Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Interestingly, the kid who meticulously picks out any evidence of vegetables in most of his meals suggested this one for the meal plan recently. While shocked, I was glad to oblige. It's ridiculously simple, and everyone likes it!

Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

1-1/2 – 2 lb. beef round steak, cut into smaller pieces

¼ c. soy sauce

1 c. chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. sugar or honey

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

¼ tsp. ground ginger (you can also use fresh)

4 tomatoes, chopped or 1 16 oz. can diced tomatoes with liquid

1 green & 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 tbsp. corn starch or arrowroot powder (reserve)

1 pkg. egg noodles or rice to serve

Slice round steak into strips or bite-sized pieces. If you're feeling fancy, you can sear the meat in a skillet before adding to the slow cooker (adjust time accordingly) to add a little flavor. Add the next 8 ingredients, then cover and cook on low about 5 hours, or until meat is tender. I think traditionally, you'd add the peppers in, too, and they would break down nicely like the tomatoes. I've added them later - I kind of like to taste them, so I usually throw them in with an hour or so to cook before serving - in the photo, you can see I had just added them - but either way works!

To thicken the sauce a bit, whisk 2 tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder into 1 c. cooking liquid then stir into slow cooker, and cook until thickened. Serve over egg noodles or rice.

To prepare as a freezer meal: Cut beef into strips (approx. 3” x 1”). [Heat 1 T. cooking oil in pan. Brown strips of meat in pan - taking care not to overcook. Remove and let cool.] Otherwise, just throw the beef strips into the bag, and no one will judge you. :) Add the next 8 ingredients, pour over beef. Include a bag of sliced peppers separately (quart-sized bag). Include 1 pkg. egg noodles or rice with each bag. Have on hand: 2 T. cornstarch

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome. It's a lot of work, but it is awesome. Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great. What more can you ask for? I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef. You can mix it up, but I really like this combo. It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish. The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese, shredded

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and choppe

Another Take on Comfort Food

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but cook. I've had the displeasure of seeing 2 young moms in our school community recieve cancer diagnoses in the last 18 months. If you're like me, when someone you know is hurting, you want to help, but lots of times, there's not much you can do. If you can cook, you can take away some of the stress of getting the family fed and bring a meal or two. In fact, even if you can't cook, you can pick up a meal at a restaurant or a bag of groceries, or even a gift card for a local restaurant. I think it comes naturally to some - the church and school communities I grew up in always loved with food - church potlucks, school spaghetti dinners, and of course lots of meals for people who needed them. But not everyone has done this before, so it might be overwhelming. As in my "feeding a crowd" blurb, there are a few things to keep in mind. Don't try to impress - don't try new recipes. Find out if you're

A Cooking Baker

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