Taco Casserole

Taco Casserole

Notes: This was really good! Brandon really liked it. I think next time I wouldn't even bother baking it. The chips on the bottom just got chewy instead of crunchy, so next time, I would just heat it up on the stove and put it over chips. I left out the tomato and cheese to please our picky-ness. I would maybe drain half of the beans (we used red beans) if I don't bake it.

1 lb. ground beef
1 can. chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 8oz. tomato sauce
2 tbsp Old El Paso taco sauce, picante sauce or salsa
2 to 4 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 c. coarsely broken tortilla chips
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 c.)
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 c.)
1 c. shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese

Heat oven to 350. In a 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in beans, tomato sauce, taco sauce, chili powder and garlic powder. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

In ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole, place tortilla chips. Top with beef mixture. Sprinkle with onions, tomato and cheese.

Bake uncovered 20 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Arrange additional tortilla chips around edge of casserole if desired.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

Baked Meatballs

Baked Meatballs - from Quick and Healthy

Note: Good! Mom makes these often. She turns the recipe into meatloaf and grills for 30 mins.

2 lbs. extra lean ground beef or turkey
1/2 c. egg substitute (equal to 2 eggs)
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 c. oatmeal or cracker meal or oat bran
1 c. skim milk
1 tsp salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls. Arrange on two baking sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick coating. Bake for 12 minutes or until done. Freeze 12 to a pack.

Homemade Sausage

Homemade Sausage from Lean Ground Beef or Turkey (from here).

1 pound of ground turkey or very lean ground beef

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 teaspoon of cumin

1/2 teaspoon of sage

1/4 teaspoon of basil

1/4 teaspoon of oregano

I just added it to the pan as the meat was browning. It was realllllly good! I'd maybe cut the salt down a little bit. Between the salt in the sausage and the salt in the gravy, breakfast was a little salty. I also didn't have sage, so I just left it out.

Enchilada Pie from Healthy Cooking Magazine

1 pkg. (12 oz.) frozen vegetarian meat crumbles *A
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper *B
2 tsp. canola oil
1 can (16 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained *C
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 whole wheat tortillas (8 in.)
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

1. Cut three 25-in. x 3-in. strips of heavy duty foil; crisscross so they resemble spokes of a wheel. Place strips on the bottom and up the sides of a 5-qt. slow cooker. Coat strips with cooking spray. (I didn't do this)

2. In a saucepan, cook meat crumbles, onion & green pepper in oil until vegetables are tender. Stir in both cans of beans, tomatoes, water, chili powder, cumin & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3. In slow cooker, layer about 3/4 cup bean mixture, one tortilla & 1/3 cup cheese. Repeat layers five times. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until heated through.

4. Using foil strips as handles, remove the pie to a platter. (I didn't do the foil, but with the cheese as part of each layer it stayed together pretty well anyway.)

Yields 8 servings, 367 calories, 11 grams of fat per ingredients above.

*A - I used 1 lb. ground beef
*B - used banana peppers because that's what I had in the freezer
*C - used 1 - 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes & 1 - 4 oz. can of diced green chilies

Notes: This was good, but I felt it needed a bit more sauce than the diced tomatoes & chilies provided. I would probably use a can of enchilada sauce and divide between the layers. With that said, the spices could probably be eliminated.

Simple Sloppy Joes

Simple Sloppy Joes

Notes: I love this recipe. It's better than any mix I've ever had.

2 lbs. ground beef (I almost never put this much in.)
1 large onion (I also usually don't put this much in since I precook my beef with onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 6oz can tomato paste
1/2 c. ketchup
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
buns, bread, etc.

In a skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce and paste, ketchup, brown sugar and soy sauce; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon about 1/2 c. meat mixture onto each bun.

Cheeseburger Soup - from Joan

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
4 tbsp. butter or margarine, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes
1/4 cup all purpose flour
8 oz. processed American Cheese, cubed (I substituted 2% shredded mild cheddar)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef; drain and set aside. In same saucepan, saute onions, carrots, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour, cook and stir 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt & pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend in sour cream.

Crockpot Hamburger Soup

Crockpot Hamburger Soup

- 10/9/2010: This was DELICIOUS and SO EASY (especially since I cook my ground beef and freeze it). I didn't add the diced tomatoes for obvious reasons, and I halved the recipe. I also only cooked it for 6 hours and added the green beans and potatoes a couple of hours before we were going to eat it. I think you could use real potatoes and just put them in from the start if you wanted too, but the canned ones worked just fine and were yummy. I really enjoyed it.

* 1 whole Onion, Chopped
* 2 pounds Hamburg, Fried
* 3 cans (14 Oz. Can) Beef Broth
* 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Kidney Beans
* 2 cans (8 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
* 1 can 28 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
* 2 teaspoons Dried Parsley
* 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
* ½ teaspoons Thyme
* ¼ teaspoons Pepper
* ½ teaspoons Salt
* 1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
* 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Diced Potatoes
* 1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Green Beans, Diced Or String

Add all ingredients to a crock pot, except the potatoes and green beans. Cook on low for about 6 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes or so.

After the 6 hours, add the diced potatoes (drained) and the green beans (drained), and cook for another 2 hours on low.

Serve with crackers or bread, whichever you prefer. The spices in this recipe complement the ground beef, and it is really good. Believe me, before I tried, I never thought a soup made with ground beef would have any flavor.

From: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/main-courses/crockpot-hamburger-soup/

Skillet Tacos

Skillet Tacos

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 small red onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 10 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch pieces (I use my pizza cutter to do this)
* 1 bottle (8 ounces) taco sauce (I used mild)
* 1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Rinse frozen corn in a colander with warm water and drain.
3. Add the drained corn, taco sauce, and 1 cup cheese to meat until well mixed.
4. Mix in tortilla pieces and heat through.
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serves 5-6

Baked Meatballs

2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup egg substitute or 2 eggs
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 cup oatmeal, cracker meal, or oat bran
1 cup skim milk
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Shape in 1 1/2 inch balls. (Lg scoop from Pampered Chef works great). Arrange on two baking sheets that have been sprayed with non-stick coating. Bake for 12 minutes or until done.