Cinco De Mayo-Nachos

Nacho - Copy Cat (Serendipity)

I don't go to Vegas very often, only for certain sporting events, visiting friends, or stopping through on our way to CA.  I am not a gambler but there are certain things that I love in Vegas like the fountains and gardens at the Bilago, and particular restaurants.  My daughter loves the frozen hot chocolate drinks at "Serendipity" but I love the Nachos! In celebration of Cinco De Mayo I once again attempted to make my version of Serendipity's Nachos.  My first try was the best, this time they were not as goopy!  But still a fun treat once in awhile.

Nachos

tortilla chips, I love the Juanita's brand
ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped fine
black beans, rinsed and drained
Tostido's Salsa Con Queso, med or mild
tomato, chopped
green Chiles, optional
guacamole. as desired (previously posted)
sour cream
cheddar cheese, grated (to top)
green onions, chopped

Layer tortilla chips with beans, ground beef, green Chiles, the salsa con queso (generously, after warming), tomato, and guacamole. Repeat layers one or two more times, top with sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onion. 

These chips are fabulous, more like I have had in a good Mexican restaurant than any other store bought chip.  Served warm they are even better and they are also gluten free.

Pasta Fagioli (Copy Cat with my modifiations)

 

Pasta Fagioli

2 lbs. ground  beef (next time I will make it with sweet Italian sausage)
1 onion, chopped
3  carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c. minced dry garlic (added for my own personal taste)
1 qt. canned tomatoes (the original called for 2 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes), undrained
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 15 oz. can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed (white kidney beans)
3 10 oz. cans beef broth
3 t. oregano
2 t. ground pepper
5 t. parsley
1/2 t. Tabasco sauce (originally called for a full teaspoon)
1 24 oz. Prego Traditional Spaghetti Sauce (my personal preference)
8 oz. small cut pasta

Brown beef and place in lined crock pot with everything but the pasta.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or low 5-6 hours. (for my personal crock pot 4 hours was not long enough for the vegetables to be tender)  30 minutes before serving add the pasta. 

*This makes a large batch of soup in the future I will take 1/2 of the soup out before adding the pasta and freeze for another meal and add the pasta at that time.  To make it gluten free just make sure the beef stock is gluten free and use a gluten free pasta.  This is compared to Olive Garden in the original recipe but I don't think it is the same, but it is a keeper for me.

Pasta Shells

This is one of the cookbooks I have collected over the years.  I chose this recipe because I literally had all of the ingredients in my pantry/fridge.  I only had the medium shells so it took longer to stuff them than it would have with the larger shells.  I also put the meat in with the cheese mixture and pulled some of my own homemade marinara sauce (recipe on the bottom of the blog as Lauri's Italian Sauce) out of the freezer.  What I realized is that the reason I chose this recipe on the fly is because I always have these ingredients in stock and it tasted much like my own. I would also use Sweet Italian Sausage rather than the ground beef in the future.  This is so close to the way I make my own Manicotti, not very risky but good flavors and seemed comfortable.

(From the Cookbook-Church Suppers)
 Stuffed Shells

25 jumbo shell
2 c. ricotta cheese
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t. salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 . ground beef
1 28 oz. jar spaghetti sauce.

Cook shells according to the package directions; drain.  In a large bowl, combine the cheeses, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and oregano.  Preheat the oven to 350. Fill each shell with 2 T of the mixture.  In a large skillet, brown the beef and mix with the spaghetti sauce.  Spread a thin layer of sauce in 3 qt. rectangular baking dish.  Place the shells 1 deep in the dish and cover with sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Make 6 servings. 

Best Lasagna Ever!

Our daughter in Kansas City just had a little baby girl. I am here to help her out for a few days and to play with the her sweet little girls. I have been doing some cooking for her while she recovers and making doubles so that after I leave she can pull something out for dinner on her hectic days (with a 20 month old and a newborn there maybe a few!)

I made a marinara sauce several days in advance for several meals that I would be serving. I think sitting and marinating helped the sauce "mature!" At home I would use the tomatoes that I had canned for myself and I don't add sugar so the taste was a little different. But I made my usual recipe, below, only a smaller batch.

Lauri’s Italian Sauce
3 bottles whole tomatoes (4cans approx. 1 lb size)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 8 oz. cans mushrooms

3 T. dried Oregano
3 T. dried Marjoram
3 T. dried Basil
1 ½ T. dried Thyme

1/2-3/4 c. chopped dried onion or two chopped fresh onions
2 T. minced dried garlic or 5 cloves fresh garlic minced (if using fresh onion and garlic saute them in olive oil until transparent and then add the remaining ingredients)
Combine all of the above ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer on low heat until thickened. (I usually simmer it for several hours)

Meat Sauce
4 lbs, lean ground beef
2 chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Brown the meat and add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add to the marinara sauce and simmer.

For Lasagna:
Place marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13pan. Place lasagna noodles (uncooked) on top and then layer with Cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers again. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour. If freezing cover with foil and freeze, thaw and bake, saves up to six months in the freezer.

The one thing that made this lasagna so good was the local Italian Sausage that I used along with the ground beef I just wish I could take a case of this home with me. Because the marinara sauce was being used in several things I didn't put as much sauce as I typically do and there was a lot of the meat mixture it all blended together so well.

Seriously one of the best Lasagnas I have ever made!

Mexican Meatball Stew

Mexican Meatball Stew

1 lb ground chuck
¼ c. soft bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
½ t. ground cumin
¼ t. pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 c. all purpose flour
2¼ c. water
1 c. frozen whole kernel corn
1 14 oz. can whole tomatoes, untrained and chopped
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 T. chili powder
½ t. salt
1 t. beef flavored bouillon granules
1 t. dried whole oregano

Combine ground chuck, breadcrumbs, egg, 3 T. chile's cumin, and pepper in medium bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into meatballs, using about 1 tsp mixture for each meatball. Arrange meatballs on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, broil 5½ inches from heat 5 minutes; turn meatballs, and broil an additional 4 minutes or until browned. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine flour and water in a Dutch oven; stir well. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add meatballs, remaining chile's, corn, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Yield 7 cups

(we found this in a Cooking Light Magazine years ago!)

Tostadas

One of those old cravings I have had recently is for a good homemade tostadas. Because the corn tortilla is fried in hot oil until slightly crisp I have not made these for a long time. But with yummy fresh tortillas and all of the other ingredients on hand it just sounded good.

Toastadas:

1 lb. lean ground beef browned
1 medium onion, chopped finely
taco seasoning mix (recipe following)

refried beans (I have cans in my pantry as a standard)
cheddar cheese, shredded
guacamole (previously posted)
lettuce
tomato, diced
sour cream

corn tortillas
oil for frying


In a large skillet brown the ground beef and onion. When the beef is no longer pink add the taco seasoning mix and water. While the beef is browning heat oil in a separate pan. (1/2-1 inch from the bottom) When oil is hot place the tortilla in the oil and leave until it bubbles and raises flip and do the same with the other side, place on a paper towel to drain off excess oil. Heat the refried beans and cover.

Place tortilla on a plate layer beans, meat mixture, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and guacamole.I like to serve this with corn and Zatarains Black Beans and Rice or rice with lime and
cilantro.

Taco Mix:

2 t. instant minced onion
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. minced garlic
1 t. gound cumin
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1/4 t. dried oregano

Mix with cooked hamburger, and 1/3 c. water.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joes are such an easy meal to throw together but I don't like many of the traditional recipes so I played around until I came up with my own. Great for a quick meal especially on a cool night.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
½ medium onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic. minced
2 T. brown sugar
1 t. ground mustard
½ - 1 c. ketchup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce

Brown ground beef and onion. Add mustard, brown sugar, and ½ c. ketchup. If the meat is not the right consistency add the remaining ketchup a little at a time.

Meatballs

Lauri’s Meatballs

1-2 lbs ground beef
1-2 lbs mild Italian sausage
1 c. bread crumbs, seasoned or plain
1-2 T. dried onion ( or ½ chopped fresh onion that has been sauteed)
2 eggs
1-2 T. Worcestershire sauce
salt to taste

Combine meats with bread crumbs, egg onions, and Worcestershire sauce. Roll in 1-1 ½ in balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
For freezing place cooked meatballs on another cooking sheet and place in a freezer until frozen, then place in a zipper bag in serving sizes and date.

Swedish Meatballs:

½ t. nutmeg or allspice
2 pkgs. brown gravy mix

Add the water to the skillet according to the package directions for the gravy. On medium heat stir gently until thickened, then add the cooked meatballs. Serve over rice or buttered noodles.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs:

½ c. packed brown sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 13 oz. can pineapple chunks
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 small green pepper, chopped

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple, including the syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Add cooked meatballs reduce heat, add green peppers and simmer until tender.

Saucy Meatballs:

1 10 ¾ can cream of chicken soup
1/3 c. milk
1/8 t. ground nutmeg
½ c. sour cream

Stir soup, milk and nutmeg into a large skillet. Heat to boiling, add cooked meatballs and reduce heat. Cover and simmer

10 minutes, stir in sour cream and heat through.

Marinara Sauce w/ Spaghetti ( my sauce is on the left column) or for a quick fix your favorite brand!

I love to make meatballs in large quantities and have them frozen for Rainy Days or for when I need to throw something together very quickly. I also love to buy my Italian Sausage from Harmon's here in Utah, I love the fresh grind they make.

Make Ahead Meals-Ground Beef Style

I like to do as much ahead as I can when it comes to meal preparation. One example is to buy ground beef in bulk and prepare it in as many ways as I can for future uses. I usually fry it with chopped onion and then place on paper towels to remove the extra grease. Next I measure into freezer bags according to recipe quantities, for added ease I can add the flavorings for things like Tacos or Sloppy Joes. Browned meat can be thawed and added to sauces to save time at a later date.

This is a large batch of ground beef, cooked, divided and then seasoned for Sloppy Joes, Tacos, and Sour Cream Enchiladas. This was for our daughter who just had a baby to have some quick and easy meals after we left.

Other ideas for the prepackaged meat

Lasagna

Shepherd Pie

Stroganoff

Manicotti w/ meat

Sour Ceam Enchiladas

Sloppy Joes

Tacos
Enchiladas

Shepherd Pie

Another one of those comfort foods.

Shepherd's Pie or Green Bean Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 ½ oz. can green beans, drained
1 10 ¾ oz. can of tomato soup
3-4 medium potatoes
cheddar cheese, grated

Peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time, add to salted boiling water. In a large frying pan brown the ground beef, add the onions when the meat is no longer pink. When the onions become translucent, stir in the green beans and tomato soup, heat through. Place the meat mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top.

Halloween Revisited-Chili and Cornbread

(I had already done this one and made a mistake and messed up the post so I had to start over)

When the kiddles were little and did the Halloween Trick or Treat thing I always worried that they needed a good warm meal before they went out in the cold. I decided that we would make chili for dinner each Halloween. Originally I also bought doughnuts with the Halloween sprinkles to go along with it and later when I discovered the cornbread recipe I decided to do that instead of the doughnuts. The chili recipe came from my father-in-law which makes it even more fun for a tradition. I did learn, however, that this particular recipe doesn't work well if you are using dried beans in a slow cooker. My daughter, Jessica, tried it with canned kidney beans and varied spices and it worked well. I will attach her recipe later.

Dad Stevenson's Chili

2 lbs lean ground beef
2 green peppers chopped finely
2 onions, chopped finely
2 c celery, chopped
4 c chili beans, soaked
2-3 T. chili powder, more if you like it hotter
32 oz. canned tomatoes
salt to taste

Soak chili beans overnight. Cook beans until the skin slips when you blow on them.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef and vegetables. Mix all ingredients and cook on low for
hours. You may need to add water during cooking.

Corn Bread

1 c. melted butter or margarine
1 1/4 c. sugar
4 eggs
(mix together)

2 c. buttermilk
1 t. soda
(add to above mixture)

2 c. cornmeal
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
(add to prior mixture)

Bake in greased 9x13 pan in 350 ovens for 35 mins.

Lasagna

Made with my Italian Sauce on the side bar

Lasagna noodles (do not need to be cooked ahead of time.)

Grated Cheddar Cheese

Grated Mozerella Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

Cottage Cheese

In a 9x13 pan place a little of the sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place uncooked lasagna noodles down cover with sauce, and a layer of each cheese. Repeat the process again. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 hour. In the last 10 minutes of baking take the foil off to finish baking.

(This can be frozen after it is assembled. To thaw place in the refigerator the night before and bake until bubbly hot. You can also bake it frozen but it takes up to two hours. Smaller versions can be made as well.)

Mexican Meatball Stew

Mexican Meatball Stew

1 lb ground chuck, or ground turkey
¼ c. soft bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
½ t. ground cumin
¼ t. pepper
Vegetable cooking spray
1/3 c. all purpose flour
2¼ c. water
1 c. frozen whole kernel corn
1 14 oz. can whole tomatoes, untrained and chopped
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, drained
1 T. chili powder
½ t. salt
1 t. beef flavored bouillon granules
1 t. dried whole oregano

Combine ground chuck, breadcrumbs, egg, 3 T. chiles cumin, and pepper in medium bowl; stir well. Shape mixture into meatballs, using about 1 tsp mixture for each meatball. Arrange meatballs on rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray, broil 5½ inches from heat 5 minutes; turn meatballs, and broil an additional 4 minutes or until browned. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Combine flour and water in a Dutch oven; stir well. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add meatballs, remaining chiles, corn, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes. Yield 7 cups

Thinking of Mom

Six years ago my mom passed away. I learned to cook the "basics" from her. She was well known for her breads, casseroles, and especially her Sunday Meals. She was always willing to take meals into families who needed some help. So as I have thought about her today I thought that I would include some of her recipes that mean a lot to me.

"Mom's Stew "

2 lbs lean stew meat
2-3 carrots, sliced round
2-3 potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped
2 large cans tomato juice
(tomato sauce can be used)
2 T. vegetable oil

Brown meat in oil, add remaining ingredients and cook until tender. This can be simmered on a stove top, baked in the oven, or in a slow cooker. The longer and slower the better. Other herbs such as Rosemary, Bay leaves, Marjoram, or Basil can also be added for flavor. Salt and pepper to taste.

German Chocolate Cake

½ c. shortening
1 ½ c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten separately
pinch of salt
1 t. soda
1½ c. buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1½ squares of baker’s chocolate

Cream sugar and shortening, add egg yolks, melted chocolate and a little red food coloring
Alternate buttermilk, with soda added, with flour. Fold in egg whites. Bake in layer pans 30-35 minutes at 350.

German Cake Icing:

1 can evaporated milk
1 c. sugar
3 egg yolks
1 t. vanilla
¾ small package of coconut
pecans, finely chopped

Mix ingredients except the coconut and cook, about 12 minutes at a boil. Stirring constantly not to let it scorch. Cool and spread on cake.

(This was a recipe that Mom was well known for. It was a treat for my sister and I to get this cake for our birthdays. Two days before she passed away she was concerned that she had not been able to get a birthday cake made for my sister. She had all of the ingredients purchased and waiting on her counter top. We were all touched that she worried about the cake not being taken care of even as she was dying. I love the frosting but cheat and put it on a much moister cake than the above recipe. However, this is her true recipe.)

Grandma Smith’s Two Day Potato Salad
(This is an approximation to something she made to taste each time. Only she could make her Potato Salad.)

16-18 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 ½ c. Miracle Whip
1 tsp. cider vinegar
1 ½ T. sugar
1 ½ T. mustard
6-7 hard boiled eggs
paprika

Peel, cube, and boil potatoes. (Grandma always boiled the potatoes in their “jackets” and then peeled them and cut them up the day before she assembled the salad.) Boil the eggs and cool them. Chop the onion up finely. Mix the vinegar, Miracle Whip, sugar, and mustard. When the potatoes have cooled cover with the dressing and the onions and mix together well. Quarter and slice all but two of the hard boiled eggs and gently mix into the salad, thinly slice the two remaining eggs and layer across the top of the salad, sprinkle the top with paprika.

(Note the dressing for her salad was made with Miracle Whip only, mayonnaise does not give the same flavor for her “two day salad.” This salad was always requested by the family! for special occasions.)

Stroganoff

1 lb. lean ground beef, or round or sirloin steak sliced thin
½ medium onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 4 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, optional
1 c. sour cream
egg noodles, cooked (rice works well too.)

Brown ground beef and onions in a large frying pan. While the meat mixture is browning bring a pot of water to boil and cook the egg noodles. Add the cream of chicken soup, mix until blended and simmer two minutes. Add the cream of mushroom soup, simmer and add the mushrooms. When the pasta is al dente drain and add butter, if desired. Stir in the sour cream just before serving.


Shepherds’ Pie or Green Bean Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15 ½ oz. can green beans, drained
1 10 ¾ oz. can of tomato soup
3-4 medium potatoes
cheddar cheese, grated

Peel potatoes and cut into smaller pieces to speed up the cooking time, add to salted boiling water. In a large frying pan brown the ground beef, add the onions when the meat is no longer pink. When the onions become translucent, stir in the green beans and tomato soup heat through. Place the meat mixture into an oven safe casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. until the cheese is bubbly on top.

(This is one of those recipes that you can make two of and freeze one for a future day.)