Easy Entertaining

I think I may have found one of the easiest meals for entertaining (besides pasta)! In the past I have cooked the big turkey dinner, complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and all the fixings. It may be delicious when it's all said and done, but the prep work is just too stressful! Your guests begin to arrive and you can't even enjoy yourself because you're still slaving over the stove! I put together a quick, but tasty menu to impress your guests, and cut back on your stress. London Broil isn't known for being the best cut of beef. It can typically be tough and dry, but with the right marinade, it will melt in your mouth. I found this marinade recipe on Allrecipes.com, which is one of my go-to websites when I need a new recipe. I have used this marinade for London Broil a few times now, and I absolutely love it! But before you start "marinading", you have to get your hands on a good meat tenderizer. I have the blade-style tenderizer, which cuts hundreds of "mini-slits" in the meat so all of your marinade can soak right in. The tenderizer also helps break down the fibers of the meat, preventing it from becoming chewy and tough. The combination of the tenderizer and this marinade makes the meat so tender, you might even think you're eating filet mignon. The side dish to accompany the London Broil is super simple, and no, it's not baked potatoes. It's Vidalia Onions with Bacon Butter. Isn't everything better with bacon? The onions are stuffed with a bacon, butter, and bleu cheese filling, and individually wrapped in foil packets. I'm not an onion-lover, but I could easily eat a whole one of these! The heat of the grill really brings out the sweetness of the onions. Believe me, it tastes even better than it sounds! I also made green beans to go along with this meal, but any veggie will do! Now you can entertain and enjoy yourself at the same time! What a fun concept!

The Best London Broil

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 (2 pound) London Broil 

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together garlic, soy sauce, oil, ketchup, oregano, and black pepper. Pierce meat with a tenderizer (or a sharp fork) on both sides. Place meat and marinade in a large resealable plastic bag. Refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place steak on the grill, and discard marinade. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes per side, depending on thickness. Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

Alissa's notes: Be sure to let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting. This helps the juices reabsorb throughout the meat. If you cut into meat right after it's finished cooking, all the juices run out and you're left with a dry piece of meat. Yuck!

Grilled Vidalia Onions with Bacon Butter (recipe courtesy The Neely's)

Ingredients

• 4 large Vidalia onions
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves

Directions

Special equipment: Heavy duty aluminum foil

Preheat grill to medium heat.

Cut onion top and "backtail" so onion can sit flat. Peel the onion. Using a parking knife cut a hollow cone-like shape into the center of the onion making sure not to go all the way to the bottom. Salt and pepper the cavity. Place onions on individual squares of heavy duty aluminum foil.

Add the butter, bacon, blue cheese, and thyme to a bowl and mix until well combined. Add large dollops of the butter to each cavity of the onions. Fold the aluminum foil all around the onion, gathering at the top and sealing to create a tent.

Place on the grill over direct heat and cover the grill. Cook for 30 minutes until onions are soft. Let cool for 5 minutes before opening the foil packet and serving.

Alissa's notes: The only alteration I made to this recipe was using dried thyme instead of fresh. I only used a sprinkle of thyme, because I wanted the bleu cheese and bacon flavors to really stand out. I think you are really going to love these, and they look so cute in their own little foil packets. (My dad says they look like Hershey Kisses, and they do!)

By the way, this is the meat tenderizer I use and love. It's the Deni 56-blade meat 
tenderizer. It's great for chicken, too! I literally use it EVERY time I make beef or chicken!


You can find it on QVC:
http://www.qvc.com/Deni-56-Blade-Meat-Tenderizer-Search-Results.product.K8232.html?sc=K8232-SRCH&cm_sp=VIEWPOSITION-_-1-_-K8232&catentryImage=http://images-p.qvc.com/is/image/k/32/k8232.001?$uslarge$