Philly Cheesesteak Casserole

With the cold winter weather, I like to enjoy a hearty casserole on occasion.  This casserole is very flavorful and very simple to make.  It's a twist on a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.  I think most of you will find it very tasty.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of shaved steak.  You can ask for this at your local butcher.  I prefer to use the cap of a ribeye steak.  You can also use two pounds of ground beef.
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 large bell peppers.  You can use green, yellow, orange, or red or a mix of any of these.  Cut the peppers into equal size squares, approximately .75" * .75".
• 1 large onion, diced.  I use Sweet Spanish onions, but yellow onions or red onions will work as well.  Just remember, the stronger the onion, the stronger it will be when the dish is cooked.
• 4 ounces of cream cheese.  If you would like it "cheesier" you can go up to 8 ounces.
• 8 slices of provolone cheese.

Instructions

1. Preheat an oven-safe skillet on the stovetop over medium heat.  Add in the shaved steak to the skillet.  Season the steak with salt and pepper as you are cooking it.  If you don't have an oven safe skillet, you can brown it in any skillet then transfer it to a casserole dish as I did.
2. Add in the diced onion and bell peppers, sautéing the mixture until the vegetables soften.
3. Add in Worcestershire Sauce. 
4. Stir in the cream cheese and remove the mixture from the stovetop.  Transfer mixture to a casserole dish or leave in the oven safe skillet.
5. Cover the entire top of the meat mixture with slices of provolone cheese.
6. Bake the casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until the top is golden and the cheese is melted.  
7. Serve and enjoy!!!

My drink recommendations for this dish are pretty straightforward.

Beer

My recommendation for this is truly any beer that you like.  A bright pilsner is good with it, as is a stout or porter.  If you are local, get yourself to one of the local breweries and pickup your favorite beer. 

 Brewery | Lockport Brewery | United States (lockportbeer.com)

Hoodletown Brewing Company - Brewery in Dover, Ohio

5 Barrel Bullet Brewing Company | Ohio Craft Brewers Association (ohiocraftbeer.org)

Holy Moley Brewing Company

Wine

For this dish, I recommend a nice dry red.  If you want my recommendation, I would enjoy a glass of Cooper & Thief Pinot Noir aged in brandy barrels every time.  

Home - Cooper & Thief Wines (cooperandthief.com) 

Cocktail

An Old-Fashioned cocktail would be my choice as an accompaniment for this dish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cowboy Stew

The cold weather has definitely set in, here in Ohio.  With cold weather, comes a hankering for soups and stews.  The recipe below isn't one of my normal recipes because I utilize a lot of canned and frozen items in this recipe, not fresh vegetables like most of my recipes.  With that being said, I still think that you will enjoy this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef browned and drained.
• 1 pound of smoked sausage sliced into bite sized pieces.
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cans of pinto beans (I use Serious Bean Company Sweet and Spicy Chipotle Pinto Beans)
• 1 bag of frozen sweet corn
• 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes and chilis
• 1 bag of frozen mixed veggies
• 4 cups of chicken stock or broth
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste.

Directions

1.  Add browned ground beef, smoked sausage, garlic, onion, beans, corn, Rotel tomatoes, frozen veggies, chicken stock or broth, cumin, and chili powder to a large heavy bottom cooking pot.
2. Bring to a simmer uncovered on high heat, then reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer covered for an hour or two.  If you prefer a "thicker" stew use less broth or you can add baby potatoes, halved.  Cook until potatoes are fork tender if you use them.  I don't use potatoes as I try to keep my carbs a bit lower.
3. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spoon into a large bowl.  Serve with corn-bread, crusty bread or just enjoy it by itself.

Drink

If you really want to enjoy a drink with this dish, I recommend a full-bodied stout or porter.  If you are in East Central Ohio, a Big Debbie Stout from Lockport would work well with this dish.  Another good beer that pairs well with this meal is Station 2 Smoked Lager from Hoodletown Brewing here in Dover, Ohio.

www.lockportbeer.com

www.hoodletown.com 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot Honey Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas with Sriracha and Lime

Large 16-20 shrimp seared and glazed in a garlicky, sweet and spicy sauce...and the dish only takes about 20 minutes to make.

 This dish can be served with lo-mein noodles, rice or veggies.  The sauce works with chicken or pork as well.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter 
• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (16-20 count)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper 
• 8 ounces of sugar snap peas or snow peas 

Sauce:

• 1/3 cup of hot honey or regular honey
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 4 cloves of garlic-minced
• 1 teaspoon of Sriracha or more or less to taste.
• juice from 2 limes

Instructions:

1. Parboil snap peas or snow peas for 4 minutes, remove from boiling water and set aside.
2. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil and butter.  Season the shrimp with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne.
3. Add shrimp to the skillet in a single layer (you may need to cook the shrimp in batches depending on the size of your skillet).  Cook 2 minutes per side, until pink and golden brown.  Transfer cooked shrimp to a plate.
4. Reduce heat to medium.  Whisk together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl, then add to the hot skillet.
5. Stir and let cook for 2 minutes or so, until bubbling.  Add snap peas or snow peas to skillet and heat through, then add shrimp back to the skillet and stir to coat.
6. Serve by itself or with rice or noodles.
7. Serve with lime wedges and additional Sriracha if you like it a bit spicier.