How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Stuffed Beef Round Steak Rolls (Diabetic Friendly)

These stuffed round steak rolls are easy to make and relatively inexpensive. The steaks make a great, special meal that won't break the bank, and the beef rolls also are nutritious. Round steak is leaner than many cuts of beef, and the filling includes lots of vegetables--mushrooms, spinach, and onion--and is low in "bad" carbohydrates. The beef rolls are great if you're on a diabetic diet or want to "eat healthy." I make the beef rolls in a skillet on the top of the stove, and they cook in a savory sauce until they are fork tender and incredibly delicious. You'll have plenty of sauce to accompany the beef rolls. We like the dish with polenta, farro, quinoa, or some sort of whole-grain alongside to soak up the sauce. Enjoy!

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Stuffed Beef Round Steak Rolls (Diabetic Friendly)

Stuffed Beef Round Steak Rolls (Diabetic Friendly) -- Serves 4

4 top round steak cutlets (thin-cut round steak)--about 16 ounces

Filling

2-3 teaspoons of canola oil

2/3 cup of chopped onion (1 small/medium onion)

1/3 cup of chopped celery

1/2 cup of shredded carrot

1/2 teaspoon of salt, divided

3 cups of water

1 tablespoon of reduced sodium beef base (I use "Better Than Bullion")

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 teaspoons of tomato paste

1 tablespoon of mustard (I use Austrian or German beer mustard from Aldi or Lidl)

2-3 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

2-3 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes

2 teaspoons of potato or cornstarch stirred into 1 tablespoon of water, optional

Chopped fresh parsley, optional

Lay the round steaks out flat on a large sheet of waxed paper. Cut eight pieces of kitchen/butcher's string, each 6-8-inches long. Prepare the filling and divide the filling evenly among the round steaks. Spread the filling out on each steak, leaving about 1/2-inch on the edges uncovered. Starting from the short end, roll each steak up, jellyroll-style. Take two pieces of the kitchen string and tie each roll in two places (about 2-inches apart) to keep the rolls intact and the filling inside. You want the string reasonably tight, but not squishing the beef rolls. You can clip the excess string, if you want.

Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan, and sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Saute the veggies for 5-8 minutes or until they soften a bit. Move the vegetables to the sides of the pan and add the beef rolls to the center. Brown the beef rolls on each side. This may take 8-10 minutes. Add to the pan the water, beef base, remaining salt, pepper, garlic powder, tomato paste, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dried parsley and gently stir everything together. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and partially cover the pan. Let the beef rolls simmer, stirring them periodically, for 60-75 minutes or until you can easily pierce them with a fork or knife, and the sauce has reduced by about half. You can thicken the sauce, if you'd like, by adding the potato starch or cornstarch mixture and stirring it into the liquid in the pan for a couple of minutes. Serve the beef rolls topped with the sauce and a sprinkle of parsley, if you'd like.

Filling

4 ounces of chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1 - 1 1/2 cups of fresh spinach (several handfuls), chopped

1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of pepper

2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese

1-2 tablespoons of cooked bacon crumbles, optional (the kind from the package is fine)

1 tablespoon of prepared mustard (I use Austrian or German beer mustard from Aldi or Lidl)

Put the mushrooms and onion in a large microwave safe bowl with a teaspoon or two of water and microwave them for about three minutes or until they soften a bit. Stir in the spinach until it wilts into the mushrooms and onions. Stir in the remaining ingredients until combined.

How to Make Easy, Inexpensive Stuffed Beef Round Steak Rolls (Diabetic Friendly)