Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
Vegetable oil

Directions:
Combine pineapple (with juice), tomato sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to the boiling point, stirring as needed to prevent sticking. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside. Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs, chili powder, cumin, salt and parsley in a zippered plastic bag. Squeeze out air and close bag securely; knead the bag to mix the ingredients. Shape small meatballs using 1 tablespoon of meat mixture for each one. Coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with vegetable oil. Over medium heat, brown the meatballs on all sides. Add meatballs to sauce. Reheat; simmer for 20 minutes (stir gently as needed to prevent sticking). Serve over hot rice.

Italian Meatballs and Sauce

Meatball ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup moist bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon sweet basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper, as desired
Vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix all ingredients thoroughly and form into 1-inch balls. Cover the bottom of a skillet with vegetable oil. Over medium heat, brown the meat balls on all sides. Add to sauce (recipe below) and simmer for two hours. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

Sauce Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
3 (12 oz.) cans tomato paste
6 (12 oz.) cans water
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sweet basil
1 small bay leaf
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Sauce Directions:
Heat oil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add pepper, garlic, and onion; cook quickly over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. When vegetables are tender, reduce heat and stir in tomato paste and water. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Over low heat, simmer uncovered for about 2 hours or until sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Tortilla Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes
1 (16 oz.) can tomato sauce with herbs
1 small can (4 oz.) green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1 (8 oz.) carton sour cream

Directions:
Brown ground beef and onion and drain thoroughly. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chilies, and taco seasoning to beef and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Grease a 9x13" baking dish. Place two tortillas side by side on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1/4 cup meat sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Repeat to make two stacks of 4 tortillas, each layer covered with meat sauce and cheese. Spoon remaining meat sauce around edges. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole is heated through. Cut each stack into quarters and spoon sour cream over top.

Beef Roll-ups (Beef Rolladens)

6 slices of top round steak, 1/4 inch thick (about 1-3/4 pound total)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, half of it chopped and half thinly sliced
1 pound white mushrooms, finely chopped
6 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 large garlic clove minced
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine
Salt and pepper, as desired

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Place each steak slice between sheets of plastic wrap and pound until thin and flat. Set steaks aside.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Cook until mushroom juice is gone. Stir in chopped parsley. Turn out mixture into a bowl and set aside.

Spread out one steak slice. Spoon 1/6 of the onion mixture onto the center of the steak and sprinkle with 1/6 of the breadcrumbs. Roll up steak to completely enclose the filling. Tie both ends with kitchen twine (or "pin" ends with toothpicks, if twine is unavailable); set aside. Prepare remaining steak slices in the same way.

In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Place beef roll-ups, and cook until browned on all sides. Place browned beef roll-ups in a single layer in a baking dish.

In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat. Add crushed garlic and sliced onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Stir in tomato sauce and wine, heat thoroughly. Pour over roll-ups and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake until steak is tender, about 1-1/4 hours. Remove twine or toothpicks. Serve over cooked rice or barley.

Notes:
Adapted from a recipe in Martha Stewart Living, February 2003. These are very similar to the rinder rolladen (beef roll-ups) we enjoyed in Bavarian restaurants.

Beef and Bean Burrito Filling

1 pound lean ground beef, browned and rinsed 1 medium onion, chopped 2 (16-ounce) cans refried beans 1 cup milk

6 slices American cheese Garlic salt Salt Pepper Tobasco sauce

Directions:
Prepare the ground beef. Add chopped onion to beef, return to pan, and cook until onions are clear and tender. Add garlic salt, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in milk and beans and heat through, stirring frequently to avoid burning. Stir in cheese and add tobasco sauce to taste.

Notes:
Fill warmed flour tortillas or soft tacos with the mixture, and top with grated cheddar cheese, chopped lettuce, sour cream, salsa, and chopped tomatoes.

Chicken Fried Steak

4 tenderized steaks
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:
Beat egg and milk together in a bowl and set aside. Mix flour, salt, pepper, and paprika together in another bowl. Working with one steak at a time, dip it into the flour to coat it lightly, then into the egg mixture, and then back into the flour mixture. Set prepared steaks aside. In a heavy skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. With a fork, gently place the steaks in the hot oil. Cook until steaks are browned on one side; turn steaks over one time, and cook until browned on the other side. Drain steaks briefly on paper towels; then keep them warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Poor Man's Steak

1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef
1 c. saltine crackers crumbled
1 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can condensed mushroom soup
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:
Mix hamburger, crackers, salt, pepper, and milk; shape into a roll. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Slice the roll of hamburger mixture about 1/2" thick; brown the slices in the skillet. Drain steaks briefly on a paper towel, then place in a 9x13" baking dish. Spoon condensed mushroom soup (undiluted) over "steaks", and bake covered at 250° for 1-1/4 hours. Serve hot.

Notes:
This recipe is adapted from the Yoder Mennonite Cookbook (Yoder, Kansas).

Homemade Mincemeat

2 pounds lean beef or veal, chopped 4 pounds apples 2-1/2 pounds raisins 4 cups brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cloves 1-1/4 teaspoons nutmeg 1/2 cup molasses

1/2 pound suet, ground 1-1/2 pounds currants 1/4 pound citron, ground 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon mace 2 teaspoons salt Any fruit juice, apple cider, or water

Directions:
Peel, core, and chop the apples. Combine with the remaining ingredients, using enough juice, cider, or water to moisten the mixture as needed. Simmer until mixture is tender and flavors are blended.

Notes:
This list of ingredients comes from The Searchlight Cookbook, 1947 edition. I have changed the directions to eliminate the procedures the cookbook gave for canning the prepared mincemeat. They did not meet modern food safety standards. If you want to can it, ask a home extension agent about safe processing methods. If I were making it, I would probably freeze it.

Old-Time Mincemeat

2 pounds lean beef 1 pound finely chopped suet 4 pounds tart apples, chopped 1/2 pound chopped citron 3 pounds sugar 3 pounds currants 2 pounds raisins 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 teaspoons mace

2 teaspoons nutmeg 1 teaspoon cloves 1 teaspoon allspice 1 Tablespoon salt 1 pint apple cider 1 pint any canned fruit juice Rind of 1 orange grated Rind of 1 lemon grated Juice of 2 oranges Juice of 2 lemons

Directions:
Combine all ingredients except orange and lemon juices. Cook for about one hour over low heat until apples are tender and meat is cooked. Then add orange and lemon juice and cook about ten more minutes.

Notes:
If I were making mincemeat, I would probably freeze it. Consult your home extension agent about safe processing methods if you want to preserve the mincemeat by canning it.

This recipe was collected by my mother, Doris Hill, who wrote it by hand on a recipe card for her files. I remember mincemeat pie at holiday dinners at my Grandma Barb's house, but I don't remember my mother ever making it.

Making a batch of mincemeat was one old-time way of preserving the meat after a beef was butchered. On a farm, people sometimes had a little slice of mincemeat pie at breakfast.

Quick Lasagna

1 pound ground beef
3-1/2 cups (32-oz. jar) thick spaghetti sauce
1-1/3 cups water
2 cups (15-oz. tub) ricotta cheese
3 cups (12 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces lasagna, uncooked

Directions:
1. Brown the ground beef in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Drain the beef and add the spaghetti sauce and water. Simmer over low heat for about ten minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Combine the ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper and stir together.

3. Pour 1 cup sauce in a 9x13" baking dish and spread evenly. Lay 3 pieces of uncooked lasagna evenly spaced over the sauce. Cover the lasagna with about 1-1/2 cups sauce. Spread half of the cheese filling over the sauce. Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce, and cheese filling. Lay another layer of lasagne over the top and spread the remaining sauce over the top.

4. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for about one hour at 350°. Remove foil and bake about ten more minutes. Allow to stand for ten minutes before cutting. Makes 8 to 10 generous servings.

Notes:
Small curd cottage cheese may be substituted for the ricotta cheese.

My family loves this lasagna.

Easy Beef Stew

2 lbs. round steak or lean stew meat
6 large carrots (quartered lengthwise and cut into strips)
1 (11 oz.) can tomato soup
1 bay leaf
6 medium potatoes (quartered)
1 cup red cooking wine
2 onions, thinly sliced
1 (8-oz) pkg. frozen peas
1 (6 oz.) can mushrooms (optional)

Directions:
Spray a 3-qt. casserole dish with non-stick spray. Place the beef, carrots, bay leaf, potatoes, and onions in the dish. Pour the tomato soup and 1/2 cup wine overtop. Bake covered at 275° for 4 hours. Remove from oven and stir gently. Add frozen peas, mushrooms if desired, remaining 1/2 cup wine, and a little water if necessary. Cook one more hour. Remove bay leaf before serving. (Serves 6.)

Notes:
This is a nice dish to make on a cold day when you enjoy having the oven on for a while.

Bean Medley Casserole

1-1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 (16 oz.) can lima beans
1 (16 oz.) can pork and beans
1 (16 oz.) can kidney or red beans
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 cup brown sugar packed

Directions:
Brown beef and onion; drain well. Combine beef mixture with remaining ingredients, stir well. Place in lightly greased 3-qt. casserole dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes.

Notes:
Barbecue sauce may be substituted for the catsup and brown sugar. A lady in our church brought this dish to a potluck dinner and it was so good that I asked her for the recipe.