Repost: Cheeseburger Stromboli

Would you believe this is the most-searched-for recipe on Yesterday’s Dinner? It is! So I thought I’d give it some extra love by re-posting it. Enjoy!

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(originally posted February, 2011)

This goes a long way and is quite filling. It’s best when it’s first cooked though I enjoy it reheated too, it’s just not as crisp.

Ingredients

1 onion, finely chopped
1 pound ground beef
salt, pepper, garlic powder (or even better, some minced garlic!)
1/2 pound (8 oz.) Velveeta, cubed
1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (like Pillsbury)

Directions

Brown ground beef with onion in large skillet. Season well with salt, pepper, and garlic while cooking. Drain and return to pan. Add Velveeta and continue cooking until cheese is fully melted. Meanwhile, unroll pizza crust onto a greased cookie sheet. Spread cheeseburger mixture over pizza crust in a thin layer, stopping about an inch from each edge. Roll up from the long end, making a long thin roll. Center on sheet and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until browned.

Notes

• I use ground sirloin for any recipe calling for ground beef. More meat for your money and a good reduction in fat.
• I used the 2% milk variety of Velveeta. For a twist, you might try the jalapeno flavor!

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Repost: Un-Stuffed Shells

This recipe is in the top-five of all page views here on Yesterday’s Dinner, so I thought I’d give it a bump for my newer subscribers. Enjoy!

(originally posted January, 2012)

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I love stuffed shells, but I’ve made them all of about once in the past two years. It’s a sloppy process and it takes forever and I just can’t usually be bothered. But my mouth watered every time I’d flip past my recipe. One day I decided to give this version a whirl. I’ll never stuff a shell again!

Ingredients

1 lb. ground sirloin
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, all to taste
1 lb. medium shell pasta
1 container ricotta cheese (15 oz.)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 large egg
1 jar spaghetti sauce (26 oz.), any variety

Directions

Brown the ground meat, breaking up as it cooks. Season it well while it cooks with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, whatever you like. Be liberal with the seasoning because you’re not only seasoning the meat but the entire dish. When fully cooked, drain and set aside.

Meantime, cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions. I like to under-cook it slightly. Drain and set aside.

While the meat and pasta are cooking, you can prepare the “filling”. Squeeze the moisture out of your thawed spinach using a (clean!) kitchen towel, and place in a large mixing bowl, breaking up the chunks. Slightly beat the egg and add it to the spinach, stirring. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses, mixing well after each addition. Add the spaghetti sauce and mix well.

Once the meat and pasta are cooked, add them to the cheese/sauce mixture. Spoon the whole thing into a baking dish and bake at 375 degrees for about 35-45 minutes. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

• Feel free to skip the meat. In fact my original stuffed shell recipe didn’t call for it, I just prefer the extra protein.
• “Healthy it up” a bit by using part-skim cheeses and whole wheat pasta. I can’t remember the last time I used full-fat cheese or white pasta and we honestly can’t tell a difference anymore.
• If you’re really in a rush, you can skip cooking the noodles entirely. Just add a full cup of water to the spaghetti sauce, mixing well, before adding it to the cheese mixture. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and bake for a full hour. The pasta will cook up just fine. The extra water keeps it from becoming too dry.
• Don’t skip cooking the meat. 🙂
• A printable version of this recipe can be found here.

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Repost: Brisket on the Sassy Side

This morning I found a nice beef brisket at my grocery store. It was four pounds which is too big for my family so I cut it in half and made two freezer bags of this delicious concoction! This is a repost, originally blogged back in March. Enjoy!

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I’ve never met a brisket I didn’t like, but for some reason I rarely cook it. I suppose it’s because it’s a slow process and I’m usually in too much of a hurry. That’s what makes this recipe great. It does take awhile, but you can put it in your crock pot and ignore it!

Plan ahead, because the meat needs to marinate. There are several ways to marinate meat.

• If your meat is fresh (not frozen), simply place it in a plastic bag with the marinade and let it set in your refrigerator overnight.
• If your meat is frozen, it can thaw and marinate all at the same time. Place the frozen meat in the plastic bag with the marinade ingredients and let it thaw in your refrigerator overnight (or longer).
• My favorite method by far is to freeze it all together. When you buy the meat, place it in a freezer bag with the marinade ingredients and freeze it. Most people will tell you it will hold about three months. I think it will hold much longer than that. A year even. The day before you’re ready to use it, take it out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator. It will all thaw together and the next morning you’ll be ready to put it into the crock pot with no work whatsoever.

Ingredients

1-3/4 to 2 pound beef brisket
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Tablespoon flour (Wondra, if you have it!)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper (optional, I don’t use)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bag and marinate overnight. Empty entire bag into crockpot (meat and sauce), add 1/2 cup water, and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Slice meat and serve with sauce.

Notes

• I don’t usually make recipes with ingredients I don’t have on hand. But the sesame oil is worth it and will last forever. You can use it in many dishes especially of the Asian variety.
• Be sure to buy regular beef brisket and not corned beef brisket. Corned beef is completely different.
• A printer-friendly version of this recipe can be found here.

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