Beef Stroganoff w/Alexia Oven Roasted Fries; Foodbuzz FP Tastemaker Program

I think I've been in my woman cave, at least most of January. I can't believe that I could actually walk away from blogging with absolutely no inspiration for so long, but I guess that's what happens as I get older. It seems my patience and my attention span are all getting shorter. Nevertheless, I don't lose my cooking desire just my writing and posting. I think sometimes blogging is more of a chore and I don't think a lot of people realize just how hard it is to do. But anyway, I forgot that I signed up to receive a free frozen product by Alexia through Foodbuzz's Featured Publishers Tastemakers Program. So, when the mail guy knocked on the door with this big box for me, I was like..."what is this?!" Well, in the box was my free coupon to try one of their frozen items as well as this cute black apron! Foodbuzz is the best! Receiving that got me out of my funk and so when we went grocery shopping, we didn't forget to take the coupon like I do a lot! Bad part is I will leave the coupons hanging on the frig and walk right past it! LOL!


I chose the olive oil, rosemary, and garlic brand, because of how much I love herbs mixed with garlic. I wanted something to go with them but not a burger, something different, so I decided to use one of my boxes of Hamburger Helper Stroganoff mix. I altered the recipe a bit, but it always comes out tasting so good so I can't wait to share it with you.

Although the fries come coated with the oil, rosemary, and garlic, I went a little further by adding lemon/garlic pepper and dried parsley. I also coated them with some EVOO and sprinkled kosher salt over them just before roasting them in the oven.


This dinner idea might sound weird together, but hey....I think I made it gourmet-ish right? And, you can't beat good, tasty food. I had not tried Alexia's products before so I was anxious to see if I liked their fries. I'm a french fry freak! Give me a lifetime supply of french fries and I'm in Hog Heaven!

My hubby and I liked the fries, I could really taste the rosemary, it wasn't too overpowering although I probably wouldn't add as much when I make these from scratch. I did salt them a lot for my own taste cause I just felt they needed it. Hubby gave it his thumbs up, I could tell he really liked them cause he didn't talk much, he just ate!! The only negative thing I have to say is that these cost $3.79 a bag at my grocer as opposed to Publix's brand costing $2.79. It takes the whole bag to fill me and hubby so I don't believe I'll buy Alexia on our current budget. But, I do appreciate the free coupon to try them out and I'd recommend them if your budget allows and you don't have time to make them from scratch. So onto the recipes!

Beef Stroganoff recipe:
Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 boxes of Hamburger Helper Classic Stroganoff
about 5 c. of water
1 tbsp. butter
kosher salt
EVOO
garlic pepper
vidalia onion, chopped (about 1 tbsp.)

Preparation:
Coat a 10-inch skillet with EVOO and add the onions (I also added a just little butter too.). Saute them until translucent. Remove from the pan to save for the fries. Add beef and brown them in the skillet; drain any excess oil.

Boil water and butter to a rapid boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt. Then pour in the pasta, pasta mix from the 2 boxes, and the beef. Add a bit of EVOO and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil. Add a sprinkle of garlic pepper. Turn heat down and cover to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken nicely. You can turn the heat off, but keep it covered so it stays warm while you prepare the oven fries.

Alexia's Oven Fries with Rosemary, Garlic, & Herbs
Ingredients:
1 bag of Alexia's Oven Fries (Olive Oil, Rosemary, Garlic)
Dried parsley
Dried Italian Seasonings
Kosher salt
EVOO
garlic/lemon pepper
sauteed onions

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and add a pinch of EVOO (not a lot). Add fries and spread out on the pan. Sprinkle them with Italian herbs, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the sauteed onions (they will give the fries that extra flavor). Drizzle more EVOO on top of the fries and with your hands coat all the fries so they're evenly covered. Bake in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Plate everything and sprinkle with more parsley or maybe with grated Parmesan cheese. This meal was really good!!!

A big thank you to Foodbuzz and the Featured Publishers Tastemaker's Program!