Beef, Peppers and Onions

 

From that absolutely gorgeous chuck roast I used to make pot roast dinner for the two of us, there was plenty left over to turn it into what I lovingly refer to as my "left over, make over meals." Beef, peppers and onions. Served over a bed of white rice this become another complete meal at very little cost. Utilizing the left over pot roast and the luscious gravy all you need is the pepper, the onion and rice and chicken broth if you make my rice recipe. Follow the link for the rice recipe right here on my blog.
When my gravy sets up in the refrigerator it becomes thick and all I do is use a few splashes of water to help reconstitute it when I need to reheat it. The flavors all blend together so well and there are no exact ratios in this dish which makes it super simple. I used a green pepper because I like its flavor in this recipe and it is generally the least expensive of the bell peppers. Also I had some beautiful crimini mushrooms and decided to add them in as well creating a nice earthy tone to the dish. You can leave them out if you wish.

• left over pot roast (you could also use roast beef)
• left over beef gravy
• water
• 1 large pepper (Find a nice firm very large pepper.)
• 1 very large sweet onion
• 6 good sized crimini mushrooms
• salt to taste
• black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. regular olive oil

1. Cut up the left over beef into bite size cubes.
2. De-seed the pepper, remove the white veins and cut into medium to large sized chunks.
3. The onion: use a little more than two thirds of the onion for the dish and you can cut that into medium to large chunks. Cut the rest of the onion into a small dice for the RICE.
4. If using the mushrooms clean them with a paper towel, remove the stems and slice them.
5. In a large skillet over medium heat heat the olive oil. Turn the skillet down to medium low and add in the chunks of onion with a pinch of salt. The salt will help the onion bring out its natural juice.
6. Add the chunks of pepper to the pan along with another little pinch of salt and some black pepper. Stir and cook the onions and peppers for about 6-8 minutes until they begin to soften.
7. Next, add in the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. Add in the gravy with a splash of water if needed and mix.
9. Finally add in the beef chunks and cook on low for about 20 minutes or longer for the flavors to blend together.

When I add up the cost of the rice ($1.86 to make), the mushroom, onion and pepper used to make this my total cost was a mere $4.22. Simply a great way to use left over beef and gravy at very little cost. And you end up with a very tasty make over meal your family will enjoy. If you decide not to use the mushrooms you knock off $1.14 from the total cost. One more quick note - I always cook my white rice in chicken broth because it adds flavor. Should you prefer to cook with water to make the rice then you eliminate the cost of the rice dish by 85¢.

And finally, this recipe works well with the flavor of the pepper and onion but do not feel limited to that. If you have another left over vegetable, say carrots, peas or green beans let them come to the party in the pot as well!