Corned Beef and Cabbage

I've cooked corned beef just about every way you can cook it.  I’ve baked it, roasted it, braised it, slow cooked it.  But my favorite way is the way my Mom used to make it....using an oven bag.  The flavors are more intense, the meat is more tender and far more juicy and it has the texture of a prime rib roast.  The oven bag is the way to go and the way I made my corned beef this year.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

1 Reynolds Oven Bag, Large

1 tablespoon flour

1 (3 lb.) corned beef brisket

1 medium orange, sliced into thin rounds

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 large head green cabbage, cut in large wedges

1 bag baby carrots

10 red new potatoes, skins on

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Shake flour in Reynolds Oven Bag and place in a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Add corned beef to bag, fat side up. Sprinkle fat side of beef with pepper and seasoning packet.

Layer orange slices and vegetables around meat and pour water over everything. Close bag with nylon tie and cut six 1/2-inch slits in top of bag.

Tuck any loose edges of bag into pan and bake for 3 hours, or until fork-tender. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Creamed Chipped Beef Over Buttermilk Biscuits

I love creamed chipped beef and make it for breakfast often. I love it over toast or just plain bread and even over my buttermilk biscuits. Sometimes when we were little, my Mom would mix in ground beef and call it hamburger gravy and biscuits. Sometimes she served it over mashed potatoes and it was a real treat! This creamed chipped beef is so easy to make and so delicious. If you use corn beef in a package or jar, you want to rinse it first as it tends to be salty. We all know this is called SOS and what that stands for. No need to share it with anyone.

Creamed Chipped Beef  Over Buttermilk Biscuits

I love creamed chipped beef and make it for breakfast often. I love it over toast or just plain bread and even over my buttermilk biscuits. Sometimes when we were little, my Mom would mix in ground beef and call it hamburger gravy and biscuits. Sometimes she served it over mashed potatoes and it was a real treat! This creamed chipped beef is so easy to make and so delicious. If you use corn beef in a package or jar, you want to rinse it first as it tends to be salty. We all know this is called SOS and what that stands for. No need to share it with anyone.

Creamed Chipped Beef  Over Buttermilk Biscuits

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk or half and half (half cream/half milk)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (4.5-ounce) jar or package of dried beef, sliced or chopped

In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat. When it starts to sizzle add flour and whisk for a full minute. Continue to whisk as you pour in the milk and pepper. I do not add salt to mine as the beef tends to be plenty salty but you can add to taste if desired. Continue to stir until gravy has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sliced dried beef. Serve immediately over toasted or untoasted bread, biscuits, waffles, English muffins or mashed potatoes! So good!

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, very cold from the freezer
1 cup cold buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 450. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal. Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined. At this point if it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet touching each other. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom. Do not over bake.

Hints: You want your ingredients to stay cold so you want to handle it as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits. So work quickly. If you use a food processor the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly. Don't roll these with a rolling pin or you will have tough biscuits.

You can also make them up and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, drop them into a ziploc bag or container for up to one month. Then just bake frozen biscuits as you need them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

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Crispy Hash & Eggs Breakfast Skillet

While I categorize this recipe under Breakfast, I could eat it any time of day.  I just love it!  That crispy corn beef hash topped with perfectly sunny side up eggs and a side of toast for dipping that rich glorious yolk.  WOW! I get hungry thinking about it.  I make it from whatever ingredients I have on hand, but I’ve even been known to open a can of corned beef hash and fry it up when I get in the mood. Either works for me.

Crispy Hash & Eggs Breakfast Skillet

1 package (32 ounces) frozen cubed hash browns

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

4 to 5 cups chopped cooked corned beef (or canned)

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large non-stick skillet, fry hash browns in oil and butter until potatoes are browned and onion is tender. Remove from the heat; stir in corned beef and add salt.  Using a spatula, pack it down firmly to form a solid cake. 

 

Cook, undisturbed, for 4 minutes, then, with the spatula, invert the hash, a portion at a time, and fold the browned bits back into the hash. Lightly pack the hash into the pan again. Repeat the process every minute or two until the potatoes are thoroughly cooked, about 8 minutes longer.

 

Make 4 wells in the hash browns. Break one egg into each well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and continue to cook on low heat until eggs reach desired doneness. 

Shortcut: use a can of corn beef hash

Add can of hash to the melted butter and oil in large skillet.  Cook over medium heat and pat down with spatula to make one solid layer on bottom of pan. Reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking the hash until the underside is crusty and well browned, about 10 more minutes.

 

 

Using the back of a spoon, make four indentations in the hash. One at a time, break eggs into a saucer and slip them into the indentations. Increase the heat to medium, cover the skillet and cook until the eggs are just set, about 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Chocolate Cream Pie

Pie anyone?  I love pie. As a matter of fact I would call myself a fine connoisseur of pie…. connoisseur of course meaning:  an expert judge in matters of taste.  How did I decide to give myself that title?  Well let’s just say, one has to eat a whole lotta pie to crown herself a pie connoisseur.   

This is my Mom’s old recipe for her Chocolate Cream Pie.  I added a little secret ingredient that makes it far the creamiest and most decadent pie ever.  If you want a creamy pie, you add cream.

Chocolate Cream Pie

1 ready-made pie crust, baked and cooled

1-1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

4 whole egg yolks

6-1/2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

Whipped Cream, For Serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prick the entire bottom of the crust with a fork. Bake as directed on package.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir or whisk together. Pour in milk and egg yolks, and whisk together.

Stir over medium heat until the mixture just barely comes to a boil and becomes thick, about 6-8 minutes. When mixture begins to bubble and is the consistency of pudding, remove from heat immediately.

Add the chopped chocolate, vanilla, and butter, and stir until everything is smooth and well combined. Pour the pudding into the baked, cooled pie crust and place in the fridge to chill for 3 hours uncovered.  Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream!

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Cheese Steak Subs

Oh My Goodness. Who doesn’t love a cheesy steak sub? I truly have no other words to say right now…..yum.  Excuse me while I get some napkins.

Cheese Steak Subs

2 lbs rib eye steak, frozen and cut very thin

4 (8-inch) soft sub rolls

1 onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

8 slices white cheddar or provolone cheese

If you are slicing the steak yourself, freeze it first. Using a sharp knife, shave the frozen steak as thinly as possible against the grain. Mound the meat on a cutting board and chop coarsely with your knife, 10 to 20 times.

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Split rolls open, spread on baking sheet, and toast until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add half of the meat in an even layer and cook, without stirring, until well-browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until the meat is no longer pink, 1 to 2 minutes. If adding onions, do that now and sauté with your steak.

 

Repeat until all meat is cooked. Drain on paper towel to absorb grease. Wipe out skillet with paper towels.

Return steak to the skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about a minute or two.  Lay cheese on top of steak and allow to melt completely. Then fold the melted cheese throughout the steak and remove from heat.

Reduce heat to low, sprinkle with Parmesan, and lay American cheese over the top Let cheeses melt, about 2 minutes. Fold the melted cheese into the meat thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly among the toasted rolls and serve.

 

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