23. Carne Mechada

Carne Mechada is a slow-cooked and flavorful shredded beef that is an integral part of Venezuelan cuisine. You can serve this over rice with a side of black beans, or as a filling for stuffed peppers or tortillas. However, the most popular and traditional method for serving Carne Mechada is as a filling for Arepas.

Ingredients

3 lbs beef sirloin, or your choice of cut
1/4 cup dry red wine, or to taste
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 onions, chopped
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
2 onions, chopped
2 green peppers, chopped
1 small jar of pimentos
2 12 ounce cans of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a Dutch oven, simmer the beef, wine, onions, garlic and bay leaves until tender, about three hours. Or you can use a crockpot set to low for up to 8 hours. Add more wine, water or beef broth if the meat appears too dry. Remove from heat, let cool slightly, and then use two forks to pull apart and shred the meat.

For the sauce, saute the onions and green peppers in the olive oil, then add the meat and remaining ingredients. Simmer another 30 minutes until all the flavors are blended.

Both the sauce and the beef can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to one month.

Last Minute Assembly:

Defrost the beef and the sauce. Combine in saucepan and heat until desired temperature.

Serves 10-12.
http://www.makeaheadmeals.blogspot.com

20. Momma Mia Meatloaf

My generation grew up with meatloaf as a comfort food staple. This version is well suited for very lean beef, as the pureed onions in the meat mixture and the outer wrapping of bacon will help to keep it moist. This version starts out with typical Italian flavors and ends up with a kicked-up mixture that includes mustard and horseradish.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. lean ground round
2 yellow onions pureed in a food processor or finely minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 eggs
2 tbs kosher salt
1 tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup grated horseradish
1/2 cup ketchup
10 slices bacon

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the ketchup and bacon. Mix with your hands until well blended.

On a sheet of plastic wrap, shape the meat mixture into a loaf-shape approximately 9" x 5". Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Wrap with a layer of tin foil. Label and freeze for up to one month or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Day Ahead Instructions:

If meatloaf has been frozen, remove from freezer and place in the refrigerator overnight to thaw out.

Last Minute Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.

Place defrosted meatloaf on the lined baking sheet and use a pastry brush to cover the loaf with 1/2 cup ketchup. Arrange the 10 bacon slices crosswise over the loaf, overlapping them tightly, to completely cover the surface of the loaf. Use a spatula to tuck the ends of the meatloaf under the loaf.

Bake in preheated oven for approximately one hour or until internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees.

Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

18. The Best Pot Roast Ever

This recipe is an adaptation from one I saw on Alton Brown's Food Network show, Good Eats. It's one of my absolute favorite pot roast recipes, probably because cumin, balsamic vinegar and olives are some of my favorite tastes!

The original recipe also called for 1/2 cup dark raisins, but I prefer it just the way it is!

Ingredients:

1 (2 to 3 pound) blade cut chuck roast
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons cumin
Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 to 6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup tomato juice
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 cup cocktail olives, drained and broken

Make Ahead Preparation:

Place a wide, heavy skillet or fry pan with a coating of vegetable oil over high heat for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, rub both sides of meat with the salt and cumin. When the pan is very hot, brown the roast on all sides and remove from pan.

Add just a little more vegetable oil to the pan then add the onion and garlic. Stir constantly until onion is softened, being careful not to brown the garlic. Add the tomato juice, vinegar and olives. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half.

Add half of the tomato juice mixture to the bottom of a crockpot. Add the roast, and then top with the remaining mixture. Turn crockpot to high for one hour. Then reduce heat to low and cook for another 4 to 6 hours.

Last Minute Assembly

Remove the meat from the crockpot, cover and let rest for at least 1/2 hour.

Drain all of the liquid from the crockpot and put in a blender or food processor. Puree.

Slice meat thinly, or pull apart with a fork. Serve with sauce over egg noodles or rice.

16. Individual Beef Wellingtons

Why wear yourself out on special occasions when you can make this spectacular and impressive dish ahead of time? This recipe is not for the faint at heart, since it still does take quite a bit of time to assemble and prepare, but if you want to impress your guests with a fabulous meal without breaking a sweat in front of them -- this is the dish.

Since this dish is actually created in several different steps and each of the components will refrigerate or freeze well, you can even make one component a day until the big event.



Ingredients:

3 packages (1 lb. each) frozen puff pastry (6 sheets total
Flour for rolling

2 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
6 tbs olive oil; more for cooking
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped
1/2 tsp. very roughly chopped fresh rosemary
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tbs unsalted butter
3 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup medium-dry sherry
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 cups tightly packed spinach (about 14 oz.)
Pinch ground white pepper (optional)
2 tbs unsalted butter
6 oz. good quality blue cheese

6 portions beef tenderloin, 5 to 6 oz. each (choose equal-size center-cut portions)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 3/4 cup olive oil; more as needed

For assembly: 2 eggs, whisked together lightly with 1 tsp. waterFlour
To cook the Wellingtons: 2 eggs, whisked together lightly with 1 tsp. water

Make Ahead Preparation:

Roll out each of the six pastry sheets to about 3/16-inch thick and, using a sharp knife, cut out a 10-inch round from each. From the scraps, cut out 12 leaves or other shapes to use as decoration. Layer the pastry rounds (and the decorations) between pieces of waxed paper or parchment, wrap the bundle well in plastic, and freeze again.

In a shallow bowl, toss the mushrooms with the oil, garlic, thyme, and rosemary; cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Remove the portabellas from the marinade (they will have soaked up most of it) and season with salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, add a thin film of oil, and sear the portabellas on both sides until they've softened and browned, about 5 min. per side. Transfer them to paper towels and turn them once to drain both sides. When cool, cut them in half and cut the halves into strips about 1/2 inch thick.

Melt the butter in a heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium low, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until well browned, soft, and sweet, 30 to 40 min. Add the sherry and cook until the pan is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool. Put the cooled onions in a colander set in a bowl; cover and refrigerate.

Wash the spinach well and remove any stems. Prepare an ice-water bath. Put half of the spinach in a large sauté pan with a touch of water, 1 Tbs. of the butter, a pinch of salt, and a little ground white pepper if you like. Toss over medium-high heat, just until wilted and immediately put it in the water bath to shock the color and stop the cooking. Scoop it from the ice water and put it in a colander to drain. Squeeze the spinach, a small handful at a time, as much as you can and set it aside on paper towels to continue draining. Repeat with the remaining spinach. Cover with plastic and refrigerate.

Divide the blue cheese into six 1-oz. portions. Try slicing the whole piece into six slices; if it crumbles, just evenly divide the cheese. Cover and refrigerate.

Season each portion of meat very generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the meat to keep it in place. Pour 1/8 inch olive oil into a heavy sauté pan and heat it until just smoking. Sear the filets over high heat for 2 min. on each side until brown and crisp on the outside. Be sure your pan is very hot so that you just sear the meat and don't overcook it, and don't crowd the pan or the meat will steam rather than sear. (Check the sides to be sure the filets are still red in the middle.) Work in batches if necessary. Refrigerate the meat until chilled or until ready to use, up to 24 hours.

Begin the Assembly:

Remove all pre-made components from the refrigerator. Arrange the mushrooms, onions, spinach, cheese, and filets on your counter. Divide the portabella strips into six portions. Make sure the caramelized onions are well drained (they tend to collect liquid as they sit) and divide them into six portions.

Squeeze the spinach again, divide it into six portions, and leave it on paper towels for any further draining. Cover a large rimmed baking sheet (that fits in your freezer) with kitchen parchment. Have a ruler, a small sharp knife, a pastry brush, and the egg wash on hand. Lightly flour one area of your counter (the cooler the area the better).



Take one pastry round (and two decorative pieces) from the freezer and set it on the floured surface. Work quickly to maintain the integrity of the pastry. Lightly score a 4x3-inch rectangle in the center of the round; don't cut through the pastry. Extend the lines of the rectangle and cut out the corners of the round created by the line extensions, leaving a cross of pastry with a 4x3-inch center.

Give a spinach portion one last squeeze and spread half of it over the rectangle of pastry. Follow with a portion of blue cheese, a portion of onions, a filet, a portion of portabellas in one layer, and the rest of the spinach portion. Spread each layer as evenly as possible. Brush a light coating of the egg wash on each of the four panels of dough.

Check to be sure that the pastry is now pliable enough to fold without breaking (wait a minute or two if necessary). Fold each side panel onto the top, stretching the dough a bit if necessary to make the ends meet, or slightly overlapping if necessary. Follow suit with the top and bottom panels. Seal the panels together by pressing in the top panel where it meets the bottom panel and by pinching each of the four sides together where the panels meet. Don't worry if the package doesn't look gorgeous; it's more important that it's well sealed so the juices don't leak out.

Hold the package upright in your hands, securing all the seals and smoothing the rough spots to make the package into a neat, rounded block. Set it seam side down and gently press the top and sides to make them as even all the way around as possible. Brush the top and all sides with egg wash. Put the decorations on top and brush with egg wash. (You'll be cutting the package in half, so separate the decorations.) Set the Wellington on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Put the pan in the freezer to set and chill the pastry. Repeat with the 5 remaining Wellingtons, adding each to the pan in the freezer as you go. After they chill for an hour, wrap them well in plastic individually and return them to the freezer for up to one week.

Last Minute Assembly:

Heat the oven to 400°F. Make another egg wash. Remove the Wellingtons from the freezer (do not thaw) and brush them with a fresh coat of egg wash. Put them on a lightly greased rimmed heavy baking sheet and cook for 20 min. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook until the internal temperature is 110°F (be sure the tip of the thermometer is inserted in the center of the package), another 35 to 40 min.

Set them aside to rest for no longer than 10 min. The tightly enclosed beef will continue to cook out of the oven, so if you have to wait for more than 10 min., trim the sides of the pastry to let out some of the hot steam and reduce the internal temperature.

Cut each Wellington in half, arrange on warm plates, and serve immediately.

9. Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers

This recipe is a great way to get non-veggie lovers to eat their vegetables. No-one will turn these down! Use a variety of bell peppers -- green, red, yellow or orange -- for an eye-catching, colorfish dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked long grain white rice
6 bell peppers

1 medium onion, chopped
2 (8 ounce) cans unflavored tomato sauce
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp crushed red pepper

Make Ahead Preparation

Cut the tops off and remove the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Wash and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, rice, onion, one can of the tomato sauce, Worcestershire, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Stuff each pepper approximately 2/3 of the way full. Be sure to leave room for the rice to expand.

Stand the peppers up side-by-side in a plastic container the same size as or slightly smaller than your crockpot. Mix the remaining can of tomato sauce with the Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper and pour over the stuffed peppers.

Cover and freeze. When peppers are thoroughly frozen, remove from the container, wrap tightly in tin foil and then plastic wrap. Label and freeze up to six months.

Night Before Assembly:

Remove stuffed peppers from freezer and unwrap. Place in crockpot. Put crockpot in the refrigerator to allow the peppers to defrost overnight. (This is much easier if the pot from your crockpot is removable, but will work fine either way.)

Six hours before serving, place crock with peppers back into crockpot. Set heat to low and cook for at least six hours.

8. Authentic Shephard's Pie

This is the authentic English version of Shephard's pie, traditionally made with lamb. Feel free to substitute ground beef for an authentic English Cottage pie!

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb. lamb, minced or ground (or ground beef)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large carrot, diced
1 beef stock or bouillion cube
1 lb. chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons tomato paste
pinch of salt and pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a heavy bottomed saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, garlic and carrot and cook until soft making sure not to brown the garlic.

Add minced lamb or beef and stock/bouillion cube. Cook over medium heat until the meat is brown and shows a crumbly texture.

Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste, and add the flour. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about fifteen minutes, or until thickened.

At this point, the meat mixture can be cooled and frozen for several weeks.

The mashed potatoes can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to four days.

Last Minute Assembly:

Spread the meat mixture in the bottom of a deep casserole or pie dish.

If the potatoes were refrigerated, you may have to add some milk to them to soften them up.

Spread the potatoes over the meat mixture, being sure to get a good "seal" at the edges. Brush potatoes with melted butter.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until the pie is heated through and the potatoes are lightly browned.

6. Italian Meatballs

One of the ultimate comfort food. (How many of you remember "Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti day"?) The secret to these melt-in-your mouth meatballs is in the milk-soaked bread instead of breadcrumbs.

Italian meatballs are versatile, easy to make and don't pinch the pocketbook. Make a bunch of different sized meatballs for your freezer and you'll always have a last minute treat to serve your family!

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbs roughly chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tbs roughly chopped fresh basil
1 cup milk
4 thick slices firm white bread, crust removed
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
1/4 cup ketchup (yes...ketchup!)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make Ahead Preparation:

Heat 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft but still translucent, about 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let cool.

In a small bowl, pour enough milk over the bread in a bowl to moisten and let it soak while the onions are cooling.

Combine the meats in a large bowl. Add the egg, ketchup and cheese and season generously with salt and pepper.

Use your hands to squeeze the excess milk out of the bread, discarding the milk. Crumble the soaked bread into the meat mixture so that it is about the size of peas. Add in the cooled onion mixture and the chopped parsley and basil.

Gently combine all the ingredients with your hands or with a spoon until just mixed together. Don't overwork or the meatballs will be tough. Shape them into nice looking meatballs, between the size of a golf ball and tennis ball. I always have a lot of meatballs in my freezer, and I make a combination of small, medium and large sized ones. The smaller ones are great for appetizers (see serving suggestions below), the medium ones are a perfect complement to a nice plate of spaghetti, and the larger sized ones make terrific sandwiches.

Heat a 3-count of extra virgin olive oil in the frying pan over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. You want a nice brown crust on them without necessarily cooking them through completely.

Remove the meatballs from the frying pan and let cool. Place in ziploc freezer bags and freeze up to 4 weeks.

Last Minute Assembly:

When ready to serve, remove from freezer and allow to defrost. Bake in a 350 oven until cooked and heated through.

No time to defrost them? No problem! Place the frozen meatballs in an oven-safe casserole dish. Top with jarred or homemade marinara sauce. Cover and bake in 350 oven for approximately 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling.

Serving suggestions:

Appetizers: Unexpected company? Not a problem! On toothpicks, place one small meatball along with one cooked tortellini. Serve up with sides of marina and alfredo sauces for dipping. Garnish with some fresh basil or Italian parsley.

Pasta: Bake medium-sized meatballs in sauce. Serve over freshly cooked spaghetti. Top with additional parmesan cheese and fresh basil. Be sure to serve up some fresh Italian or garlic bread and a light salad as well.

Sandwiches: Slice a grinder roll (also called hoagies or subs) almost in half lengthwise, so that the bread is still in one piece. Place 3 to 4 large meatballs in the center. Cover with marinara sauce and slices of mozzerelle. Bake in 350 oven until meatballs are cooked and heated through and cheese is melted.

3. Make-Ahead Sloppy Joes

We all remember sloppy joes from our summer camp days. Who knew that you could make these delightful sandwiches ahead of time and save them for up to three months in your freezer!
Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
14 to 16 sandwich buns, split
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a skillet, brown sausage, beef and onion. Remove from the heat; drain.

Remove the centers from the tops and bottoms of each bun. Tear removed bread into small pieces; add to skillet. Set bun shells aside.

Stir remaining ingredients into sausage mixture. Spoon about 1/3 cupful onto the bottom of each bun; replace tops. Wrap individually in heavy-duty foil.

These individual sandwiches can be heated and eaten as is or frozen for up to 3 months.

Last Minute Assembly:

Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes or until heated through.

To use frozen sandwiches: Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 14-16

1. Barbecue Beef Stew

While most people think that braises and stews are for cold weather only, the addition of barbecue sauce to this make-ahead recipe gives the stew a summer taste. This can be made several days in advance and refrigerated or frozen in airtight containers or simply tossed in a crockpot in the morning.

I like this served over buttered egg noodles, but for a summer meal you can also serve over a bed of arugula.



Ingredients:

2 lbs lean stew beef, in 1" cubes
1 large yellow onion, sliced
2 cans beef broth or stock (approx. 21 oz)
3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2" slices
1 large celery stalk cut into 1/2" slices
3/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce (suggest Kraft original)
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup flour (or more if needed)
salt & pepper
Vegetable oil

Make Ahead Preparation:

In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add enough oil to cover the bottom.
Mix flour with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Dredge beef cubes in the flour mixture and add to heated oil being sure not to crowd the pot. Cook beef until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Crockpot Method:

Layer beef and vegetables in crockpot in this order: beef, carrots, celery, potatoes, onions. Mix barbecue sauce with beef broth or stock and add to crockpot. Add just enough hot water to cover beef and veggies. Cover and simmer for up to 10 hours on low or 5-6 hours on high.

About 1/2 hour before serving, check for taste and add more barbecue sauce, salt and/or pepper as needed.

Rinse frozen peas in colander under cold running water. Drain. Increase heat to high and add peas to stew mixture.

Combine 2-3 tbs flour with 1/3 cup warm water. Stir into stew, a little at a time, and continue to cook and stir until desired consistency.

Stovetop Method:

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions slices on top of the beef. Combine beef broth or stock with barbecue sauce and add to beef mixture. If needed, add just enough hot water to cover the beef. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beef is tender.

Add carrots, celery and potatoes. Cover and simmer for another hour. Check for taste and add more barbecue sauce, salt and/or pepper as needed.

Rinse frozen peas in colander under cold running water. Drain. Increase heat to medium and add peas to stew mixture.

Combine 2-3 tbs flour with 1/3 cup warm water. Stir into stew, a little at a time, until desired consistency.

Stew can be refrigerated for several days or frozen in airtight containers for several weeks.

Last Minute Assembly:

Defrost stew if frozen. Heat on stovetop or in microwave. Serve over hot buttered egg noodles.