups of cooking juices, adding water to make 2 cups, if necessary. Stir together water and cornstarch in medium saucepan. Add 2 cups juices. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Serve over the meat and veggies

Asian Beef Skewers

1 1/2 pounds boneless beef top sirloin steak
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, grated or put through a garlic press
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 splash of ricewine vinegar
1 teaspoon finely minced ginger root
Wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes

Trim fat from steak and slice steak across grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips. ( If you mess up and go with the grain they're going to be chewy and tough.)
Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a glass dish; add steak strips, and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in refrigerator 2 hours or overnight.
Remove steak strips from marinade, reserving marinade.Thread steak strips onto prepared skewers.
Grill uncovered over medium-hot coals (350* to 400*F / 175* to 205*C) 8 to 9 minutes or until desired doneness, turning and basting frequently with reserved marinade. Discard any remaining marinade.

These make a great quick freezer meal as well.

Easy Cheesy Cheeseburger Chowder

1/2 pound ground beef
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup, undiluted
1 soup can of milk
1 soup can of chicken stock
1 cup frozen shredded hash brown potatoes or use fresh (I like fresh because I make them a little chunkier)
chopped onions to taste, optional (I use 1/2 an onion)
4-5 cloves of garlic chopped

Directions: In a large saucepan, cook beef and onions over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the potatoes, chicken stock and garlic. cook until potatoes are soft. Add soup and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until heated through.

This is soooo good in a bread bowl. A sweet little cafe called Smoky Row in my home town makes this and it's fabulous!!

Four Minute French Dip

1 pkg Hormel Beef Roast
couple handlfulls of mozzerella
half of a green pepper
onion if you like
a little italian dressing
a little worchestershire sauce
hoagie buns

Toss the Hormel beef in the microwave for 4 minutes per package directions.
In the meantime, cut your hoagie bun tops off, pull out a little bit of the bread, spray them with a little cooking spray and pop them under the broiler to make them toasty.
Chop peppers (and onions if you like) into strips.
When the bread and meat are done,

fill the hoagie boat with mozzerella loosely. Top that with the beef.
Top the meat with peppers and onions and heck why not a little more mozzerella for good measure?

Drain the juice from the meat into a cup. Add a bloop of italian dressing and a bloop of worhestershire sauce. stir.
Drizzle a little over the sandwitch.

Put the top on the sammy and marvel at the awesome sandwich you just created in under 10 mintes.

Splash a little water on your forehead and be sore to look totally worn out from all the work you did to make this when you serve it to the table. ;)

Better for You Tater Tot Casserole

I wanted to make Tater Tot Casserole for my toddler but it really has a lot of salt and fat in it. Here's my solution - a healthier version for toddlers.

1/2 pound lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red or green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 asparagus spears chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 bag of frozen peas or beans
1/2 bag of frozen corn (you can leave this out. It's nice for color but not all that nutritional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans low sodium Healthy Choice cream of chicken soup (or other brand - that's what we had on hand)
1 bag frozen tater tots
1 1/2 tablespoons onion power
I'm purposely leaving the onion soup mix out because it adds a lot of sodium. I've replaced it with the onion powder and actual onions.

Preheat oven to 350*. In a large skillet, cook onions in the olive oil until clear. Add garlic, pepper, beans, asparagus, and carrots. Cook until soft. Add in turkey, onion powder. Brown until fully cooked. Place the cooked mixture in a casserole dish and stir in soup. Top casserole with tater tots. Bake for 50-55 minutes.

You'll also notice that this doesn't seem like as much meat as you're used to. I've replaced part of the meat with healthier veggies instead. Toddlers only need about an ounce of protein each day and this will provide plenty.

If you don't like ground turkey you can use extra lean ground beef or try going half and half.

This freezes very well. Divide it into little squares and place in freezer baggies for up to 3 mos.

Fiesta casserole

1lb lean ground beef (or you can use Chicken)
1 onion chopped
2 C salsa
1 can black beans
1/4 C italian dressing
2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix
1C sour cream
1 pkg mexican shredded cheese
shredded lettuce
1 tomato diced

Brown the meat and onions, with italian dressing and taco seasoning.
In a casserole dish add the meat,onion, salsa, and top with the sour cream.
Top that with the cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 400* for 30 minutes
take the foil off and broil until the cheese is bubbly

It works best to serve after letting this sit and firm up for about 5 minutes.

Top with lettuce, tomatoes, and maybe a little extra cheese or cilantro if you like it.

You can also freeze this at the point where you'd bake it.
To bake right out of the freezer:
Bake at 400* for 1 hour covered and another 15-20 minutes uncovered