Pioneer Woman Sunday Stew

I havent made many Pioneer Woman recipes in a while.. mainly because we have been trying to eat more healthy at our house these days.  But these 2 recipes arent too bad.. and we think both the kids will at least attempt to eat them.  And we know we will enjoy them.

Funny story about this recipe:  it calls for turnips.  I have never bought turnips before.. I dont know if thats a sad reality or not. But regardless, its the truth.  I didnt even know what I was looking for.  I knew it was a root veggie.  But thankfully there were pics at the grocery store.  :)

Pioneer Woman's Sunday Stew

What You Need:

• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 pounds Beef Stew Meat (chuck Roast Cut Into Chunks)
•  Salt And Pepper
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 ounces, weight Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Low Sodium Beef Stock Or Broth, More If Needed For Thinning
•  Several Dashes Worcestershire
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
• 4 whole Carrots, Peeled And Diced
• 2 whole Turnips, Peeled And Diced
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley

What You Do:

Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes.

Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours.

After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed!

When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end.

She serves hers with mashed potatoes.  

I froze this in 2 freezer bags.  

Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes

This past weekend, I did some major freezer cooking.  My husband has recently accepted a new position with a company.  While overall, the schedule is much better for our family (he is home on the weekends now with us.. WAHOO!), it has taken a bit to adjust.  I was so used to him being home a couple of days during the week.. he would help around the house tremendously... so we have had a bit of a lag at our house the past few weeks.  We are adjusting to the new schedule.

I needed to get organized.  One thing that has helped me in the past, is doing some bulk cooking on a weekend, and have my freezer stocked up.  It takes SO much work out of the equation during the busy week days.  It is ALOT of work the weekend when you are doing the bulk of the cooking.. but in my opinion.. it is worth it. So so so so so worth it.

The next few recipes are the ones that I knocked out this past weekend.  ALL are from Pinterest.. so none are original recipes.. although I have adapted some of them to work best for us.

Pioneer Woman Sloppy Joes

What You Need:

• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-1/2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1/2 whole Large Onion, Diced
• 1 whole Large Green Bell Pepper, Diced
• 5 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1 cup Water
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Chili Powder (more To Taste)
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (more To Taste)
•  Worcestershire Sauce, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (optional)
•  Tabasco Sauce (optional; To Taste)
•  Salt To Taste
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

What You Do:

Add butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

I split this recipe into 2 freezer bags before freezing.  

Enjoy!  :)