Southwest Skillet

I don't usually like to use condensced soups but I am a fan of one pot meals and this one was pretty tasty.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 can (14 oz) peeled whole tomatoes
• 1 can (10.75 oz) condensed beefy mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch sliced green onions, including tops
• 7-14 ice berg lettuce leaves

Method:

In large skillet with a lid, brown beef with chopped onion, minced garlic and chili powder until onions are transparent and meat is cooked through; drain excess fat.

Add tomatoes with their juice, chop/crush tomatoes into small pieces. Stir in beefy mushroom soup, use water to rinse out cans and add to mixture; add kidney beans. Stir to mix ingredients; cover and bring mixture to a boil, cooking 10 minutes (stir occasionally during 10 minutes).

Add instant brown rice, remove from heat, stir, cover and allow to stand 5-10 minutes.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and sliced green onions. Serve as a casserole with tortilla chips, over torn lettuce as a salad, or rolled in lettuce leaves as a wrap.

Notes: Filling is great with tortilla chips or wrapped up in lettuce. Nutrition analysis does not include tortilla chips, but does include all other ingredients. Serves 6-7

Stuffed Shells

My Mom's recipe

24 jumbo shells
1 lb. ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce or 26 oz. homemade spaghetti sauce
1/4 c. water
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese spread(chives and onions)
1 egg
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1 1/2 c. 5 cheese Italian blend

Boil shells till al dente. Remove and separate. Cook ground beef. Mix sauce and water together. Pour 1 c. in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Mix cream cheese, egg, parmesan and 1 c. of the Italian cheese blend. Combine with ground beef and mix well. Scoop mixture into the shells and line the stuffed shells into the pan. Pour remaining sauce on top. Cover with foil and cook at 350* for 40-45 minutes. During the last 10 minutes remove the foil, sprinkle with remaining cheese and continue until cheese is melted.

Potstickers

My dad served a mission in Taiwan and this recipe he brought back is a family favorite!

1 lb. ground beef or ground pork
3/4 lb. cabbage chopped
2 Tbsp. green onions(4-5 sticks) chopped
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
wonton wraps

Mix together all ingredients. Place a little dollop in the center of a wrap. Pinch the wrap together(in a triangle shape if using square wraps). Flatten the bottom of the wrap by patting it in some flour. Heat a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. Add enough potstickers to fill the bottom of the pan. Fry until the bottom is golden. Add about 2/3 c. water. Cover and cook until the water is evaporated. Shake to loosen up the potstickers and dump onto a plate. Repeat.

Roasted vegetable and balsamic glazed meatloaf

My inspiration for this dish is found here. Thanks to Bobby Flay I have been inspired to make this amazingly delicious meatloaf. Because I put my own touches on this recipe I am going to go ahead and write my version down here.

1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 carrots
1/2 large onion
1 Tbsp. of garlic made into a paste(about 5-6 cloves mashed with salt)
salt and pepper
3 lbs. ground beef
2 c. cooked quinoa
3 eggs
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley(opt.), or a few Tbsp. fresh parsley(opt.)
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. ketchup(no high fructose corn syrup)
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes divided in half



Start off by preparing quinoa, 1 c. water and 1/2 c. quinoa bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Start chopping the veggies, shredding the carrots and mashing the garlic to a paste. Saute in a pan with a few Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil. Saute for about 5-10 minutes or until a little before it's soft.While the veggies are cooking combine your ketcup, balsamic vinegar, paprika and a pinch of the garlic paste and half the red pepper flakes, set aside.

When the veggies are done put them in a separate bowl and put them in the fridge to help them cool.

In a large bowl beat the eggs with the thyme and parsley

Now combine everything in the bowl + 1/2 c. of the ketchup-balsamic sauce

Mix together until everthing is entirely incorporated

Split into 4 loaves and form onto a super greased foil lined baking sheet

Cook on 425* for 30 minutes and turn down to 350 for 30 more minutes


Serve with potatoes and veggies.

Rating: So seriously this meatloaf was so tasty. I know I varied from the original recipe but Bobby Flay still deserves the credit. This meatloaf didn't have the prettiest presentation because it was super moist but if presentation doesn't matter to you then this is a great meatloaf. The balsamic glaze was absolutely divine on this and very critical to the overall taste of the dish. I opted to do carrots in place of zucchini because really zucchini isn't that good and doesn't contain to much nutrition. I also added onion because I think they pack important flavor for something like meatloaf and meatloaf just wouldn't be meatloaf without onions. I also opted to use quinoa as opposed to bread crumbs. I think it was an excellent decision and it's healthier then bread crumbs. If you wanna know more about quinoa google it. It is a seed that is a protein. Over all I would give this recipe a 9.5. I cannot give it a 10 because I know I could improve it. But it was great and I would make it again(when money allows of course).

Fiesta Macaroni and Cheese

This was a recipe that we had a lot growing up. It's ALWAYS been one of my favorites. It's actually a quite simple meal and very tasty. Growing up it was always a can of this and a can of that. Well I decided to make it more homemade and healthier. I found SUCCESS! It is creamier and cheesier and more fresh tasting. I love it!






1 lb. of ground beef(opt.)
1 red pepper, diced finely
1 green pepper, diced finely
1 medium-small onion chopped super fine(or dried chopped onion works too)
2 Tbsp oil

If using meat cook that in the pan now, drain excess fat. After the beef is cooked add the rest of the ingredients and saute for about a minute or two. If you don't use the meat quickly saute the last four ingredients in a pan and remove the chunks(it's ok to leave the oil in)

3 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
3 c. whole milk
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
3 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 1/2 c. elbow noodles cooked til slightly shy of al dente

In the pan used to brown meat and/or saute the peppers add the butter and melt. Add the flour to make the roux. Mix well for about 30 seconds to a minute. Slowly add milk stirring constantly. Add all the spices and keep stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and add the cheese and stir until it's all melted and incorporated. Add the sauted peppers and return to heat to mesh the flavors.Add the tomato sauce and the peppers and ground beef. Return to the heat and stir until well mixed and has a creamy orange consistency. Add the noodles and simmer until the noodles have soaked in the sauce and reached your desired firmness. This meal is a nice twist on macaroni and cheese and will create a fiesta for your taste buds!

Chili!!!

I need to preface this recipe with the fact that it is not a precise art. All these measurements are estimates and are adjusted according to my constantly taste testing through the process of making the chili.

1 lb. of ground beef
1 medium onion
4-6 cloves garlic
1/2 c. cranberry juice
1 can beef broth or 2 c. beef stock
a dash of allspice
1 whole fresh bay leaf or 1 tsp. dried bay leaves*note if a whole fresh leaf is used it should be removed after it fulfills it's purpose in flavoring the chili
1, 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1, 15 oz. can tomato sauce(more may be needed depending on how thick or not thick you want your chili to be)
1 can of black beans
1 can red beans(this is just my prefer combination of beans, it can be whatever beans you want) add more beans if you feel it needs it
2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp. pepper(more if you prefer)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. chipotle pepper seasoning(opt)

This all happens in one pot so make sure it is large enough. Brown ground beef adding chopped onion at the end. Continue sauteing the onion and beef until the onion become a little translucent. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Pour in the cranberry juice, 1/2 of the beef broth, bay leaf and allspice and bring to a boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. If the bayleaf is whole at this point you'll remove it. Add the tomatoes, sauce, rest of beef broth and bean and stir together. Now go to town with your creative juices and use your taste buds as your best recipe. Add in all the spices, taste, and adjust accordingly. Bring to a boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Feel free to experiment. I have been wanting to experiment with maybe some chili de arbol or chili in adobo and other various chili spices or chili's in sauces.

Chili Corn Casserole

Growing up, when my dad was in charge of making dinner a lot of times this is what he would make. I think I was the only one that liked it because non of my siblings liked chili(I think a lot of their pallets have changed now though). For me this is just a quick throw together meal that tastes good especially when done with homemade chili. I think it's just one of those comfort foods for me.

If you are making this with homemade chili here's the recipe:

2-4 cups(or more, doesn't really matter) of leftover chili
1-2 c. corn(again depending on how many leftovers you have)
tortilla chips
cheese(opt)
sour cream or plain yogurt(I prefer plain yogurt for this particular meal, I feel the tangy-ness of the yogurt compliments the chili well) but just use whatever you have

It's that simple! Spray the bottom of a pan(what size of pan will depend on how much leftovers you have) and cover with a layer of tortilla chips. Mix corn in with chili and scoop over the chips. At this point you can put cheese over the chili if you so desire. Then put another layer of chips on top and stick in the oven on 350 for about 30-45 minutes until the chili is bubbling. If you put cheese on it you may wanna cover with foil for half of the cooking time so as not to burn it. Serve with sour cream or yogurt.

If you are just making it with cans of chili like what my dad did growing up here's the recipe:

4 cans of your favorite canned chili con carne
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
1-2 c. corn(to your taste preference)
tortilla chips
cheese(opt)
sour cream or plain yogurt

Mix together chili, onion, tomatoes and corn. Assemble the rest of the dish as explained above.

Shepherd's Pie(not tomato based)

Leftover roast cubed or shredded(maybe like a cup or a cup and a half's worth) or ground beef if roast is not available
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion
3-4 cloves garlic
1 can(2 cups) beef broth
1 large carrot(or two not so large), diced
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 c. frozen corn
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 can green beans
2 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp water
mashed potatoes made with sour cream, garlic and sharp cheddar

Chop onion. Add to butter and saute. Add garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add shredded roast beef and cook for a minute or so(it should start coating the bottom of the pan). Add the beef broth and de-glaze the pan. Meanwhile dice your carrots. Add to the pot and simmer until the carrots are softened(if the meat is tougher this will be a good time for it to soften too). Add the thyme and basil(and salt and pepper if it needs it). When the carrots reach the desired tenderness add the beans, peas and corn. Mix together starch and water making a slur, add to the pot and stir until hot and thickened. Place in a greased 9X9 pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and if the potatoes are warm stick under the broiler on high until the peaked of the potatoes become brown. If the potatoes have been in the fridge and are cooler cook on 350 until the dish starts bubbling then turn the broiler to high until the peaks are brown.

Just one way to make a beef roast

1 beef roast
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. grape or cranberry or pomegranite(or a mix of any of those) juice
1 c. beef broth
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Pull out the slow cooker. Give the meat a generous rub of salt pepper and garlic. Place meat in slow cooker and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on high for 6 hours. Serve with yummy potatoes and veggies.

Shredded Beef Enchilads

2(ish) cups of meat liked shredded beef/chicken
1 can of tomato based Enchilada sauce
1 can of refried beans
1 pack of medium sized soft tortillas
Cheese sauce, recipe follows

Lay a tortilla shell flat. Place refried beans, shredded meat and cheese sauce in the tortilla lining the middle of the shell. Roll up, fill a 9X13 pan. Pour Enchilada sauce over top and cook on 350 for 30+ minutes.

Cheese sauce:

1 tsp butter
1 tsp flour
3/4-1 cup of half and half(or milk or cream if that's what you have)
1-2 cups of mexican blend cheese(add cheese to taste)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Melt butter, stir in flour til blended well. Let cook for 30 seconds to a minute. Add half and half. Stir til thick, remove from heat. Add cheese, stir well. Add in spices and salt and pepper to taste. If the consistency is too thick add more half and half or milk until it's the desired consistency.