Cuban Picadillo

 

Picadillo is a traditional dish in Spain and many Latin American countries.  Several variations exist, but this recipe is based on the Cuban style picadillo.

 

Served over saffron rice with a side of black beans, this is serious comfort food in our house.  My husband LOVES this dish.  As well as my not-quite-2 year old!

 

This is an easy and cost efficient meal to make for a crowd.  The leftovers reheat well and can be used as filling for empanadas, tacos, or as sloppy joes.  All around comforting and versatile dish!  Here's how I make it.

 

 

Feel free to substitute ground turkey if you want.  I sometimes do and it turns out great!

 

 

Start by browning the meat.  While that is working, chop the bell peppers, onion, and garlic.

 

Drain the meat if necessary and add in the onions and peppers.  Cook for a few minutes then add in the garlic.  Continue to cook for another minute or two.

 

Next add in the remaining ingredients.

 



 

Bring it up to a good simmer, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.  The raisins need time to plump up and all the flavors to combine.

 

Serve over saffron rice with a side of black beans and you have a (semi) authentic Cuban meal!  Fried plantains go amazing with this as well. 

 

 

Hope you'll give it a try!

 

Cuban Picadillo

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 packet Goya Sazon with Coriander and Annatto (this stuff)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbs paprika
• 2 tbs Badia Complete Seasoning (this stuff)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup stuffed olives
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 tbs red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, brown the ground beef.  Drain if necessary. 

Add diced onions and bell peppers.  Cook for a few minutes.  Add in minced garlic and continue to cook for another minute.

Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a good simmer.  Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer with lid slightly ajar for 45 minutes.

Serve over rice with a side of beans.

Enjoy!!!

 

 

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

My kid will eat just about anything if you put it inside a meatball or meatloaf.  No joke.  Once a week, we have one of the two so I can sneak in some extra vegetables! 

The real star of this meatball is the mozzarella.  When you cut into one and discover it is stuffed with cheese, the world suddenly feels like a better place.  Trust me.

Start by chopping the veggies.  These have spinach, minced carrot, and minced onion.  Oh and garlic.  I'm pretty sure it is sacrilegious to make a meatball without garlic. 

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, minced vegetables, breadcrumbs, parmesan, parsley, basil, eggs, and S&P.  Mix just enough to combine. 

Grab enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With your thumb, make an indent in the center of the ball and add in a piece of mozzarella. 

I used pearl mozzarella, but you can use whatever cheese you want.  Just cut it into 1/2 chunks.  Press the meat upwards around the cheese to cover it then shape into a ball.  Voila!

Continue stuffing and forming meatballs.  Two pounds of meat made roughly 20 meatballs for me. 

 







Into a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through.   

Look at that cheese!  Isn't it beautiful???



I like to sink mine into a pot of sauce and simmer them for a few minutes.  Serve them over spaghetti or in a hoagie roll.  Or just eat them plain!  

Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 2/3 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
• 1/2 a medium onion, minced
• 1/4 cup minced carrot
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 4 ozs of fresh mozzarella pearls
• S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Spoon out enough meat to form a 2 inch ball.  With thumb, press an indent into the center of the meatball.  Add in a pearl mozzarella.  Press the meat upwards to cover the cheese and seal.  Roll into a ball. 

Place meatballs on a foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

Enjoy!!!



Creole Beef Tips

I was stumbling around the kitchen earlier, trying to decide what I could make for dinner.  The little guy decided it was time to party at 5:20 am this morning.  I could hear his little voice through the monitor, chanting "Elmo?  1 2 3.  Elmooooo.  Momma?"  Early start to the day and I was not looking forward to a grocery store run.

Cooking for two is HARD.  Especially when one of us is under 2 and becoming increasingly "pickier" every day. Two serving meals are almost impossible.  I needed a meal that freezes well so I can save myself time (and stress) in the future.

There was a roast in the fridge that either needed to be cooked or frozen.  Then I spotted the celery, onions, and bell pepper.  Holy Trinity!  Creole beef tips!  Inspiration hit and a plan was formulated.

 

 



You could totally buy beef stew meat already cut up and save time.  It'll be cheaper if you buy the roast and cube it yourself though.  Just stick it in the freezer for about 20 mins to firm up before you slice it.  Makes life much easier.

 

Season your beef cubes with S&P.  In a large pan, brown the meat in a little olive oil.  This is 3 lbs of meat, so you will want to work in at least two batches.  Remove and repeat.

 

 

 

When all the beef is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer with the lid slightly ajar for 1.5 hours, or until your beef is fork tender.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze it for a gravy later.  That's what I did!

 

 

 

Add a touch of olive oil to the pan the beef was cooked in.  Add in the trinity.  Let this cook for a few minutes.  Then add in the minced garlic, thyme, basil, and creole seasoning.  Stir and cook another minute or two. 

 

 

 

Next, add in a can of stewed tomatoes, the reserved cooking liquid, and a packet of brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef and stir.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

I served this over cheese grits.  My favorite brand is House Autry.  They have a recipe on their website for Garlic Cheese grits.  Go forth and check it out.  They are the best grits in the universe.  Trust me.

Creole Beef Tips

• 3 pound beef roast, cut into 1 inch cubes (or 3 lbs of beef stew meat)
• 3 tsp of beef granules
• 1 tsp of garlic powder
• 4 cups of water
• 4 stalks of celery, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp creole seasoning
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes
• 1 envelope brown gravy mix
• S&P
• Olive oil for browning

In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Season the cubed beef with s&p.  Add beef in batches, turning to brown each side.  When all is browned, return to the pan and add water, beef granules, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer with the lid ajar for 1.5 hours, or until meat is fork tender. Remove beef and set aside.  Reserve 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid and discard the rest.  Or freeze for a later use.

In the same pan, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil.  Sauté the onions, bell pepper, and celery for a few minutes.  Add in the minced garlic, creole seasoning, thyme, basil, and parsley.  Stir and let cook for another minute or two.

Add in stewed tomatoes, reserved cooking liquid, and brown gravy mix.  Stir to combine.  Add in the cooked beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Serve over garlic cheese grits, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Enjoy!!!

Two Packet Pot Roast

This pot roast is a variation of the ever-popular Mississippi pot roast that has been popping up everywhere recently.  I do not believe this is a "Mississippi" thing seeing as I am from there and have never heard of it!  The initial recipe called for a packet of ranch seasoning mix, a packet of au jus gravy mix, a stick of butter and a couple pepperoncini peppers.  I tried it but found it to be way too salty as written.  This is my variation with two packets and a few additional ingredients. 


What kind of roast should you use?  With the price of beef these days, I tend to grab whatever is on sale that day.  Of course chuck roast is optimal with its marbling of fat, but if you cook your roast low and slow, even the leaner cuts of meat will come out tender and fall-apart delicious.  London broil was on sale that day so I went with that. 

Your first step is to brown the meat.  I cut the long London broil in half so it would fit in my pan easier.  Season each side with a little S&P and brown in a little olive oil.

Place your browned roast in an oven proof roasting pan.  I like to use this large oval chicken roaster.  It is the perfect size to hold all the veggies we are adding next.

Add a touch more olive oil to the pan you browned the meat in, if necessary.  Throw in your vegetables and let them cook for a couple minutes to get a little color on them. 

Pour your vegetables around your browned roast and nestle them in nicely. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together your brown gravy mix, au jus gravy mix, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley.  Pour this over your roast.  Throw in a couple bay leaves and pepperoncini's (the juice will cook out of the peppers and make your sauce slightly spicy, depending on how many you add.)  Cover your pan tightly with foil.  I threw the lid on as well, but this is not necessary as long as you cover it tightly with the foil. 

Bake at 300 degrees for 3-4 hours, depending on the size of your roast.  Mine was right at 3 lbs and I cooked it for 3 hours.  For a 4-5 lb roast, plan on at least 4 hours. 

I like to serve this with crusty garlic bread to dip in the gravy.  If you feel like carb loading, serve it over mashed potatoes!  I have even served it over cheese grits.  Delicious!

Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Two Packet Pot Roast

• 1 beef roast of your choice, about 3 pounds
• 1 pound of small red potatoes, cut in half
• 1 pound of baby carrots
• 5 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks
• 1 large onion, cut into quarters
• 1 packet of brown gravy mix
• 1 packet of au jus gravy mix
• 2 heaping tablespoons of tomato paste (about half of a 6 oz can)
• 1 32oz box of beef stock
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbs dried parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 3-4 pepperoncini peppers
• Olive oil for browning
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium-high heat.  Salt and pepper both sides of the roast.  Place the roast in the hot pan and sear on each side until brown.  Remove from pan and place in your oven proof roasting pan.

Add a touch more olive oil if needed.  Throw in the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes.  Toss these around for a few minutes until they get a little color on them.  Add these in with your browned roast.

Whisk together the brown gravy mix, au jus gravy mix, beef stock, tomato paste, garlic powder, thyme, and parsley.  Pour this over the roast.  Top with pepperoncini's and bay leaves.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 3 hours for a 3 lb. roast (4 hours for a 4-5 lb. roast.)

Enjoy!