Recipes

Beef Stroganoff
Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars

Here are some recipes taken from the book Good and Cheap by Leanne Brown. Click one of the links above to jump to the recipe.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef chuck or other cut salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 tbsp flour
• 2 tsp paprika
• 4 cups water
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lb mushrooms, chopped
• 1 lb egg noodles
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 3 tbsp mustard

Instructions

Chop the raw beef into bite-sized pieces and season generously with salt and pepper.

Melt half the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Toss in enough beef to cover the bottom of the pan. You may need to cook the meat in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Brown the meat on all sides, then set it aside on a plate.

Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook until the onions become translucent. Sprinkle with the flour and paprika, then cover with water. Drop the meat back in the pot. Cover the pot with a lid, but leave it askew so the steam can escape. Cook on medium-low heat for 2 hours. This process will make the beef tender and turn the water into beef stock.

If you’re using a less tough cut of beef, you don’t need to cook nearly as long. Simply brown the meat, then substitute the water for 1 cup of beef stock and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another pan on medium heat, melt the rest of the butter. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the mushrooms and toss to coat them with garlic and butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let the mushrooms cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they brown and shrink. Turn off the heat and taste. Add salt and pepper as needed.

Cook the noodles (or any pasta) according to the package instructions. Try to time it to coincide with finishing the stew.

Check on the beef. If the water has reduced to approximately a cup of thick, flavorful liquid and the beef is tender, it’s done! If not, let it cook a little longer. Once it’s ready, stir in the mushrooms, sour cream, and mustard. Turn the heat down to low to keep it warm until the pasta is ready. Once again, taste and add more salt, pepper, and paprika if needed.

Put the noodles into bowls and top with the stew. Sprinkle a little paprika over top and enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Jelly Granola Bars

Ingredients

• >3 cups rolled oats (or 2 cups oats and 1 cup Rice Krispies)
• 1⁄2 cup peanut butter
• 1⁄2 cup jelly or jam
• 1⁄4 cup hot water
• 1⁄4 tsp salt
• butter or vegetable oil

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 °F.

Butter or oil an 8” x 11” baking pan. If you have a different size pan, that’s fine—it’ll just change how thick the bars are.

Pour the oats into a large bowl. You can use quick oats if they’re all you have, but I prefer the bite and chew of rolled oats. For a different texture, you can also substitute a cup of oats with a cup of Rice Krispies, but the bars are great either way.

Add the peanut butter, half the jelly, the water, and the salt to a small pan. Stir over low heat until it’s smooth. Mix the peanut butter and jelly concoction into the oats until all the oats are coated and you have a sticky mass. Dump the mixture into the oiled pan and press it into an even layer. Spread the remaining jelly over the top. Pop the pan into the oven for 25 minutes, until it’s toasty and brown around the edges.

Leave the bars in the pan until they cool completely, about an hour, then slice into 12 bars.