Category: Beef


Jul
2014

Sweet N’ Sticky Polska Kielbasa

categories: Beef, Main Dishes, Pork
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Sweet n’ Sticky Polska Kielbasa only has TWO ingredients, and is an EASY and delicious family friendly recipe, using pork or beef kielbasa sausage!
Sweet n' Sticky Polska Kielbasa only has TWO ingredients, and is an EASY and delicious family friendly recipe, using pork or beef kielbasa sausage!
Yep…you heard me right, friends. This recipe for sweet n’ sticky polska kielbasa only has 2 ingredients, and is very budget friendly to make! How cool is that?

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

What Does Polska Kielbasa Mean?

Did you know that Polska Kielbasa means Polish Sausage? It is one of the most traditional foods served at Polish weddings. There are many different varieties available in grocery stores throughout the United States, and most are fairly inexpensive. You can read more about this common sausage here.

How We First Tried This Recipe For Polska Kielbasa

Almost 30 years ago my husband and I rented a room in our home to a college age friend of ours, named Kip. One night he offered to cook us dinner, and this polska kielbasa is the dish he cooked for us, along with mashed potatoes.

When I heard what “secret” ingredient he was going to cook the sausage in, I couldn’t believe my ears! It sounded completely crazy to me…but guess what?  This sweet n’ sticky polska kielbasa was absolutely delicious!

So What Is The Secret Ingredient For Sweet n’ Sticky Polska Kielbasa?

Want to know what the secret ingredient is?  COKE or PEPSI. Yep. The sugars in the cola transform into a sticky sweet glaze that coats the kielbasa slices. So good… and we’ve been making it ever since… true story.

This recipe only has two ingredients. Kielbasa (beef or pork) and Coke (or Pepsi). The only really important thing to remember is to never use a diet soda for this recipe because you have to use real, sweetened soda so the sugars in the soda will caramelize and coat the meat slices.

Can you believe it? This might possibly be the world’s simplest dinner. The caramelized sweet n’ sticky coating on the kielbasa is truly wonderful! And talk about easy? Unbelievable, but true.

Look How EASY It Is To Make Sweet n’ Sticky Polska Kielbasa

First you will need to cut the polska kielbasa into 1/2″ slices. You can use either beef or pork kielbasa to make this dish. This ring of polska kielska only cost us $2.50 on sale. Since the only other ingredient is one can of cola, you can see how INEXPENSIVE this meal can be to feed four people!

Polska kielbasa is cut into 1" slices on yellow cutting mat.

Here is the polska kielbasa all sliced, and ready to go into a hot skillet!  See how very easy this is so far?

The polska kielbasa is all sliced and ready to cook!

Brown The Kielbasa

Cook the sliced polska kielbasa in a large skillet, on medium high heat. Cook until it starts to brown on all sides, stirring often. Make sure both sides of the sausage get lightly browned. Once the kielbasa is lightly browned on both sides, pour in 3/4 can of regular cola (NOT DIET!).

Cooking polska kielbasa slices in a large skillet until lightly browned.

Why Do I Have To Use REGULAR Cola And Not Diet Cola?

The reason you want to use REGULAR cola is because the sugar present in this drink is what caramelizes during cooking. This caramelization is what coats the polska kielbasa with a sweet n’ sticky glaze. This adds wonderful flavor to the sausage!

Cola is poured into skillet with polska kielbasa slices.

How Long Do I Cook The Polska Kielbasa?

Continue to cook the kielbasa and cola on medium heat, stirring often. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced, thickened, and coated the sausage pieces with a syrupy glaze. There should be almost no liquid left in skillet, once done. This usually takes about 20 minutes to finish.

Sweet n' sticky polska kielbasa is cooked until cola caramelizes onto meat.

Now it’s ready to serve! See how shiny that kielbasa looks? It’s that yummy sweet n’ sticky glaze coating each piece of the polska kielbasa. YUM.

Time To Eat Some Sweet n’ Sticky Kielbasa!

Serve this sweet n’ sticky polska kielbasa with mashed potatoes and a veggie, and you’ve got yourself a scrumptious, family-friendly dinner! Best part besides how it tastes? It is SO VERY EASY to double this recipe, in case you have a large family!

Close up photo of the sweet n' sticky polska kielbasa slices on plate.

Hope you’ll try this sweet n’ sticky polska kielbasa dish. Everyone I’ve made it for always loves it!  It REALLY tastes good, and is very convenient to fix when you don’t want to mess with a long, complicated recipe after a long day! If you enjoy polska kielbasa, be sure and check out my recipes for Apricot Pineapple Kielbasa Bites and Smoked Sausage Veggie Rice Skillet! It’s really good, too!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back again soon. Be sure to check out ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. Have a GREAT day!

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: Kevin (Kip) Ecton

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Sweet N' Sticky Polska Kielbasa
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
25 mins
 
Sweet n' Sticky Polska Kielbasa only has TWO ingredients, and is an EASY and delicious family friendly recipe, using pork or beef kielbasa sausage!
Category: Dinner, Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: polska kielbasa
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 393 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound package polska kielbasa (beef or pork)
  • 9 ounces cola (3/4 of 12 ounce can) (regular, sweetened cola, NOT diet!)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Slice the entire kielbasa into 1/2 inch wide slices. Place them in a skillet and sauté on medium high heat for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the both sides of the kielbasa begin to lightly brown.

  2. Pour 3/4 of the can of cola into the skillet (total of 9 ounces). Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has reduced, thickened, and glazed the meat (about 20 min.). All the liquid should be gone from the skillet.

  3. Remove kielbasa from skillet and serve hot, alongside a serving of mashed potatoes and a veggie. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Sweet N' Sticky Polska Kielbasa
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 393 Calories from Fat 288
% Daily Value*
Fat 32g49%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 79mg26%
Sodium 995mg43%
Potassium 268mg8%
Carbohydrates 7g2%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 16g32%
Vitamin C 1.2mg1%
Calcium 14mg1%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Sweet n' Sticky Polska Kielbasa only has TWO ingredients, and is an EASY and delicious family friendly recipe, using pork or beef kielbasa sausage!

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May
2014

Salisbury Steak

categories: Beef, Main Dishes
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Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it’s best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.

I found this particular recipe for the first time a couple of months ago online and decided to try making this version, to check it out.  My husband and I loved it! Trust me, THIS is comfort food at it’s very best, my friends!

Since then, I’ve made it many, many times. It’s just plain and simply “GOOD” Salisbury steak. Easy… and quick to prepare with ground beef, and the onion and mushroom gravy that tops it all off is wonderful!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Origins Of Salisbury Steak 

DID YOU KNOW?  Wikipedia states that Salisbury Steak was invented by American physician Dr. J.H. Salisbury (1823-1905). The name “Salisbury steak” has been in use in the United States since 1897.

It’s become a very popular “comfort food” style dish in the U.S., where it is traditionally served with gravy and mashed potatoes, or noodles.

Easy And Budget Friendly

The cost of the ingredients is fairly low, so you can feed friends or family for a fraction of what eating out would cost! I really hope you will give this recipe a try, and trust you will enjoy it like we do.

The original recipe for this version of Salisbury steak is from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. I have all of her cookbooks, so I knew I could count on this old-fashioned classic being a GREAT recipe!

This really is such an easy recipe to prepare, and it only takes about 30 minutes, from start to finish. I like “those” kind of meals, because the prep work doesn’t take too much time out of an already busy day.

How To Make Salisbury Steak

Ground beef and ingredients are mixed together, and then it’s shaped into oblong patties. Place olive oil and butter into a large skillet, and turn the heat to Medium-High.

When the oil and the skillet are hot, add the meat patties to the hot skillet, in a single layer.

Salisbury steak patties are pan-seared in skillet.
Cook the first side for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn patties over and continue cooking the other side. Cook until the Salisbury steak patties are no longer pink in the middle (2-3 minutes, usually).

Remove the patties from the skillet, and place them on paper towels to absorb grease. Set the patties aside.

Pour off any of the excess grease from the skillet, but do NOT wipe it clean.

Salisbury steak patties are cooked in skillet, until browned on both sides.

Preparing The Salisbury Steak Sauce

Reduce the heat to Medium, and add the sliced onions to the skillet. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until they begin to turn golden brown and have softened slightly.
 
Sliced onions for salisbury steak gravy are cooked in skillet.

Add beef stock, mushrooms, corn starch/beef broth paste, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup to the skillet.

Stir well to combine these ingredients, and cook until the sauce comes to a slight boil and thickens (about 1-2 minutes).

Gently add the beef patties back into the skillet. Spoon the gravy, onions and mushrooms over the top of the meat and let them simmer on Medium heat until heated through (2-3 minutes).

Salisbury Steak is in skillet, topped with mushroom/onion gravy to cook.

Time To EAT!

Once the Salisbury steak has finished cooking, transfer a beef patty to each serving plate. Top each piece with the onion/mushroom sauce.

We love to have this dish with good, old-fashioned mashed potatoes on the side. It’s easy to use some of the onion/mushroom sauce as gravy for the potatoes. YUM!

Salisbury Steak is served on plate with mashed potatoes and salad on the side.

See how easy it is to make homemade Salisbury steak?  I really hope you will enjoy this classic comfort food meal! We LOVE it, and have enjoyed it many, many times in our home! Have a wonderful day, friends. Make it a GOOD one!

Looking For More BEEF Recipes?

You can find all of my beef recipes in the Recipe Index at the top of the page. A few of our family favorites you might enjoy are:

Want More Recipes? Get My FREE Newsletter!

I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with lots of recipes, tips, etc..
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Author's signatureRecipe Source: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/salisbury-steak-4/

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Salisbury Steak
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.
Category: Main Dishes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: salisbury steak
Servings: 5 (or 6, if made smaller)
Calories Per Serving: 305 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the meat mixture:
  • 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 cube beef bouillon , crumbled (or use a powdered beef base)
  • 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon ketchup
  • Salt and pepper
For the "gravy":
  • 1 whole brown onion , halved, then thinly sliced
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 small can sliced mushrooms (*optional)
  • 4 dashes Worcestershire sauce (additional)
  • 1 Tablespoon ketchup (additional)
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch , mixed with a little bit of the beef broth (to blend into a thin paste)
  • Salt and pepper , to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil , for frying
  • 1 Tablespoon butter , for frying
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the meat mixture. Mix until well combined. Using hands, form meat into 5-6 oval patties. Try to make them all about the same size.

  2. Place olive oil and butter into a large skillet. Heat on medium high. When oil and pan are hot, add meat patties to the skillet.
  3. Cook first side for 3-4 minutes, then carefully turn patties over and continue cooking the other side until no longer pink in the middle (another couple of minutes, usually).
  4. Remove patties from the pan and place on paper towels to absorb grease. Now pour off excess grease from pan, but do not wipe pan clean.
  5. Reduce heat to medium and add sliced onions to the skillet. Cook onions, stirring occasionally, for several minutes until they begin to turn golden brown and have softened slightly.
  6. Add the beef stock, mushrooms, corn starch/beef broth paste, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup to skillet. Stir well to combine. Cook until sauce comes to a slight boil and thickens (1-2 minutes). Gently add the beef patties back into the skillet. Spoon the gravy, onions and mushrooms over the top of the meat and let patties simmer on medium heat until heated through (just 2-3 minutes). To serve, spoon some of the onions and sauce over the top of the patties (and even the mashed potatoes if they are a side dish!) when you put them on the serving plate, and ENJOY!
Recipe Notes

*Recipe serves 5-6, depending on the size of the patties you make. Caloric calculation based on 5 total servings.

Nutrition Facts
Salisbury Steak
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 305 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Cholesterol 90mg30%
Sodium 1021mg44%
Potassium 624mg18%
Carbohydrates 13g4%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 32g64%
Vitamin A 100IU2%
Vitamin C 1.7mg2%
Calcium 45mg5%
Iron 4.2mg23%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Salisbury Steak is old-fashioned comfort food at it's best! Beef patties simmered in and smothered with a simple, delicious onion and mushroom gravy.

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Feb
2014

Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice

categories: Beef, Main Dishes
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You’ll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice – ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.

When my husband and I were newlyweds (over 36 years ago) he decided to cook dinner for us one evening. He made Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice, with pineapple chunks, red and green bell peppers in a sweet and sour sauce. It was love at first sight. This is the recipe he used. Needless to say I was impressed with his “culinary skills” and by the fact that he prepared a delicious meal for us. Ah…young love!

Well…fast forward to many, many years later, and we STILL have this meal for dinner occasionally. I still love him, but now I am the one who cooks our meals. Neither of us remember where he found the original recipe, so I dug through my recipe box , pull out my trusty handwritten 3×5 index card I wrote down the recipe on ages ago… and off I go into the kitchen to make this dish.

We had these meatballs and rice two nights ago… so delicious! The sweet and sour sauce that coats the meatballs, along with the green and red peppers and pineapple is fantastic! It really is a quick and easy recipe to make.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice

Tip: It would be very easy to pre-cook the meatballs and pre-make the sauce (throw them both in the refrigerator); then pulling this recipe together at the end of a long day would be a snap.  Here’s how to make this dish: Drain the pineapple, making sure to reserve the juice. Set the pineapples (and the saved juice) aside.

Pineapple is drained, and sauce is reserved for Hawaiian meatballs.

Mix up the sweet and sour stir fry sauce in a medium sized bowl… easy!

Whisking the sweet and sour stir fry sauce for Hawaiian meatballs.

Chop up the red and green bell peppers, and set them aside with the pineapple chunks.

Red and green bell peppers are chopped for Hawaiian meatballs and rice.

Make The Meatballs

Mix up the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.  Once the ingredients are fully combined, form the meat into 2″ meatballs, by rolling them between your hands.

Meatball ingredients are combined in mixing bowl.

Heat oil or shortening in a large skillet. Brown the meatballs on all sides, and cook until fully cooked through.

Meatballs are cooked on all sides until browned.

Remove the cooked meatballs from skillet; transfer them to drain onto paper towels.

Browned meatballs are drained on paper towels.

Finishing The Hawaiian Meatballs

Add the reserved stir fry sauce to the skillet you cook the meatballs in, and cook until it thickens. Stir the sauce occasionally while it cooks.

Stir fry sauce is heated in skillet for Hawaiian meatballs.

Once the sauce has thickened, add the bell peppers and pineapple back into the skillet.

Bell peppers and pineapple are added to thickened Hawaiian meatballs stir fry sauce

Add the Hawaiian meatballs back into the skillet, and gently stir to combine all ingredients (and coat them with the sauce). Cook only until the dish is heated through.

Hawaiian meatballs are added to sauce, peppers and pineapple.

Time to Eat Some Hawaiian Meatballs And Rice

Serve the Hawaiian meatballs on top of a bed of rice. Spoon any leftover sauce over the top, and enjoy this delicious meal!

Hawaiian meatballs served on a bed of white rice.

Sure hope you will give these delicious Hawaiian meatballs a try in your own kitchen. They are absolutely delicious! Thanks for stopping by today, and please come back soon.

Looking For Recipes Featuring MEATBALLS?

You can find all my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have some delicious recipes featuring meatballs, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureOriginal Recipe Source: unknown (been making them for over 40 years)

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Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.
Category: Entree
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hawaiian meatballs
Servings: 5 servings (3 meatballs per)
Calories Per Serving: 524 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup onion , finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 Tablespoon shortening or oil (for browning meatballs)
For the sauce:
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 - 13 oz can pineapple chunks (drain the chunks over a bowl-save the pineapple juice!!)
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper (I usually mix red and green peppers - the colors are nice in the sauce!)
  • *OPTIONAL* Original recipe also calls for 1 small can mandarin oranges.
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Make sauce: Drain pineapple, reserving juice (set pineapple chunks aside). In a small bowl, whisk cornstarch and brown sugar together. Add pineapple juice, vinegar, ground ginger, and soy sauce to brown sugar mixture. Stir until smooth. Set bowl aside.

  2. Chop red and green peppers and set aside (with pineapple chunks).

  3. Make meatballs: In a large bowl, mix ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk until thoroughly blended (I use a fork to mix). Using your hands, shape mixture into meatballs (approx. 12-15 -2" meatballs). In large skillet, heat shortening (or oil) on medium heat. When skillet is very hot, add meatballs, one at a time. Cook meatballs, making sure to turn so that all sides brown. When fully cooked (5-6 minutes), remove meatballs from pan; place on paper towel lined plate to absorb grease. Keep meatballs warm.

  4. Drain oil from skillet after removing meatballs. Wipe skillet with paper towel to remove grease or leftover "crumbles". Over medium heat, add sauce to skillet. Cook, stirring constantly until it thickens and boils for 1 minute. Add pineapple, peppers and meatballs back into skillet; gently stir until meatballs are evenly coated with sauce. Cook only until heated through (1-2 minutes). Remove from heat.

  5. Serve meatballs and sauce on top of steamed rice. ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts
Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice
Amount Per Serving (3 (meatballs + sauce))
Calories 524 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 130mg43%
Sodium 973mg42%
Potassium 480mg14%
Carbohydrates 32g11%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 120IU2%
Vitamin C 12.8mg16%
Calcium 77mg8%
Iron 3.4mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love Hawaiian Meatballs and Rice - ground beef meatballs, with pineapple, red and green bell peppers in sweet and sour sauce, served on a bed of rice.

 

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Feb
2014

Italian Stuffed Zucchini

categories: Beef, From Our Veggie Garden, Italian, Main Dishes, Vegetable Dishes
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Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.
Italian Stuffed Zucchini / The Grateful Girl Cooks!
I love to grow our own vegetables in my raised bed garden. Zucchini is one of my favorites, but sometimes they hide under the leaves until they have grown quite large. This recipe for Italian Stuffed Zucchini uses those great big zucchinis…which is why I love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

A fairly large zucchini is necessary for this dish. You know, the big zucchini you find you overlooked in your garden, or buy at your local Farmer’s market. It also might be the kind a friend gives you in a grocery bag after their harvest. You want a BIG one, so you have plenty of room for the delicious Italian filling!

Growing zucchini in our garden.
I received this recipe for Italian stuffed zucchini from a friend of mine named Shannon. I worked in a school office with Shannon for many years and love her dearly. She was one of my early inspirations for starting a veggie garden (for which I remain grateful!).

What Is In Italian Stuffed Zucchini?

I’ve made stuffed zucchini several times over the years. The pairing of a large garden-grown zucchini stuffed with Italian sausage, garlic, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses adds up to a delicious and quick dinner! Italian stuffed zucchini is so easy to prepare, and is an all-in-one meal- meat AND veggies! See how big the zucchini is in the photo below?

Two huge zucchini halves, stuffed, baked, and ready to serve!

Here is a side view of all that melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top! YUM!

Lots of melted cheese on top of the stuffed zucchini.

Have a great day. I hope you will consider trying this recipe for stuffed zucchini, and trust you will enjoy it, too! Thank you for stopping by, and I sincerely hope you will come back again soon.

Looking For More Recipes That Use ZUCCHINI?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A couple recipes with zucchini you might also enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature
Recipe given to me by Shannon Newton. Original Recipe Source: Unknown

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Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: italian stuffed zucchini
Servings: 6 (if using really big zucchini)
Calories Per Serving: 710 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 large zucchini
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage (or use 2 links with casing removed)
  • 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 medium onion , finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoons oregano
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 6 ounces can tomato sauce
  • 3 Tablespoons butter , melted
  • 1 pound mozzarella cheese , grated
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (Kraft "green container" Parmesan works great)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Saute hamburger meat, Italian sausage, onion and garlic until cooked. Drain grease. Put meat mixture in large bowl.
  2. Add breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper and tomato sauce to meat mixture. Mix well.
  3. In a skillet, par boil zucchini in water till tender. Remove zucchini and cut in half-length-wise. Remove seeds with a spoon, creating out a "tunnel" indentation in the zucchini (this will hold the filling-see photo below). Poke holes in zucchini with fork, then brush melted butter all over surface of the zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Place zucchini halves in a 9x13 baking dish.
  4. Stuff both the carved "tunnels" with the hamburger mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  5. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven. Uncover.
  6. Divide grated Mozzarella cheese in half. Sprinkle across top surface of both halves. Place pan back into the oven (uncovered) and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has melted.
  7. Remove from oven and cut into serving sizes (can usually get 2-3 servings per half, but it depends of course, on the size zucchini you are using). Serve, and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Italian Stuffed Zucchini
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 710 Calories from Fat 468
% Daily Value*
Fat 52g80%
Saturated Fat 25g156%
Cholesterol 162mg54%
Sodium 1336mg58%
Potassium 605mg17%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 41g82%
Vitamin A 970IU19%
Vitamin C 10.3mg12%
Calcium 543mg54%
Iron 3.5mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Baked Italian stuffed zucchini is a large zucchini, halved & filled with Italian sausage, tomato sauce, spices, Parmesan & mozzarella cheese.

 

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Feb
2014

Orange Beef Stir Fry

categories: Asian, Beef, Main Dishes
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Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

Last year I bought a cookbook called “Hungry Girl To the Max!” – The Ultimate Guilt-Free Cookbook”, by Lisa Lillien. I found this recipe for Orange Beef Stir Fry in the cookbook and enjoyed giving it a try. We ended up really enjoying this delicious meal.

I don’t eat very much beef, but this recipe sounded good to me (I’m a sucker for anything with orange in it), and I love the fact that the author has taken steps to cut the fat in a lot of her recipes.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

The Marinated Steak Is Full Of Flavor!

The steak marinades until time to cook, so it helps to tenderize it, and allows the wonderful, delicious combination of orange marmalade, soy sauce, ginger and garlic flavors to permeate it!  Add to that some good stir-fried veggies, and you’re in for a treat!

The orange sauce would be great just on the veggies alone, if you don’t eat meat…(just sayin’ that for all you vegetarians out there!) Or swap out the beef for chicken if you don’t like red meat. This is a very versatile recipe- the flavor is in the sauce!

My suggestion would be to get the beef marinating in the refrigerator early in the day…then the recipe will be a snap to throw together later, for a delicious dinner. Hope you enjoy it! Making the sauce is EASY! Simply whisk the ingredients together.

An Asian-inspired orange and soy sauce is mixed for the stir fry.

Slice the steak very thin. TIP: You will find it’s easiest to slice thin if the meat is partially frozen before cutting.

Steak is cut into thin strips for the orange beef stir fry.

Marinating The Steak Strips For FLAVOR!

The steak slices are marinated in a delicious soy and marmalade Asian-inspired sauce, before stir frying.

Steak marinates in orange and soy sauce before cooking.

While the steak marinates, I prep the veggies for the orange beef stir fry. The veggies are prepped and ready to go. I love the colors of the veggies in a good stir fry, don’t you?

Broccoli, bell peppers and carrots are chopped and prepped before stir frying.

Stir Fry The Veggies

The colorful veggies are stir-fried in some reserved delicious orange and soy sauce mixture.

Broccoli, bell peppers and carrots are stir-fried in orange sauce.

Finish Cooking The Orange Beef Stir Fry And Serve!

The marinated beef slices and the reserved sauce are then added to the veggies. The dish is cooked until the steak is cooked through, and the sauce has thickened. The finished orange beef stir fry is served on top of a bed of rice. Yum!

Orange Beef Stir Fry is served on top of white steamed rice.

Hope you will consider trying this yummy orange beef stir fry. It is really scrumptious! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon for more delicious recipes. Have a GREAT day!

Looking For More BEEF Recipes?

You can find all of my beef recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. These recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signatureRecipe Adapted from “Hungry Girl To The Max-The Guilt-Free Cookbook, by Lisa Lillien, published 2012.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Orange Beef Stir Fry
Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
1 hr 42 mins
 

Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

Category: Entree
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: orange beef stir fry
Servings: 3 servings
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 3 Tablespoons orange marmalade (author recommends low-sugar)
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons reduced sodium/light soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3/4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 8 oz. raw lean beefsteak fillet (I used a rib eye steak I found in the freezer...heh heh heh!)
  • 2 dashes Couple dashes of salt
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used a combination of red and yellow peppers for color)
  • 3/4 cup shredded carrots
  • Optional seasonings to taste: additional salt , pepper, and red pepper flakes (I used all of them)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, mix the marmalade with the soy sauce until blended. Add the vinegar, cornstarch, ginger and garlic powder and mix well. Add 1 cup of water to this and whisk together until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
  2. At this point, reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade in a separate bowl. Cover and refrigerate. This will be used later in the recipe.
  3. Thinly slice the beef (trimming the visible fat) and season with salt. (Hint: the easiest way to slice the beef thin is to slice while the beef is semi-thawed, but still firm. Trust me.) Add the beef to the bowl w/ the remaining marinade (NOT the 1/2 cup you reserved earlier) and coat well. Cover the bowl and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour (I recommend all day)
  4. Chop and grate the veggies. Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and bring to medium-high heat. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, and the 1/2 cup of the marinade that you reserved earlier. Cook this on medium-high for approximately 5 minutes, stirring, until the veggies have slightly softened.
  5. Add the 1/2 cup of leftover marinade and the beef into the skillet. Cook on medium-high until the veggies are tender, the beef has cooked through, and the sauce has thickened (approx. 4-5 minutes). When done, remove from heat, and serve! We had rice on the side and it was a perfect accompaniment to the stir-fry. ENJOY!
Nutrition Facts
Orange Beef Stir Fry
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/3 of total))
Calories 243 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 46mg15%
Sodium 871mg38%
Potassium 824mg24%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 18g20%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 8245IU165%
Vitamin C 179.2mg217%
Calcium 87mg9%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy an Orange Beef Stir Fry, with marinated steak cooked with broccoli, carrots and red bell peppers, in an Asian-inspired soy and marmalade sauce!

 

 

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Jan
2014

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili

categories: Beef, Main Dishes, Soups
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Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of Mom’s old-fashioned chili (just how Mom made it), to serve for lunch or dinner on a cold day! Easy to make, and tastes delicious!Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of Mom's old-fashioned chili to serve for lunch or dinner on a cold day! Easy to make-tastes delicious!

On a cold, wintry day nothing tastes as good as a big bowl of Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili…just the way my Mom always made it for us growing up. The tradition continues, and I’ve been using this family recipe forever! So easy. So GOOD! I think you’ll like it, too.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

It’s Easy To Make Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili Vegetarian!

The awesome part is that if you simply omit the meat Mom’s old-fashioned chili can be a totally vegetarian meal. I know this amazing tidbit because I’ve tried it (we have two vegetarians and a vegan in our family) and they loved this hearty chili, too.

So…grab the ingredients, a wooden spoon, knife, cutting board, a big stockpot (or crock pot) and make a big pot of Mom’s old-fashioned chili.  After tasting it, get ready to say “Thank You, JB’s Mom!!!!!!”

I make Mom’s old-fashioned chili year-round, but it is an especially good comforting and filling dish when it is COLD outside. I’ve even left the meat out of this recipe to make a completely vegetarian chili when family members (who are vegetarian or vegan) come over for dinner. It tastes wonderful, even without the meat!

It’s EASY To Make Mom’s Old-Fashioned Chili

Making Mom’s old-fashioned chili couldn’t be any easier!  Ground beef, onions and green peppers are cooked until meat is cooked through. The meat, onions and peppers are then added to a large soup pot on the stove (or a crock pot) for cooking.

The rest of the ingredients are stirred into the pot, and cooked for about 1½ hours on the stove top, or for 5-6 hours in the slow cooker on low heat.  Once done, Mom’s old-fashioned chili is ladled into bowls, garnished with sour cream, cheese and cilantro, then served!

A big pot of Mom's old-fashioned chili, cooking on the stove.
Sometimes I change the recipe up and add different quantities of canned beans to this chili, based on what I have in the pantry at the time. You really can’t hurt this delicious chili! The printable recipe shown below is the standard recipe I use 99% of the time for making a big pot of Mom’s old-fashioned chili!

A bowl of Mom's old-fashioned chili, topped with sour cream and grated cheddar cheese.

I can almost smell it cooking away on the stove! It’s also really good garnished with some fresh cilantro, additional grated cheddar cheese, and a small dollop of sour cream!

A bowl of Mom's old-fashioned chili, garnished with cheese, sour cream and cilantro.
Sure hope you enjoy Mom’s Old Fashioned Chili! It is a great tasting, hearty, filling soup, and I really think you will love it! Have a great day! Thank you for stopping by, and please come back again soon.

Looking For More Southwest-Inspired SOUP Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few of my yummy Southwest-inspired soup recipes include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Mom's Old-Fashioned Chili
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 50 mins
 
Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of Mom's old fashioned chili (just how Mom made it), to serve for lunch or dinner on a cold day! Easy to make-tastes delicious!
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Southwest
Keyword: Mom's old-fashioned chili
Servings: 8 servings
Calories Per Serving: 498 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1 large brown onion , chopped (go ahead and have yourself a little cry)
  • 1/2 green pepper , chopped
  • 1 large (big, fat one)and 1 small can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
  • 1 large can chili beans (or 2 regular sized)
  • 1 can kidney beans (14.5 oz.)
  • 1 can black beans (14.5 oz.)
  • 1 can pinto beans (14.5 oz.)
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
  • 3 TBSP. chili powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2-3 tsp. salt (more or less, to taste)
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 small can tomato paste (I've also used tomato sauce when out of tomato paste)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. In skillet, brown ground beef, chopped onion and green pepper. Drain off grease.
  2. If you are using a crock pot: Put the browned meat mixture in crockpot; add the rest of the ingredients...(cook on low for 6 hours)
  3. If cooking in a large pot on the stove top, add the browned meat mixture to the rest of the ingredients; simmer (uncovered) for about an hour and a half.
  4. When ready to serve, garnish each serving with grated cheese, a small dollop of sour cream and a sprig of cilantro (optional).
Recipe Notes

This recipe makes a large pot of soup. It will freeze well.

Nutrition Facts
Mom's Old-Fashioned Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 498 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 6g38%
Cholesterol 60mg20%
Sodium 2179mg95%
Potassium 1574mg45%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 16g67%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 1400IU28%
Vitamin C 23.3mg28%
Calcium 165mg17%
Iron 8.5mg47%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Nothing beats a piping hot bowl of Mom's old-fashioned chili (just how Mom made it), to serve for lunch or dinner on a cold day! Easy to make-tastes delicious!

 

Save

Save