Pioneer Woman Strikes Again

Here is the recipe for the Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce I made for dinner last night.

I have almost completely given up on regular pasta. I am a big fan of fortified (protein, Omega 3 and whole wheat) varieties. It gives the meal a little something extra and doesn't change the taste, in my opinion. Also, it is healthier and Mr. Smith has no real objections to it.

If you can find it in your store, I would recommend Barilla Plus. They just do the best job. It is always perfect, not sticky.

This sauce was a little bit of extra work, but very worth it. I roasted the peppers right after lunch, so that I would have plenty of time to deal with the peeling, coring, etc.

Mr. Smith had some misgivings about the recipe, that is until he found out that it was from The Pioneer Woman. Suddenly, his mood changed and he announced, "Oh, anything from her is good."

And he was right.

I have never roasted peppers before, but it worked just fine. I did them on the burners (gas stove).

Everything was fine until Baby C saw me take the food processor out of the cupboard. As soon as she saw the thing, she fell apart. We are lucky enough to be in the "I am almost 11 months old and I am terrified of all things that make noise" phase. The mixer, the blender, the vacuum cleaner, the coffee maker, all make her burst into tears and sob uncontrollably. This is a real problem since I cook almost constantly.

Anyway, the peppers tasted great, the sauce was wonderful. Definitely worth the extra work. So, go roast some peppers!

Philly Cheese Steak Casserole

Last night, despite the balmy temperatures, I fixed this recipe. It was something I dug up on the internet. We are still on our austerity program around here, but splurged on the meat because I am neurotic about fatty meat. It is just this thing I have. So sue me, oh wait, someone is already doing that!

Anyway, I had my misgivings about this one. Not sure about how the meat would be in this concoction. Boy, was I wrong. I whipped this up in the morning and it smelled so good I almost dove in for an early lunch.

Anyway, it survived just fine in the fridge until around 4:30pm, I popped it into the oven for the same amount of time and it came out beautifully. I would imagine you could easily use it with leftover beef, if you have some. It was nice and tender after cooking in the "gravy" and the whole thing was delicious. We had it with steamed green beans.

The recipe was deemed a keeper and so I figured I would share it with you.

Philly Cheese Steak Casserole

6 ozs. wide egg noodles, cooked until almost tender and drained

1 1/2 lbs. beef, boneless sirloin steak, about 3/4-inch thick (I used filet because I am a total freak about fat in meat, but you can use whatever cut you like)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 green or red pepper, chopped

1 (14 oz.) can fat-free and sodium reduced beef broth

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 cup cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350. Spray 11 x 7 (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. I used a 9 x 13 pan and it was just fine. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package. Meanwhile, remove fat from beef. Cut beef into 3/4-inch pieces. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook beef and pepper in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown. Stir in onions and bell pepper. Cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon into baking dish. In medium bowl, beat broth and flour with wire wisk until smooth. Add to skillet and heat to boiling. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half and mustard. Spoon over beef mixture. Stir in cooked noodles. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Adapted from Betty Crocker, Quick-to-Fix Casseroles