#2,715: Low Carb Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

There are a bunch of recipes/videos floating around Facebook to make Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers.  We made a few too many seasoned sandwich steaks for Father's Day, so I had a bunch of meat left over.  Plus I had ONE lone pepper in my fridge so I knew this was the recipe I just had to make/try.  

It was super simple.  I cut a pepper in half and took out the seeds.  Then I put it in a bowl with about 1/8 c of water and covered it with plastic wrap.  I poked a few holes in the plastic wrap and I cooked it in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.  The peppers were plenty soft to my liking so I took them out and put them on a baking sheet.  I chopped up the leftover steak and placed it inside the pepper.  Then I topped it with a piece of provolone cheese.  I threw that baby in the broiler for about 2 minutes and it was done.  My lunch was ready in less than 10 minutes and most of that time was waiting for the pepper to cook and the oven to heat up.

Yep, I'd definitely make this again!! 

#2,688: Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli

As a family, we all really enjoyed this quick Instant Pot dish.  The only complaint I had to this was that the broccoli was too hard for my liking.  I think it needed way more than 5-10 minutes to cook and soften.  Personally, it probably needed closer to 20 minutes for my liking.  Other than that, we really, really enjoyed this.  

2 tsp olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of flank steak, sliced very thin against the grain

1/2 cup diced shallots (I used sweet onion)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

2/3 cup beef stock 

1/3 cup of coconut aminos (or sub low sodium soy sauce)

2 T plus 1 tsp honey

3 1/2 cups of broccoli florets

1/2 T arrowroot or your favorite thickener/flour (I used cornstarch)

1/4 tsp salt

crushed red pepper

Whisk coconut aminos, chicken stock, honey and fresh ginger together. Set aside.

Set Instant Pot to Saute. When it's hot, add olive oil and shallots and sauté until they begin to soften and become fragrant. Add in garlic and cook an additional minute.

Pour stock mixture into the Instant Pot and add in sliced flank steak. Cover and lock your Instant Pot and set to manual/pressure cook for 12 minutes. When cook time is up, allow to naturally release for 5 minutes before finishing with a quick release.

Carefully take off the lid and remove 1 cup of the cooking liquid and make a slurry by whisking in 1/2 T of arrowroot starch. Mix until well combined and then return to pot. Set Instant Pot to sauté and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in salt. Turn pot to keep warm.

Add in chopped broccoli florets and stir everything together. Place lid on IP and give the broccoli 5-10 minutes to steam from the heat of the pot.

When broccoli is to desired tenderness, garnish with some scallions, crushed red pepper, and additional grated ginger if desired.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.

#2,685: Texas Roadhouse Pot Roast

We don't eat at Texas Roadhouse, so I can't vouch for the comparison to what they serve, but I can tell you that we loved this recipe!  I also highly doubt that Texas Roadhouse serves this as sandwiches, but that's how my family enjoys roasts the most.  

We eat some form of a roast fairly regularly and it's always hit or miss if my kids enjoy it or not.  I wasn't sure if they were going to be fans of this one, and in fact, would have bet they did not.  They completely proved me wrong!  We had 3 different meals leftover this week so we had a leftovers night, and both of the girls chose this meal over the other choices.  I'd say that's a good sign.  I too ate the leftovers but ended up making these as sort of nachos (chips, leftover meat, and some cheese) , which was also absolutely delicious!  We loved this recipe and I'd definitely make it again!

As I mentioned above, I served this as shredded beef sandwiches.  I just shredded the meat with 2 forks, and then put it back into the sauce to soak up more flavor.   

2 - 2.5 lb chuck roast

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper (any color), chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup BBQ sauce

2 beef bouillon cubes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 cup water

Place roast in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Top with vegetables, BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, water and spices.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  

#2,675: Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Mmmmm.....look at how good that sandwich looks!  The only thing missing from this sandwich was more cheese.  LOL  You probably should put cheese on both sides of the bread AND maybe some on top of the meat too.  But I only put cheese on half of the bread to make it just a tiny bit healthier.  This recipe was super, super easy.  The hardest part (which wasn't hard at all) was cutting the meat into small strips.  After that, I threw this into my Instant Pot in 5 minutes!  

My family (including my mom and sister) loved this recipe!  The meat was so tender and I wasn't sure I was going to like the peppers but as soft as they were, they were still so good.  Everyone but Matthew was a big fan, and even he at least ate the meat (who doesn't want/like the bread part of a sandwich!?).

This is a huge keeper recipe and I will definitely be making this again...soon.

The original recipe I found said to put this in the instant pot for 40 minutes...yeah I knew that was too long for the steak to cook, so I decided to take a chance and cook it for 23 minutes.  After the 23 minutes I did a natural release for 10 minutes.  It was perfect!  

2 sliced green peppers

1 sliced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

2 - 2½ lbs. thinly sliced steak (I used sirloin steak cut into thin strips against the grain)

1 tsp salt

½ tsp black pepper

1 envelope dry Italian dressing mix

1 cup beef broth

6 slices of provolone cheese, sliced in half

6 hoagie rolls

Add the vegetables, steak, seasonings and beef broth to the instant pot.  

Seal and cook on high pressure for 23 minutes.  Allow the instant pot to depressurize naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the steam manually the rest of the way.

In the meantime, slice the hoagie rolls open and place on a baking sheet. Top each with with two slice cheese halves.

Broil for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.

Top each roll with the meat and veggies. You can also used the juices in the pot with the meat to dip the sandwiches in if desired. 

#2,059: Crockpot Cube Steak

A lot of cube steak recipes I've found either have you browning on the stovetop (too much work and clean up) and/or use cream of mushroom soup.  My husband has an apparent "allergy" to mushrooms (I don't believe it), so I was looking for a recipe that used different ingredients.  Happily, I came across this recipe that just dumps everything into the crockpot (no mushroom soup included either) and cooks all day.  We were big fans of this recipe and I would certainly make this one again!  The recipe calls for cornstarch and water to thicken up the liquid, but I did not need to do this.  Our gravy was thick enough for us!  

1 packet of au jus gravy mix

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can French onion soup

1/2 cup water

1 ½-2 pounds cube steak

to thicken gravy:

3 tbsp cornstarch (I omitted)

3 tbsp cold water (I omitted)

In the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker, combine cream of chicken soup, French Onion soup, packet of au jus and water.  Stir well.  Put cubed steak in slow cooker with gravy mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook steak on low for 6-8 hours.

(I didn't have to do these last steps). After cooking, it's time to thicken gravy. In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and cold water. Stir mixture into crock pot.

Turn the setting to high and cook for 30 minutes (until gravy is thickened.)

#2,052: Slow Cook Mongolian Beef

I am very picky beef eater.  LOL  It has to be perfectly cooked (i.e. totally well-done), and it can't be fatty or chewy, and it can't be too thick.  Friends of ours gave us some flank steak and I was honestly scared to cook it.  So I let it almost thaw, and then (when still a bit frozen) I cut it into thin strips. 

Let me say, I LOVED this recipe.  I threw some frozen broccoli in about an hour before I was going to serve it (much to the displeasure of my husband LOL).  We served this over rice, and I added some crispy chinese noodles...fantastic! 

1 ½ pounds Flank Steak

¼ cups cornstarch

2 tablespoons Olive Oil

½ teaspoons mince Garlic, Cloves

¾ cups Soy Sauce

¾ cups Water

¾ cups Brown Sugar

1 cup grated Carrots

green onions, for garnish

Cut flank steak into thin strips. In a ziplock bag add flank steak pieces and cornstarch. Shake to coat.

Add olive oil, minced garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and carrots to slow cooker. Stir ingredients. Add coated flank steak and stir again until coated in the sauce.

Cook for high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours until cooked throughout and tender (I think I cooked mine on high for closer to 4-5 hours). Can serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

#2,028: Hearty Beef and Sweet Potato Stew

I am a fan of beef stew, but my family is not, so it isn't something I make very often.  But I was totally in the mood for some stew this time of year so I figured I'd give this recipe a try.  I made it fully knowing that all my family would eat was the beef stew meat, and that I'd have to make mashed potatoes for them instead of the sweet potatoes or root vegetables.  I'm totally ok with that though because it means more veggies for me!  My kids thought this was just ok.  My husband enjoyed it, but didn't like it reheated.  I however, enjoy eating my leftover meat cold (weird I know!), so I loved it leftover, and was glad I didn't have to fight him for the last serving.  :)  I would totally make this again, but don't throw the sweet potatoes in right away.  I knew it would be soft because I was going out for the day and had to put them in the crockpot in the beginning, but if you can throw them in a few hours later, the texture will be better and the potatoes will hold up more.   Also, as you will see by the original recipe below, this is supposed to be made on the stove top, but I wanted this even easier, so I threw it in the crockpot!

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided (I used vegetable oil)

1-1/2 pounds boneless beef chuck steak, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used 2 1/2 lbs)

2 medium onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium beef broth

1/3 cup dry red wine or additional reduced-sodium beef broth

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch (I omitted)

3 tablespoons cold water (I omitted)

1-1/4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 medium), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, halved (I omitted)

4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices

2 medium parsnips, cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 medium turnip, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

How I made this in the crockpot:
In a large pan, heat up vegetable oil and brown the meat and onions over high heat, not necessarily cooking the meat all the way though, but so that it is nicely browned on all sides.

Meanwhile, in the crockpot, layer the sweet potatoes, parsnips and turnips.

Once the meat is browned, add the garlic, broth, dry red wine (if using), thyme, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.  Mix to combine and pour over the vegetables in the crockpot.

Cover and cook for 8-10 hours on low.  

Original recipe directions: 

Preheat oven to 325°. In an ovenproof Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add onions; cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add broth and wine, stirring to remove browned bits from pan. Stir in thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Return beef to pan; bring to a boil. Bake, covered, 1-1/4 hours.

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into stew. Add sweet potatoes, mushrooms, carrots, parsnips and turnip to pan. Bake, covered, 45-60 minutes longer or until beef and vegetables are tender. If desired, strain cooking juices; skim fat. Return cooking juices to Dutch oven. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts). 

Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwich

It's my first pressure cooker recipe and I'll admit, I was petrified to try it.  I got a pressure cooker for Christmas (it's probably the only kitchen gadget I don't/didn't have!), and have been putting off trying to make something in it for fear that I'm going to kill myself or destroy my kitchen.

I got a pressure cooker for Christmas from my husband (or maybe I bought it for myself and then told him to wrap it and put my name on it?!) and have been dying to use it since I got it in July off Amazon's (pitifully sad) Christmas in July sale. 

Dinner was really late this night as I apparently was supposed to test the pressure cooker first.  Whatever, I just gave the kids and hubby a snack...everyone was ok!  And thankfully the roast I used was less than 2 lbs, so it wasn't supposed to take as long to cook. 

This recipe was a total bust for us.  I don't know if it was operator error, the cut of meat I got, or not using the pressure cooker correctly but this recipe was AWFUL.  After 45 minutes in the pressure cooker the meat was still super tough.  As in inedible tough.  So we threw a pizza in the oven and I threw this into the crockpot to finish cooking and planned to eat it the next night for dinner.  This recipe did NOT taste good.  It was so bad, I had to pitch it (what a waste!).  I'm thinking it was the meat we got/used becasue even after cooking an additional FOURTEEN hours in the crockpot (on low) this should have been super tender but it was stringy and smelled weird (not rancid weird, just unappealing).  I'll probably give this recipe one more try but I'm certainly not in a rush to do so! 

Here's the original recipe if you want to try it (I know I'm making it sound so wonderful).  If you do try it, or have tips for how to use a pressure cooker please let me know!!  What did I do wrong?!?! 

6 pounds chuck roast (frozen or thawed)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 loaf french bread

provolone cheese for topping

Place chuck roast, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder and beef stock in a 4-6 quart pressure cooker.

Bring up to high pressure (15 pounds pressure), and  cook for 1 1/2 hours if roast is frozen, and 1 hour if roast is thawed.

Place a mesh strainer over a pot and pour contents of the pressure cooker into the strainer separating the meat and juices. Set meat in a bowl and shred with forks to desired consistency.

Bring juices to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer the juices until reduced by half, skimming off fat as it rises to the top. Do not boil as this will cause the au jus to become cloudy and lead to a greasy mouth feel.

Once the juices are reduced in half, season the Au Jus to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut your french bread loaf into desired sandwich sizes and split down the middle.

Place your shredded beef onto your bread, topping with a slice or two of provolone. Place on a cookie sheet and melt you cheese under a broiler until bubbly.

Serve with remaining au jus sauce if desired. 

#1,744: Shredded Crockpot Beef Sandwiches

I quickly made this roast one morning before heading to work and just shredded it when I got home.  My family loved this!  It is particularly good on some nice crusty bread toasted with some melted mozzarella or provolone cheese.  I also enjoyed eating the shredded meat on top of some salad mix too. 

6-8 lb Chuck Beef Roast

1/4 c of your favorite seasoning blend (I just sprinkled some seasoned salt on ours)

6 cloves of Garlic

2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Onion powder

2 tsp White pepper

4 tbsp Coconut Aminos

1 tsp Sea salt

Coat all sides of your roast with whatever seasoning blend that you like.  

(I just rubbed minced garlic all over the roast) Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the flat portion of a butcher knife till they open a bit.  Cut 1 inch deep into the roast for each garlic clove and push them in until you can’t see them anymore.  

In a bowl combine the remaining seasoning and coconut aminos, and rub on the roast.  

Place in crock pot and roast on low for 8 hours.  Remove the roast from the crock pot into a large shallow bowl to shred the beef with two forks. Return to the crockpot so it starts to soak up some of the juice.   

Eat as is or use for tacos, in egg scrambles, on salads, or whatever else sounds good!

#1,698: Shredded BBQ Beef Sandwiches (Crockpot meal)

This recipe was easy, quick and the flavor was overall good, but I didn't love the texture of the roast.  So I'm thinking I maybe got the wrong cut of meat!  I don't think this one was as good of a cut for shredding.  And, after being in my crockpot for 10 hours one day, I ended up putting most of it back in the crockpot and cooked it on high for another 3 hours to help tenderize it even more.  

I did really like the flavor of the sauce though, so I'd love to try this with cooked ground beef or turkey and use more like a sloppy joe sauce.  I should probably put that on my January menu...

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 4 pounds)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, optional
24 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split

Cut roast in half; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with onion. Combine the next eight ingredients; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove roast and cool slightly; shred meat with two forks. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Return meat to slow cooker; heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll. Yield: 24 servings.

#1,675: BBQ Brisket

I found this recipe at Taste of Home and shockingly was the first time I ever made a brisket.  The kids didn't totally love this recipe, but Brian did.  I liked it, but don't like how stringy this got ad personally needed to chop it up even more (beyond shredding it).  The flavor was good though, it was just the texture I didn't love  This tasted best on some lightly toasted bread for the texture. 

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 fresh beef brisket (3 to 4 pounds)

3 tablespoons liquid smoke, optional

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 bottle (18 ounces) barbecue sauce

12 sandwich rolls, split

Combine the celery salt, garlic powder and onion powder; rub over brisket. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Combine liquid smoke if desired and hot pepper sauce; pour over brisket. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.

Remove beef and cool slightly. Discard all but 1/2 cup cooking juices; whisk barbecue sauce into cooking juices. Shred meat with two forks; return to slow cooker and mix well. Heat through. Serve about 1/3 cup meat mixture on each roll. Yield: 12 servings.

#1,664: Italian drip beef

My husband and I absolutely loved this recipe!  It was SOOO good.  The kids had mixed reviews, but the general consensus was that it was too spicy and I only used a little bit of the pepperoncinis and juice (about 1/4 of the jar IF that).  So for my family I will cut back on that even more, or maybe not add the juice, just the pepperoncinis.  But this was great!  I did not sear the roast, and just dumped everything into my crockpot.  One less pot to clean up and a way easier way to make this!

One 4-pound chuck roast

Salt and black pepper

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups beef broth

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

One 16-ounce jar pepperoncini, juice and all

2 yellow onions, sliced

10 to 12 toasted, buttered deli rolls

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and the canola oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Sear both sides of the chuck roast until very browned, about 5 minutes in all. Pour in the beef broth and 1 cup water. Add the rosemary, and then pour in the pepperoncini with their juices. Now cover the pot and simmer until the meat is tender and falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add the onions and saute until light golden brown. Set aside.

Remove the roast from the pot and shred the meat completely using two forks. Return the meat to the cooking liquid and keep warm.

To serve, slice wedges out of the tops of the deli rolls. Heap a generous portion of meat on each roll, and then spoon some of the cooking liquid over the meat. Top with a few peppers from the pot and plenty of caramelized onions. 

#1,608: Cheater's Cheesesteak Sandwiches

This is one of my worst pictures of a recipe, but my family was literally almost done eating their dinner before I realized I missed this photo op/recipe.  Chloe was the last one to take a bite so I could only get a picture of her half sandwich!  I added some steak seasoning for more flavor and I think it definitely needed it.  It made the steak so much more flavorful!  The picture does not do this sandwich justice...it was really, really good.  

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup sliced onion
1/2 pound ribeye steak, thinly sliced against the grain
1 pound cremini mushrooms, chopped (I omitted)
I also added about 1 tsp of steak seasoning
4 4-inch whole-grain Italian rolls, split
2 ounces sharp provolone, shredded

Preheat the broiler. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high; add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion begins to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the steak; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer the steak and onion to a plate. 

Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the steak to the skillet and season with salt and pepper; stir until heated through, about 1 minute.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet. Divide the steak mixture evenly among the rolls. Top with the cheese and broil until melted, about 2 minutes.

#1,454: Slow Cook French Dip

This picture is terrible...mainly b/c the bread I used was so bad.  Well, not bad I suppose, but just not photogenic or crusty enough for this recipe.  This was a VERY good recipe though and my family ate this in toasted bread, but I loved mine atop some cooked spaghetti squash.  This was great as leftovers too!!!

And seriously, can the grocery store start selling individual servings of beer?!  I had to borrow one from a co-worker for this recipe since we don't drink beer!  I know I could have omitted it or used beef broth but I figured it would give it better flavor.  :) 

4 lb. rump roast

Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 c. beef broth

1 small onion, cut into chunks

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 can beer

French Rolls

Butter

Provolone Cheese (I omitted)

Place Rump Roast in slow cooker and season to taste with Montreal Steak Seasoning.  Add onion, garlic, broth and beer and cook on low for 6-8 hrs.

Butter the french rolls and toast under the broiler for a few minutes.  Layer cheese on rolls and broil until melted and bubbly.

Thinly slice the roast, placing the beef on the toasted rolls.  Serve the au jus and serve with the sandwiches.

#1, 435: Crockpot Italian Beef over Spaghetti Squash

I love easy recipes, and I especially love ones that I can throw together quickly and then come home to dinner totally made/done!  We ate this on a night that we weren't getting home until pretty late, so it was the prefect meal to have waiting for us when we got home.  I had pre-made the spaghetti squash so that saved me a ton of time.  The rest of the family ate this in some toasted rolls, but I loved it with the squash (yeah for low carb!).  We will definitely be making this on again. 

2.5 – 3 pounds of beef roast
2 cups chopped carrots
1 small white or yellow onion, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of red chili flakes
1.5 cups organic crushed tomatoes (I omitted)
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp tomato paste

Trim your beef of excess fat, and set in the crockpot.

Peel and chop the carrots, slice the onion and chop the garlic. Add these to the pot with the beef along with the seasonings: salt, garlic powder, basil, oregano, thyme, cinnamon and red chili flakes.

Pour in the beef stock and crushed tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and give everything a good stir. Cover the slow cooker, set to low for 5-6 hours.  Shred when done and serve. 

#1,357: Grilled Teriyaki Steak

The original recipe that I found calls for this to be made into grilled skewers.  As soon as I said that to my husband he got antsy because it involves an extra step of watching to make sure skewers don't burn or fall through the grates of the grill.  So I made his job easier by just marinating this steak whole and cooking it as one piece.  I personally don't think it mad any difference in the taste!  I didn't eat much of this because I limit my red meat, but Brian loved this and the girls ate it (as I expected), but didn't love it.  Picky 2 year old Matthew wouldn't even try it.  It was such a simple recipe to make, which I always like!  I ended up using a different cut of steak because this one was on clearance and much less expensive. I would definitely make this marinade again. 

1/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce 

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons pepper 

1 pound flank steak, cut across grain into 1/4-inch-thick strips 

4 scallions, white and light green parts, sliced on diagonal

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (I omitted out of laziness)

Combine teriyaki sauce, garlic and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Add steak, seal and turn several times to coat with marinade. Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat grill to high. Thread meat onto thin metal skewers; oil grates. Grill steak, turning once, until cooked to desired doneness (1 to 2 minutes per side for medium-rare). Transfer steak to a serving platter, sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds and serve.

#1,311: Grilled Sweet Balsamic Steak Bundles

My weightloss/life changing coach does not like me eating much pork or beef.  Typically I try to stay away from it.  I hadn't intended to eat much of this recipe, but once I took a bite of one, I couldn't stop eating these.  Holy cow were these good!  My text to my coach at the end of the night also noted "even if I don't lose tomorrow, this meal was worth it!"  I don't think he liked that one.  It sure was good though!  

Sweet Balsamic Marinade
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Combine all the ingredients in a large Ziploc bag with your meat and or veggies. Allow to marinade for several hours in the refrigerator before grilling. While grilling, brush the marinade over the meat and or veggies for extra flavor.

For Bundles:
Thin Slices of Steak (Flat Iron or Flank recommended)
Toothpicks
1/2 Red, Yellow, Green Pepper, cut into thin strips
12-13 Asparagus Spears, cut into thirds.

Begin by marinating your steak in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours (or even overnight) in Sweet Balsamic Marinade in a large Ziploc bag.

When you are ready to cook, remove the steak from the marinade and cut into slices large enough to wrap around your veggies.

Lay each slice of steak out on your cutting board, place your veggies in the middle, wrap the steak around the veggies, and then secure with a toothpick.

Preheat your grill and spray grill rack with non-stick spray. Place all steak bundles on the grill and rotate to cook evenly. Remove when cooked thoroughly.

#1,269: Slow Cooker Beef Gyros

Well this was a recipe I LOVED even though I omitted the pita and greek yogurt dip.  I wasn't sure I was going to love this as much as I did, but i honestly couldn't get enough of it.  It was SO easy to make and so flavorful. I will definitely be making this again...soon.  Maybe for an easy dinner over the 4th of July with my family.  I wonder if they will enjoy it as much as I did?!

1/3 cup olive oil

4 Tbs. lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 3/4 tsp. dried mint
1 3/4 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. think cut sirloin steak, cut in strips
1 cucumber, diced
8 oz plain Greek yogurt
1/4 tsp. dried mint
pita bread

Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, mint, oregano, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Use a fork or small whisk to combine. Place steak in slow cooker. Pour dressing over the top and stir to combine. Cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours.

Stir cucumber, yogurt and mint together. Serve meat in pita bread, topped with cucumber sauce.

#1,253: Quick Skillet Steak with Onions and Mushrooms

I never in a million years, thought that not only would I like this, but my kids would too.  Granted most of them enjoyed their steak between two thin pieces of Italian loaf bread, but hey, they ate it (minus the onions and mushrooms of course). Really enjoyed this too and ate it over my kale and brussel sprouts.  Yum.  The kids even requested it again for tomorrow!  So, so easy to make!!

1/2 lb thin cut beef round sandwich steaks (I used flat steaks)
1/2 large onion, sliced into rings
1/2 tsp olive oil
8 oz sliced mushrooms
cooking spray (I used a little bit of olive oil)
garlic powder to taste
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Slice beef into thin strips. Season with salt, garlic powder and fresh pepper to taste. Heat a large skillet over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, spray with cooking spray and add half of the beef. Cook one minute, then turn steak and cook an additional 30 seconds. Set aside in a large dish.

Spray the skillet again and when it gets hot add the remaining steak, cooking one minute, then turning and cooking 30 seconds more. Add remaining steak to the dish. 

Return skillet to heat and spray once again with cooking spray; add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook one minute, then turn and cook onions an additional 30 seconds or until onions are golden.

Lower heat to medium and add 1/2 tsp olive oil to the skillet, add mushrooms, salt and pepper and lightly spray the top of the mushrooms with cooking spray. Cook 1 1/2 minutes,then turn mushrooms and cook another minute and a half. Add to dish with steak and onions and stir to combine. Serve over rice.

#1,204: Knock-off Irish Nachos

Our local restaurant/pub posted that they were serving Irish Nachos this weekend in honor of St. Patrick's Day.  Of course I had to get them as they sounded delicious!  And they were...except for the insane amount of processed cheese covering the entire thing.  (The picture of the restaurant nachos are below). Then my friend Denise challenged me to make my own version of them...and paleo at that!  So I did (almost).  I couldn't let a challenge go by, especially one that I thought I could pull off.  LOL

Here is the restaurant version:
"Fresh made pub chips, cheese sauce, corned beef, sauerkraut and a side of 1000 island dressing." See all that cheese on it.  Delicious and gross at the same time.  There was SO much cheese. 

Here's my version:
Baked sweet potato chips, little bit of shredded swiss cheese, cooked and chopped up corned beef, canned sauerkraut (drained), and a tiny bit of thousand island dressing.

The worst part of this recipe was the baked sweet potato chips.  They took FOREVER to bake in the oven (about 2 hours).  Oh my goodness this was SO good though.  I ate it for lunch AND dinner.  I'll probably eat it again tomorrow but I'm out of baked sweet potato chips.  Now I have to decide if I want to make more, eat it in a baked sweet potato (instead of in chip form) or if I should just go buy some sweet potato chips from the grocery store. Decisions, decisions!!)