Beef Stroganoff: Easy and Delicious Slow Cook Recipe

When I was in college I feel in love with this Beef Stroganoff recipe. We had roommate dinners in college, where one roommate would cook dinner for all the rest of the roommates one night a week. When we got home from school dinner was always there. My roommate made this Beef Stroganoff and every so often I would ask her to make it for us because I loved it so much. When we parted ways I made sure to grab the recipe and now I so excited to share it!

This recipe is super easy. Throw the ingredients in the slow cooker, boil the noodles and done!

I like to either grab any kind of beef for this meal. I have made it with several different cuts; stewing beef (pictured here), steak, and a roast. If I use a steak or a roast I throw in the whole thing and then cut the meat right before I serve it. I bought the mushrooms pre-cut to make it that much faster. The only thing I had to really prep was the onions and that was super fast.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Author: Jennifer Crowther

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 15 Min Cook time: 8 Hours

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 onion, diced
• 5 to 10 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 slab round steak, cut into pieces (stewing beef makes it easy)
• 2 to 3 Tablespoons Worcester sauce
• 4 cans cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• garlic
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream or cream cheese

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Add all ingredients to a crockpot, except cream.
2. Mix together and let cook on high 4 hours or low 8 hours.
3. Add cream just before serving.
4. Serve on rice or egg noodles.

Here is the finished product, yummy goodness.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much I do. I brought it to a church function last night where there 20 other crock pot soups and it was almost gone when we left. (Some other soups were still full.) There is just enough for one more serving. Everyone really loved it. I think you will too!

I am sharing this recipe as part of Slow Cooker Spooctacular event hosted by Simple Simon and Company. Check out their tips, other posts and a giveaway to win your own slow cooker. 

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Amazing Steak and Cob Salad

I made this cob salad recipe up when I was shopping in the fresh section of the grocery store.  I love cooking with seasonal ingredients and love getting inspired by seeing what is at the grocery store. It happens to be the time of year again for corn and peppers.  I chose an orange pepper to give a little color to the salad and ham instead of bacon because ham is not as crunchy, but provides the same pork flavor in the salad. The egg creates a nice softness and adds a nice flavor to the salad. 

We have really come to enjoy cooking steaks around here since we learned how to cook them. With steaks and roasts being about the same price as ground beef we have been cooking them a lot more. My local grocery store was having a sale on steaks for the 4th of July so I picked them up and saved a ton.  I have included some of the tips I have learned cooking steaks.

Amazing Steak with Cobb Salad

Author: Jennifer Crowther

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 25 Min Cook time: 10 Min

INGREDIENTS FOR COBB SALAD:

• 1 corn on the cob
• 1 boiled egg
• 2 slices of ham
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 head of lettuce

INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONED STEAK:

• 1 steak, any cut will do
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COBB SALAD:

1. Fill a pan with enough water to cover a corn on the cob, but do not put it in yet. Heat the water to boiling and put in the corn on the cob for 10 minutes.
2. Put an egg in a pan and fill with water 1 or 2 inches over the egg. Heat the water to boiling over medium heat. When the water is boiling remove from heat, cover for 12 minutes. Remove the water and fill the pan with cold water to stop the egg from cooking more.
3. Add oil to a pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot add the ham. Brown slightly on both sides. Chop up the ham.
4. Slice the orange pepper.
5. Chop up the lettuce.
6. Combine the ingredient and toss the salad.
7. I like to dress this salad with Buttermilk ranch.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SEASONED STEAK:

1. Leave the steak out 30 minutes before seasoning.
2. Combine the salt and pepper in a bowl.
3. Spread the salt and pepper mixture on the steak. Press the mixture into the steak. See above picture.
4. Turn the over to 375 degrees F.
5. Heat oil in the pan.
6. When the oil is hot place the steak in the pan with meat tongs. Do not touch the steak in the first 4 minutes. When the steak has achieved a nice brown sear turn the steak over with the tongs.
7. Sear the other side.
8. Place in the over until the desired doneness is achieved. It will be anywhere from 2-10 minutes. Do not over cook.
9. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes.

Seasoned Steak

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Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa is one of my favorite meals to make and I super love all the fresh ingredients. I adapted this recipe from one I saw on Pinterest. I made a few changes based on things that went wrong the first time.

This whole meal took me about an hour to make and gave me family of 4 one day of leftovers.  I did cheat with the rice and use a packaged Spanish rice. I have made it from scratch before, it just adds a extra time.  I started with the rice first because it takes the longest to cook. I love Mise en place, ie the french term for getting all the ingredients and cooking utensils together before the meal.  It really saves a lot of time. That way I can just go go go.

Here are the recipes. The chicken and salsa can be served over rice, orzo or quinoa. I have included Spanish Rice directions.

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Author: Jennifer Crowther

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 30 Min Cook time: 15 Min

INGREDIENTS FOR GRILLED CHICKEN:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 Tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• olive oil

INGREDIENTS FOR AVOCADO SALSA

• 2 cups tomatoes diced, about 4 medium tomatoes
• 5-6 fresh green onions, chopped
• 1/2-3/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 large avocado
• 1 lime
• salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS FOR SPANISH RICE:

• 1 box ZATARAIN'S Spanish rice
• 1 can diced tomatoes

INSTRUCTIONS FOR GRILLED CHICKEN:

1. Heat oil in 2 pans on medium heat.
2. Turn on oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Combine salt and pepper in a bowl.
4. Remove moisture from chicken.
5. Pat the salt and pepper mixture over the chicken both sides, lightly coating the chicken.
6. Put the chicken on the pans, do not overcrowd the pan. Brown on both sides for about 3-5 minutes each side. Do not raise the chicken, it will release when ready.
7. Put the chicken in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is 160 F.
8. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest on a plate for at least 5 minutes.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR AVOCADO SALSA:

1. Prepare the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and place in a bowl.
2. Cut the avocado last so it does not brown. Place in the top of the bowl.
3. Juice about 1/2 lime and pour the juice over the avocado.
4. Stir the ingredients in the bowl together. Add more lime juice to taste.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SPANISH RICE:

1. Prepare the rice per the boxes instructions

I hope you enjoy the recipe. We sure did! 

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Salmon En Croûte with Fingerling Potatoes, Mint Peas over a Hollandaise Sauce

This recipe is amazing. It's blend of flavors of herbs and mustard with a hollandaise sauce provide the perfect combination, with minted peas adding a fresh flavor to the dish. This recipe was featured on MasterChef Junior, this show features amazing kid chefs between the ages of 8-12. Each of the kids had to make this recipe, some did better than others. I can not believe they cooked it by themselves in under 90 minutes.  For Valentines day I thought it would be fun to cook this together with my husband. I made a few errors while making this dish, too much vinegar in the Hollandaise sauce and the pastry dough was a little raw on the edges.  I think I did not flatten it enough.  Overall this dish was amazing!  I can't wait to make it again, perfect this time. Here's the recipe!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Salmon En Croute with Fingerling Potatoes, Mint Peas over a Hollandaise sauce

Author: Jennifer Crowther

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 30 Min Cook time: 25 Min

INGREDIENTS FOR FINGERLING POTATOES:

• 12 fingerling potatoes
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp olive oil

INGREDIENTS FOR MINTED PEAS:

• 1 bag frozen peas, thawed
• 1 Tbsp to 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Small knob of butter
• Handful of mint, leaves roughly chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle

INGREDIENTS FOR HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:

• 1 bottle white wine vinegar (about 500 mL)
• 1 Tbsp peppercorn
• Bunch tarragon
• 3 large egg yolks
• 200 mL clarified unsalted butter (use 1 cup of butter to get this amount)
• Squeeze lemon juice

INGREDIENTS FOR SALMON EN CROUTE:

• 1 side of salmon, about 2 lbs, skinned
• A little olive oil
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• Generous handful of basil leaves
• Small handful of dill leaves
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry sheets (2 sheets about 500 g)
• Plain flour, to dust
• 2 egg yolks, beaten

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FINGERLING POTATOES:

1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan with just enough water to cover them, and boil for 10 minutes until tender, but still a little firm. Drain, then let cool slightly.
2. Slice the potatoes lengthways. Melt butter in olive oil, then sauté until lightly golden.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MINTED PEAS:

1. Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, tip in the peas and blanch for three to four minutes or until tender.
2. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of iced water to refresh. Drain well and tip into a bowl.
3. Tip the peas and broad beans into the frying pan and add a splash of water and a little butter. Heat for a minute to warm through, season to taste and toss through the mint leaves.
4. Spoon the vegetables onto warm plates. Serve immediately.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:

1. Boil the vinegar together with peppercorns and tarragon, reduce by half. Strain and place back in the bottle for future use.
2. Clarify the butter. Melt the butter in a pan. Skim off the froth. Pour clarified butter in another container, leave the fat at the bottom of the pan in the pan.
3. Boil a large pan of water, then reduce to a simmer. Using a large balloon whisk, beat together the yolks and 2 tsp of the reduced wine vinegar in a heatproof bowl that fits snugly over the pan.
4. Beat vigorously until the mixture forms a foam, but make sure that it doesn’t get too hot. To prevent the sauce from overheating, take it on and off the heat while you whisk, scraping around the sides with a plastic spatula. The aim is to achieve a golden, airy foam, which forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted.
5. Whisk in a small ladle of the warmed butter, a little at a time, then return the bowl over a gentle heat to cook a little more. Remove from the heat again and whisk in another ladle of butter. Repeat until all the butter is incorporated and you have a texture as thick as mayonnaise. Finally, whisk in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste plus a little warm water from the pan if the mixture is too thick.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SALMON EN CROUTE:

1. Check the salmon for pin bones, removing any that you find with tweezers, then cut in half. Line a baking tray with a lightly oiled piece of foil.
2. Mix the softened butter with the lemon zest, basil, dill and some salt and pepper in a bowl, to make the filling.
3. Pat the salmon fillets dry with kitchen paper, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Spread the herb butter over one fillet, on the boned side, and the mustard evenly on the other fillet. Sandwich the two salmon fillets together, in opposite directions so both ends are of an even thickness.
4. Roll out the pastry thinly on a lightly floured surface to a rectangle, the thickness about 1/16th an inch and large enough to enclose the salmon. Put the salmon parcel in the center of the pastry and brush the surrounding pastry with egg. Bring up the edges, trimming off any excess, and tuck them in before folding the rest of the pastry over to form a neat parcel. Carefully turn the whole thing over so that the seam is underneath and place on the prepared baking tray.
5. Brush the pastry with beaten egg. Lightly score a herringbone or cross-hatch pattern using the back of a knife. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover loosely and chill for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F.
6. Bake the salmon for 20–25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. To test if ready, insert a skewer into the middle. It should feel warm for medium cooked salmon. A piping hot skewer indicates that the fish is well done.
7. Rest the salmon for 5 minutes, then cut into portions using a serrated knife. Serve with hollandaise sauce, fingerling potatoes and minted peas.

*For the Hollandaise Sauce if you eat this for left overs you can use the same method or leave it out for about an hour to get the desired consistency again.

*I found the puff pastry sheets in the freezer section of my grocery store.

*I substituted stoneground mustard for wholegrain because my grocery store did not have wholegrain mustard, just make sure the mustard has seeds in it.

*Overall recommendation, do as much prep before hand as possible. Get out the cooking tools you will need, cut everything, and make the sauces before you start cooking. This will make everything go quicker and help so the food will not be cold once everything is done. I made the hollandaise sauce while the salmon was cooking in the oven.

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Fettuccine Alfredo with Reheat Instructions

This is one of my favorite recipes. I make it all the time. The recipe is adapted from the Fettuccine Aldredo recipe in the Pillsbury complete cookbook. I am so excited to share with you how to reheat it too!

Fettuccine Alfredo

Author: Jennifer Crowther

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 5 Min Cook time: 10 Min

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package fettuccine
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup whipping cream
• dash of pepper
• 1 1/4 cups Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook fettuccine to desired doneness. I like mine slightly al dente.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the pepper and cream. Cook five minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. If the sauce separates add a little more cream.
3. Combine with fettuccine noodles or serve on top of fettuccine and save the rest of the sauce for later.

Cook fettuccine to desired doneness. I like mine slightly al dente.

Reheat Instructions
What is the worst thing about reheating a dish with butter and cream? The two separate. I have the answer to the problem below.

Put the Alfredo sauce in a sauce pan and heat slowly over low heat melting the cream and butter.

Stir constantly with a whisk.

When the mixture is completely melted add cream until the mixture is once again white in color.

Now you can have fresh Fettuccine Alfredo two days in a row.

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Chicken Cacciatore

Chicken Caccitore, one of my favorite meals! This dish is very easy to make and tastes scrumptious. I have made a few tweaks to the original recipe. One of the keys to this recipe is the dicing of the onions. My mom used to make dishes with huge onion pieces I could not stand. When onions are diced they impart their sweet flavor and are not obnoxious to eat. Another trick is to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes, it gives it a great fresh taste.

Chicken Cacciatore

Tastes Like Italy

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs
• 1 medium onion, diced
• bunch of mushrooms, sliced
• 4 whole tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 1-2 teaspoons tomato paste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in pan. Add the onions and cook until they are golden, and remove from pan. Coat the chicken with flour by shaking it in a ziplock bag a few pieces at a time.

2. Add chicken to the same pan the onions were cooked in. Cook the chicken until it is golden on both sides.

3. Add mushrooms to pan. Cook for 5 minutes.

4. Add the remaining ingredients to the pan, simmer on low 40 minutes.

5. Serve over noodles or rice. I like serving this with angel hair pasta and my kids love rotini. You can also top with cheese. The picture was topped with Romano cheese. Enjoy!

I like to cook in a cast iron skillet to give it plenty of flavor.

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