Easy Italian Turkey Meatballs (Gluten-Free)

I have made meatballs for years and they never quite come out the same way twice.  I just sort of throw in a little of this and a little of that and they usually turn out pretty good.  Most of the time, I make meatballs with Italian flavors and add them to marinara sauce for spaghetti and meatballs or zoodles and meatballs.  This summer, when I was teaching my college-aged son to cook, I wanted to show him how to make meatballs with pantry ingredients so the recipe was quick, easy, and approachable.  No mincing fresh garlic, no washing and chopping fresh parsley, etc.  We made some meatballs and he liked them, but we did not measure anything.  I've made up these meatballs a few more times since with good results and I've finally written down the ingredients/proportions.  I like to make two pounds of meatballs at a time; we eat some right away and freeze the rest for a later date. (Note: I do bake them before freezing them.  When I am ready to use them, I let them thaw in the refrigerator and then add them to the sauce).

This is a flexible recipe. Here I've used dried parsley and garlic powder, but I often use fresh garlic and fresh parsley.  Sometimes I add in about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese; feel free to do so if you like.  If you do, you might opt to add a little less salt to your meatballs since cheese is rather salty.

In this recipe, you'll notice I use oatmeal in place of bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.  Not only does this make this recipe gluten-free, but I also look at this as an opportunity to add in some whole grains. Store bought bread crumbs are more processed and have a lot of additives.  I just looked at the Italian Style Bread Crumbs I have in my pantry.  Yowza! There are a lot of ingredients in there.  In the recipe I suggest using instant oats, but I don't always have them on hand. ***  If you don't have instant oats, measure out a 1/2 cup of old fashioned/rolled oats and put them in your blender or food processor. Pulse them awhile in the blender or food processor and they will break down a bit and will be perfect to add to your meatballs.  In the photo above, you can see the oats.  I got so carried away pulverizing them that they look like oat flour.  You don't need to go that far but the meatballs will turn out great regardless.

Easy Italian Turkey Meatballs
2 pounds turkey (93 percent lean)

1/2 cup instant oats (see note above ***) 

2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. salt (I used kosher salt)

several grinds of black pepper (about 1/4 tsp.)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 egg

Line a baking sheet with foil; spray with non-stick cooking spray, set aside.  Preheat oven 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Stir well with a fork or your hands.  Shape into 32 meatballs (somewhere between the size of a big walnut and a golf ball).  

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes.

If you make fewer/larger meatballs, cook longer.  For example, today I made only 20 meatballs instead of 32 meatballs and they were perfectly cooked at 20 minutes.

Wow, what a yummy lunch I had!  Zucchini noodles (Zoodles!) and meatballs with marinara sauce.  This is one of my all time favorite things to eat.

Slow Cooker Machaca

Our local Mexican restaurant, El Alazan, has a delicious breakfast burrito.  Inside the flour tortilla, you will find fried potatoes, melted cheese, sautéed jalapenos and onions, scrambled eggs, and tender shredded beef.  The burrito is smothered with spicy green chili.  We just had brunch there this morning.  The shredded beef is called "Machaca".  I looked it up on the internet and it sounds like a traditional dish made from dried beef.  To me, our restaurant version seemed like a slow cooked chuck roast in a flavorful sauce. I tried to make Machaca at home. It was not the same as the restaurant Machaca, but we liked it a lot.  We enjoyed the shredded beef in a variety of preparations:  burritos, tacos, and quesadillas.

Slow Cooker Machaca
2.5 to 3 pounds boneless beef short ribs (chuck or pot roast would also work)
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles (hot, original, or mild/whatever you prefer))
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 sweet onion, large dice
1/2 bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange), large dice

Trim any excess fat from the beef short ribs (or beef roast).  Place the meat in the bottom of the slow cooker.  Sprinkle the spices over the top of the meat.  Add in the onion and peppers and pour the can of Rotel over it all.  Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for about 5 to 6 hours or until the beef shreds easily.  Carefully shred the beef in the slow cooker with two forks or remove it from the slow cooker and shred the beef with two forks on a cutting board.  Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir well to coat the beef with the vegetables and the juices.

You can use the shredded beef in burritos, tacos, quesadillas... whatever you like. Above and below you can see a quesadilla made with two flour tortillas, pepper jack cheese, and shredded beef.

Beef and Very Veggie Soup (Slow Cooker)

Beef and Very Veggie Soup

Our family was struck down by the cruddiest cold EVER over the holidays. Ron got it first, then me, and then Zach.  It was the weirdest thing, but we really did not feel that badly for the first few days and then BAM! It got bad.  Ron seemed to be a few days ahead of me in the course of the illness since he got sick first. Since the writing was on the wall (I knew it was going to get worse for me too before it got better), I high tailed it to the grocery store to get ingredients to make myself some soup. I wanted it to be like the Hearty Turkey and Vegetable Soup I made a few weeks ago (see it HERE), but I wanted to swap out ground beef for the turkey and beef broth for chicken broth.  By the time I got home from picking up the groceries for the soup, I was feeling so poorly that I did not want to stand over the stove and make soup.  I chopped up the veggies and cooked up the ground beef in a skillet, and threw it ALL in a slow cooker (Crock Pot).  This recipe made a ton of soup and for days I joked, "This could be the BEST soup I've ever made or this could be the most DISGUSTING soup EVER, because I just can't taste a darn thing!"

Believe it or not, I still cannot taste very well... these cold symptoms are sort of lingering... STILL.  But I've decided this recipe is a keeper.  The soup is so good that I ate it two times a day for a number of days. 

If you are one to want or need very precise measurements, this is not a recipe for you.  I am pretty much writing this down how I made it a week or so ago so that I can make this again some time in the future.  You can feel good about eating this hearty soup, as it's full of lean protein and a TON of fresh vegetables.  Soup is so handy to have on hand when you are feeling poorly.

Beef and Very Veggie Soup (Slow Cooker)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, 96 percent lean
6 cups beef broth

Celery, 3-4 ribs, chopped

Carrots 3-4 carrots, chopped or 2 cups baby carrots, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes (no salt added)

3 tablespoons tomato paste

3 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder
Fresh tender spinach, 10 - 16 ounces

Salt 

Black pepper

In a large non-stick skillet or cast iron skillet, cook/brown/crumble the ground beef over medium high to high heat. Try to cook it on a high temperature so the beef really caramelizes.

Add in the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker EXCEPT for the spinach, salt and pepper(crock pot).  Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours (or until carrots are desired tenderness).  Stir in the spinach (you may just wish to use a few handfuls of spinach but I used 1 1/2 bags of tender spinach, which was approximately a pound of spinach).  After adding in the spinach, allow to simmer for about 30 minutes longer.  Taste for seasoning. Add in additional Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, as you feel is needed. 

Diner Style Chili

Diner Style Chili 

Adapted from www.beachbody.com

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs. extra lean beef chuck, cooked/browned/crumbled (no pink remains)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 can (7 ounces) fire roasted diced green chilies
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups water
• 3 ounces of tomato paste (1/2 of a 6 ounce can)
• 2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 Tbsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• ¾ tsp. to 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• a few pinches of granulated sugar
• 1 (15-oz.) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed

Instructions

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; stir.  Cook on LOW setting for 5 to 6 hours.  Adjust seasoning to taste by adding in additional salt and/or sugar as desired. 

Top as desired with diced avocado, grated cheese, diced onion, tortilla chips, saltine or oyster crackers, sour cream, Greek yogurt, etc. 

Makes 6 servings. 

***********************

I found this recipe on the Beachbody blog (the original recipe can be found HERE).  The recipe called for cooking the veggies before adding them to the slow cooker and a few other steps.  I added some additional spices and some canned green chilies, as well as some water, and let all the ingredients simmer in the slow cooker.  My version was super easy and I really enjoy how tasty it is. Like many soups and stews, I think this tasted even better the next day.  This chili reminds me of diner style chili; it has a rich taste from tomato paste, garlic, and chili powder, and it has a really high meat to bean ratio.  Ordinarily I make chili with less meat and more beans.

Have you ever heard of Cincinnati Chili?  I've heard about it on Food Network cooking shows.  It's hearty chili served on top of spaghetti and can be served a variety of ways.  I found a description here:

History:  Macedonian immigrant Tom Kiradjieff created Cincinnati chili in 1922.  With his brother, John, Kiradjieff opened a small Greek restaurant called the Empress.  The restaurant did poorly however, until Kiradjieff started offering a chili made with Middle Eastern spices, which could be served in a variety of ways.  He called it his “spaghetti chili.”  Kiradjieff’s “five way” was a concoction of a mound of spaghetti topped with chili, chopped onion, kidney beans, and shredded yellow cheese, served with oyster crackers and a side order of hot dogs topped with more shredded cheese.

I got to thinking about Cincinnati Chili and decided to try my Diner Style Chili over zoodles (zucchini noodles).  If I had grated cheese, I would added some but I had none.  The chili over zoodles was a good and filing meal, but I think I prefer this chili best with some fresh diced red onion.  Of course a gob of grated cheddar cheese and oyster crackers would be really good too.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Hearty Minestrone Soup (Slow Cooker)

Quick and Easy Hearty Minestrone Soup

In my brain, "Minestrone Soup" translates to something like:

Italian Soup with a hearty and flavorful tomato broth and... throw in whatever the heck you have in the refrigerator and/or cupboard.

I bet that's not the exact translation though. Maybe I should "Google" that?!

Today I threw my Minestrone Soup in the Crock Pot (Slow Cooker) in the morning and it was ready by lunch time.  It was easy, delicious, and healthy and I am looking forward to the leftovers.  Today, I also made up a pot of THIS SOUP for my husband.  Both soups use some of the same ingredients and have similar flavors, but the Minestrone Soup is lighter and leaner.

Quick and Easy Hearty Minestrone Soup

(Slow Cooker/Crock Pot Recipe)

1 can (14 ounce) low sodium beef broth

1 can (14.5 ounce) fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can (15.5 ounce) cannellini beans (rinsed/drained)

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

1 rib of celery, finely diced

1 large carrot (9-10 baby carrots), finely diced

1/2 sweet or yellow onion, finely diced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt (more to taste)

1/4 tsp granulated sugar (more to taste)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper (more to taste)

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning (herbs)

***

3/4 pound extra lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled

1/2 of a small zucchini, sliced lengthwise into quarters and then chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 cup frozen green beans, broken into smaller bite sized pieces

Place the first 14 ingredients (beef broth through dried Italian seasoning) into a Crock Pot (Slow Cooker).  Stir to combine; cover and cook on Low for 2 1/2 hours. 

Add in the cooked and crumbled ground beef, chopped zucchini, and frozen green beans.  Cover and cook on Low for one more hour.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  I started the soup with just 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, and 1/4 tsp black pepper, then added a little more of each at the end.

Makes 5 to 6 servings.  Top each bowl of soup with a little grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

Tacos! Tacos! TACOS!!!

Tacos!
I love tacos so much that I feel compelled to add an exclamation mark when ever I type the word "Tacos!" Ole!!!!

Do you already have a favorite taco recipe?  Before we had Zach, we added onions, bell peppers, canned refried beans, and spices into cooked ground beef for tacos. We switched things up for Zach, who did not care for the veggies in the ground beef; for years, we've used a packet of taco seasoning from the grocery store mixed into ground beef. 

This week we switched things up and made a new recipe from one of my very favorite cooking blogs "Skinnytaste".  Here is the recipe link:

http://www.skinnytaste.com/madisons-favorite-slow-cooker-beef-tacos/

The original recipe called for cooking the ingredients on the stove top and then cooking it further in the slow cooker. I did not start the recipe soon enough so I just cooked it on the stove top. It is a delicious recipe and more healthful than using a salty seasoning packet from the store. I also added in more vegetables than called for.

Beef Tacos

Adapted from www.skinnytaste.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 small onion, minced
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
• 2 Anaheim peppers
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 to 1 cup water
• 
  

Toppings:

• shredded romaine lettuce
• shredded cheddar (optional)
• plum tomatoes, diced
• onions, diced

sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
pickled jalapenos

DIRECTIONS:

Cook and crumbled the ground beef in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. When no pink remains, drain the beef in a strainer; set aside.

Return the large skillet to the stove top. Add in the chopped onions, Anaheim peppers, red bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently over medium heat, until the veggies begin to soften (about 3 to 5 minutes). Add in the cooked beef, spices, tomato sauce, and about 1/2 cup water.  Allow the beef mixture to simmer (*)on the stove top for about 15 minutes over medium heat, while you prepare your taco toppings (lettuce, onions, tomatoes, grated cheese, etc.)

(*) If you have a lid for your large skillet, keep the skillet covered, but stir the mixture occasionally. I did not have a lid large enough for my skillet; consequently, I kept adding in a little water (about 1/4 cup at a time) when the beef mixture became dry looking.

We enjoyed our beef tacos one meal on crunchy corn tortillas.  For lunch today, I tried these high fiber, low carbohydrate tortillas; the brand name is "Ole".  I love these. The tortillas are only 50 calories each and they are huge, tasty, soft, and delicious!

Green Chile Burgers

Green Chile Burgers

Green Chile Burgers
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chili power
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely mined onion (I used red onion)
2 tablespoons diced green chiles from a can (drained well in a fine mesh sieve)

Directions

Mist a large skillet (or grill pan) with cooking spray and preheat over medium high heat.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.  Mix gently with hands to distribute the ingredients and shape into 4 equal patties, less than 1/2 inch think.  Add patties to preheated skillet (or grill pan), reduce heat to medium, and cook until bottoms are deep golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip and cook until patties are firm to the touch and cooked through (no pink remains), about 4 to 5 minutes more. I like my beef patties prepared medium well; of course, feel free to prepare your Green Chile Burgers to your desired doneness (rare, medium, well done, etc.)

I did not intend to go on a burger frenzy, but it seems as if I have.  I've been wanting to make turkey burgers with different flavor profiles, but the other day I found that I needed to use up some ground beef.  I had let it thaw in the refrigerator and never made what I had intended to make.  I also had some green chiles (from a can) in the freezer (leftover from another recipe), so I decided to make up some Green Chile Burgers; I added in my favorite Mexican or Southwestern spices.

Zach came home while I was making these burgers.  He was starving after playing tennis all day long.  He had a Green Chile Burger on a bun and said it was really flavorful.  Zach topped his burger with grated sharp cheddar cheese.  He went on to say I should make these again.  So there you go!

Above you can see my burger; I had it with a salad of baby arugula and diced tomatoes (dressed with a little extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar).  I added a dollop of plain lowfat yogurt to my burger (kind of like having sour cream on a taco).  Speaking of which... these Green Chile Burgers taste a lot like tacos, as the seasonings in these burgers are some of the seasonings you'd find in packaged taco seasoning. 

Helpful Hint:  If you ever have left over diced green chiles from a can, don't let them go to waste.  Just place them in a plastic baggie and place them in the freezer for use in a future recipe.

Little BBQ Steak Meatballs

Little BBQ Steak Meatballs

Well, I don't think I am going to win any food blogger photography awards for these photos, but this recipe is a tasty treat!

At a recent hotel stay (Embassy Suites), I had some tasty BBQ meatballs.  The hotel offers a Manager's Reception/Happy Hour with appetizers and drinks for free each evening.  One night they had little bite sized meatballs in BBQ sauce.  The meatballs were not drenched in sauce; there was just a nice coating of BBQ sauce on each meatball.  It got me to thinking how I could make these meatballs at home.  I thought my family would like them.

This morning after our walk down at the river, I whipped up these mini-meatballs in no time at all.  I did try one (or two) with a little drizzle of BBQ sauce and they are delicious.  When we want to have these for a meal today or tomorrow, I just plan to warm them up in a skillet with a little bit of BBQ sauce.  When I baked these today in the oven, the meatballs got nicely caramelized on the bottom.  They ended up tasting a bit like steak since is used steak seasoning in the meatballs.  To make these meatballs small and similar in size, I used my little scoop that looks like an ice cream scoop. Each meatball is right around 1 tablespoon in size (smaller than a walnut).  I got 29 meatballs out of one pound of ground hamburger.  I think these would be a great appetizer at a party.  I think we will have these as a meal with a salad.

Little BBQ Steak Meatballs

1 pound of ground beef (93 percent lean/7 percent fat)
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 to 3/4 tablespoon McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (about 20 to 24 grinds McCormick Parsley Grinder)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (I used my hands to work all the ingredients together).
Shape the beef mixture into 28 to 30 meatballs (1 tablespoon in size).  Place on prepared baking sheet; leave space around the meatballs so they are not touching.  Bake in the preheated in oven for 12 minutes.  Serve with BBQ sauce if desired.

Enjoy!

Hobo Burger Packets

Hobo Burger Foil Packs

I am inspired to try a lot of new recipes based on posts I see on Facebook. This is a Paula Deen recipe. The recipe calls for carrots and my family does not like cooked carrots so I simply left them out. 

I have already made this recipe three times in the past two months. The first time, I baked the foil packs right away. We had them for dinner with some servings left over of course. 

The second time I made the recipe, it occurred to me I could make up the packets ahead of time and put them in refrigerator uncooked. I had to work the next day so I left the cooking instructions for my husband. He preheated the oven and dinner was ready shortly after I got my home.  

My teenager is on the go and comes home after dinner some evenings. He can reheat the contents of one packet in the microwave in about 2 1/2 minutes. 

We've all decided we especially like this dish with some blue cheese crumbles sprinkled on top just before serving. 

This recipe is definitely a KEEPER!  I don't use red potatoes very often; I love them in this recipe. 

HOBO BURGER PACKETS

From www.pauladeen.com

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used as lean as I could get)
• 1/2 cup butter crackers, crumbled
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 medium red potatoes, thinly sliced (I used more)
• 1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (I used less)
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds (I omitted)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (I used McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning) 

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix together beef, cracker crumbs, egg, garlic, Worcestershire, cheese, salt and pepper.

Step 2

Pat the mixture into 4-6 (6-inch) patties. Place each patty onto 2 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil, enough to cover and close.

Step 3

Add potatoes, onion, and carrots to the same bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper (or McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning), tossing to combine.

Step 4

Top each patty with an equal portion of the vegetable mixture then seal each packet tightly. Place on a sheet tray and bake for 40 minutes, until the burger is cooked through and the vegetables are soft.

Queso-Taco Pasta Bake

Queso-Taco Pasta Bake

Betty Crocker and Old El Paso Brands team up in this dish:

I have been getting emails from www.bettycrocker.com

So many tempting and great looking recipes I'd like to try.

Two recipes caught my eye this past week.  This dish, Queso-Taco Pasta Bake, was dinner for me and my husband tonight.  It will also be my work week lunches. This dish is delicious.  I am really glad I tried this recipe.  This recipe calls for a pouch of Old El Paso Roasted Tomato Mexican Cooking Sauce.  I had never noticed this product on the store shelves before. I was not sure if my store would carry it or not so I decided to try this recipe if I could find the product.  I found it a City Market (Kroger). 

Here's the LINK for this recipe:  http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/queso-taco-pasta-bake/aba62f48-59bb-44d9-af75-1e16a9b9103f

I followed the recipe almost exactly. Crazy, right?.  The only change I made was that I used 8 ounces of grated extra sharp cheddar cheese in the cheese sauce instead of just 6 ounces as called for.  For the salsa, I used "medium" salsa.  The recipe is basically a fancy macaroni and cheese recipe. You start with butter and flour to make a roux and then add in chicken broth. Then you melt in some cheddar cheese and the simmering sauce.  The pasta is cooked separately.  Then ground beef, onion, cumin, and salsa are cooked separately. You combine all these ingredients and then bake it in the oven with a little more cheese on top.  This recipe calls for cumin, which is one of my all time favorite flavors.  Good stuff!

  

Italian Sloppy Joes

A few nights ago, I had one of those restless nights where I could not fall back asleep after waking up around 2:00 a.m. I have too many of these nights... I am blaming peri-menopause! Is that TMI (too much information?)

Since I was up in the wee hours, I started looking up recipes. I guess this means it was the wee hours of Thursday morning and I knew I'd be going grocery shopping in a matter of hours. I found two crock pot recipes I wanted to try and I shopped accordingly for both recipes. I made a recipe called Hot Stromboli Sandwiches last night and I LOVE it! Truth be told it could be made on the stove top; it only had to simmer in the crock pot on low for one hour. All the ingredients are cooked when you put them in the crock pot so it's just a matter of warming through and simmering a bit. I think this would be a great recipe to bring to a pot luck or an event such as my son's annual tennis team dinner. This is basically a recipe for sloppy joes and is similar from Manwich (the stuff in the can), which I also really like. But this recipe has a bit of an Italian flair which you'll see in the ingredients. I think this recipe would freeze well. It does make a lot but we'll have this polished off in no time. I am making sandwiches on hoasted hoagie buns; I like them open faced. I topped my sandwich with a little thinly sliced provolone cheese.

Here is the recipe from a great looking blog called Crock Pot Ladies.
The recipe link is... HERE.

 

Hot Stromboli Sandwiches (AKA: Italian Sloppy Joes)

Ingredients

2 Pounds Ground Beef

1 Small Onion , chopped

1 Cup Ketchup

1 Cup V8 Juice

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

Instructions

1. In a skillet, brown ground beef and onions, drain and add to crock-pot.
2. Add remaining ingredients to the crock-pot and stir well.
3. Cook on low for 1 hour until hot.
4. Serve on Sliced Italian Bread or French Bread with Mozzarella Cheese on top.

 I forgot the onion and used the dehydrated minced onions that I had in my cupboard.

Weekend Cooking

I have never used these noodles before today.  Do you use them?  I can see they would be good in lots of recipes. I was thinking they would be good with Swedish  Meatballs, Tuna Casserole, and lots of other dishes. 

Today I used these "No Yolks" noodles in a recipe called Sour Cream Noodle Bake from The Pioneer Woman. Hubby and I liked it and I'll definitely make it again. It is unlike anything else we have in our rotation of meals. I had seconds and my husband went back for thirds!!  The Pioneer Woman's recipes never disappoint.  I made this recipe because when I was watching The Pioneer Woman show on TV, my husband said, "That looks good!" 

Sour Cream Noodle Bake from The Pioneer Woman
Recipe link is here.

 

As I was doing the dishes I realized I did not take a photo of the finished dish.  Sorry about that. We really enjoyed the leftovers from this recipe; the leftovers reheated really well in the microwave. I was hoping to bring the leftovers to work for my lunches but the leftovers are all gone. Boo Hoo! 

I am also planning to try two other new recipes this week. Here are the links:

http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2012/05/cool-ranch-crockpot-chicken-tacos-or-tostadas.html

http://crockpotladies.com/recipe-categories/entrees/crockpot-hot-stromboli-sandwiches/

Super (Souper) Nachos and NEW Ginsu Knives

Super * Souper * Nachos

Another recipe from my husband... who really doesn't cook.

A few years back, the boys said they wanted "nachos" on Super Bowl Sunday.  We've been making nachos at home like this ever since.  We had this for dinner on Mother's Day on Sunday.  I cooked but I did not do the dishes.

This meal is kind of decadent but darn good comfort food.  It's also a pretty quick and easy meal for a week night. The thing that makes our version of nachos different is that we combine 1 can of Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup with 1/2 a can of refried beans.  We used to heat this combination, which basically makes a hot dip, we ate it with crunchy corn tortilla chips, and we called it "dinner".   Now our nachos have become more elaborate.

Super Souper Nachos

1 pound ground beef
approx. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, & crushed red pepper flakes
approx. 1/8 teaspoon dried basil & dried oregano
1 can (14 - 15 ounce size) refried beans (we like Rosarita brand fat-free refried beans)
1 can Campbell's Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
1 big bag of Doritos (we like Tapatio Flavor, Taco Flavor, and Nacho Cheese Flavor) or any other corn tortilla chips

Your favorite nacho toppings:
diced tomatoes
shredded ice berg or romaine lettuce
diced red onion or diced yellow onion
jalapeno slices (from a jar)
grated cheese (optional)
sliced olives
sour cream or low fat plain yogurt
your favorite salsa (optional) if desired

In a large skillet, cook and crumble the ground beef until no pink remains.  Drain fat if necessary and season the ground beef.  We really never measure these spices... just a few pinches of the basil and oregano... but we use even more of the garlic powder, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes.  So much easier and tastier than those salty taco seasoning packets.

Meanwhile, in a medium sized pot, combine the can of cheese soup with 1/2 can of the refried beans.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently and cooking until bubbling and very hot.   If desired, heat the remaining 1/2 can of refried beans (in the microwave oven) to serve with the nachos or save for another use (See Mexican Eggs recipe HERE which is a great use for leftover refried beans.  Have this for breakfast tomorrow!).

We serve our Super Souper Nachos family style... small containers of the nacho toppings are scattered all over the dining room table and everyone gets to make their nachos to suit their own tastes.  Layer the chips on a big plate (we like to mash up the chips a bit with our hands), sprinkle on some of the seasoned ground beef, drizzle on the hot cheesy bean concoction, and top as desired with your favorite nacho toppings.  Eat with a fork or dig in with your hands.  Enjoy!

Servings: should easily serve 4 people but sadly our family of 3 will eat this all in one sitting. Doh!

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I mentioned above that I made this meal for Mother's Day this past Sunday.  What made this FUN was that I had some Ginsu Knives delivered to my house on Saturday.  You see, my brother-in-law went to the Annual Berkshire Hathaway Convention in Omaha, Nebraska, earlier this month.  From what I what I understand, various companies in which Berkshire Hathaway invests have booths displaying their wares at the convention.  I knew Warren Buffett was into Coca Cola and  Dairy Queen... turns out Ginsu knives factor in there some where too.  Lucky for me!  I used the knives to chop up my nacho toppings and these knives are great! 

Question:  The ultimate test of how good (or bad) a knife is?

Answer:  How well the knife works cutting a ripe tomato!  My new knives rock!

When we were eating the nachos my husband commented, "Why all the extra veggies!"
My reply... "I was having so much fun chopping veggies, I just couldn't stop!"

Cutting the tomato was like a hot knife going through butter.  So stoked about my great new knives.  I especially like the knife that is not serrated; the knife which is the second from the top in the photo above.  I think this is a "santoku" knife.  It's a little smaller than my chef's knife (which is an adjustment) but I LOVE it!

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Roast with Potatoes & Vegetables

I was going to try to make a pot roast recipe which called for 1 packet of Ranch Dressing mix, 1 packet of Zesty Italian Dressing mix, and 1 packet of Brown Gravy mix.  But the Brown Gravy part scared me. I made this instead...

I put 1/2 of the jar of Tomato & Basil sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker... and then I added in the big beef roast... "plop!"  (Sound effects... cool!)

Then I surrounded the roast with a bunch of scrubbed russet potatoes... that's the Zesty Italian Dressing packet sprinkled on top of the roast...

Then I added in the veggies... I had to leave out the second bell pepper since the slow cooker was getting mighy full.

 I was concered I might violate a slow cooker maximum capacity rule and the "Food Police" might come 'a knockin' on my door, but it all turned out fine...

Then I topped all the veggies and the taters with the other 1/2 of sauce.  I cooked it on high for about 3 1/2 hours and then I cooked it on low for about 3 1/2 more hours.  Slow cookers are rather flexible that way.

Slow Cooker Italian Beef Roast with Potatoes & Vegetables

1 beef rump roast or beef chuck roast (about 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 pounds), remove visible fat
6 to 8 small russet potatoes, unpeeled & scrubbed
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 bell pepper (I used red), coarsely chopped
5-6 cloves fresh garlic, paper layers removed
about 3/4 cup grape tomatoes (optional)
1 jar (approximately 24 ounces or 3 cups) tomato pasta sauce (I used Barilla Tomato & Basil)
1 packet dry Good Seasons Zesty Italian salad dressing mix..

Pour 1/2 of the jar of pasta sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker.  Place roast in slow cooker and surround with potatoes.  Sprinkle the dry salad dressing mix over the roast.  Add in chopped veggies, whole cloves of garlic, and grape tomatoes (if using).  Pour the remainder of the pasta sauce over the veggies and potatoes.  Cover and cook for 9 to 10 hours on low (or like I did... 3 1/2 hours on high and then 3 1/2 hours on low).

This week I did my big grocery shopping at Safeway.  I prefer to go to Kroger (City Market) but they are undergoing major construction and I was nearly in tears last week in the "self-check-out-line".  You see, no cash registers were open and I had to check out an entire cart of groceries and the thing just stopped working and I was in a hurry you see because I had pies baking in the oven at home!  Argh!!!!! 

So I went to Safeway with my Value Card, digital coupons, and paper coupons in hand.  I tried really hard to shop the sales but I got confused by a few things.  I paid $10.47 for 3 packages of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon that I really did not need because the ad said "3 for $5.00".  Turns out that was a special for Friday only (and I did my shopping on Thursday)! Doh!

I also would have sworn the label on the shelf said "McCormick Brand Spices... buy 2 and get the 3rd one FREE!"  But it did not get rung up that way.

I also found myself buying some convenience foods I would not ordinarily buy since I was trying to catch the sales.  Got some "Hot Pockets" and "Lean Pockets" and Eggo Waffles.  They won't go to waste and will great for days when I over sleep and need a quick breakfast and don't know what to bring for lunch.

I also bought an extra bag of tortilla chips thinking it was "buy 1 get 1 free" but turns out it was "buy 2 get 2 free". 

Live and learn, right? Changing grocery stores is tough.  But all in all, I did okay... saved 31% on my total bill.  

My beef roast for the Slow Cooker Beef Roast with Potatoes & Vegetables was on sale for $3.99 per pound. 

My big score was Hormel brand BBQ fully-cooked ribs for the guys.  They are spendy... a huge rack of ribs for $19.95... but they were "buy 1 get 1 free".  A super easy dinner for the guys with some canned corn and instant mashed taters.  If you were to go to Chili's Restaurant for this meal, it would have easily been a $60.00 to $70.00 for our family and the portions would have been significantly smaller.

Cinco de Mayo: Beef Taco Skillet (Inspiration in the Kitchen Cupboard)

Beef Taco Skillet (Photo from www.campbellskitchen.com)

As I was preparing to go to the grocery store last week, I was taking a quick inventory of what I already had on hand in the cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer.  I noticed this recipe on the back of a Campbell's Tomato Soup can and realized I had all the ingredients already.  I really did not change the recipe that significantly; I replaced the flour tortillas with white corn tortillas, added in a can of dark red kidney beans, and increased the cooking liquids just a tad.  This is not a super authentic Mexican dish but it is what I made this week.  It's a nice and easy to make, you only have wash one skillet when you are done, and the leftovers reheat really well.  I should have snapped a photo while it was looking delicious, simmering away in the skillet on the stove top but I guess I was in a hurry.  I portioned it out in plastic storage containers for my work week lunches.

Beef Taco Skillet
Adapted from recipe on Campbell's Tomato Soup can (Original recipe link is HERE)

1 pound ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular or Healthy Request®)
3/4 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
3/4 cup water

1 can (15 ounce size) dark red kidney beans
6 flour corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Cook the beef in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat.  Pour off any fat.  Stir the soup, picante sauce, water, beans. and tortillas in the skillet and heat to a boil.   Reduce the heat to low.  Cook for 5 - 8 minutes.  Stir the beef mixture.  Top with the cheese.

Beef Short Ribs, Cheese, and Jalapeno Panini

Panini... Italian for fancy smashed grilled cheese sandwiches.  Ha, ha!

Husband picked out these good looking rolls... this has "Guy Food" written all over it.

Cheese top and bottom to "glue" it all together... we used Swiss cheese since we had it on hand...  I scooped out a little of the bready, fluffy-ness to make a well in both the top and bottom buns...

 I would have preferred Pepper Jack cheese, so I added some jalapeno slices from a jar...

Then I filled the sandwich with shredded meat (boneless beef short ribs... braised in the slow cooker with a great spice rub)...

Spread a little margarine or butter on the top and bottom of each bun, as you would with a grilled cheese sandwich... and place the sandwiches in a grill pan, panini press, or George Foreman Grill... why, on the Food Network, I've seen those fancy chefs use a brick (from the garden or random construction site?) covered with aluminum foil... I don't know about you, but I do NOT have random bricks lying around my home.  Thankfully, my mother-in-law, Maryellen, gifted me this amazing grill pan a number of years ago.  I also make these sandwiches in my George Foreman Grill... but that thing is a pain to clean... but I digress...

My grill pan came with a cast iron lid.  I seriously think the press weighs 3 to 5 pounds... seriously.  It does a good job smashing the sandwiches. 



Boneless Beef Short Ribs (Slow Cooker)
This will make a great number of meaty sandwiches (10 to 12 sandwiches). I use two packages of boneless, beef short ribs.  This recipe can easily be cut in half for fewer sandwiches.

2 to 2 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of visible fat 

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder

several grinds of black pepper (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon)
jalapeno slices from a jar
sliced cheese of your choice (provolone, Swiss, Monterrey jack, or pepper jack are all good choices)

fresh rolls... hoagies, buns, something with height because you are doing to smoosh the heck out of it

Directions:

Trim beef (might also work well with chicken or pork) of visible fat. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water to slow cooker.

In a small bowl, combine the seven spice ingredients.  Sprinkle the spice mixture over the beef (or chicken or pork), coating all sides as best as possible.  Place the seasoned beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, or until the meat shreds easily.

Remove the beef (or chicken or pork) from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. To make sandwiches, place sliced cheese in bun/hoagie rolls, and top with shredded meat, and jalapeno pepper slices (optional). Spread a little butter, margarine, or olive oil on the outside of the buns and cook like a grilled cheese sandwich on both sides... in a pan, on a griddle, in a panini press, on a George Foreman grill, or a panini pan (like mine).

If desired, strain cooking liquids from the slow cooker through a fine mesh sieve or strainer. Serve sandwiches with the cooking liquid just like a French Dip sandwich with Au Jus on the side.

Beef and Cheese Enchiladas with Mexican Rice

 

 

 

I could eat Mexican food for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.  I love it that much!

 Here is my first attempt to make homemade enchiladas.

 

I was buying ingredients to make chili this week and noticed these sauces on the store shelf.  I decided to make red enchiladas for my son and green enchiladas for my husband.  The red enchiladas were very good, both in texture and flavor.  The flavors in the green enchiladas were really good but I added too much sauce and I neglected to coat the baking dish with no-stick spray.  The extra moisture resulted in the corn tortillas turning in mush but also the tortillas totally stuck to the bottom of the dish in a very hard, crusty layer. Which reminds me, I need to do dishes.

So today, I'll share the Red Enchilada recipe.

I coated both sides of the tortillas with red sauce and then filled the tortillas with a beef and cheese.

I spooned a bit more red sauce over each enchilada and then topped it all with cheese.  The enchiladas have a nice coating of sauce but the are not drenched in sauce.

Cheesy goodness!



What a yummy plate!  We added a bit of shredded lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream (or in my case... yogurt)

Red Beef and Cheese Enchiladas

16 ounces Kroger Fire Roasted Red Enchilada Sauce (I had 1/2 to 3/4 cup leftover)
12 ounces colby jack cheese, finely grated (about 3 cups), divided
3/4 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon each ground cumin, ground coriander, garlic powder, and dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon each chipotle chile pepper and ground black pepper
1 dozen white corn tortillas (I used Mission Brand White Corn tortillas)

Generously spray a 9x13x2 baking dish with no-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large skillet, cook and crumble the ground beef along with onion. When no pink remains, drain the beef if necessary and add in the spices.  Stir to distribute the spices and set aside.

Set aside about 1 cup of the cheese to put on top of the enchiladas.

To assemble the enchiladas, poor about 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce onto a shallow plate (I used a small salad plate).  One at at time, lightly coat the tortillas with a little sauce on both side and move the tortilla to a work surface (a cutting board or another small shallow plate). If you use up the enchilada sauce on the plate during assembly, just add more sauce to the plate as needed to lightly coat each tortilla.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons of beef down the center of the tortilla and then top the beef with some grated cheese.  Roll up the tortilla around the ingredients and place, seam side down, into prepared baking dish.  Repeat until all ingredients are used.  You will end up with 11 or 12 enchiladas.  Spoon about more enchilada sauce over the top of each enchilada..  Top the enchiladas with the reserved grated cheese.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes uncovered. If desired, turn oven to broil; broil until cheese starts to turn brown.

I also made some "Mexican Rice"as a side dish.  So good!  We also had refried beans (from can... not glamourous, but good!)

Mexican Rice
From "The 99 Cent Chef"; here is the LINK
 

Ingredients (about 4 servings)

• 1 cup of rice - I used basmati
• 4 ounces tomato sauce 
• 2 cups of water.
• 1 tablespoon of garlic - fresh, pressed in garlic press
• 1/4 onion - finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• a pinch of dried oregano

DirectionsHeat oil, then add rice. Stir to coat grains and saute until they start to turn brown - about 10 minutes. Add chopped onion and garlic. Stir and saute a couple of minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and two cups of water.  Season with a bit of salt, black pepper, and a pinch of dried oregano.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook rice according to directions (about 20 minutes). Turn off heat and let set another five minutes. Serve with a favorite entree.


In case you are curious, here's what the Green Enchiladas looked like. 

 

The meat filling in these was the same. I used pepper jack cheese instead of colby jack and I added a few jalapeno slices to the top of the dish. My mistake was using the entire 16 ounce jar of sauce for the green enchiladas. It was too gloppy and the tortillas got mushy. Great flavors just not good texture. Also not spraying the baking dish was a colossal mistake.  The red enchiladas actually came out of the pan without the no-stick spray, but I added that step just to be on the safe side.

I made the red enchiladas for my son and the green for my husband. My husband tried both and it turned out he preferred the flavors in the red enchiladas.  Go figure!