Spaghetti and Cheesy Garlic Bread

I'll be honest with you...I cheat on my spaghetti...A LOT!!! I don't make it from scratch and have found a combination that I like well enough, so I don't feel like I need to put in the extra time and effort to make it from scratch! I can have my spaghetti ready in less than 30 minutes! However, I do a few things different from the norm, so I thought I would share those with you!


Ingredients:


8 oz thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 pkg McCormick's Thick & Zesty Spaghetti Sauce mix
1 cup water
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 - 1 lb ground beef
Parmesan cheese (optional)



1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain.



2. While noodles are cooking, brown ground beef. I use my micro cooker from Pampered Chef. I can cook a pound of ground beef in 5-6 minutes, without changing the taste or texture of it! When beef is brown, drain grease.


3. Stir together sauce mix, water, tomato sauce and butter.


4. Add ground beef and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occassionally.
5. Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Find recipe for Cheesy Garlic Bread here!

Mile High Mexican Pie

This recipe was created by my cousin, Mollie. I made a few changes and will note them accordingly!

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef (Mollie uses deer meat...a benefit of having a husband that hunts!)
2-3 cups of freshly shredded cheddar cheese (see my note about cheese)
3 burrito sized Tortillas (Mollie uses wheat tortillas)
1 can of rotel (or diced tomatoes & green chilies)
1 package taco seasoning
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
1 can of Red kidney beans, drained
1 small box of Velveeta (Mollie uses a small jar of cheese queso)

sour cream, optional

Steps:

1. Brown beef in a skillet. I use the micro cooker from Pampered Chef. Drain.

2. Melt Velveeta in a microwave safe bowl and add cooked beef and taco seasoning.

3. In a separate bowl, combine corn, beans and rotel.

4. Lay a tortilla in the bottom of a round dish.

5. Layer meat mixture, veggie mixture and sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese on top.
6. Repeat layers and sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until top tortilla is crisp and cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream, if desired.

Cube Steak Sandwich

Another Ree Drummond ~ Pioneer Woman recipe! She calls it Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich (named after her nickname for her husband!)

I'll be honest with you...I've made this twice and I'm still working on perfecting it. Don't get me wrong...it is good! But I still think there is more goodness to be found in it! I am writing the recipe to include the changes that I am going to make the next go 'round!

Another warning...this recipe is NOT low fat...it's got lots of butter in it! Use the REAL stuff...it really does make a difference! This recipe will make about 4 sandwiches.

Ingredients:

1 small to medium onion

3 Tbsp butter, divided, plus softened butter for rolls

1 - 1 1/2 lbs cube steak

seasoned salt

lemon pepper

black pepper

1/4 c Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco sauce

deli rolls

Steps:

1. Melt 1 Tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat.

2. Slice the onions. Add the onion to the melted butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occassionally, until it is soft and light brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove the onion from the pan and set aside.

2. Cut cube steak against the grain into 1-inch strips. Season the cube steak liberally with seasoned salt, lemon pepper and black pepper.

3. Add 1 Tbsp butter to the same skillet in which you cooked the onion. Turn the heat to high. Let the butter begin to turn brown, about 2 minutes. You want the skillet to be hot!


4. Add enough meat to the hot skillet to form a single layer. Don't stir. Let it sit for about a minute, or long enough for one side to turn brown. Then, flip the meat over and cook for another minute. Meat is cooked through when the juices run clear. Remove from skillet and set aside. Repeat until all the meat is cooked.
5. Return all the meat to the skillet and add the cooked onion. Pour in Worcestershire sauce and several dashes of Tabasco, according to your taste, and another Tbsp of butter. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes to thoroughly warm.


6. Cut rolls in half lengthwise. Spread generously with butter and either brown on a griddle or skillet, or stick them under the broiler.
7. Place the rolls face up on a plate, then place the meat mixture on the bottom half. Spoon some of the pan juices over the top. Top with other half of roll.



Some variations:


*Saute sliced mushrooms with the onions

*Try different seasonings on the meat

*Add a little sherry to the meat mixture

*Melt a slice of mozzarella cheese on top of the meat

Breakfast Pizza

I love breakfast, but I rarely (ok, never) get up in the morning and fix it. So, occassionally, I like to fix it for dinner. This is one of those occassions!



Ingredients:


1 lb pork sausage
1 c frozen hash browns (I use Ore-Ida country style)
1 (8 oz) pkg crescent rolls
4 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese (see my note on cheese)
5 eggs
1/4 c milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
sour cream (optional)
salsa (optional)


Steps:


1. Brown sausage; drain.


2. Roll out crescent rolls onto a pan with edges. I use Pampered Chef's Medium Bar Pan, which measures 11 1/2" x 7 3/4".


3. Spoon on sausage. Sprinkle on hash browns and cheese.

4. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over sausage mixture.

5. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until eggs are set.

6. Serve with sour cream and/or salsa.

Ham and Bean Soup

Okay, so it's called Ham and Bean Soup, but I don't use ham at all! I use Smoked Sausage instead! However, my friend, Sherri, that introduced me to this recipe, says that smoked ham in it is deelish!This is a must try! Last time I made it, my husband told me it was becoming one of his very favorites! It is so good and it is great for leftovers the next day! If you are feeding a larger family, you might want to double the recipe.

Ingredients:

5 oz (1/2 pkg) 15 bean soup mix

water

1 pkg smoked sausage, sliced

1/4 c choped onion (see my note on how to cut an onion without crying)

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp dried marjoram

1/4 tsp Louisiana Hot Sauce

Steps:

1. Rinse dry beans and place in a dutch oven or stock pot with 1 1/2 qts of water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 minutes.

2. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans.

3. Return beans to pan. Add 5 cups water and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 - 3 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

5. Serve with Jiffy Cornbread muffins!

Other add-in ideas:

*green pepper, celery, carrots,

*canned tomatoes, canned green chilis

Frito Chili Pie

This is an old recipe with a new twist! The new twist? The most important part...the chili! In the past, I had just bought a packet of chili seasoning, but I always thought it was kind of bland. Then, my husband got me this cookbook for Christmas...

If you've never heard of Ree Drummond, you need to check out her blog! She is very entertaining and has wonderful recipes!

Anyway, I tried her chili recipe...adjusted it to my preference (as I do just about every recipe, you will find!) and have vowed never to go back to the packet!

Ingredients:

For Chili:

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 tsp ground oregano

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 Tbsp chili powder

2 lbs ground beef

One 8-oz can tomato sauce, plus one can of water

1 tsp salt

For Frito Pie:

Crumbled fritos

Freshly shredded cheese (See my Note About Cheese)

Sour cream

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Steps:

1. Brown ground beef and garlic in large skillet. Drain.

2. Pour in tomato sauce and water. Add spices and salt. Mix well, cover, and reduce heat to low.

3. Cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If it becomes too dry, add in 1/2 cup water at a time, as needed.

4. In a bowl, layer fritos, chili, sour cream, cheese and top with a few shakes of Louisiana Hot Sauce!

French Dips with Au Jus

I got this recipe out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book (that's right, the red and white checked one that is in EVERY kitchen!), but I made adjustments and made it my own!

For simplicity, I cook mine in the crockpot, but you don't have to! Either way is quick and easy! I'll provide steps for both. Oh, and no pictures yet on this one...you'll just have to make it to see it!

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp butter
32 oz box beef broth
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1 lb thinly sliced roast beef (I buy it from my grocery store's deli counter...don't ask for it shaved, or they will give you a dirty look! Roast beef is messy to slice, but it is EXTREMELY messy to shave!)
6 deli rolls, split
6 slices provolone cheese

Crockpot directions:

In crockpot, add all ingredients except rolls and cheese. Cook on low for 4 hours. Proceed to Assembling Rolls.

Stove Top directions:

Melt butter and add garlic. Stir in broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Add beef. Return to boil. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 more minutes or until hot.


Assembling Rolls:

Butter top and bottom of rolls and place under broiler until brown. Arrange beef on bottom rolls. Slice cheese in half and arrange both halves on top of beef. Place bottom rolls, with beef and cheese, back under the broiler until the cheese is melted. Remove from broiler and place the top roll on top of the cheese. Cut in half at an angle.

Ladle broth into individual bowls. Dip sandwich into broth and enjoy!

A few notes:

* If you like, you can add a small onion, sliced and separated into rings. If you are using the crockpot, add it in with the rest of the ingredients. If you are using the stove top, add it in with the butter and garlic and saute them until they are tender.

* There is ALWAYS more broth than beef, so I usually buy some extra beef and use it for leftovers.

* Side ideas: fried potatoes, fried okra, fried squash (I see a theme developing here), your favorite potato chip, salad.

Shepherd's Pie

I have been looking for a good Shepherd's Pie recipe and came across this one in People Magazine, of all places! It was pretty good...my husband particularly seemed to like it. One thing I will do differently next time is the carrots. The recipe calls for a whole carrot, grated. I used the crinkle cut carrots and they didn't get cooked all the way through. So, next time, I will probably just buy the julienned carrots, or leave them out all together, because I really don't like carrots that much anyway, unless they are covered in butter and brown sugar! But that's a whole 'nother story...



Also, I halved the recipe, but am writing the recipe as is. It halved well, so feel free to do that if you have a small family, like mine.



The recipe is broken down into 2 parts...the pie and the potatoes...we'll start with the pie:




Ingredients:



1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 carrot, grated
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups beef stock or broth
3 Tbsp ketchup
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper, to taste
1 (10-oz) package frozen peas



Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and lightly grease a 3-qt casserole dish.


2. Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain and remove from pan. In same pan, saute carrot and onion for 4-5 minutes. Feel free to add a little butter to the pan, if needed.



3. Remove the carrots and onions and melt the butter. Whisk flour into butter...making a roux.



4. Add beef and vegetables to the roux and stir everything together. Add stock, ketchup and Worcestershire and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add peas.





4. Spoon meat mixture into casserole dish.



Okay, now for the potatoes:


Ingredients:

8 medium potatoes

1/2 to 3/4 cups milk

4 Tbsp butter

2 oz cheddar cheese, grated (see my Note About Cheese)

salt and pepper, to taste

Steps:

1. Peel and quarter potatoes and put into large saucepan. Cover with water and boil with a few teaspoons of salt for 20 minutes. OR do like I do...If you have a Large Micro Cooker from Pampered Chef, you can cook them in the microwave. Because microwave times vary, I would start at 7 minutes and go from there...they are done when you stick a fork into one and it comes apart.

2. Drain potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of milk and the butter to the potatoes. Mash together with masher or electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk if necessary. Stir in the cheese and season the potatoes to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Spoon mashed potatoes into casserole dish, covering meat mixture.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the sauce is bubbling and the potatoes start to brown.

5. Serve immediately. Makes 8 servings.

Barbeque Beef Sandwiches

My goodness...I'm already falling behind on this blog! I will try to be more diligent!

My very first recipe! Yeah! This recipe is Quick & Easy!!! Can be made in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/2 - 3/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce (we use Head Country)

1/3 cup yellow mustard

2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

6 hamburger buns

Steps:

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion together on Med-Hi heat, until browned. Drain fat. [To

drain fat, I usually lay out some paper towels on a paper plate and scoop all my meat onto the towels, then wrap the meat in the paper towels and press the grease out. I take a separate paper towel and wipe the grease out of the pan. Then I add the meat back to the pan.]

Add barbecue sauce, mustard and worcestershire sauce and mix together. Simmer about 5
minutes.

Here's what it looks like when it's done:

I like to butter up my buns and put them under the broiler:

Spoon meat mixture onto buns.

I KNOW I took a picture of the final product, but darned if I know where it disappeared to!

A couple of variations:

*It grosses out my husband, but I usually add a slice of provolone cheese to my sandwich!

*If meat mixture is too tart, you can add a little sugar to sweeten it up.

*If you don't have barbecue sauce on hand, you can use ketchup. Add the mustard and worcestershire sauce as called for and then taste and adjust as needed.