We're a busy little family.
Because we're so busy, cooking during the week is a real chore. I hate that! I love to cook. I hate that cooking takes so much time! I would much rather be playing trucks with my little guy than in the kitchen cooking while he plays. So finally, I decided I didn't want supper to be such a chore. So I did something about it! I mean after all, what good is it to want something and not do anything about it?! I set out on a mission to cook, cook, cook! And did I ever! I made 52 freezer meals in a weekend. Voila! Supper for a couple months already made. Sweet! I'm very excited for the most complicated and time consuming part of supper to be deciding what to have. It's a lot of work on the front end, but in my opinion, very, very worth it!
MEALS:
I have a wide range of recipes here from healthy, which is my preference, to not healthy at all, which is okay too sometimes. Here's what I got from my weekend of cooking (in no particular order)
Chicken Azteca (3) Hawaiian Ham (3) Steak Cubes (2)
Most Amazing Pork Chops (3) Cilantro Lime Chicken (1) Cafe Rio Chicken (1)
Creamy Chicken Italian-O (1) Chicken Pot Pies (4) Baked ravioli (2)
Cheddar and Cracker Chicken (4) Chicken Tortilla Soup (2) Potato Soup (5)
Chipotle Chicken Casserole (3) Tater Tot Hotdish (3) Lasagna (3)
Sweet BBQ Chicken (1) Marinated Chicken (4) Beef Stew (3)
Garlic Lime Chicken (1) Enchiladas (3)
A project such as this requires some strategy. Well, at least for me. I knew I would be doing a large part of my shopping with my little guy. Have you ever been shopping - or anywhere - with a two year-old?! There are times when it's just not fun. This is why I did my best to plan ahead to help me spend as little time as possible (even though I knew it would still be a lot) in the store. This is also where a HUGE amount of fruit snacks and Netflix on the phone comes in handy.
- First I made a list of meals to freeze.
- Then I went through all the recipes I wanted to make and made a shopping list after going through the pantry, freezer and cupboards for everything I needed. I used this VERY handy organized shopping list to help me out so I didn't have to go back and forth across the store - I'm not going to say this didn't happen, but I'm confident it happened a lot less than it would have without it. There are a ton out there, but this is the one that worked best for me. I love that it is broken down into the different areas of the grocery store and has a lot of lines for those times (like this) when you need to get a lot of stuff!
- Shopped! Just a little piece of advise - you might want to look over your recipes and shopping list and determine exactly how much of everything you need. I didn't do this. I should have. There were a couple things I ran out of and a couple things I had too much of. No big deal, but you know how it is when you're really in a groove and suddenly have to stop to make a run to the store. Ugh. Lost time. Ugh.
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I find it very helpful to have everything I'm going to use out in the open, so I organize everything on the counter (but don't worry - I did put the meat in the fridge!). I know this doesn't look all that organized, but trust me - it is!
4. Cooked, cooked, cooked!!! Be prepared for your kitchen to become a disaster. The bright side is that, at least for me, one weekend of cooking and only one cleanup, albeit it's a major clean up. Not cooking and cleaning everyday! I even took a picture of my stove with all four burners going at one point, but it was such a disgusting mess I'm too embarassed to include it.
I learned a little something from my previous weekend cooking adventure, which was about a year ago now. This is very important. Remember this! If you learn only one thing from me, let this be it! Do not. I repeat DO NOT find new recipes you haven't tried before and go crazy making up a bunch of it. Just make one. If you like it, you can make more. If you don't. Oh well. You tried it. Now you know.
There were several recipes I made last time thinking they sounded soooo good. And even as I was putting them together was very excited to try them - they smelled good....they looked good! I don't know what went wrong, but I had a few receipes we just did not like.
RECIPES
Marinated Chicken
This is so incredibly easy! I don't even think it's worthy of being called a recipe! If you've never used these before to season meat, you should! Yum.
Just follow the instructions on the back of the package. They even kind of make it look like a recipe card, so yeah - I guess you could call it a recipe.
I used this meat tenderizer on the chicken to really let the marinade sink into the meat.
After mixing up the marinades with the proper water, oil, vinegar combination, I put it in a gallon size zip lock bag, put the chicken in and shook it up. I didn't freeze it right away. I put it in the refrigerator over night to really get that flavor throughout the meat before freezing it.
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| Here you can see the sharp edges that come out as you push it into the meat. |
After mixing up the marinades with the proper water, oil, vinegar combination, I put it in a gallon size zip lock bag, put the chicken in and shook it up. I didn't freeze it right away. I put it in the refrigerator over night to really get that flavor throughout the meat before freezing it.
We have found several McCormick Grill Mates marinades we really like. Our favorites we almost always have on standby include: Tomato Basil & Garlic and Garlic Herb & Wine.
I tried a new one:
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| Source: http://www.mccormick.com/Spices-and-Flavors/Grill-Mates/Marinades/Grill-Mates-Smokin-Sweet-Tea-Marinade |
It was delicious!
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| Smokin' Sweet Tea marinaded chicken on the grill. |
Hawaiian Ham
This is my name for it - it really stems from a recipe for Ham and Pineapple Kabobs from Goodness Gracious. Same thing, just a little different. I first made these a while back and did put them on kabobs. It was fun. It was something a little different. It was time consuming! And I was lazy....am lazy. The next time I made them I used our vegetable grilling pan and didn't go through the hassel of using skewers. Instead, I put some aluminum foil down in the grilling pan, threw everything in and voila. A few minutes later we were good to go.
Often when I'm cooking I don't really measure. So here's the recipe as I prepare it:
This is my name for it - it really stems from a recipe for Ham and Pineapple Kabobs from Goodness Gracious. Same thing, just a little different. I first made these a while back and did put them on kabobs. It was fun. It was something a little different. It was time consuming! And I was lazy....am lazy. The next time I made them I used our vegetable grilling pan and didn't go through the hassel of using skewers. Instead, I put some aluminum foil down in the grilling pan, threw everything in and voila. A few minutes later we were good to go.
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| Grilling pan - this thing has been through a lot! |
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| Grilling pan with aluminum foil to hold in the juices. |
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| Hawaiian Ham on the grill! |
Mix equal parts brown sugar and soy sauce. (whatever combined amount will adequately cover your pineapple and ham). It takes less than you think to cover a 'batch.' Maybe only a couple tablespoons of each. Mix in pineapple and ham.
Place on grilling pan and grill until heated.
POTATO SOUP
This is my mom's recipe. This was one of my favorites growing up and probably still is. As I mentioned in my last cooking to freeze post, there is absolutely no way to make this even a little bit healthy, so you might not want to include this one if you are only looking for healthy recipes to freeze. I may have mentioned before - you win some, you lose some. This one is a loss in the healthy eating department, but a definite win in the cold winter day comfort food department!
The most important thing to remember about this recipe is the quality of the bacon matters! A LOT! That's where the flavor comes from, so please keep that in mind.
5 pounds potatoes cut up into bite size pieces
1 pound bacon (good quality)
Flour
Onion for flavor if you want – I don’t, but my mom always does
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes. While potatoes are boiling, slice bacon in to about 1” chunks. Do not drain the potatoes.
Fry the bacon. Cook it for as long as you can to get as much as the grease out as you can. Take the bacon out of the grease and put in the water with the potatoes. Keep the grease in the fry pan.
Heat up the bacon grease. When the grease is hot, add in some flour and whisk it into the grease. Keep adding flour until it gets to be almost paste-like.
Add the grease and flour mixture to the soup.
Simmer until it’s as thick as you’d like it.
This soup is very, very bland without salt and pepper. I usually add quite a bit….like a ton!
Flour
Onion for flavor if you want – I don’t, but my mom always does
Salt and pepper to taste
Boil potatoes. While potatoes are boiling, slice bacon in to about 1” chunks. Do not drain the potatoes.
Fry the bacon. Cook it for as long as you can to get as much as the grease out as you can. Take the bacon out of the grease and put in the water with the potatoes. Keep the grease in the fry pan.
Heat up the bacon grease. When the grease is hot, add in some flour and whisk it into the grease. Keep adding flour until it gets to be almost paste-like.
Add the grease and flour mixture to the soup.
Simmer until it’s as thick as you’d like it.
This soup is very, very bland without salt and pepper. I usually add quite a bit….like a ton!
CHICKEN AZTECA (From http://skinnycrockpot.proboards.com/thread/134)
3-4 boneless skinless
chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
½ cup chicken broth (low or no sodium, of course!)
1 cup salsa (No Sugar Added)
1 can low sodium black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 package taco seasoning
Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over low for 6-7 hours. This can be served several ways. You can shred the chicken in the slow cooker, stir and serve. Or, you can remove the chicken breasts and top with the salsa mixture in the slow cooker. You can also have the leftover shredded mixture on a whole wheat tortilla or over lettuce for a Tex/Mex salad.
½ cup chicken broth (low or no sodium, of course!)
1 cup salsa (No Sugar Added)
1 can low sodium black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 package taco seasoning
Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over low for 6-7 hours. This can be served several ways. You can shred the chicken in the slow cooker, stir and serve. Or, you can remove the chicken breasts and top with the salsa mixture in the slow cooker. You can also have the leftover shredded mixture on a whole wheat tortilla or over lettuce for a Tex/Mex salad.
LASAGNA (I got the recipe from the back of the box)
1lb ground beef (I use two pounds)
3 cups (26 oz jar) spaghetti sauce (I use three jars, but no water)
1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups (15 oz container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (cottage cheese spreads easier!)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
9 pieces Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Lasagna, uncooked
Directions:
3 cups (26 oz jar) spaghetti sauce (I use three jars, but no water)
1 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 cups (15 oz container) ricotta or small curd cottage cheese (cottage cheese spreads easier!)
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
9 pieces Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Lasagna, uncooked
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F. In 3-quart
saucepan over medium-high heat, brown meat; drain. Add spaghetti sauce and
water; simmer about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together
ricotta cheese, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley,
salt and pepper. 5. Pour about 1 cup sauce on bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.
Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; cover with 1 cup sauce.
Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, sauce and
cheese filling. Top with layer of pasta and remaining sauce; sprinkle with
mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake
additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before
cutting.
CHIPOTLE CHICKEN CASSEROLE (hot dish to the Minnesotans!)
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| Can you tell this is one of our favorites?! I think it might be time to reprint the recipe! |
Nonstick cooking spray
2 cups frozen or fresh whole kernel corn
3 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
1 14 1/2ouncecandiced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1 pound) (I just
cook a whole chicken and see how many I can get out of it....this time it was
three pans - it was a REALLY big chicken!)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 cup shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese (3 ounces)
Directions
1. Coat a 2-quart round casserole with nonstick spray; set
aside. Coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray. Heat
skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn; cook about 5 minutes or until corn
begins to lightly brown. Add potatoes; cook and stir 5 to 8 minutes longer or
until potatoes begin to brown. Stir in tomatoes, chipotle peppers, 1/2 teaspoon
chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and the oregano. Remove from heat; transfer
mixture to the prepared casserole.
2. Wipe skillet clean. Add oil to skillet and heat over
medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon
chili powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin. Brown chicken in hot oil, turning once to
brown both sides (about 3 minutes on each side). Place chicken on top of potato
mixture in casserole.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or
until bubbly and chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 4
servings
16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz),
crushed (about 3⁄4 cup)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced
kosher salt and black pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Heat oven to 350° F.
In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle any remaining cracker
mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the
chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 20-25 minutes
ENCHILADAS
This one comes from my head and I
don't really measure, so here it goes....hope you can follow along.
Ground beef (I used 2 pounds for two pans)
two packages of taco seasoning (I
have the huge container from Sam's Club, so it was 2/3 of a cup for two pounds)
1 1/2 cup water
Cheese - however much you want
Taco sauce - however much you want
1 large can enchilada sauce
12 soft shell tortillas. I used
small ones because there was a really, really good deal on them.
DIRECTIONS:
Brown the meat. Drain. Add the taco seasoning and water. Simmer until the water cooks down and the sauce thickens up. Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan. Then start to assemble your enchiladas; scoop a couple spoonfuls of the taco meat to the center of the tortillas, top with cheese and taco sauce. Roll it up and put it in the pan. I keep going until I run out of room in the pan, or taco meat. Once your pan is full, or you're out of meat, pour some more enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas - get them good and soaked. I used one really big can of sauce for two pans. Then top with cheese and bake until everything is warmed up.
MOST
AMAZING PORK CHOPS (From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
4 pork chops, bone in
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package onion soup mix
1 package pork gravy mix
1 1/2 Cups chicken broth
Mix everything but the pork chops in
a medium sized bowl. Transfer into gallon size freezer bag. Add pork chops.
Freeze.
CHICKEN TORTILLA
SOUP
This
recipe came from one of the awesome ladies I used to teach with. We did a soup exchange and I just fell in
love with her chicken tortilla soup!
1 can cream of chicken soup
1
can fiesta cheese soup
1
cup whole milk
1
cup salsa
11b
of cut up cooked chicken breast
Extras:
Black beans
Corn
Carrots and Celery
Crock
pot low 6-8 hours. Serve with Tortilla chips or strips and sour cream. Enjoy!
I
mixed everything together in a bowl then transferred it to a gallon size zip
lock freezer bag.
1 lb ground beef or
turkey, browned, seasoned & drained
2-3 c of canned (drained) or frozen vegetable of choice: green
beans, corn, peas or mixed vegetables (optional)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom
soup
3 lb frozen tater tots
1 ½ C. milk
8-12 oz. cheddar cheese,
shredded
DIRECTIONS
1. Spread meat into a 13x9 greased casserole dish.
2. At this point you can add a layer of your optional vegetable of
choice.
3. Cover with tater tots.
4. Combine the soups & milk
5. Pour evenly over the
tater tots.
6. Bake for 45 minutes at 350'. Add the cheese& bake for 10-15
more minutes
I did not use cream of mushroom
soup. I do not like it at all! I used double the amount of cream of chicken
soup.
We made one not too long
ago….started out completely frozen. I wouldn’t suggest doing that, but if you
must, plan on it taking a while. I put
the oven on 450 and it took about 3 hours.
I uncovered it for the last half hour so the tater tots on top would get
nice and golden.
SWEET
BBQ CHICKEN (From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
4-6
Chicken Breasts
12
oz bottle of BBQ Sauce
1/2
Cup Brown Sugar 1/4
Cup Vinegar
1/8
teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1
tsp Garlic Powder
Once the chicken is
cleaned. I like to rub it with the Cayenne Pepper. But. if you're in a hurry
you can just add the Chicken to a Freezer Gallon Ziplock Bag and then add the
rest of the ingredients. Once bag is closed, use your hands to mash all the ingredients together!
To cook: Take the Freezer Meal out
of the Freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature
water for about 30 seconds. Dump
meal in the a Crockpot and cook on Low for 4-6 hours!
This is a new one for us. I'll let you know how it turns out. My husband loves BBQ sauce, so he's really excited for this one to come out of the freezer.
This is a new one for us. I'll let you know how it turns out. My husband loves BBQ sauce, so he's really excited for this one to come out of the freezer.
CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN
W/CORN AND BLACK BEANS
(From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
6-8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (I used 2
Costco Pouches per bag)
4 Tbs Olive Oil
2+ Limes, juiced (I like a
little more lime then the recipe calls for)
2 Cups Cilantro
1 large bag of Frozen Corn
(or two smaller bags)
4 minced Garlic Cloves
1 finely Chopped Red Onion
2 cans of Black Beans, drained
and rinsed 2 tsp Cumin or Chipotle powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
Take ingredients and
split everything into two containers.
Mix
bag by shaking, seal, "label and put in the freezer.
Cooking instruction.': Cook in Crockpot on Low for 8 hours or High for 4
hours. Serve with hot tortillas and dress with sour cream, guacamole,
and/or cheese.
GARLIC LIME CHICKEN (From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
6-8 Bone-In Chicken Thighs
1 Cup Soy Sauce 1/2 Cup Lime Juice
2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced
I tsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Ground Pepper
2 Tbs Cornstarch
Clean and trim chicken and
split between two Gallon Ziplock bags. Don't worry about getting all the
fat off. They are perfect for the
crock-pot because the fat melts off of them and by the time they are done they
fall right off the bone. If you prefer chicken breasts, you can use them.
Mix wet ingredients and
seasonings and pour over chicken. Then seal, label and freeze flat.
Cooking Instructions: Cook
in Crockpot on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours.
CREAMY CHICKEN ITALIAN-O (From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
4-6
Chicken Breasts
8
oz Cream Cheese
1 Can of Cream
of Chicken
1 Dry Packet of Italian Seasoning
Mix softened Cream Cheese, Cream of
Chicken and Italian Seasoning together in a bowl. Take cleaned chicken
and place in a Freezer Gallon Ziplock Bag and top with the mixture. After
Ziplock bag is closed, take your hands and push wet mixture to cover chicken.
CAFE RIO CROCKPOT CHICKEN (From http://www.overthebigmoon.com/super-fast-chicken-freezer-meals/)
1/2
a small bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
I Packet of Dry Ranch
Dressing (3 TB)
1
Cup Water
1/2 TB of Minced Garlic
1/2TB Chili Powder
1/2 TB Ground Cumin
Combine all ingredients in
a Freezer Gallon Zipiock Bag. Once zipiock bag is closed, take your hands and
combine all ingredients together well.
To cook: Take the Freezer Meal out
of the Freezer and hour before starting OR run it under some room temperature
water for about 30seconds. Dump meal in the Crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours!
CHICKEN POT PIE
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| Chicken Pot Pie! |
I did these a little differently than I usually
do so they would fit in the freezer better. Usually I put
the filling in a baking dish and cover with the crust. That would take up a ton
of space in the freezer, especially more than one. So, I used frozen pie crusts, filled them and
topped it off with a homemade pie crust.
This is another one that comes from the confines of my head….yikes!
Cooked chicken
Cream of chicken soup
Milk
Frozen vegetables
Frozen pie crusts (the kind in the pie tin)
Homemade pie crust – or you could just use more
frozen pie crusts. I have a really
awesome pie crust recipe, so I wanted to use that.
Seasoning
I just use whatever amount seems to fit in the
dish I have, or in this case pie tin.
Cut up the cooked chicken and put in frozen pie crusts. I baked my chicken in a baking dish with some
water and dry Italian seasoning mixed it.
It turned out pretty good.
Mix the cream of chicken soup and milk together
– the amount of milk will depend on how thick you want it. I also add some seasonings to it – usually
garlic salt, season salt and some pepper.
Add whatever you want!
Add frozen vegetables into frozen pie
crusts. I added carrots, beans and
corn. You could also add some sort of
frozen potatoes, peas…whatever!
Spread cream of chicken soup and milk mixture
over top. I just sort of make sure all the cracks are filled in.
Top with homemade pie crust.
I just covered it with some aluminum foil before
freezing. You might want to use a couple
layers of it just to be safe. I noticed
one layer was easily ripped in the freezer.
BAKED RAVIOLI
Again – this is from the
voices in my head. Scarey, right?!
Ravioli of choice
Ground beef or turkey
Pasta sauce
Seasonings
Cook ravioli until
nearly done. Drain. While ravioli is
cooking, brown ground beef . Drain. Mix ground beef, ravioli and pasta sauce
together. Season however you want –
maybe some extra garlic or Italian seasoning.
I like to top it with some cheese – maybe some parmesan or
mozzarella.
3
Tbsp olive oil
2 lb cubed beef stew meat (1 1/4")
1 med onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz beer (pale lager)
3 1/2 c beef broth
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
8 new potatoes (1 1/2"-2" diameter),
quartered
4 carrots, sliced diagonally
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Crusty bread (optional)
1.
Heat oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season beef. Working
in 2 batches, brown meat on all sides, 6 minutes. Remove to plate.
2.
Add onion to pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, until softened, 3
minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3.
Pour in beer. Add broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire, sugar, paprika, 1/2 tsp
kosher salt, and pepper to taste.
4.
Return beef to pot. Simmer until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
5.
Stir in potatoes and carrots. Simmer until vegetables are tender and meat is
very tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
6.
Remove 1 cup of liquid from pot and slowly whisk in flour. Stir back into pot
and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened, 10 minutes.
Season. Sprinkle with parsley (if using). Serve with bread, if desired.
