Goulash

 

Ingredients

2 cups Ground beef – or another ground meat

2 Onions – either a white or yellow onion, chopped

1 Green bell pepper – yellow or red bell peppers also work well, chopped

2 tsp Garlic – minced

2 cups Beef broth

1 cup Water

15 oz Tomato sauce

14.5 oz Diced tomatoes – petite diced tomatoes work very well

6 oz Tomato paste

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp Paprika

Salt and pepper – to taste

Bay leaves 

16 oz Elbow macaroni – uncooked, you could also use rotini or any other small pasta

2 cups Cheddar cheese – shredded

Parsley – for garnish

Directions:

1 add ground beef, onions, bell pepper, garlic, brown meat, drain

2 add broth water tomato sauce diced tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, Italian Seasoning, bay leaves, paprika, salt and pepper, boil, the reduce and simmer for 20 min.

3 add macaroni and stir.  Simmer for 20 more min

4 remove bay leaves

5 stir in chedder cheese

6 garnish with parsley

alternate for peppers, diced carrots, corn, peas, green beans, spinach, or muchrooms.

https://thebestblogrecipes.com/goulash/
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Ranch Pasta Salad

 

 Ranch Pasta Salad

 

Ingredients

    1 cup mayonnaise
    1 cup sour cream
    1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix, or scant 1/4 cup homemade
    1/4 cup chopped fresh soft herbs, such as chives, parsley leaves, dill, or a combination,

          plus more for garnish if desired
    1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    6 ounces bacon (about 6 slices)
    2 medium tomatoes
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    
    12 ounces dry short pasta, such as fusilli
    1 medium head broccoli (about 12 ounces)
    2 medium radishes
    2 medium scallions
    1 (4-ounce) can sliced black olives
    3 medium carrots
    4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
    1/4 cup sunflower seeds
    
Instructions

    Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, place 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup sour cream, 1 (1-ounce) packet ranch dressing mix, 1/4 cup chopped fresh soft herbs, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Cover and refrigerate.

    Cut 6 ounces bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a medium skillet and cook over medium heat until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool. Meanwhile, core and dice 2 medium tomatoes (about 2 cups). Place in a large bowl, season with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and toss to combine.

    Add 12 ounces dried pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, cut 1 medium head broccoli into small bite-sized florets, about 3 cups (reserve the stalks for another use). In the final minute of cooking time, add the broccoli to the pasta water.

    Drain the pasta and broccoli. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, stirring until cool to the touch. Drain well, or spin in a salad spinner to remove as much water as possible.

    Prepare the following, adding each the bowl of tomatoes as it is completed: Thinly slice 2 medium radishes. Finely chop 2 medium scallions. Drain 1 (4-ounce) can sliced black olives. Peel and grate 3 medium carrots on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 cup). Grate 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese on the large holes of the grater (about 1 1/2 cups), or measure out 4 ounces store-bought shredded (about 1 cup).

    Add the pasta and broccoli, and 1/4 cup sunflower seeds. Toss to combine. Pour the dressing over a salad and toss until combined. Garnish with more herbs if desired. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead: The salad can be made up to a few hours ahead and refrigerated. Alternatively, the dressing can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

 

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Copycat Spaghettios

 

 

https://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/homemade-copycat-spaghettios/

Ingredients

• 450 grams O-shaped pasta
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus salt for pasta water)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Instructions

• Start by cooking the pasta according to the package instructions.
• While the pasta is cooking, add all of the other ingredients (except the shredded cheese) to a sauce pan.
• Over medium heat, whisk the ingredients together and cook until the butter is melted and the sauce is simmering. (If you are adding the shredded cheese, do so now. Use a rubber spatula to fold it into the sauce until melted and fully incorporated.) Continue to simmer, stirring frequently.
• Drain the cooked pasta well. Transfer it to the saucepan with the sauce. Stir the pasta into the sauce and evenly coated. Turn off the heat. Plate the pasta and enjoy.

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Lentil Soup

 

 

Lentil Soup

Original recipe yields 8 servings

Ingredient Checklist

    2 tablespoons olive oil

    ½ onion, chopped

    1 carrots, diced

    1 stalks celery, chopped

    1 cloves garlic, minced

    ½ bay leaf

    ½ teaspoon dried oregano

    ½ teaspoon dried basil

    1 cups dry lentils

    4 cups water

    ½ (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

    ¼ cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced

    1 tablespoon vinegar

    salt to taste

    ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Instructions Checklist

    Step 1

    Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.

    Step 2

    Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until lentils are tender, at least 1 hour.

    Step 3

    When ready to serve, stir in spinach and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper; taste and adjust as needed.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/13978/lentil-soup/

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Deluxe German Potato Salad

 

 Ingredients

• /2 pound sliced bacon, diced
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 pounds unpeeled small red potatoes, cooked and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• Additional salt, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towels. Drain the skillet, reserving 1/4 cup drippings. Saute celery and onion in drippings until tender.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, salt, mustard, vinegar and water until smooth. Add to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. 
3. In a large serving bowl, combine the potatoes, carrots and parsley. Drizzle with sauce and stir gently to coat. Season with additional salt if desired. Crumble bacon; sprinkle on salad. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers

 

 

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/deluxe-german-potato-salad/

 

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German Cucumber Salad

 

 

Main thing here to note is salt curing the cucumbers before putting them up to soak.

German Cucumber Salad

Also called Gurkensalat, this version of this recipe is simple, easy, and delicious. As I mentioned, it was handed down by my 100% German Great-Grandmother! After serving it over the years I understand that there are several variations of this recipe in Germany, similar to an apple pie for Americans. Some folks add potatoes, some add carrots, some use a soured-cream and dump it all together and let the cucumbers sweat. We have always left the skins on the cucumbers for more texture and flavor, but they can also be peeled prior to slicing if you prefer. I think the flavor is great when it can be marinated for several hours before serving, but my favorite is eating it right after the heavy cream is added!

What is in a Cucumber Salad?

Not only does this old-fashioned salad taste so good with a strong dish like Stuffed Buffalo Chicken or Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Chicken, but it uses up all of those abundant cucumbers in the garden! It is cool, refreshing, and crunchy.

The ingredients are simple:

• Cucumbers
• Onion
• Salt & Pepper (I prefer coarse pepper)
• White Vinegar 
• Whipping Cream (Can also use sour cream)
• Fresh Dill

The method is what makes this recipe unique!

How to Make German Cucumber Salad

Start by cutting the cucumber. I like to use a mandolin to make sure that every piece is the same size, but it is not necessary. (And can be therapeutic to chop by hand if you like chopping vegetables!) Then chop the onions and separate them into pieces. Add all of the cucumber and onion to a bowl and cover in 1/4 cup (nope, that is not a misprint!) salt. The salt will draw all of the liquid out of the cucumber. Let that sit about a couple of hours.  You just might be surprised with how much liquid comes out!

Drain the liquid and then rinse the cucumbers and onion in cool water. My MIL rinses them well at this stage, however, we love a saltier flavor so only lightly rinse.

I highly recommend taste testing at this point! If it is too salty now, it will be too salty when you prepare it! Rinse again if needed. Also, when you add the heavy cream it will tone down much of the saltiness.

Once the cucumbers are rinsed, add in the heavy cream, vinegar, and fresh chopped dill. Stir well.

It can be served immediately (my fav!) or refrigerated until ready to serve, up to overnight

 

https://iamhomesteader.com/cucumber-salad/ 

 

 

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Grilled Cheese Roll ups

Ingredients

8 slices soft bread

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the bread

Take a single slice of the white bread and cut off the crusts. Then, take a rolling pin and flatten the bread into a thin piece. You want to avoid using a firm bread, like sourdough, because it will crack when you try to roll it. Using thick slices also keeps the bread from tearing.

Step 2: Add cheese and butter

Next, take your thin slice of white bread and grab the cheese. You’re more than welcome to use slices of cheese rather than shredded, but shredded tends to work better when rolling. Once you’ve spread a thin layer of cheese all over the bread, roll it up and brush melted butter on the edge to secure it shut.

Brush melted butter completely around the roll-up as well. You don’t want to forget that nice, golden outside.

Step 3: Cook the grilled cheese roll-ups

Place the roll-ups in a nonstick pan over low-medium heat. Rotate occasionally. Cook until the center melts and the outside becomes a golden brown (and crispy).

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/grilled-cheese-roll-ups/

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