Sunday Dinner: Crockpot Swiss Steak, Garlic and Dill Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans

It's currently freeze-agedden in West Michigan where we live. It's insane. Threats of wind chill in the negative 20s to 30s. Snow drifting like crazy. Schools already canceling. Grocery lines packed full of people who think the world is probably ending. So naturally, I'm not going outside. I'm going to find something for dinner that exists within these walls and make a killer dinner. 

Sundays are wonderful. They are filled with all of my favorite things; church, community, naps, and lounging. Could life be better? Probably not. So dinner cannot be a hassle. If so, it would defeat the purpose. So what's the easiest ever? 

The crockpot. Yeah anything in that little guy is gonna be easy. It's the perfect solution to a hassle free Sunday dinner. Not to mention we have a meat supply from part of a cow we bought in the fall that is still very much needing to be used (40ish pounds of beef of all kinds of cuts for two people sounds like a dream, but is hard to use quickly)! 

I guess the age old question of "what's for dinner" was answered by the ubiquitous, "beef, it's what's for dinner." 

So I scurried down in my nap clothes (aka pjs) to assemble a quick crockpot swiss steak. 

I thawed the meat and assembled the team - all things found from the pantry. A little flour, some parsley, celery, an onion, diced tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. 

I mixed the flour, parsley, salt and pepper together so that I could use that to dredge the steak. Later, I mixed the tomatoes, cream soup, a bit of leftover flour mix, and I did a splash of balsamic vinegar just because I can. 

I cut up an onion and put it in the bottom of the crockpot, then added the dredged steak on top of that, the celery next, cream soup tomato mixture next, added a bit more seasoning on top of all of that, set the crock to high, and took a nap. A good long nap. A Sunday nap. It was glorious. 

When I awoke from hibernation I got back to work for the rest of dinner. My potatoes were starting to grow so I thought I should probably use those up. I groomed and chopped up enough to feed all my neighbors.  

Growing spuds!!! 

And then I got some mashed potato accoutrements. Dried up garlicky seasoning, white pepper, dill weed, butter, cream cheese, salt, and milk. 

I added all the seasonings to the cream cheese, poured in a bit of milk, and whisked away. Actually, I ditched the whisk and went for the spoon. Whisk was crampin my style. 

Got the taters all boiled and ready to go. 

And mashed the heck out of em with butter, the cream cheese mixture, and milk. Oh and dashes of all the seasonings again (I like lots of flavor). 

Then I baked it with some pats of butter on top for just about 10/15 min on 350. 

And out came the most wonderful mashed potatoes that I've made. Probably to date. Good job me. Good job. 

As another quick side, I took some green beans from the costco gigantoid organic green beans bag and sautéed them with some olive oil, bragg's aminos, salt and pepper and then sprinkled them with slivered almonds. 

Almonds and bragg's makes beans amazing. 

Lastly, I went to the crockpot (after 5 hours on high) and pulled out super tender almost pull apart swiss steak with an awesome creamy tomato gravy. May not look like much, but it was tasty!! 

We invited our roommate and we went to town on this Sunday dinner. I even pulled out the fancy napkins. I won't tell you that I was wearing my pjs though, that's my secret. 

It really doesn't get much better than a heaping pile of potatoes, crisp green beans, and melt in your mouth steak and gravy with minimal effort. Mmmmmm. 

Make it a good Sunday!! 

Love, 

Food. 

Crockpot Swiss Steak 

1 pound, but next time I would use 2 pounds of swiss steak, cubed steak, or pounded beef round steak (for two pounds up the flour, parsley, salt and pepper only) 

1 can cream of mushroom

1 can diced tomatoes 

1 large yellow onion 

1 c. Chopped celery 

1 tbsp parsley 

1/3 c. Flour

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Salt

Pepper 

1. Cut up onion and put in bottom of crockpot 

2. Mix flour with parsley, salt, and pepper.

3. Dredge pieces of steak in flour mix (set aside any leftover flour mix)

4. Put dredged steak on top of onions in crockpot. 

5. Put celery on steak in crockpot. 

5. Mix tomatoes, soup, balsamic, and leftover flour mix. 

6. Add the soup mix on top of everything in crockpot. 

7. Add more seasonings if you want. 

8. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for longer; maybe 7 hours. 

Garlic Dill Mashed Potatoes 

2-2.5 pounds of potatoes (Yukon, redskin, etc) 

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 c. Milk 

1 tbsp dill weed 

1 tbsp dried garlic (can be adjusted or can use minced or powder. I used tastefully simple's garlic garlic seasoning) 

4 tbsp unsalted butter 

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp white pepper 

Preheat oven to 350 

1. Peel and chop up potatoes however you like them (skins, some skins, or no skins) 

2. Boil in salted water till soft. 

3. Combine softened cream cheese, garlic seasoning, pepper, salt, dill, and 1/4 c. milk

4. Mash 2 tbsp butter, cream cheese mixture, and the other 1/4 c. milk with potatoes till all mashed together. 

5. Taste and see if you need more seasoning. Probably salt or garlic or maybe dill if you ask me ;) 

6. Stick in oven with pats of butter (remaining 2 tbsp) on top. 

7. Bake for 10-15 min or longer. 

8. Serve. Enjoy. 

Almond Green Beans 

Frozen green beans 

Tbsp olive oil 

Tbsp (or more) bragg's aminos 

1/4 c. Slivered almonds

Sauté frozen green beans with olive oil and aminos till beans are cooked through. Add almonds toward end of cooking. Put in a cute bowl and serve!