This week, the Texas Beef council asked each of the Beef Bloggers to post a recipe that is a family favorite. And, since they are helping us to eat healthier and pack in the nutrients, they took a look at each of our recipes and gave us a few suggestions on what we could do better.

I chose to share Mushroom Swiss Steak, which is actually a $5 Dinners recipe featured in Dinner and Wine for $20 or Less, my ebook of 19 frugal (and tasty) meals that each can be made for $5 or less, paired with 94 delicious wines that are easy to find and cost $15 or less per bottle.

Lerin, a nutritionist with the Texas Beef Council, suggested I change the potatoes from the original recipe a touch. Here’s what she had to say about the original recipe:

I love this recipe and the round steak is a fantastic lean cut!

Also, another healthier option is serving with baked or steamed red potatoes instead of mashed potatoes. The skin on the red potatoes provides a lot of nutritional benefits, such as a good source of Vitamin B6 and Potassium, and a very good source of Vitamin C. (and with mashed potatoes people usually tend to add butter, sour cream, etc). Plus, the red potatoes would only need some seasoning for flavor without any added fat!

So here’s the modified recipe I used this week (and will use again!):

Mushroom Swiss Steak & Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1/2 an onion, sliced
• 5 garlic cloves
• 6 eye of round steaks
• dash of olive oil
• 1 4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
• 1 tsp tarragon
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Broccoli
• 6 Red Potatoes
• 1/4 cup milk (I admit it. I added this after Lerin saw the recipe. I was feeling rebellious.)

Directions

• Scrub the potatoes, cube and put in to a pot of water.

• Bring water to boil and keep it at a gentle roll until the potatoes are soft.

It usually takes about 20 minutes from placing the pot on the stove until the potatoes are soft enough to mash.

• Slice the onions.

I like to keep my onion slices big so that I can cook with them for the flavor, but my kids and husband can easily pick them out when it is time to eat.

• Peel and crush garlic.

I usually just take a big knife, set it on the garlic and pound it with my hand to crush the garlic. Then I usually chop it a bit, too.

• Clean and chop the broccoli.

• Brown steaks in large skillet in a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

The Texas Beef Council taught me to brown better. Here’s how:

Place your beef on the hot skillet and let it sit there, untouched, until the brown color rises up the sides. Once it reaches the top (on the sides), turn the beef to brown the other side for just a bit longer.

• Add crushed garlic and sliced onions and saute with the steaks for 4-5 minutes, or until onions become transparent.

• Add drained mushrooms and mix.

• In a small bowl, combine tomato paste with 2 cans of water.

• Pour tomato sauce over the steaks, onions and mushrooms.  Combine well. Stir in tarragon, salt and pepper.

• Once it starts to splatter, reduce heat to medium-low.

• Cover and cook for about 8 more minutes, or until steak has cooked through.

• Steam the broccoli.

• Drain the potatoes (when soft) and return them to the pot for mashing. Add milk, then salt and pepper to taste.

• Enjoy!!

I’ve had so much opening my kitchen to you and sharing new beef recipes and old ones, too, with the Spring Beef campaign. Here’s a link to more of the beef recipes I featured on MomsToolbox. I know I learned a few things about how healthy beef can be… and I loved reading the recipes on the other beef bloggers’ sites, as well.

The nine other Texas Beef Bloggers are:

• June Cleaver Nirvana
• Meal Planning Magic
• Mommy Upgrade
• My Baking Heart
• Screwed Up Texan
• The Nerd’s Wife
• A Closet Writer
• A Day in Motherhood

If you’ve been cooking along, which recipe worked out the best for your family? Or, if you haven’t started cooking these recipes yet, which ones are you most likely to try?

I was compensated for my participation in this promotion with the Texas Beef Council.