Taste of Franklin: Beefing up dinnertime

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When dinnertime calls for something both hearty and delicious, beef is a classic staple ingredient for a reason. Amy McCollum frequently used beef as the mainstay of dishes in her Family and Consumer Sciences classes, since each year the Franklin County Cattlemen’s Association makes a beefy donation to each FACS program in the county. Her students – including her own daughters – have also been annual participants in the Franklin County Beef Cook-off for students, hosted by the Cattleman’s Association. Anyone looking for a new beef recipe – look no further. 

BEEF STROGANOFF

Beef stroganoff is an iconic Russian dish that consists of beef in a creamy sauce. According to legend, it was created by chefs who worked for the Stroganov family in the 1800s. The dish is often made with mushrooms and served over rice or egg noodles. My mom fixed this a lot when I was growing up. We always had English peas as a side dish with it.  

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. package egg noodles
• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 10.5 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 jar of sliced mushrooms, optional 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sauté ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until browned and crumbly, 5-10 minutes.
2. At the same time, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Cook egg noodles at a boil until tender yet firm to the bite, 7-9 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Drain and discard any fat from the cooked beef. 
4. Stir condensed soup, mushrooms and garlic powder into the beef. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove beef from the heat. Add egg noodles and stir to combine. 
6. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper. 
7. NOTE: You can also keep the noodles and meat mixture separate. Spoon the noodles on your plate and then top with the meat mixture. You could also serve meat mixture over mashed potatoes or rice. 
8. Serve hot and enjoy!  

TACO LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1.5 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 16 oz. jar tomato salsa, divided
• 12 8-inch corn or flour tortillas, divided (I prefer flour) 
• 16 ounces sour cream, divided
• 16 ounces shredded Mexican cheese blend, about 4 cups, divided
• For serving, if desired: shredded romaine lettuce, chopped tomato, fresh cilantro leaves and pickled jalapeño slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Dice onion and red bell pepper, about a cup of each. 
3. Drain and rinse the can black beans.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the lean ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate, then pour off any fat from the skillet.
5. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
6. Return the beef to the pan, add the taco seasoning and 1/4 cup of water and stir to combine. 
7. Cook for 5 minutes then add the black beans and stir to combine. 
8. Remove skillet from the heat. 
9. Transfer 1/4 cup tomato salsa from a 16-ounce jar into a 9×13-inch baking dish, then pour the remaining salsa into the skillet and stir to combine.
10. Assemble the lasagna: Spread the salsa out in the baking dish into a thin layer. Arrange four tortillas in a single layer on top of the salsa, overlapping them as needed. Dollop and spread 2/3 cup of the sour cream. Spoon half of the meat mixture over the sour cream and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with 1 1/3 cups of the shredded Mexican cheese blend.
11. Repeat layering the following: four tortillas, 2/3 cup sour cream, the remaining meat mixture and 1 1/3 cups shredded cheese. Top with the remaining four tortillas and remaining 2/3 cup sour cream. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/3 cups cheese.
12. Bake uncovered until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 30 minutes. 
13. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. 
14. Garnish with the desired toppings.

SAUERKRAUT AND WEENIES

This is an old-fashioned Southern main dish. As the name suggests, all you need is sauerkraut and weenies to make this delicious dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 beef brats, or you could also use weenies or polish sausage
• 32 oz. jar of sauerkraut, drained
• salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Slice weenies into small pieces and place them in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Cook for about 5 minutes.  
2. Next, add sauerkraut. Cook, stirring often, until kraut and weenies brown slightly. 
3. Salt and pepper to taste.

LOW-CARB MEXICAN STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

This was Anna Gunderman Pressnell’s recipe for the Franklin County Beef Cook-off.

INGREDIENTS

• 1.5 lb. lean ground chuck
• 6 large bell peppers – two green, two red and two orange or yellow
• 2 10-oz. cans of original Ro-tel tomatoes, drained
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 large onion
• 2 cups Mexican cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Toppings: parsley, Tommy Toe Tomatoes, sour cream and chopped leafy green lettuce

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown ground chuck and onion. Drain fat. 
2. Add Ro-tel and taco seasoning and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. While the meat is simmering, brush the peppers, inside and out, with olive oil and bake 10 minutes.
4. Add one cup of cheese to the beef mixture and stuff peppers with mixture. 
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes.
6. Garnish with parsley and tomatoes.
7. Serve with sour cream and lettuce.

TACO SKILLET

This was Lara Gunderman’s recipe for the Franklin County Beef Cook-off.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1 package of Old El Paso Cheesy Mexican Rice
• 2 cans, 10 oz. each, diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 15.25 oz. can whole kernel sweet corn
• 1 oz. package of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix
• 1 roasted red bell pepper from a jar, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups, 6 oz., shredded Mexican cheese blend 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a 10-inch skillet, cook lean ground beef over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain.
2. Meanwhile, microwave Old El Paso Mexican rice as directed on pouch.
3. To skillet with cooked beef, add diced tomatoes with green chiles, whole kernel sweet corn, taco seasoning mix, chopped roasted red bell pepper and 1/2 cup water; mix well.
4. Stir in cooked Mexican rice. 
5. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.
6. Stir in 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese and blend until melted. 
7. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup cheese over top. 
8. Garnish with tortilla chips, parsley and grape tomatoes. Serve immediately.