Salisbury Steak

Salisbury Steak
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups beef broth
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water

Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, chopped onion, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl until evenly mixed. Shape beef mixture into 4 patties, about 3/4 inch thick.

Fry patties in a large skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, onion, and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Reduce head to low, cover, and simmer until patties are no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes more. Transfer patties to a platter and keep warm.

Bring onion mixture to a boil. Mix cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir into onion mixture. Cook and stir until gravy is thickened, about 1 minutes. Pour over patties to serve.

Lasagna

Lasagna (from Worldwide Ward Cookbook: Mom's Best Recipes)
1 lb. ground beef
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. hot pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 13-oz. can tomato paste
2-3 T. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated, plus 3 T.
1 16-oz. container of cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 pkg. oven-ready lasagna noodles

In a skillet, brown beef; drain and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine oil and hot pepper flakes. Cook about 1 minute. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato paste and 2 1/2 cans water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add sugar to desired sweetness and salt and pepper to taste. Process tomatoes tomatoes in food processor until smooth and add to saucepan. Add onion. Cook for about 30 minutes, until sauce starts to thicken. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and ground beef. Cook another 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Place small layer of sauce in 9x13-inch casserole dish. Place 5-6 lasagna noodles in dish. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle half the cheddar and mozzarella cheese over sauce. Place another 5-6 noodles over this layer. Spread sauce over noodles and top with the cottage (or ricotta) cheese. Spread evenly. Place another layer of 5-6 noodles and spread with remaining sauce. Top with remaining cheddar and mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with 3T. Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour, or until bubbly and noodles are soft. Allow to cool before cutting. Makes 12 servings.

This turned out great! It was fun making my own meat sauce. Although I didn't like the amount of sugar I added. I would half that amount next time. I also didn't have oven-ready noodles so I had to cook those. I'm always afraid the oven-ready noodles won't cook all the way!

Savory Crock Pot Beef Pot Roast

Savory Crock Pot Beef Pot Roast

3-5 pounds chuck pot roast
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix
1/2 - 1 cup of water

Place roast in crock pot. In a bowl combine the mixes together. Sprinkle on top of the roast and rub it in all over. Pour in water and cook on low for 6-7 hours. For the gravy, pour the liquid from your crock pot into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. Thicken with cornstarch and water mixture or brown gravy mix.

Oh. My. Goodness. This is the best roast recipe ever. Roast and mashed potatoes is my favorite meal and this is so comforting and delicious. There are so many delicious flavors and the meat is tender. The gravy is the best. Drool.

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

Cheesy Hamburger Soup

• ½ pound ground beef ( I used 1 pound)
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• ¾ cup shredded carrots
• ¾ cup diced celery
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups peeled and diced potatoes
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 16 oz, of Velveeta cheese, cubed or- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1½ cups milk
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ cup sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the ground beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain and set aside.
2. In the same saucepan add 1 T butter and add onion, shredded carrots, parsley flakes, basil and celery. Saute until tender.
3. Add the broth, potatoes and beef and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. In small skillet melt remaining butter (3 T) and add the flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream.

Mmmm. Delicious soup! Very comforting and homey. A feel good soup for when you're sick, too. I originally found the recipe here but found out from the blogger that it's a Taste of Home recipe which I found here. Awesome! ToH is my favorite. This makes a ton of soup and I think will keep well in the freezer. Definitely a keeper!

Oh, the title of the soup turned me off a bit so I changed it for my own purposes :)

Restaurant Style Steak

Restaurant Style Steak

Ingredients:

• filet mignon - 2, 8 ounce filets
• kosher salt - 4 teaspoons
• freshly cracked pepper - 4 teaspoons
• butter - 1 stick
• olive oil - 1 tablespoon
• garlic - 2 cloves, chopped
• parsley - 1 tablespoon, chopped
• thyme - 1 tablespoon, chopped
• lemon zest - 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

1. Take 1/2 stick of butter, softened, and mix well with the peeled, chopped garlic, the chopped herbs, and the lemon zest.  Form into a log and refrigerate.  Generously season the filet's with salt and pepper, approximately 1 teaspoon of seasoning per side.

2. Heat the remainder of the butter (1/2 stick) and the olive oil in a cast iron skillet to a screaming hot temperature. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.   Sear the filets in a screaming hot pan for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until a nice brown crust has formed. While the steak is searing, continue to spoon the residual butter in the pan on top of the meat while it's cooking.  Once both sides are seared, place in the center of the oven for about 6-8 minutes, depending upon how thick your steak is.  

3. In the last minute of cooking, take the log of compound butter and slice a nice thick piece to place on top. Your steak will be ready when it is approximately 135 degrees in the center, or when you push lightly on the top center of the steak and it gently and slowly bounces back.  (Note, this is medium rare. 150 degrees is medium. 170 degrees is well done.)

Mmmm. Steak. We used 12-oz. New York strip steak. It really made a difference to pan sear the meat first. It was so juice on the inside. We didn't make the herbed butter, though. That was a little much for us.  Sean always wants his with A1 and I always want ranch dressing with mine. But I'm sure it would have been delicious.

I don't have a cast iron skillet so we transferred the meat to a cookie sheet lined with foil. Worked just fine.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

• 1-1/4 pound Ground Chuck
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
•  Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Serve with crusty French bread.

I obviously didn't take this picture. I forgot last night and now it's in a tupperware container looking not as pretty as this one. Anyway, we all really liked this meal. Such simple ingredients making very kid friendly, in my opinion. I bet this would freeze well too. Make a whole batch and freeze half of it. We ate ours with garlic toast. Mmmm.

Homemade Copycat Big Mac Recipe

Homemade Copycat Big Mac Recipe:

(Makes 4 burgers)

Ingredients:Burger:4 sesame seed hamburger buns
4 additional bottom halves of hamburger buns
Special sauce (recipe below)
Shredded lettuce
2 pounds ground beef, split into 8 patties and grilled/cooked
Dill pickle slices
8 slices cheddar cheese

Special Sauce:1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons French dressing
4 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
1 Tablespoon minced white onion
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:Mix all sauce ingredients together until combined and let chill in the fridge.  To assemble, starting from the bottom:  bottom bun, special sauce, shredded lettuce, hamburger patty, two dill pickles, slice of cheese, additional bottom bun, special sauce, shredded lettuce, hamburger patty,  two dill pickles, top bun.

WOW!!! De-freaking-licious! I can't believe how good these were. That sauce tastes exactly like the real stuff. Sean chose this for his special birthday dinner. It was amazing. We obviously chose not to add the extra bun and burger patty and I think it would have been way too much for us if we had. 

You HAVE to use shredded lettuce and cheese singles or this won't taste nearly as good. Will be making these again!!!

Who need's McDonalds?!

Million Dollar Spaghetti

Million Dollar Spaghetti

1 lb. ground beef

1 clove garlic, minced

1 26-oz. jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

¼ cup sour cream

½ lb. cottage cheese

1 stick butter, cubed

8 oz. spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained

2 cups cheddar cheese

1. Cook beef and garlic in a pan. Drain any fat. Pour spaghetti sauce over meat.

2. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese in a mixer until well blended.

3. Place half of the butter on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Then layer half of

the noodles on top and spread the cream cheese mixture over the noodles. Top

with remaining noodles, butter and the meat sauce.

4. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Top with cheese and return to oven for 15

minutes.

Another delicious dish. Thanks, Laura, for telling me about this recipe!! This was so much better than regular spaghetti that's just noodles and sauce. Sean liked it a lot too and said that this was a keeper!

Taco Pie

Taco Pie   
1 to 1 1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 (1-oz.) pkg. Old El Paso® Taco Seasoning Mix 
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup sliced stuffed green olives or pitted ripe olives
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
1 1/2 to 2 cups crushed corn chips
1 (8-oz.) container (1 cup) sour cream 
6 slices American cheese or 4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce, if desired  
Avocado slices, if desired 

Heat oven to 375°F. Cook ground beef in 10-inch skillet until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, water and olives. Simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place triangles in ungreased 9 or 10-inch pie pan, pressing to form crust. Sprinkle 1 cup of the corn chips over bottom of crust.

 Spoon beef mixture into corn chips in crust. Spread sour cream over beef mixture. Cover with cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 to 1 cup corn chips.

Bake at 375°F. for 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cut in wedges. Serve immediately with lettuce and avocado. Store in refrigerator.

 

Baked Ziti (Freezer Meal)

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta

1 onion, chopped

1 pound lean ground beef (season with pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and

minced garlic)

2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce

8 slices provolone cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook

according to package directions. Drain.

2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti

sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 2 8x8 inch pans with non-stick cooking

spray. Layer as follows in each pan: 1/4 of the ziti, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of

Provolone cheese, 1/2 of sour cream,  1/4 of ziti, 1/4 mozzarella cheese and 1/4 of

sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.

4. Bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Each 8x8 serves 4-6.

 

We LOVED this meal!  And I'm so excited to have another one waiting in the freezer whenever we want it! This would be such a great meal to make for sick neighbors or for new moms.

Meatloaf

Meatloaf
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

1. Preheat over to 350F.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, cheese, oats and salt. Add the ground beef, mixing well, and form into a loaf. Place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over meatloaf.
4. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Oh. My. Gosh. I loved this so much!! The original recipe (from allrecipes.com) says to make this into 8 mini meatloaves but I just made on big loaf in a loaf pan. It came out a little soggy so because it basically just sat and cooked in its own fat. Yuck. So, how ever you decide to make this, I would suggest doing what the recipe says and put it on a 9x13 baking dish. And maybe line it with foil to make clean up easier or something. But that sauce is SO delicious. And I didn't bake it with the meatloaf either. I just had it on the side so we could add however much we wanted. It's up to you, I guess. Sean isn't a big fan of meatloaf so we probably won't have this very often unless I feel like eating an entire loaf by myself... So whenever we have it, it will be a big treat for me! I really really enjoyed this one!

Green Chili Enchiladas

Green Chili Enchiladas
Brown 1-1/2 lb ground beef
Add -- 1 chopped onion, sautee
Add -- 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt/pepper, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/4 tsp oregano - simmer for a few minutes.
Spoon 2 Tbsp filling in 9-inch flour tortillas - top with grated cheddar cheese then roll up and place in greased 9x13" pan.
Combine -- 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can evaporated milk, 1 small can chopped green chilies, 1/2 c. milk, 1/2 lb. Velveeta cheese - Heat until melted and pour over enchiladas.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Mmm...

Crock pot Sloppy Joes

Crockpot Sloppy Joes

3 pounds ground chuck or hamburger
2 onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 8-oz. can water
2 packages sloppy joe seasoning (optional)

Brown ground meat in skillet; pour off fat. Put into crock pot -- add onions, green pepper, tomato sauce, water, and seasoning. Stir thoroughly. Salt to taste. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours. (High: 5 hours). Makes 6-8 servings.
NOTE: If too much liquid, remove cover and set on high for 30 minutes.

Corn on the cob: Cover and boil for 10 minutes.


YUM, YUM, YUM!! This is so delicious and so easy! I heart you, crock pot!

Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 T. butter
1 quart tomatoes with liquid (1 28 oz. can diced tomates)
1 can sliced ripe olives, drained
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained (about 2 cups dry, broken spaghetti, loosely packed)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (8 oz)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

In a large skillet, sautee onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, olives, oregano and beef. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Place half of the spaghetti in greased 9x13 in. baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture, sprinkle with 1 c. cheese. Repeat layers. Mix the soup and water until smooth; pout over the casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered at 350F for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Makes 12 servings

Ahhh. This is comfort food for me. This is one of my favorite meals that my mom makes. It made me think of her and miss her! (Hi, mom!) Enjoy!!!

Beef Taco Skillet

This is a great recipe from Campbellkitchen.com! Budget friendly.
Beef Taco Skillet

1 pound ground beef

1 can Tomato Soup

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup water

6 flour tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.
• Stir the soup, picante sauce, water and tortillas in the skillet and heat to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Stir the beef mixture.  Top with the cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches

Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell's® Brown Gravy with Onions 12 ounces sliced roasted or deli roast beef 4 long hard rolls, split or 8 slices of bread Heat the gravy in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat to a boil.  Add the beef to the skillet.  Reduce the heat to low.  Cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling. Divide the beef mixture among the rolls. Makes 4 servings

Mmmm. This tasted so good to me. And it was so so easy. I had a hard time finding Campbell's brown gravy (which isn't with the other Campbell's soups. It's by the gravy mixes and taco seasonings) so I used Campbell's French Onion Soup instead and it tasted great too. I had to double this recipe and bought 2 lbs of sliced roast beef at the deli counter and it was twelve bucks. Ouch. Maybe it would be cheaper to do a roast? And let it cook in a crock pot with the soup all day.

I toasted the hoagie buns under the broiler for about a minute and we ate ours open-faced with a fork. I separated the meat from the soup so we could pour the soup over our sandwiches. Then topped them with a piece of Provolone cheese. Delicious!

Shepherd's Pie

Apparently, Shepherd's pie is made with lamb. Cottage Pie is made with beef. Anyway...

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com but after reading the reviews I did make a few changes. So here's my version.

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 package frozen mixed veggies
2 T vegetable oil
Salt to taste
2 cups instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in frying pan. Add chopped onions, and fry until golden brown. Add ground beef, and keep stirring until meat is browned. Add diced tomatoes, and continue to cook until liquid from the tomatoes evaporates (about 15 minutes). Salt to taste.
2. Add vegetables during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
   
3. In the meantime, prepare the mashed potatoes as directed on the packet. Add sour cream.
4. Spread the meat mixture into the bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Cover with a layer of mashed potatoes, and top with grated cheese.
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 400F until cheese has melted and browned. Makes 8 servings.
   

Nutrition Information: 315 calories per serving, 20g fat, 100% yummy! Sorry I don't have a pic.