Home (from college) for the Holidays

I just got off the phone with number one son, Connor and HE’S COMING HOME TOMORROW! We missed him over Thanksgiving, he decided to stay because of the loss of class time due to Hurricane Matthew. He goes to College in Savannah GA and was evacuated for two weeks. We had him unexpectedly for 10 days, but just wasn’t the same as home for Thanksgiving. This was his first adult decision….very weird time for Mom and Dad (All Day Ray).

All Day Ray and I were extremely proud of his decision, but missed him nonetheless. When he called to discuss his arrival plans, I asked him (of course) what he wanted me to make for his first dinner home.  He said “really anything you make will be a perfect welcome home”. So it got me thinking about when I would come home and my mother would always ask me the same thing. …My answer was always her “beef and pilaf” recipe.

So with great anticipation of Connor’s arrival tomorrow I would love to share MY favorite “Mom recipe upon arriving home for the Holidays” with all of you.

I make this for an army and if I don’t have one over, it makes great leftovers. A favorite of the whole household and to-go bags I make for neighbors.

• prep time 15 minutes
• cook time approximately 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 lbs of top round London Broil (you can use less expensive meat, just cook longer) chopped in bite size pieces
• 2 large green peppers roughly chopped
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 2 tbs butter
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 tbs garlic powder
• 4 tbs ground pepper (yes 4 tbs used on separate steps)
• 1 tbs salt
• 2 jars/cans of mushroom beef gravy (I’ll eventually get to making my own)
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbs Steak sauce (A1, Shulas, or something like those)

Melt butter and oil together in a large high sided saute pan or large shallow sauce pan. Add pepper and onions and sprinkle with garlic powder and 2 tbs of ground pepper. Saute about 5 minutes don’t let the veggies get too soft. Remove vegetables and put aside. You now have a great tasty oil/butter mix to brown the meat.

Salt and pepper the meat in batches and Saute in batches as well. This way they get nice and brown and not gray (or steam).

When all of the meat is brown, put everyone back in the pool together (meat, onions and peppers). Now add Worcestershire and Steak sauce. Cook on Medium high for 5 minutes. Now add one jar of your gravy (the other is used to get to your correct consistency).

Cover and reduce to simmer/low for 30 minutes. Check your consistency and taste. Add water or additional gravy depending on how you like it. Season to taste. Cook until meat is fork tender about 1 1/2 hours. Serve over  ‘Out of the box’ Rice Pilaf.