I wanted to share a really delicious recipe for using up leftovers with you today. Beef Pinwheels with Gravy. Its a really simple dish to make and a real family pleaser.
Let it be noted you can make this same recipe with any kind of leftover meat or poultry and gravy. I have even made it with cooked fish with a white sauce as a gravy.
My mother always told me I was the Queen of Leftovers. I guess I have always been able to turn what is leftover from a dinner, no matter the dinner, into another delicious meal.
Its just what I do. I have always hated waste and try to use up everything that I can. It really irks me if I have to throw any kind of food away! Especially when there are people in the world that go hungry every day on a regular basis.
This is a really simple way to make a little bit of protein go further. Although today I made the recipe specifically to feed just two or three people, I have also given quantities so that you can make the same dish for 4 to 6 people (depending on appetites.)
You can also use this recipe if you don't have any leftovers by browning ground beef, turkey, lamb, chicken or pork in the same quantities and utilizing the gravy recipe I shared yesterday.
If you are a vegetarian, you can substitute your favorite vegetarian meat substitute for the meat shown here. Soy mince, etc. all work fine and as I said if you are a pescatarian, you can use cooked fish.
Tuna and salmon are especially good. In that case I would also add a bit of minced bell pepper to the fish. Use a cream sauce, or basic béchamel in that case.
You can even use leftover cooked vegetables. That is how very versatile this recipe truly is.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE BEEF PINWHEELS WITH GRAVY
Its a great way to use up any leftovers you might have from your roast dinner. Cooked meat/poultry and gravy.
For the filling:
- finely chopped cooked meat
- grated onion
- salt & pepper
- parsley flakes
- gravy
- Worcestershire sauce
For the crust:
- all purpose plain flour
- baking powder
- salt
- butter
- milk
So you can see there is nothing extraordinary used here! This is the type of recipe that kept homemakers going, staying within budgets and feeding their families economically for years! Yes, simple old fashioned tastiness!
HOW TO MAKE BEEF PINWHEELS WITH GRAVY
These are so simple to make, even a child could create them. It is composed of a simple biscuit dough, spread with a meat filling, rolled up, sliced, baked and then served hot with gravy!
To make the biscuit dough, simply sift the dry ingredients into a bowl, then drop in the butter. Cut the butter in using a pastry blender or two round bladed knives until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
Stir in the milk using a fork until you have a soft dough, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times before patting out to a rectangle.
Don't pat it out too thinly or you risk tearing your dough when you go to roll it.
Making the filling is also very easy to do. Just mince your beef/protein into tiny pieces and then mix them together with the grated onion, a small quantity of gravy to bind, some seasoning and Worcestershire sauce.
You could add cheese if you wanted to, or even chopped olives, peppers, etc. Its all about what you and your family enjoy eating!
You want your filling to be moist but you don't want it to be soggy, so do use caution when adding anything liquid to the mix. You also don't want your meat shredded, so do chop as much as you can.
Spread the filling out on the patted out dough to cover it from end to end and edge to edge. You then need to roll it up as tightly as you can, just like you are making a jelly roll, pinching the edges closed.
You will need a sharp knife to cut the roll into slices crosswise. You can also use dental floss if you have it. It gives you a nice clean edge.
Once you have it all sliced you need to pop the slices, cut side down into a buttered baking dish. I apologize for using an old tinfoil plate.
When I was in the UK, I had tons of resources when it came to using dishes for baking and for presentation for that matter, and a lovely sunny window right next to my dining room table for taking photographs.
I don't have all of those resources here in Canada. I am slowly building things up again. I try hard not to think about what I had to leave behind.
There is nothing to be gained from that. Instead I am moving forward with gratitude for just what I do have and using what I do have.
Unfortunately that means that occasionally you will see me using a tin pie plate leftover from a frozen pie, or the same dishes over and over again. I know that those of you who have taken this difficult journey with me will forgive me of that.
I am grateful for each and every one of you and all the support and help you gave me. Its hard to believe that a year has passed since I had to make that very difficult decision and journey now.
I could have never predicted just how well I would be doing just a year on from that sad, sad time! I am blessed!
Anyways, back to the Pinwheels. I do hope you will be inspired to want to try them, whether you make the smaller version, or the larger version.
Whether you use beef, or chicken or pork, lamb or fish, or even vegetables.
I do so hope that you enjoy the end results as much as we always have. Its a tried and true family favorite and a great way to use things up and stretch the budget without anyone feeling hard done by or deprived!
Beef Pinwheels with Gravy
Yield: 2 - 3
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 30 Min
These tasty beef filled swirls are an excellent way to use some of the leftovers from your Sunday dinner. Don't have beef? Why not try it with chicken or turkey? Lamb and pork would also work well. They are quite simply delicious. See recipe notes to double quantities to feed more.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250g) finely chopped cooked beef
- 1/4 cup (60g) leftover gravy
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 TBS finely grated onion
- black pepper to taste
- splash of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup (140g) all purpose plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBS cold butter
- 1/3 cup (80ml) milk
- Extra gravy, heated
- your favorite vegetables to serve on the side
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/ 230*C/ gas mark 7. Have ready a small pie dish that is well buttered.
- To make the filling, mash all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. If you think it is a bit dry, you can add a bit more gravy or some mayonnaise. Its your choice. You want a moist filling, but not soggy.
- To make the crust sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Drop in the butter. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blended or two round bladed knifes until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.
- Stir in the milk, using a fork to make a soft dough. Tip out onto a floured board and knead gently a few times to bring it all together and then lightly pat out to a rectangle that is roughly 4 by six inches in size. (Don't make it too thin of the filling will break through)
- Spread the meat filling evenly over top of the dough. Roll the dough up tightly as for cinnamon rolls from the long edge. Cut the roll crosswise into 6 1-inch thick slices. Place the slices cut side down into the prepared pie tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes until risen and golden brown and the meat filling has heated through.
- Serve hot with extra gravy for spooning over top and your favorite vegetable on the side.
Notes:
To double up and feed six.
Quantities for the dough: 2 cups flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 4 TBS butter, 3/4 cup milk
Quantities for the filling: 2 cups minced beef, 1/2 cup gravy, 2 TBS grated onion, Worcestershire sauce to taste, black pepper to taste.
With almost 5000 recipes here in The English Kitchen, one might think that I am running out of delicious things to share with you. Nothing could be further than the truth.
I have barely scratched the tip of the proverbial iceberg here! Aren't we lucky to be living in a society where we have so many choices available of things to cook and to eat.
I try always to make my posts fresh and interesting. I also try to word them in such a way as those who are not so knowledgeable in the ways of cooking can learn and improve their existing skills.
I have a daughter who is learning challenged, so I always try to write my recipes in a way that she can understand and follow. So far so good!
I also try to always share recipes that I think people will enjoy and that work out, or at least they have worked for me. I do all the testing so that you don't have to. Everything else is down to the matter of taste.
One thing which people really struggle with is making a good gravy. Its either lumpy, or too thin. Too thick, or lacking in taste. Or maybe even too salty.
Many resort to a packaged mix or a jar of gravy powder rather than to risk making their own. I thought it would be fun today to show you how to make a delicious gravy from scratch without using a mix or a powder, but simply the pan juices from your roasted meat or poultry.
What's nice about this version is you don't even need any pan juices. If you are lacking in them completely or even just want gravy for any reason, you can still have it.
MY sister makes the best gravy on the planet. I used to faff about with shaking flour in a jar myself, and would end up with a fairly decent gravy, but it was also a bit hit and miss from time to time.
Using my sister's method, you can be assured of perfect and flavor filled gravy every time you need a gravy. And you don't even need any pan juices, and what's more, it is quick and easy to make, using only a very few ingredients and a very few simple steps.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE A PERFECT GRAVY FROM SCRATCH
- stock or pan juices from the roast
- unsalted butter
- flour
- onion and garlic powder (not salt)
- seasoning
If you have no pan juices feel free to use stock or bouillon cubes. If you don't have enough pan juices, then add boiling water and stock or bouillon cubes to make up the full amount.
I used unsalted butter because stock or bouillon cubes can sometimes be a bit on the salty side. I would rather make the gravy, taste it and then add seasoning if it is needed.
It is much easier to add more salt if you need it, than it is to remove too much salt once its been added!
HOW TO MAKE PERFECT GRAVY FROM SCRATCH
You will want to begin with your pan juices if you have any. Strain them through a sieve into a glass measuring cup. You will need approximately 2 1/4 cups.
Straining it through a sieve removes any solids or unwanted particles. You can press the ingredients left in the sieve with a wooden spoon to extract as much flavor from them as possible.
If you don't have enough liquid, you can add stock to make up the full amount, and if you have no pan juices at all, you can use all stock or bouillon, reconstituted from stock cubes, etc.
I like to use a mixture of beef and chicken for a really nice flavored all purpose gravy, however if I am serving it with poultry or with beef, I use chicken or beef stock/bouillon cubes, depending.
Let it be noted you get more flavor from the cubes than from the cartons of stock. Once you have the right amount of stock, set it aside.
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan until it begins to foam. You will need 2 TBS of butter and an equal amount of flour. (If I have fat drippings from the roast or chicken, I will sometimes use that instead of butter.)
Once the butter has melted, add the flour as well as the onion and garlic powders. You don't have to use the onion and garlic powders, but I find they add a lovely flavor.
Stir the flour completely into the melted butter until smooth. This is called making a roux and is the basis for many sauces, including béchamel sauce which is the most commonly used of all sauces.
Make sure you stir the flour completely into the melted butter until there are no lumps and it has completely dissolved. Cook it for a further two minutes to cook out any flour taste.
If you are really confident you can cook it until the flour starts to brown a bit, but that's really not necessary, and there is always a risk that you will burn it.
I like to use hot pan juices or stock. This shortens the time of cooking the gravy considerably. Once you have your roux made you will need to start adding your stock/bouillon.
I begin by whisking in half of it until smooth and then I whisk in the remainder. When you add the first half the gravy will already begin to thicken (if you have used hot stock), but it will thin as you add the remainder of the stock.
Continue to cook the gravy, whisking/stirring constantly until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken.
This is when you end up with gravy. Add your black pepper and then simmer it for a few minutes to help the flavors really develop and then taste it.
You may or may not need additional salt, depending on the strength of your stock or your pan drippings. I find that I often don't need to add any additional salt at all.
Some stock cubes are much saltier than others and a lot depends on how much you salted your meat if you are using meat drippings.
Your gravy is now ready to pour into a sauce or gravy boat and take to the table, ready to be spooned over mashed potatoes, meat, chicken, whatever it is that you enjoy gravy on!
This also makes a great poutine sauce, if you use equal amounts of beef and chicken stock, and plenty of pepper.
ON this particular day I had roasted a small roast of beef. I had cooked it, on a bed of sliced onion, tightly covered in foil, in the oven with a bit of stock for an hour or so and then added some vegetables and cooked it for an hour or so longer.
The onion and vegetables added some nice flavors to the pan juices, and I only needed to add a very little bit of extra stock to the strained juices at the end.
I used the back of a wooden spoon to really press all of the flavor out of the strained bits into the juices in the measuring cup. This really gave them a nice onion flavor.
Sometimes I will add a carrot to the strained bits or a bit of turnip and press really hard to puree them through the bottom of the sieve, scraping the puree into the pan juices. This REALLY adds some nice flavors. But it is a personal choice and not necessary.
Over these next weeks, with the American Thanksgiving coming up as well as Christmas I am going to be trying to cover as many basics as I can as far as holiday meals and cooking goes. This is just the first post of some of the basics.
I like to think that we are never too old to learn something new, or improve upon old skills, don't you??
Simple Gravy
Yield: 6
Cook time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min
This adaptable recipe allows you to make gravy for any kind of roasted meats, even if you don't have any drippings. Its deliciously simple!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups (540ml) of warm pan juices or stock (you can use beef, chicken or a combination of both) (If using pan juices top up with warm stock to make the required amount.)
- 4 TBS unsalted butter
- 4 TBS all purpose plain flour
- 1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powders (not salt)
- freshly ground black pepper
- fine sea salt (as needed)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. (If you have fat drippings from the meat you can use them, either chicken or beef.) Add the flour along with the onion and garlic powders. Whisk well together to make a roux. Cook, whisking continuously, for about 2 minutes to cook out any flour taste.
- Slowly whisk in half of the stock, whisking constantly. Once that has amalgamated (It will be thick already) whisk in the remainder of the stock.
- Cook, stirring, for about 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Simmer for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as required with pepper and salt. (Depending on your stock you may not need any salt.)
- Pour into a gravy boat and serve hot! Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator.
I love Baked Potatoes, or Jacket potatoes as they are lovingly referred to in the UK. I love that name. The idea of my favorite vegetable wearing a jacket greatly appeals to me.
I also love Cauliflower Cheese. As a main dish or as a scrummy side dish, this always pleases me.
Today I am presenting two of my favorite things, jacket potatoes and cauliflower cheese in another of my favorite things . . . Stuffed Baked Potatoes, or Twice Baked Potatoes as they are also known.
Twice Baked Cauliflower Cheese Potatoes. Let me tell you, it doesn't get much better than this!! These are fabulously tasty!
Nigel Slater is one of my favorite British Cooks. I read his book Toast, which is autobiographical and I have also watched all of his television series. He cooks the way I want to eat.
There is nothing pretentious about any of his cooking. Simple good food, prepared simply, with optimum flavors. He often poaches his cauliflower in milk to use in dishes like this one.
Lets face it, it only makes sense to do so. That way you are infusing the cauliflower with milk and you are infusing the milk with cauliflower. Twice the flavor in each!
He's simply a culinary genius I think.
Many people these days substitute cauliflower for potato, making faux mash, using cauliflower or a mix of cauliflower in an attempt to cut the carbs or make a recipe keto friendly.
Whatever the reason it is a fact that potatoes and cauliflower go together like peas and, well, carrots!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE TWICE BAKED CAULIFLOWER CHEESE POTATOES
Its simple really. There is nothing complicated or outrageous here.
- 2 large baking potatoes
- 1/2 small head of cauliflower
- salt, pepper, nutmeg
- 1 bay leaf
- a quantity of full fat milk
- grated Parmesan cheese
- grated strong cheddar cheese
HOW TO BAKE A POTATO
Baking potatoes is one of the easiest things to do. If you can bake a potato, you will never run out of delicious meal options.
You want to start with a potato that is suitable for baking. This means you will want a high starch potato like a King Edward (in the UK) or a Russet in North America.
Mild in flavor these are the type of potato that tend to fall apart easily when cooking. Their light, mealy texture makes them perfect for mashing and for use as a jacket potato.
Also they have lovely thick skins, which make for the perfect case! I adore potato skins!
I love my baked potatoes to have crisp skins and so I never wrap them when I am baking them in the oven. Simply scrub them really well, dry them off and prick them in a few places with a fork.
Pricking them helps to prevent them from exploding in the oven and creating a mess. (Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt!) I also like to rub the skins with a bit of butter or oil and dust with a bit of salt.
Then its as simple as throwing them right into the oven, placing them directly on the oven rack. That way the air can really circulate around them, making for a lovely crisp skin and cutting down a bit on the bake time.
The potatoes are done when you apply gentle pressure to the outsides and you can feel them yield on the inside. The tip of a knife should also slip easily into them.
HOW TO MAKE TWICE BAKED CAULIFLOWER CHEESE POTATOES
Its very simple really. I have already told you how to bake a potato, and so all you really need to know now is how to cook the cauliflower. I have taken a note from Nigel's book here and gently poached the cauliflower in milk.
I have chosen to use whole, or full fat milk as it gives the best flavor and lends a special richness to the dish. You will need 1/2 of a small head of cauliflower, broken into florets.
Pop the cauliflower into a saucepan and cover it with the milk. I add a broken bay leaf. Breaking the bay leaf releases its natural oils and flavors.
Be careful when heating the milk. Milk doubles in volume when it boils. I don't boil the milk, but instead bring it just to the point of boil. You will know when it has reached that as there will be bubbles all around the edge of your saucepan and the milk will be steaming.
Reduce to a low simmer immediately and then gently simmer/poach the cauliflower until it is tender. This will take about 20 minutes.
When your potatoes are done, cut them in half horizontally and scoop all of the flesh out into a bowl, keeping the potato skins intact. Add some butter and seasoning to the bowl. I use salt, pepper and a bit of grated nutmeg. Nutmeg goes very well with potatoes, cauliflower and milk.
Mash that all together, using some of the milk from the poached cauliflower. Yum. Yum. You can then add the poached cauliflower and mash it in a bit. I like to leave it with a bit of texture.
This mixture then gets piled back into the empty potato skins, and pop them into a baking dish. Mix together two grated cheeses, Parmesan and a nice strong Cheddar.
Scatter this over top of the filled potatoes and return to the hot oven to bake for a further 15 minutes or so. Until everything is heated nicely through and the cheese has melted and is beginning to gild a golden brown in spots.
Toute finis! That's it. Your Twice Baked Cauliflower Cheese Potatoes are done and ready to serve. You can serve them all on their own as I have done, simply with a salad on the side.
Or you can serve them as a side dish for something more substantial. These also make a great main meal vegetarian option!
They truly are delicious. I hope you will be inspired to try them. If you like baked potatoes, and you like cauliflower and cheese, you are sure to LOVE these!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Twice Baked Cauliflower Cheese Potatoes
Yield: 2
Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 20 M
These are quite simply delicious. A fabulous way to get in a few of your five a day. Served with a salad on the side they make a wonderful light supper.
Ingredients
- 2 large baking potatoes (such as russets)
- olive oil and salt
- 1/2 of a small head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) milk
- 1 bay leaf, broken in half
- 2 TBS butter
- salt and black pepper to taste
- pinch of nutmeg
- 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 TBS grated strong cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.
- Scrub your potatoes really well and dry. Prick them with a fork in a few places. Rub with some oil as well as some fine sea salt. Place into the preheated oven direction on the oven rack.
- Roast for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the potatoes yield when lightly pressed. (The timing depends on the size of your potatoes.)
- While the potatoes are baking, put the cauliflower florets into a saucepan and cover with the milk. Add the broken bay leaf. Heat almost to the boil over medium heat. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook until the cauliflower is tender. (about 20 minutes)
- Cut the baked potatoes in half horizontally through the middle. Using a spoon scrape the flesh into a bowl, leaving the skins intact. Add the butter, salt and pepper to taste, a pinch of nutmeg, and some of the milk used to cook the cauliflower and mash. Add the cooked cauliflower and mash a bit more. I like to leave the cauliflower with a bit of texture.
- Pile this mixture back into the potato skins and pop them into a baking dish.
- Mix together both cheeses and sprinkle them generously over top of the potatoes. (You can use more cheese if you want, it depends on how cheesy you like them.)
- Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 to 20 minutes until the skins are crisp and the cheese has melted and started to gild golden brown.
- Serve immediately.
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