Main Dishes

Beef and Bean Taco Casserole

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!Delicous! (in my singing voice.)
I usually don’t go for the taco soups and taco dips. If I am going to eat something that tastes like a taco, I want a taco! But, I came across a recipe on the Betty Crocker website that pricked my interest. I changed several things and made it my own. And oh my goodness. …it’s really good! The kids even loved it! What I loved most about it were the warm green bell peppers and warm tomatoes that still had a bite to them! This is really yummy and easy to make. And reheating the leftovers just made it better!
-1 lb ground beef, browned & drained well
-1 can black beans, drained & rinsed!
-1 16 oz jar chunky salsa, mild
-1 package of taco seasoning
-2 -1/2 cups broken tortilla chips
-1/2 medium green bell pepper, chopped (This added alot of flavor! Infact, it was my favorite part. So next time I might add more!)
-1/8 c yellow onion, chopped fine!! (You can add this into the meat when browning it, or just toss it into the mix and the baking will soften   
    them up just fine.)
-2-3 good size Roma tomatoes, chopped (These are my favorite. You can obviously use any tomato you want.)
-1 c shredded cheddar cheese
-1/2 c mozzarella cheese, or your favorite white cheese
  (I will be honest and say, I added cheese until I felt like it was enough!  So, you might want to play with the amount. Cheese adds fat, so take that into    
   consideration if you want this on thisdish on the lean side!)
 -shredded lettuce, to add as a topping, so as much as you want (but at least 1 cup.)
-tortilla chips, for topping or eating this dish with!

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef, and drain well. Set aside. Saute onions and add beef back into the pot. Drain beans and add into the pot along with the seasoning packet and the salsa. Stir well. Reduce heat to medium. (You may need to add some water if the mix is too thick.) Bring to a slow simmer.

In ungreased 9×13 baking dish, place 2 cups of broken tortilla chips evenly along the bottom. Top evenly with the beef mixture. Sprinkle chopped bell pepper, tomatoes, and cheese over the beef.
Bake uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly and the cheese has melted. Serve and add lettuce, tomato and remaining chips on top.

You can add olives to this and green onions on the top, or whatever you fancy.   Eat this with a fork or scoop with the tortilla chips. We did a bit of both!

BBQ Pork Spare Ribs (Country Style Ribs)

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This is one of those family “meat n’ potato” recipes that makes me really happy.  Nothing says Sunday dinner like the smell of this wafting through the house when you walk in the door after church.

5-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 – 3lbs of pork spare ribs (aka country style ribs)
5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-2-inch pieces
16 oz. bag baby carrots
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C. T Ketchup
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 C. water
Kosher salt
pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl mix the ketchup, Tabasco, brown sugar, mustard, and water. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

3. Add oil to a ceramic or cast iron dutch oven, and heat on stove (med-high).

4. Season ribs with salt and pepper on all sides.

5. Add ribs to hot dutch oven and quickly seer them on all sides (ends included) to lock in the juices.

6. You have 2 options at this point. You can throw the potatoes and carrots in now and pour the sauce over everything, or let the meat and sauce cook for an hour and then mix in the veggies. The difference is that when the potatoes and carrots cook for 3 hours, they get quite soft and mushy (which some people like), but when they cook for 2 hours, they are more firm and stay together better. I personally like to let the meat cook an hour before I put the veggies in.  

7. Cover with lid and place in 325 degree oven for 3 hours. Don’t forget to add your veggies after 1 hour of cooking if you reserved them- Take the dutch oven all the way out of the oven, place veggies inside and gently stir to get them down into the BBQ sauce.

Navajo Tacos

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Mr. Blue Eyes tells a story about how one of his history teachers was teaching them about the Sioux Native American Tribe. The teacher got up and wrote “Sew” on the black board (this was before white boards–when did I get so old?). No kidding. The man should have been fired on the spot. I know a regular Joe could have made that same mistake, but this guy was TEACHING the class. Fired.

What does this have to do with cooking? Absolutely nothing. But if you’re going to make Navajo Tacos, you have to know how to say it. The “j” says the “H” sound. Don’t let it tell you otherwise. Nava-hoe. Say it with me, now. Nava-hoe. Let’s try it with the correct spelling. Navajo. Good.

Also, before we begin: I am not using native Navajo Fry Bread. It’s fairly easy to do and maybe someday I’ll make a post of it, but today is not that day. I am not an experienced Fry Bread maker and so I stick to what I know–regular old yeast-risen dough.

Let’s begin, shall we?

Meat Mixture Ingredients*:
1 Medium Onion
1 lb Ground Beef
2.5 – 3 cups Chicken Broth
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 cloves Garlic, chopped (or use powdered)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp dry oregano
2 tsp dry basil
2 cans Pinto Beans

1. In a Large pot, saute the onion in a Tbsp butter or oil, about 3 minutes, until limp.
2. Add ground beef and brown. Drain off any fat.
3. Add the chicken broth and all the herbs. Stir until combined. Add beans.
4. Set to simmer and stir occasionally. (I also do this in the morning and put it in my crock pot on Warm for dinner in the evening.)

Fried Scones Ingredients**:
Bread Dough: I use this recipe. You can also use Frozen Rolls–thawed, or whip up some fry bread yourself.
2 – 4 cups Vegetable Oil

1. In a Large Skillet, pour oil in until there’s about 1/2″+ in the bottom. Heat the oil over med/high heat.
2. While the oil is heating, roll out a portion of bread dough on a slightly floured surface. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut into sections. OR take a large handful of dough and work it flat into a disc shape (if you are using frozen rolls, for example).

3. When the oil is hot (and not until then!), gently place a section of bread into the oil. Let it cook about 1 minute or until lightly browned. It will puff up–and it’s supposed to! Using tongs or two forks, gently turn it over. Be CAREFUL! Oil burns are NO FUN.

4. Remove onto a paper towel and keep warm in the oven, if needed.

Don’t be fooled! I used paper towels between each layer, but that wouldn’t look very good in a picture, would it?

Topping Ingredients:
1-2 Large ripe tomatoes, chopped
3/4 lb cheese, shredded (we use Cheddar)
1 sm bag (or 1/2 head) Lettuce, shredded
1 C sliced green onions
1 C sour cream
Salsa (if preferred. I like it. Mr. Blue Eyes does not.) 🙂

Layer a Scone, a ladle full of meat sauce, and the toppings you want onto a plate. Cut into it with a fork, or eat it by hand.

*I have found that sometimes the chicken broth needs a little thickening. It tastes great without the thickening, but it can be a little runny. This leads to soggy scones. Gross! Use a little corn starch and cold water (maybe 1/3 C corn starch to 1/4 C water).

**Scones are DELICIOUS lathered in a layer of honey/butter, too! We always leave some room for this delectable dessert!

Source: Modified from a good family friend, Janet

~Kara

Sweet Tamale Corn Cakes

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Ingredients:

SALSA VERDE

2 tomatillos, chopped (remove papery skin)
1 4 oz. can mild green chilies
1 green onion, chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro
1 1/4 t. granulated sugar
1/4 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. ground black pepper

TOMATO SALSA

1 medium tomato, diced
1 T. minced Spanish onion
1 T. minced, fresh cilantro
1/4 t. lime juice
1/2 small fresh jalapeno, minced
dash salt
dash ground black pepper

SOUTHWESTERN SAUCE

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 t. white vinegar
1 t. water
3/4 t. granulated sugar
1/2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. paprika
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/8 t. onion powder
dash salt
dash garlic powder

CAKES

1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn
1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
3 T. granulated sugar
1/8 t. salt
1/2 cup masa harina (corn flour)
2 T. all-purpose flour

GARNISH

1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 avocado, chopped
2 T. coarsely chopped, fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Prepare salsa verde by combining all ingredients in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

2. Prepare tomato salsa by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

3. Prepare Southwestern sauce by combining all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

5. Prepare the tamale cakes by chopping 1 cup of the frozen corn in a food processor until it’s coarsely pureed. Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.

6. Add masa and flour and blend well. Mix in the remaining 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels by hand.

7. Measure 1/2 cup portions of the mixture and form it into 3-inch wide patties with your hands. Arrange the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are browned on the bottom. Carefully flip all cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.

8. While the cakes are baking, spoon a portion of the salsa verde onto a plate or platter (you may want to heat up your plate in the oven for a bit to help warm the sauce). You’ll need to use enough salsa verde to coat the entire plate—it should be about 1/4 inch deep. Arrange the tamale cakes side-by-side on the salsa verde. Spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each tamale cake. Drizzle the Southwestern sauce over the cakes in a criss-cross pattern (use a squirt bottle if you’ve got one). Spoon some tomato salsa over the cakes, followed by the chopped avocado. Finish off the plate by sprinkling the coarsely chopped cilantro leaves over the top.

***FOR A QUICKER, EASIER VERSION THAT STILL TASTES GREAT TRY THIS METHOD:

1. Use canned salsa (verde and tomato).
2. Make a “Southwestern sauce” using sour cream mixed with taco seasoning or other bottled
Southwestern condiment.
3. Make the El Torito Sweet Corn Cake recipe previously posted on this blog for the “cakes”.

Source: Top Secret Recipes by Todd Wilbur

Danny’s Macaroni and Cheese

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Have you ever had tomatoes in your mac and cheese? I hadn’t until this recipe. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea, but I love it!

Ingredients:
1 8-0z. package elbow macaroni (I used corkscrew for fun)
1 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 8-oz. package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until almost done–about 8 minutes; drain.
3. Mix cooked macaroni with tomatoes and shredded cheese. Pour into a baking dish and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
The original recipe doesn’t instruct you to spray the baking dish, but you may want to.
Source: Submitted to Allrecipes.com by Debby. See her quote for an explanation about its name. (I’m guessing her husband is Danny.)

Fiesta Lettuce Boats

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I would call it a “wrap”, except we decided it was much easier to eat it like a “boat” =)

Simple, healthful ingredients and it’s on your table in about 30 minutes!  
Ingredients:  
1lb Ground Beef
1/2 Green Pepper, diced
1/2 Red Pepper, diced
1/4 C Diced Onions, or 1-2T dried diced onions
2 tsp Emeril’s Essence BAM! seasoning (This stuff’s good)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1-2 Romain Hearts
1-2 C Shredded Cheese (We used colby jack)
Dice up your peppers and onions (or used dried like I did)
and toss them in with the ground beef.  Sprinkle on some BAM!
(It was really fun to say that) and cook until the beef is cooked through.
(Sorry…I forgot to snag a pic of the sizzling meat, but…) 
While the meat is browning, prepare your Romaine lettuce by 
slicing about 3-4 inches off of the bottom as shown above.  
Rinse the leafy greens in cold water and drain well.  
Fill your little lettuce boats with the seasoned meat, top with cheese
(and maybe a little sour cream, if you’d like) and enjoy!  
 
 
 
 

Meatloaf Cupcakes

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I recently found the ultimate meatloaf recipe (at least to our family).  Certain people in the family love it so much that, just today, it was requested for dinner today over pizza.  Pizza!  Yes, it’s that good.

But I have no patience to wait for meatloaf to be ready for slicing and serving when it comes out of the oven.  I always end up with a mess because of that impatience.  So when I saw the idea of making meatloaf in a muffin tin (thanks again, Pinterest!), I knew this was the answer.
Kids seem to love the idea of a dinner cupcake;  and because it’s a healthier version of a traditional meatloaf and because it is preportioned, it’s a win-win!

Paired with mashed potato “frosting” this dinner cupcake is sure to please.  And if you do half potatoes, half cauliflower for your mashed potatoes (like I do) you can even sneak in some extra veggies!
Ingredients:  
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. sage
1 slice bread, diced very small (I always use sourdough)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 pound ground beef
Sauce:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. Agave nectar*
1 Tbsp. molasses
1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2.  In saute pan, cook onion and celery in olive oil over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.  Set aside to cool some.
3.  In large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, salt, pepper, and sage.  Add the bread and gently stir together until all the bread has been moistened.  Stir in the cheese and the onion mixture.  Crumble in the ground beef and combine with your hands until well mixed (DO NOT SQUEEZE to mix it together).  Divide equally into the muffin tin compartments and lightly pack down.
4.  In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients.  Spoon over the “cupcakes”.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into one of the cupcakes.  Allow to rest about 5 minutes before serving.
5.  Serve plain or top with your favorite mashed potatoes.
*Agave nectar is a natural sweetener made from the agave plant.  I use it for health reasons because of its lower glycemic qualities.  You can usually find it with the sugar substitutes in the grocery store.  For more information on agave nectar, visit this helpful site.
Source:  cupcake idea from Pinterest, recipe slightly adapted from Eating Well, Living Thin

My Turkey Chili

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We are trying the Insanity Meal Plan at our house.  My daughter got the 60-Day Workout plan for Christmas so I agreed to make the food and we would all eat it.  One of the meals calls for White Chili so I thought I would just make some.  Well the recipe I clipped from a magazine the other day looked really good but I had some ground white meat turkey I had to cook today, so I substituted that for the shredded white chicken.  Actually, I just ended up substituting on quite a few things.  It ended up not being white chili at all but it is DELISH!

Ingredients:
1 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound ground white meat turkey, browned
2 (14.5-oz.) cans chicken broth
1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chilies
1 pkg. (1.75 oz.) chili seasoning mix
2 (19.5-oz.) cans frijoles charros
1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans
1/2 can (14.5-oz.) refried pinto beans

Desired Toppings:  chopped fresh avocado, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.

1.  Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onion is tender.
2.   Stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Heat to a boil, stirring often; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.  Serve with desired toppings.
TIP–I served this with a salad consisting of arugula, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and sliced hard-boiled egg whites and dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil.

Lazy Lasagna

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This is actually a baked ziti recipe, but at my house it has been dubbed “Lazy Lasagna.” Who wants to spend all that time carefully layering delicate noodles and filling? Not Me! This tastes just like a lasagna. In fact, take this basic recipe and mix in your favorite lasagna veggies for real kick! You could try zucchini, yellow squash, mushrooms, and/or peppers. This is a great make-ahead dish and can be frozen for a future dinner.
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb. bag or box of uncooked ziti
15 oz. ricotta cheese
3 C. shredded mozzarella, divided
28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 C. parmesan cheese
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the ziti as directed on the package. Place ziti in a large bowl. Add ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Spread half the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add the ziti mixture and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and the remaining mozzarella. Bake covered with foil for 20-30 min. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes til cheese is bubbly on top.

Cranberry Glazed Meatballs and Rice

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Oh man, were we craving Chinese cuisine tonight! I was rummaging through the kitchen tryng to figure out something to make that would satisfy this craving. I spotted a bag of frozen meatballs and that was where I began. This dish is sooo yummy! My family really enjoyed it and I heard lots of “this is great mom!” comments. So, I thought you would like the recipe. It’s super easy and delicious!

1 bag of home style frozen meatballs
1 can Whole Cranberries Sauce
1/2 c Sweet Baby Rae’s BBQ sauce, or your favorite
1/2 -3/4 c. orange juice
3/4 can pineapple chunks and the juice
4 carrots, cleaned and sliced into circles
1 bunch of broccoli, cleaned and sliced into small spears
2 cups of cooked white rice

When your rice is covered and turn to low begin cooking your meatballs.

Cook about 3/4 of the bag of meatballs in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Set aside.
In a stew pot, add the following, 1 can whole cranberries sauce and stir until smooth. Drain out the juice fromt the can of pineapple. Turn the heat to medium and add the bbq sauce, orange juice, and the pineapple juice. Stir well. Chop veggies. As the sauce begins to bubble turn it down to med -low and add in the meatballs and stir and add in the carrots. Cover. Cook for about 15-20 min. Add in the broccoli and cook for about 5 min or until you like the “bite” of the broccoli. Turn to low and cook for another 5-10 min.
Serve immediatly.