::Easy Chicken Fried Steak::

It's not easy being easy; especially when it comes to Chicken Fried Steak. I would say that "CFS" is one of my husbands favorite meals. I have tried making CFS a couple times since we have gotten married and finally found a combination of things that helped to improve and perfect it! My first time making it I used cubed steak (AKA round steak that is tenderized; did I mention I worked at a butcher shop for 4 years?! :) ) and it seemed too tough. The second time I made it I used hamburger, which was WAY better, but I still had to perfect the breading. For the breading, I was trying to get it so it would stay on and coat it good, be seasoned well, and also get a little crunchy! So, this last time, I got a wonderful combination! Also, my husband (and I would have to agree) thinks that if you don't have a good white gravy to go with it, then it just isn't worth it. Since this is an ::EASY Chicken Fried Steak:: Recipe, I used a packaged gravy mix where you just have to add water; how simple! I paired it with some seasoned boiled potatoes and a rhubarb dessert. Yee haw. Enjoy!

::Easy Chicken Fried Steak::

1-1.5 lbs. hamburger

4 eggs (1 for the hamb. and 3 for the egg wash)

Salt, Pepper, Onion Salt & Powder, Garlic Salt & Powder)

5 Crackers; crushed (I used Club Crackers)

Flour

Milk

Oil

Pioneer Brand Country Gravy Mix

Thaw hamburger and mix with 1 egg, seasonings (I usually sprinkle across hamburger a couple times), and crushed crackers. Patty out into desired sizes. Mix flour with some of each of the seasonings. Blend 3 eggs with a couple splashes of milk. Dip each patty into the eggwash, flour, then into the egg wash and back into the flour! Place in hot oil and fry until done on the inside and the coating is golden brown and crispy!

Prepare gravy according the package directions (I added a little seasonings to that as well, but you don't have to) and pour over CSF.

Love having cattle! Home raised beef is the bomb diggidy!

Easy gravy!

Seasonings...

...into the beef!

5 Club Crackers, crushed.

Add the one egg and mix, with clean hands!

For the egg wash: blend together.

Kinda blurry...but all pattied out.

Season the flour mix.

Let the dredging begin!

I think my blog gives Cardiologists job security. Maybe I should get some commission. I wish.

Starting to get crispy!

All ready...and yummy too!

::Creamy Dried Beef & Vegetables with Pierogies::

I usually come up with recipe ideas while i'm grocery shopping. The other day while in the frozen food section I come upon pierogies and started thinking "hmm, I bet these would be great in something." So this is where the recipe for ::Creamy Dried Beef & Vegetables with Pierogies:: starts. Most people I have met haven't heard of pierogies or haven't tried them. If you are one of those who hasn't, pierogies are a pasta filled with a potato filling. The ones I bought for this dish are "mini" ones and are potato & cheese blend pierogies. Growing up, my dad usually made these by boiling them and then frying them up a little. They are wonderful to say the least! I used some ingredients that I had already had at home and this dish didn't take long to make, not to mention very tastey! Enjoy!

::Creamy Dried Beef & Vegetables with Pierogies::

1 cup purple onion
1 cup peppers

1 can dried beef (rinse with water and squeeze out excess)

1 can corn

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

garlic powder and onion powder (sprinkle 4 times across the pan)

garlic salt and onion salt (sprinkle 2 times across the pan)

olive oil

salt/pepper

Saute onions and peppers with olive oil until tender. Add corn, crm. of mushroom soup, sour cream and milk. Rinse out dried beef and squeeze the excess water off. Cut beef into chunks and add to the mixture and heat through. Add frozen pierogies to the pan and cover for about ten minutes. Then stir, cover, and let sit again. And again until pierogies are heated through. Serve & enjoy....and remember who made up this recipe! :)

The ingredients!

Dried beef is usually found in the isle that has the tuna.

I used purple onions and a mix of red and green peppers; but use whatever you have or want.

Added the canned corn!

Roughly chopped dried beef.

Add the mushroom soup, sour cream, and milk...

Makes it creamy!

Next, add the dried beef and seasonings. Add a little salt and quite a bit of pepper. The dried beef is so salty the way it is, that is why I rinsed it off. So once the dish is done, you may have to add a little salt depending on how salty the dried beef made the dish.

Dump the frozen pierogies on top...

And cover, make sure the heat setting is on a low setting, so that you don't burn the creamed mixture.

Then mix and cover and do this until the pierogies are heated through.

And eat!
This dish is so yummy and creamy and has meat, potatoes, and veggies, with a great seasoned taste!

::Crunchy Bueno Tortilla::

Wow, whoever thought of the name for this recipe, it sure is a catchy one! Wait, whoever thought of this recipe, it's delicious! Okay, i'll stop tooting my own horn; I was the "whoever." I thought up of this recipe as I was shopping for groceries and made it tonight for supper. It has a mexican flare and has a little kick to it! I used a soft and crunchy tortilla so this recipe has a good combination of ingredients and textures. Hope that you give this a try...it's a good one! As always, Enjoy!

::Cunchy Bueno Tortilla::

1/2 of a red onion, diced

1 cup peppers (red, yellow, orange, green), diced

1 cup montery jack cheese

1 can black beans

1 can refried beans

1 can corn

1 sm. can chopped green chilis

2 heaping spoon-fulls sour cream

water (about 1/2-3/4 cup)

small tortillas

tostada shells

1-1.5 lb ground beef

1 jar cheese/queso dip

olive oil

salt, pepper

1 1/2 pkgs. taco seasoning

garlic salt

garlic powder

red pepper

oregano

chili powder

Toppings:

tomatoes, diced

lettuce, shredded

sour cream (for topping)

black olives, sliced

taco sauce or hot sauce

Dice onion and peppers. Add to pan and saute with olive oil and salt and pepper. Add ground beef and brown. Add water and taco seasoning and mix. Then stir in black beans, corn, green chilis. sour cream, and shredded cheese. Take seasonings (besides salt) and for each one sprinkle across the mixture 4 times (start out with 2 times and then increase as you like for spice), stir.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a cookie sheet place parchment paper, wax paper, or tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

Place as many tortillas as you can fit on the cookie sheet and spread refried beans over each tortilla. Then place meat mixture on top of that and spread (about a cup). Place a layer of the cheese/queso on top of that and place in oven to everything through. Remove from oven and place a crunchy tortilla on top. Then add whatever toppings you like; sour cream, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, olives, jalapenos, hot sauce, taco sauce, more cheese/queso, etc.

Slice & dice!

Did you know that you are suppose to add your ingredients to the pan and then add the olive oil over top? Instead of heating the olive oil and then add the ingredients?

I forgot about the peppers until I started sauteing the onions...oopsies!

I love cooking with peppers...they look so pretty....in a cooking sort of way! When I say one cup of peppers...it's total...NOT one cup of each.

Beans, beans, the magical fruit...

Add the ground beef to brown.

Soft & crunchy textures are what make this good.

So, when I made the first ones, I put the tostada on the refried beans and then did the rest and baked; this made the tostada pretty soggy. So that is why not to put the tostada on after it comes out of the oven and on top...

Taco mix.

Pre-seasoned mixture.

This is what I mean by two heaping spoonfuls (used a regular sized spoon that you eat with).

With the sour cream and the shredded cheese, it makes for a creamy meat mixture...

Like this!

The pics are kinda out of order, but you would have adde these in the meat mixture already!

All the seasonings and spices needed.

We didn't use hot salsa with this, but used taco sauce instead.

This is the queso that you place a layer of on top of the meat mixture.

Tomatoes for toppings.

Tortillas ready for the refried beans.

Layer of refried beans.

What not to do...doesn't leave the tostadas crunchy! So in place, imagine the layer of meat mixture and then a layer of the queso and then in they go to the oven!

More toppings

Another topping...

Layers...didn't skimp on this one!

This doesn't show it with the tostada where it's suppose to be. So once the tortilla, r.f.beans, meat mixture, and queso layer is out of the oven, place tostada on top and then the toppings! Enjoy!

Not just your ordinary ::Lasagna::

One of the first meals I had at my in-laws, was lasagna. I thought I had died and gone to lasagna heaven! I am sure Jamyson kept getting sick of me saying "You know what I am craving? Your Mom's lasagna. It's the best ever!" One time we happened to be over there before she started making it and I was able to help and find out what made it so good! Who would've thought; sliced cheese! I was wondering what made it so "creamy" like. Anyways, ever since then, that is how I always make my lasagna. Write this down, sadly, but this post has no pictures! Last Sunday we got home from fishing at about 9:30pm and I was going to be gone the next day and the guys couldn't go hungry, so I made lasagna that night and didn't have time to take pictures...so just imagine! Enjoy!

::Lasagna::

Box of lasagna noodles

1-2 lbs ground beef

onion

spaghetti sauce

Sliced american cheese

Sliced swiss cheese

Shredded chesse (mozz. or mont. jack)

Saute diced onion in butter or olive oil and then add the ground beef to brown. Add a jar of spaghetti sauce (I use the "big" jars) and cook until heated. Boil noodles and drain. Place a very thin layer of the meat mixture on the bottom of a 9x13" pan and then place a layer of noodles on top. Then add another layer of meat mixture, then a layer of one of the kinds of cheese. Place a layer of noodles on top of that and repeat process (using the other kind of sliced cheese). Top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for about an hr.

This can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed.

Variation: Use your favorite spaghetti sauce. I usually get the garlic and onion one.

::Beef Stroganoff Sandwich::

Hope everyone has started their weekend off right and is doing something fun, whether it is outside in the gloomy weather or staying inside cuddling in PJs watching your favorite movie with some popcorn! Anyways, if you get a chance to get off the couch to make something, here is something to try. It is easy and fairly quick to prepare. Anyways, not much I have to say today as there are lots of things I need to get done! Hope you all enjoy the weekend. Enjoy!

::Beef Stroganoff Sandwich::

2 lbs ground beef

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Butter or margarine, softened

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced

3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 loaf French bread

2 c. (16 oz) sour cream

1 large green pepper, diced

In a skillet, brown ground beef and onion. Drain. Add salt, garlic powder and pepper. Cut bread lengthwise in half; butter both halves and place on baking sheets. Remove meat mixture from the heat; stir in sour cream. Spoon onto the bread. Sprinkle with tomatoes, green pepper and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted (bake longer for crispier bread).

Recipe from Bethany Lutheran Church: Favorite Recipes Past and Present, by Anna Sweeno.

The recipe calls for 1 large green pepper, but as you can see I used some red pepper too. Feel free to add more items to it if you want!