Beef Stroganoff | Easy, Comfort Food Favorite

Sometimes I wonder if you all think we eat very, um, fancy on a nightly basis.  Maybe you think our weekly menus always include beef bourguignon, lobster mac and cheese and the like.  The reality of the situation is that we eat fairly normally.  The only likely exceptional thing that occurs at our house versus most is that we eat at home at the table a lot.  And most of the time it is homemade.  I probably make dinner at home 5-6 times a week.  

Because our priority is to be around our table as a family, sometimes (a lot of the time) the food needs to be easy... otherwise, we'd end up eating out every night.  Beef Stroganoff is one of our quick-to-the-table, comfort-food-favorites.  It is basically homemade hamburger helper.  And it is delicious.  Emma cleans her plate, I clean my plate... and Mike always has seconds.  It is made in one pan + one pot of water to cook the noodles and comes together in about 20 minutes start to finish.  

I shared the dressed up version of this a couple years ago that has sliced filet of beef, shitake mushrooms with a shallot cream sauce (recipe, here) .  It is good, too, and great for company.  But, this version with ground beef is our weeknight favorite and something Mike and I both grew up having at home.

Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pound of ground beef
mushrooms, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup*
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon
1 cup of beef broth**
1 cup of sour cream
....
egg noodles

Brown beef in a large saute pan.  Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water to cook the noodles in.

When beef is browned, add onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook on medium until soft.  Add the can of cream of mushroom soup.*  Add worcestershire, dijon and beef broth.**  Cook on low until bubbling.  Add the sour cream just before serving.  Cook on low until heated through.

Cook noodles according to directions.  You can serve tossed with the sauce, or poured over top.

*In the past, I have made a roux from scratch instead of using the soup.  I do that buy melting butter in a small bowl, then adding flour.  I cook that until bubbly, then add to the pan with 1 cup of milk.  If you are comfortable making a roux, then go for it.  We actually prefer the can around here ; )

**My Aunt Lisa recently introduced me to Better Than Bouillon.  It is a very rich, condensed bouillon/broth paste.  It keeps in the refrigerator for ever.  Stock is something I'm always out of and this has been a lifesaver.  I buy both Chicken and Beef.  You find it in the pantry aisle at the grocery store.

Beef, onions and mushrooms sautéed.

After adding the cream of mushroom soup.

What are your family's comfort food favorites?  I would love to add to our collection of go-to's.

Beef Bourguignon | Trip Down Memory Lane

Beef Bourguignon

This is a post I wrote four years ago, in January, just after we were married, and just before we moved to Mass and got pregnant with Emma.  There are not many photos or posts that I look back on from four years ago and love.  Usually I am too critical of my developing (sub-par?) photography skills and undeveloped styling skills.  Not this post.  1) The recipe is goooooood.  2) It brings me right back to that moment in our lives, in our first house.

I don't wish for a second that I was back at that pre-family stage of our life, but I do miss being settled in our home - a home that we worked so hard on, were so proud of and comfortable in.  There is something about your first home that will never be like another.  We did all of our house projects ourselves - each project was just a weekend, a couple hundred dollars and a trip to Home Depot away.  While I feel so fortunate that we're now in a place that we can actually have a professional do the work for us, sometimes I miss those DIY transformations we were able to do ourselves in a weekend.  We will definitely have some little projects to do ourselves, but for the most part all of the big stuff we be done for us.  Maybe our contractor will let me help with the tiling : )


If you want to join me in my little trip down memory lane, see photos the from our first house, here.

From January 2011:

Beef Bourguignon sounds complicated and intimidating.  Or at least I thought it did.  Until I made it, and discovered it was just beef stew with herbs and red wine.  What makes it even better is that it is done all in one pot, and it makes the house smell amazing.

French Beef Stew 
(Beef Bourguignon)

2-3 pound Chuck Roast
3 tablespoon of olive oil
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 teaspoons of pepper
4 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of red wine
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of rosemary (dried or fresh)
1 bunch of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
1 cup of carrots, 1-inch dice
1 cup of potatoes, 1-inch dice
1 cup of mushrooms, 1-inch dice
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of flour
1 loaf of crusty french bread (baguette)
1 clove of garlic (raw)


Coat the Chuck Roast with olive oil, salt & pepper.  Heat a large dutch oven on the stove top for 2 minutes, then sear the roast for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Add stock, wine, garlic, and herbs.  Cover and put it in the oven for 4 hours at 225 degrees.

After 4 hours of cooking, add the carrots, potatoes and mushrooms.  Cook for for 30-45 minutes longer.  Remove from the oven.  Place the pot on the stove, and remove the roast from the stock and wine sauce, placing it on a platter.  Cover and let it cool for 10 minutes.   Leave the sauce (with herbs and vegetables) in the pot on the stove.

Meanwhile, thicken the sauce (that remained in the pot) by microwaving 2 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of flour to the butter, stirring it until smooth.  Whisk it into the sauce until smooth.  Cook on medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken.  You may add another batch of the thickening mixture, if you desire.

Remove the fat and bones from the Chuck Roast.  Shred the beef into large pieces back into the sauce.

To serve, slice the baguette, then toast it a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes.  Rub the piece of raw garlic onto each piece.  Place one piece into the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle in the beef stew.

My Birthday Weekend | Comfort Food & Pot Roast Recipe

Last weekend was my birthday weekend - that's right, weekend.  Our trip to Seaside was my real birthday gift (along with a new fancy camera lens), so my only request for my actual birthday weekend was to spend a cozy weekend in lounging around and feast on comfort food.

Photo Note : So, even though I got a new fancy lens for my birthday, I forgot to have it with me most of the weekend - sorry!!  I think after vacation I was sooo photoed out.  But, I am sharing my phone photos that I posted on instagram mixed with some of my 'real' photos from my birthday dinner.

On Saturday (my actual birthday), Mike and I got to sleep in (a real gift these days!), made biscuits and gravy (talk about a comfort food weekend...) and I lounged on the couch and drank coffee with the fire roaring.  What a glamorous life I lead!  Isn't it funny how you good it feels to indulge in the simplest things sometimes?

When Emma got home from her sleepover we took her sledding - my birthday seems to always be either sun or snow.  Did I mention that we have a 1ft+ of snow?  It greeted us when we got home from vacation last week.  She was so-so about sledding and the snow in general, but loved to be pulled in the little tot sled we borrowed from our neighbors. 

(instagram photo)




Mike and I enjoyed a late night dinner at home after Emma went to bed - seared filets with a reduced wine and mushroom sauce and truffle mashed potatoes.  Mike said, "I love that you can go in the kitchen and just whip this up in 20 minutes without even going to the store."  Exactly.

(instagram photo)

 

We finished the weekend with a good ole Sunday night family supper at our house - Braised Pot Roast, Chive and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes, Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips, and "homemade" bread (my favorite - frozen rhodes bread dough).  Everyone repeatedly asked me if I'd rather go out for my birthday dinner, but there is nothing I like better than to cook for everyone at my house. 

Braised Pot Roast

3-4 pound Chuck Roast
2 teaspoons of sea salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 yellow onion, quartered
2 cups of beef broth
2 tablespoons of liquid smoke
2 tablespoons of worcestershire
2 teaspoons of onion powder
2 teaspoons of garlic powder

Coat the roast with salt and pepper on both sides.  In a large dutch oven, sear the roast on both sides for about 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove the meat from the pot and sear the onions for 3-4 minutes.  Add beef broth and stir the pan with a wooden spoon, releasing all of the brown bits.  Whisk in the liquid smoke, worcestershire, onion powder and garlic powder.  Add the roast back in to the pot.  Cover and cook in the oven at 200 degrees for 8 hours (or more).  

Remove the meat from the pot and place it a shallow serving platter (or baking dish) covering it with foil.  Put the pot on the stove-top and boil the sauce for 15 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly.  Pour over the roast and serve. 

The onions searing... love my Staub!

After the roast had cooked for 8 hours, I turned the oven off and let it sit in the oven with the bread that was rising.  The warm oven was the perfect spot for the bread.

Here is my "homemade" bread... made from store-bought frozen bread dough.

 Chive and Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes served in a pie dish, one of my favorite ways to serve things - I think they are sooo under utilized as serving pieces.

 Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips - a favorite from my Month with The Barefoot Contessa (featured at the dinner party).

After receiving a texted photo (left) of Emma enjoying her first Oreos dipped in milk last week, my mom decided to make a "dirt cake" for dessert (above).  Huge hit with Emma.

I'm hoping this is the last of our cozy snow weekends... I've been potting daffodils and hyacinth all around the house to encourage the weather!

Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy | Dinner Idea

We've just arrived home from our vacation in Seaside... to 1ft + of snow!  Tomorrow, I can't wait to snuggle into our house and cook a comforting dinner... something that will cook all day long and make the house smell delicious.   I thought I'd re-share one of my favorite cozy snow day recipes with you, while I buy myself a little time editing and writing about our vacation (and finishing the cafe curtains for our Bathroom refresh). 

..........

Pot Roast.  You may have good or bad feelings associated with this recipe... maybe you were used to dried out, flavorless versions at your Grandma's, or maybe you have fond memories of the house filled with the wonderful aromas of roasting beef and onions on Sunday afternoons, like me.  If you haven't tried a Pot Roast recipe for yourself, you should.  It really is a treat... especially this version with a cup of red wine.  If you are feeling gourmet-ish, you can add some sprigs of thyme or rosemary. 

It is a great recipe to make on Sunday afternoon - the house smells wonderful the entire day, I can use a glass of wine leftover from dinner on Saturday night, and the leftover roast makes great sandwiches on Monday.

Pot Roast 
with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

New! Printable Recipes, here.

2-3 pound Chuck Roast
salt & pepper
1 cup of red wine
2 cups of beef broth
1 yellow onion
3 carrots, sliced
1 cup of mushrooms, halved
......
2 pounds of red potatoes
4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup of sour cream
......
2 tablespoons of flour

Pat the chuck roast with a paper towel, then coat it in salt & pepper.  Heat a large dutch oven (I use my Staub, but your can use another stove-top & oven-safe pan) over high heat for 1 minute.  Sear each side of the chuck roast for 2-3 minutes, browning it on each side.  When all sides are browned, add red wine and beef broth to the pan with the beef.  Quarter the onion, then put it in the pot with the beef, wine and stock.

Roast covered in a 250 degree oven for 5-6 hours, until the beef pulls apart easily.  Add the mushrooms and carrots into the pot, then roast for 30 more minutes.

Cut the potatoes in quarters and put them in a large pot filled with water.  Boil the potatoes until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.  Drain the potatoes, the pour them into a KitchenAid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Add butter and sour cream.  Turn the mixer on low, and continue stirring until the potatoes mash up.  Salt and pepper to taste.  If you need to keep them warm, place them in an oven safe dish covered with foil and keep at 250 degrees until you are ready to serve.

Remove the roast from the oven.  Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside, cover with foil.  Place the dutch oven with the onions, carrots, mushrooms, wine and drippings on the stove over medium heat.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  You may need to add more flour if you'd like a thicker gravy.  Heat for 3-5 minutes until it thickens and is bubbly. 

Add roast back into the gravy and vegetables.  Serve with warm mashed potatoes. 

Comfort Recipes

- See more at: http://www.barefeetinthekitchen.com/2013/09/How-To-Create-A-Recipe-Index-On-Blogger.html#sthash.ceXVCTj9.dpuf

Football Whoopie Pies | Game Day Recipes

Football Whoopie Pies
A New Favorite

New! Printable Recipes, here.

Whoopie Pies are all the rage these days - even dubbed as the new cupcake.  I created these football shaped whoopies for a Game Day Party.  Just as I did with my original Whoopie recipe, I started with a cake mix.  Instead of round scoops onto the baking sheet, I spread the dough into football shapes.  It couldn't have been easier!

Get my Whoopie Pie Recipe Here >>



Use a little royal icing (recipe here!) to make the laces on top.  You could even add some of your team's colors or logo.

Here are my footballs before they went into the oven.  I just spread them around with the tip of a knife to get the shape correct.

*Instead of Silpat, I've switched to using pre-cut parchment sheets that fit perfectly in a sheet pan... they are a dream.  They are non-stick and you can just throw them away after you use them.  I use them for everything - cookies, roasting vegetables, meatballs, etc.  I'm stocking them in my store as one of my favorite "essentials" - 200 sheets for $12... which should be a year supply.

 

These Football Whoopie Pies are part of my Game Day Menu.  Get all of the Game Day Party Recipes Here >>

Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits | Recipe | Barefoot Contessa

It is no secret, I'm a Barefoot Contessa fan.  I think her book "Parties" was the reason I started Occasions 6 years ago.  When I'm looking for some inspiration, I always start by flipping through my Barefoot cookbooks.  This time was no exception!

I was looking for my one indulgent component for the menu I was working on for my parents visit to our house.  I hate having too many over the top and heavy recipes as part of a menu - it makes everyone too full and uncomfortable.

I try to concentrate on having just one indulgent treat per menu.  I had thought about macaroni and cheese, cheesy potatoes, blue cheese souffle, etc. to accompany the filet mignon, fresh confetti corn, and bibb lettuce with heirloom tomatoes.  As I was flipping through my books, I spotted this recipe... Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits.  Perfect.

Biscuits are one of those things that when done well, can be amazing.  However, they can be challenging - too dense, too flat, too dry.  I knew that The Barefoot's recipe would work perfectly - they always do. 

Make sure the butter is really cold - just out of the refrigerator.

I pulsed the dry ingredients together with the pieces of butter in a food processor until it looked like sand.  

I whisked together the egg and buttermilk with a fork.

I added the milk and eggs to the dry ingredients, then mixed in the cheese.  Be careful not too over-mix.

Cut the biscuits on a floured board with a round cutter.

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk
sea salt & black pepper

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Place 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and mix only until moistened. In a small bowl, mix the Cheddar with small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add the cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

Dump out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about 6 times. Roll the dough out to a rectangle 10 by 5 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with salt, if using, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics cookbook.

Recipe | Grilled Cheese Sandwich | The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipe

Grilled Cheese... So simple, but so yummy.  This "The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich" recipe is my favorite combination of cheeses.  Make sure you start by hand shredding the cheese - it really makes a difference if you do it by hand.  The cheese melts easier... more ewwy and gooey.   This goes great with my Tomato Basil Soup recipe!

The Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich 

4 sandwiches

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8 slices of Italian Bread

1 cup of extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

2/3 cup of provolone cheese, shredded

2/3 cup of swiss cheese, shredded

2 tablespoon of butter

Divide the bread into 4 stacks of 2 pieces.  butter the tops and bottoms of the sandwiches.  In between the slices, divide up the shredded cheeses.  In a hot skillet - or cast iron pan/griddle works best - grill the sandwiches on medium heat for about 3 minutes on each side until they are brown and the cheese has melted.  

Get the recipe for the simple and healthy Tomato Basil Soup here!

To find more of my Entertaining Essentials, stop by my store of specially selected favorites.

Some More Favorite Posts :

Lobster Mac N'Cheese

Homemade Pappardelle with Beef Ragu... tomatoes, wine & braised beef...

Our Weekend in the Hamptons - Our Barefoot Contessa Sighting (she sat at the table next to us at dinner!) and Martha Stewart's House

Our Wedding in Seaside

Our Italian Honeymoon

 

Valentine's Day Posts!

Want to see all of my recipes in one place?  Visit my NEW Recipe Index!