Fix-It and Forget-It Christmas Cookbook (41 page)

Savory Pepper Steak

Grace W. Yoder

Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 8-10 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4-qt.

1½-lb. beef round steak, cut ½” thick

¼ cup flour

½ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

1 medium onion, chopped,
or
sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 large green bell peppers, sliced in ½” strips,
divided

29-oz. can whole tomatoes

1 Tbsp. beef flavor base,
or
1 beef bouillon cube

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp. flour

3 Tbsp. water

1. Cut beef into strips about 1” wide.

2. In a large bowl, combine ¼ cup flour, salt, and pepper. Toss with beef until well coated. Place in slow cooker.

3. Add onions, garlic, and half the green pepper slices. Mix well.

4. In the large bowl, combine tomatoes, beef base, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into slow cooker.

5. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.

6. One hour before serving, turn to High and stir in remaining green pepper strips.

7. Combine 3 Tbsp. flour and water in a small bowl to make a smooth paste. Stir into slow cooker. Cover. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serving suggestion: This is a good topping for
cooked rice
.

Three-Pepper Steak

Renee Hankins

Narvon, PA

Makes 10 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 5-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.

3 bell peppers—one red, one orange, and one yellow pepper (or any combination of colors), cut into ¼”-thick slices

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1 tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

3½-lb. beef flank steak, cut in ¼-½”-thick slices across the grain

salt to taste

14½-oz. can diced tomatoes in juice

jalapeño chilies, sliced,
optional

1. Place sliced peppers, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf in slow cooker. Stir gently to mix.

2. Put steak slices on top of vegetable mixture. Season with salt.

3. Spoon tomatoes with juice over top. Sprinkle with jalapeño pepper slices if you wish. Do not stir.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 5-8 hours, depending on your slow cooker. Check after 5 hours to see if meat is tender. If not, continue cooking until tender but not dry.

Serving suggestion: We love this served over
noodles
,
rice
, or torn
tortillas
.

Stuffed Flank Steak

Renee Baum

Chambersburg, PA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Time: 4½-5½ hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 4- to 5-qt.

8-oz. pkg. crushed cornbread stuffing

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 eggs

1¼ cups beef broth

5⅓ Tbsp. (⅓ cup) butter, melted

½ tsp. seasoned salt,
optional

½ tsp. pepper

1½ lbs. flank steak

1. Combine stuffing, onion, celery, and parsley in large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, beat eggs. Stir in broth and butter. Pour over stuffing mixture. Sprinkle with seasoned salt if you wish, and pepper. Stir well.

3. Pound steak to ¼”- thickness.

4. Spread 1½ cups stuffing mixture over steak. Roll up, starting with short side. Tie with string.

5. Place steak in slow cooker.

6. Wrap remaining stuffing tightly in foil and place on top of rolled steak.

7. Cover. Cook on Low 4½-5½ hours, or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees.

8. Remove string before slicing.

Note:

If you have a helpful butcher, ask him/her to pound the steak for you.

Sometime between Christmas and New Year’s we have a neighborhood dinner which we follow with singing hymns or Christmas songs. One neighbor brings her autoharp and another brings her accordion.

Sara Kinsinger, Stuarts Draft, VA

Fruited Flank Steak

Ruth A. Feister

Narvon, PA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 6-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

1½-2-lb. flank steak

salt to taste

pepper to taste

14½-oz. can mixed fruit,
or
your choice of canned fruit

1 Tbsp. salad oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

¼ cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp. vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Place in slow cooker.

2. Drain fruit, saving ¼ cup syrup. Set fruit aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup reserved syrup with remaining ingredients. Pour over steak.

4. Cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hours, or just until meat is tender but not dry.

5. Add drained fruit during last 15 minutes of cooking time.

6. Lift meat from cooker onto platter. Using sharp knife slice across the grain, making thin slices. Spoon fruit over meat.

Serving suggestion: Top off this meal by serving the steak and fruit with
baked rice
.

Slow Cooker Beef with Mushrooms

Grace W. Yoder
, Harrisonburg, VA

Makes 6 servings

Prep. Time: 10 minutes

Cooking Time: 7-8 hours

Ideal slow cooker size: 3-qt.

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

½ lb. mushrooms, sliced,
or
2 4-oz. cans sliced mushrooms, drained

2½-lb. beef flank,
or
round, steak

salt to taste

pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. oil

paprika to taste

1. Place sliced onions and mushrooms in slow cooker.

2. Score top of meat about ½” deep in diamond pattern.

3. Season with salt and pepper. Rub in Worcestershire sauce and oil. Sprinkle top with paprika.

4. Place meat on top of onions.