MEATBALLS AND SPAGHETTI & ROAST BEEF

Today’s treasured recipes will definitely become your family’s favorites as well. The first is spaghetti and meatballs.

Leftovers freeze well (if you have any) J   I also try to make extra meatballs to freeze (after I cook them).  That way I have them on hand when I want to make this dish in a hurry.  I usually serve the meatballs and spaghetti with lima beans (try them ---they are a great accompaniment) and a salad and bread.  Enjoy!

Meatballs:

 1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 finely chopped red bell pepper

1 finely chopped sweet onion

2 slices water-soaked white bread (or bread crumbs)

Kosher salt (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Instructions:  Following is how I usually prepare the meatballs.  Occasionally though I cook them in a skillet or bake them in the oven.  Every family  has their favorite way to prepare meatballs.

*Mix above ingredients together thoroughly and form into balls, 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Drop into rapidly boiling  water and cook through.

Remove from water and drain.

Sauce:

3 large cans- Hunts Tomato Sauce

¼  cup sugar

1 ½ cups sharp cheese (or cheese of your choice)

2-3 tablespoons fresh basil

Instructions:

*Place sauce and sugar in a large soup pot or dutch oven.

*Bring to a gentle boil and then turn down to simmer.

*Add meatballs and heat through.

*Add cheese and basil

Spaghetti: (I use spaghettini or angel hair)

*Boil spaghetti according to directions on box.

*Add to spaghetti sauce or spoon sauce over individual servings of pasta.

*Sprinkle parmesan cheese over servings.

Here is the second treasure---roast beef.

Serve the roast beef initially with your favorite potato or rice dish, green vegetable and fruit salad.  Then enjoy “hot roast beef” sandwiches.   After that, freeze leftover roast beef and gravy in a Ziploc bag.  Then use this to make beefy vegetable soup (also on the blog) to reinvent your leftovers in a beautiful way.

Roast Beef (any cut)—approximately 3-4 pounds

1 can golden mushroom soup (sometimes I use 2)

1 large carton (900ml) beef broth

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper (to taste).  Coat with flour.  Brown all sides of roast in a small amount of canola oil (or veg. oil) in a skillet.   In a heavy dutch oven (I use cast iron), combine beef broth, soup and 1 cup of water.  Place roast in dutch oven and turn over once to coat.  Add one more cup of water (or more) to cover roast a little over half way.  Place cover on the dutch oven and cook at 350 degrees for approximately 3 hours or until roast reaches desired doneness.

Take roast out of oven and allow to rest on a carving board for at least 10-15 minutes.  Pour all gravy into a heat-safe serving dish.  Slice roast and serve.

Variations:

*If serving at a later time, spoon a bit of gravy over the roast slices and refrigerate.

*Pour the gravy into a heat-safe very large measuring cup and refrigerate until any fat rises to the top.  Skim of any fat and then reheat the remaining gravy.

*As an alternate preparation---the roast beef can be placed in the oven with the soups WITHOUT being coated with flour first.  Just salt and pepper and then put in the oven with the soups as described above.

*As one alternate cooking method---the roast may be cooked in a crock pot for as long as you wish. Just reduced the amount of liquid you use.

*As another alternate cooking method the roast may also be cooked on your stove top.  Bring the roast to a boil and simmer until it reaches desired doneness.  Just make sure to leave the lid adjar a bit to prevent boiling over and check on the roast periodically.