Beef – It’s what’s for dinner… Ok, we’ve all heard this phrase before, right? And for many of us, it usually really is what’s for dinner. Whether your budget is more hamburger helper, or sirloin steak – beef is a staple in most families meal planning. But, there are a ton of misconceptions out there about cooking with beef. We get stuck in a rut of preparing and serving it in the same old ways week after week. We know we love it, but wonder if we should cut back, thinking it’s not the healthiest choice. Well, good thing for you {and me!} – I was recently part of a super cool campaign where I learned a ton about choosing, buying, storing, and preparing beef for our families. I can’t believe how much there was to learn – so I’m excited to share some cool new tips, tricks, info, and recipes with you lovely ladies too.

Tips on choosing and buying the best beef

When shopping the meat section of your local grocery store, it can be kind of overwhelming trying to choose the best buys. There are so many different cuts, grades, and types! So here are a few tips to help you:

1. Choose packages that are cold, tightly and completely wrapped with no tears or punctures.
2. Be sure the packages do not contain excessive liquid – this can be an indication of problems with temperature or storage.
3. Prime has the most marbeling – it’s usually sold to high-end restaurants, but is sometimes available at supermarkets. Choice cuts have a little less marbling, and are the most widely available. Select has the least amount of marbling, making it leaner and slightly less juicy and flavorful as the other two grades.
4. Choose steaks and roasts that are firm to the touch, not soft.
5. Choose packages of beef with a bright cherry-red color. Beef that’s been sealed in vacuum packed bags turns a more purplish-red color.

I didn’t know most of this – so I found it all super helpful. I do all of the grocery shopping in our house. And I was a vegetarian for years before I met Mike, so I’m not that skilled at choosing or cooking meat – and he is like the King of Meat & Potatoes, lol. I’m always so unsure of what to choose – but I feel way more confident choosing great stuff now. He’s going to be a happy man when I start coming home with amazing steaks more often…

 Make Steakhouse Steaks at Home

Ok, so now you know how to pick the best beef for dinner while shopping at the grocery. What do you do with it when you get home? Most of us either put it in the fridge to cook later that night, or toss it in the freezer for later. That’s fine, but why not learn a few tips on storing your beef – so that it’s ready to rock when you’re ready to follow the tips in the video above, and make your steakhouse style dinner….

• Pick up beef last, right before check out. And, to keep it from leaking on other groceries, grab a couple of those plastic produce bags to wrap them in before adding to your cart. Super helpful.
• You can freeze beef in it’s orgininal packaging for up to two weeks. If you need it frozen longer, figure out what meals you’ll be making, divide it into right-size portions and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil or freezer bags labeled with the date.
• Ground beef is more perishable than roasts or steaks – it needs to be used or frozen within a day or two of purchase.

Following these tips will make sure you don’t waste money on wasted meat, and make sure that whatever you serve is super safe. And – now that you know how to shop for beef, and how to store it properly when you get it home – you’re ready for grillin’ time!

Cooking with Beef

We looooove grillin’. I’m sure that if you’ve read my blog much over the summer, you’ve realized that about me, lol. And – what’s better for grilling than beef, right? You can get some great beef cooking tips on the Beef – It’s what’s for dinner website, and learn about other great ways to prepare it too, like pan or stir-frying, broiling or braising, and stewing and roasting. {Did you even realize there were so many ways to cook it? Awesome.} But for us, most of our beef is cooked on the grill. Since I had just learned all of this new info about beef, we invited some friends over for Labor Day Weekend, to celebrate the end of summer and show off my new skills. Check it out…

Labor Day Weekend BBQ with Beef on the Grill

The easiest way to get your dinner rockin’ is to make a marinade or rub – and they’re honestly really simple to do. You can make them from scratch, or buy some pre-made rubs or mixes at the supermarket. We tried out this new Dry BBQ Rub this weekend, and it rocked. For reals.

Love it, or what?

I hope you’ve learned some new tips along with me here. I’ll be sharing a few of the other great recipes I’ve tried out lately with you guys over the rest of the month – along with more simple tips, that are perfect for busy moms like us. And, for a few more helpful tips – check out this great infographic with 3 Simple Steps for Grilling Beef. Very cool. And, share your fave beef grilling tips or recipes with me in the comments! I love hearing your smart tips.

{Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a In Home Party campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and received product samples to facilitate my party and review, and a promotional item to thank me for participating.}

“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.” – Jim Davis… Some of you might remember that I lost quite a bit of weight on the Nutrisystem diet earlier this year. {20 pounds total – super exciting.} Once I went back to preparing my own meals again, I still tried to follow the structure for healthy eating that I learned during my Nutrisystem time, and have learned so much about eating healthier. I recently found a great new figure-friendly snack that I’m totally lovin’ – New York Style Bagel Crisps. And while I totally love ’em as just a pop in your mouth and eat on their own kinda snack, I thought they could also be a really great addition to some of my fave recipes too. Keep reading to learn more about why I’m super addicted to the crisps, and some creative ways to cook with them too…

New York Style Bagel Crisps Rock my Socks

These new crisps come in 4 varieties – I tried out the BBQ and the Sea Salt. I loved ’em so much on their own that I went out and bought more – one of each type – so that I could experiment a bit with them in the kitchen. Why do I love ’em? Well, let me count the ways…

• 50% Less Fat than Potato Chips: You can eat 16 of these bagel crisps for less than 5 grams of fat, and only 130 calories. Yes, there are some snacks that are even better for you, but when you’re in the mood for something salty, crunchy, and BBQ’y {is that a word?} – these are an amazingly better option for you than regular chips.
• Perfectly Crunchy: I hate bagel crisps that are too hard. I want crunch – but not chip-a-tooth crunchy, you know? But these have a perfect crunch – similar to a chip, just a bit more substantial. And unlike a chip, they are sturdy enough for dips and toppings.
• Whole Wheat: I love, love, LOVE that the first ingredient in these crisps is Wheat Flour. And yes, there are a few artificial ingredients in these babys {they don’t claim to be all natural or anything} – but the list is pretty darn short. And again,  amazingly better than most potato chips.

So now that you’re starting to fall in love with these crisps too, I’ll share some great recipes and ideas for using them in recipes, appetizers, and healthy snacks for you and the kids.

Creative Ideas for Cooking with Bagel Crisps

Since these New York Style Bagel Crisps have such a great crunch, I figured they’d be a great ingredient in some of my favorite casseroles. And I was right. {Am I ever wrong? Wait – don’t answer that…} My favorite was adding the Cheddar crisps into my cheesy breakfast casserole – added a great crunch by replacing my usual english muffins with these, and made it less fat. Love it. Get the recipe here:

Sounds super yummy, right? If you love cheesy casserole recipes, you’ll also love this one – Mexican Casserole, but replace the tortilla chips with the Cheddar Bagel Crisps too. Sooooo good! And of course – you can always enjoy these crisps on their own. Since they’re awesome for dipping – grab a few of the great dip recipes from their website to mix up for your next get together. I especially liked the Buffalo Chicken Dip. And, after trying that one and loooovin’ it, I was inspired to make it into a salad too. Get it here:

These little crisps are the perfect addition to your kids lunches this school season, or a great back to school snack after school. And they’re the perfect mom-on-the-go snacker too – throw a bag in your purse, so you have something super satisfying that’s still good for you, no matter how crazy your days get. You’re too smart to grab fast food and all it’s greasiness, right? These will fill you up, without filling you out.

Bagel Snack Star Sweepstakes

And you thought that this post couldn’t even get any better, I know. But to top it off – there’s also a super sweet giveaway for you to enter! New York Style Bagel Crisps is giving fans a chance to win a red carpet movie experience with their friends and family. So cool.

Grand Prize: One winner will have the chance to win a private VIP photographed and catered experience at their local movie theater. New York Style will rent out the theater for you to host the ultimate experience with 50 friends. The winner will also receive a gift card for a year supply ($500 worth) of movie tickets.

If you’re feeling super lucky today, make sure to enter to win all the other great prizes that I’m giving away this month – they’re all listed together in my sidebar. And make sure to follow New York Bagel Crisps on Facebook and Twitter, to stay updated on more fun new products and promotions!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of New York Style and received a product sample to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating. Photo Credit.}