Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Cheesy Beefy Mac (Skillet Casserole)

I saw this photo on Pinterest and thought it looked so yummy!  Neither one of us are sure if we liked the dish or not.  The A1 sauce makes it very tangy and different.  There is a part of me that really enjoyed the dish and another part that thought the flavors were very weird.  I may make it again with a little less A1 and see how it tastes then.  The link at the very bottom will take you to where the original recipe was posted if you'd like a recipe to make your own cream of mushroom soup.  

Ingredients: 
1/2 Lb elbow macaroni, uncooked 
1 Lb ground sirloin 
1 sweet onion, diced 
1 cup ketchup 
1/4 cup A1 Steak Sauce 
1 can cream of mushroom soup 
salt and pepper, to taste 
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese *or Colby Jack Directions: 

Cook your macaroni according to package directions. Drain and rinse and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, brown your ground sirloin and onion. (I like to use sirloin as opposed to a higher fat content beef, so that I really don't need to drain the fat. This way there's just a little bit of fat and the beef and onion can cook together without any draining and losing of flavor.) Cook until meat is crumbled and onion is soft. Add can of soup, ketchup, and steak sauce; stirring well. Cover with lid and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste to see if you would like to add some salt and pepper. (I usually add a dash of each.) Mix in macaroni, stirring to coat well. Top with shredded cheese. Cover with lid and let simmer on very low; just until cheese is melted and dish is gently bubbling on sides. Serve while piping hot.

You can find the original recipe here.

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Baked Taco Ring

Another quick Pinterest recipe.  What did we used to do without Pinterest??  Justin is not usually a fan of dinners like these because there tends to be a problem with too much bread and too little filling.  I snuck this into the oven one night before he was home.  I had tasted a taco ring once before somewhere and really enjoyed it.  I was hoping he would enjoy it too once he tasted it.  Much to my relief it passed the test and was added to the "Make Again" list.  It was very simple, easy and quick.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package (1.25 oz) taco seasoning mix
1 c. (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbs water
2 8-oz packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 medium green bell pepper
1 c. salsa (optional)
3 c. lettuce, shredded (we used more — ¾ a head)
1 medium tomato, diced
¼ c. onion, chopped
½ c. pitted ripe olives
sour cream
Directions:
–Preheat oven to 375°. Brown the ground beef, then drain. Add taco season and simmer
–Unroll the crescent dough; separate into triangles. Arrange triangles in a circle on a pizza pan with the wide ends toward the center of the pan, overlapping each other. It will look like a large sun with the points hanging half off the pan. There should be a 5 or 6 inch opening in the center.
–Spoon the meat mixture evenly onto widest end of each triangle. Bring points of triangles up over filling and tuck under wide ends of dough. (Filling will not be completely covered).
–Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
–Shred lettuce, dice tomato, onions, olives, green pepper, and whatever other items you want to put inside. Place them in center of the taco ring and use that as your toppings!

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Crock Pot Beef Tips

Crock Pot recipes are so handy any time of the year! I love them during the school year because I have very little to do when I get home from a long day. I love them during the summer because they don't heat up my house and I can work with Justin in the yard when he gets home from work and we can still eat before 8:00.  I think I'll really love them after the baby comes!!  This recipe can be served over mashed potatoes or noodles.  We went with the noodles and really liked it.  You can find more recipes where I found this one here. It was super easy and very yummy enjoy!!   

 

Ingredients:

2 lb. stew meat

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet brown gravy mix

1 packet Lipton dry onion soup mix

1 small can mushrooms

1 cup water

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and pour over the meat.  Set crock pot to low for the day, about 6-8 hours.  Serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.  

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

Once again Pinterest came to the rescue as I was searching for our meals for the week.  This Cheesy Enchilada Casserole was pinned from a website called Six Sisters Stuff.  I've found and pinned several recipes from this site and now when I see their name, I just pin it because there's a very good chance it's going to be tasty!  This recipe turned out to be more of a dip for us.  Mine ended up with some extra liquid in it. I'm not sure why, it still had a yummy flavor.  We just ate it with chips and enjoyed!

Picture by Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 large onion, chopped or season with Onion powder or minced onion
2 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (15 ounces) black beans or red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup reduced-fat Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6 flour tortillas (8 inches)
1 small can of drained corn, or about 1 1/4 cups of frozen corn (optional)
3/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream *Note: I used 1/2 cup
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn (optional), taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a generous layer of meat mixture on bottom of 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Place a flour or corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Layer with half of the meat mixture, and cheese. Repeat as many layers as you like.
The last & final layer should be a healthy dose of grated cheese.
Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes, or until hot & bubbly.
Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro. Yield: 8 servings.

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Cheeseburger Pasta

We tried Cheeseburger Pasta from Pinterest last night.  It was very easy to make and we both thought it had a good flavor.  I added extra cheese because I was afraid our leftovers would be dry the next day.  I also added a dollop of sour cream to help it stay creamy.  This will be added to the list of quick and easy suppers.  Enjoy!

 

Ingredients

1 pound of pasta cooked – Penne or similar

1 pound of ground beef

3/4 cup of milk

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

2 cups of cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon of pepper

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Brown beef in a medium size skillet – Add salt and pepper. Drain fat.

In a medium sauce pan – over medium- low heat add milk and cheese – mix till cheese is melted. Add Parmesan cheese and mix.

Add cheese sauce to beef and mix.

Add cooked pasta to skillet and mix well.

Enjoy!

For gluten – free version use corn pasta

Taste of Our Home Tuesday: Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

I had pinned this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago and had never made it.  Sunday we got together with our life group for a potluck lunch.  I was looking for something different to make on Saturday and ran across it again.  I thought we'd give it a try.  It was really quick and easy to throw together and it tasted delicious as well!  Justin said I could put it on the "keep" list.

12 oz spaghetti

1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet. Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl. Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Slow-Simmering Beef Bourguignon

Justin found this recipe and thought it looked tasty.  I agreed, however; I knew if we had it during the week I would not have time to make it according to the recipe.  Instead of browning the meat I just dumped it in the crock pot and took it to school with me.  When I got home I chopped the veggies and sauteed them until they were tender.  I followed the recipe once the veggies were ready.  It turned out very well!  Enjoy! 

Picture by Taste of Home

Ingredients
3 pounds beef stew meat
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1-1/2 cups dry red wine or additional beef broth, divided
3/4 pound medium fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 thick-sliced bacon strip, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Italian tomato paste
Hot cooked egg noodles

Directions
Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown beef in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon to a 4- or 5-qt slow cooker. Add flour; toss to coat. Add broth and 1 cup wine.
In the same skillet, add the mushrooms, onion, carrots and bacon; cook and stir over medium heat until carrots are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add remaining wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan; stir in tomato paste. Transfer to slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with noodles. Yield: 6 servings.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Two-Potato Shepherd's Pie

I don't remember ever having Shepherd's Pie before so I thought we'd give it a try.  I wish I would have had some sweet potatoes on hand, I think they would have tasted good on the top.  The nutmeg and orange juice were a different flavor for me in a main dish, but they were good.  It's the perfect meal for a chilly fall evening.

Photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

5 large potatoes and/or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 pound ground beef

1/2 pound bulk pork sausage

1/2 pound medium fresh mushrooms, quartered

2 large carrots, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

Directions

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, sausage, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender; drain.

Stir in the orange juice, orange peel, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is evaporated. Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes.

Drain potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the mustard, brown sugar, vinegar and remaining salt and pepper; mash until smooth. Spread over meat mixture.

Bake one casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through. Cover and freeze the remaining casserole for up to 3 months.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20-25 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (4 servings each).

Taste of Home Tuesday: Steak Fingers and Gravy

I actually found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website a couple of weeks back.  Of course we thought it looked too good to pass up and we were right!  These steak fingers were delicious!  It says to serve with a salad, but we agreed that mashed potatoes couldn't be beat so that was our side.  Give them a try, they are yummy!

Photo by The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

2 pounds Tenderized Round Steak Or Cube Steak, Cut Into 1-inch Strips

1 cup Flour

1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt

1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper

1/4 teaspoon Cayenne

3 whole Eggs

1 cup Milk

Canola Oil And Butter For Frying

2 cups Milk (additional)

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Preparation Instructions
Combine flour, seasoned salt, pepper, and cayenne in a dish.
Whisk together milk and eggs in a separate dish.
To bread the meat, first dredge in flour, then dip quickly in egg mixture, then put back into the flour to coat on both sides. Continue until all the meat is breaded.
Heat canola oil with 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Fry steak strips 4 or 5 at a time, turning midway through. When golden brown, remove from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Continue until all the meat is done. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

To make the gravy, pour off all the grease from the pan. Add 1/4 cup of the grease back in, then sprinkle on 2 to 4 tablespoons of the flour mixture (or you can use fresh flour.) Whisk mixture till it becomes a paste (add more flour if you need to) and cook the paste over medium-low heat until it's deep golden brown. Pour in milk, whisking constantly. Allow the gravy to cook and thicken, whisking regularly and adding more milk if it seems too thick right off the bat.
Season gravy with salt and pepper.
Serve steak fingers with gravy and a salad. Yum!

Taste of Home Tuesday: Rattlesnake Bites

I found these Rattlesnake Bites on Pinterest and then again in the Taste of Home.  Justin and I really liked them and they were quick and easy.  The recipe makes a lot more then we needed so instead of using all of the filling I froze what I did not use for another time. 

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and chilies over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the cream cheese, cumin and chili powder. Cool slightly.
Separate crescent dough into 24 triangles. Place 1 tablespoon of beef mixture along the short end of each triangle; carefully roll up.
Place point side down 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 11-14 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Yield: 2 dozen.

Crunch Wrap Supreme

I had a Crunch Wrap Supreme at Taco Bell and later found this recipe on Pinterest.  We have made these at home and love them!  We've put chicken and black beans in and it makes a yummy wrap!  Here is the blog where I found the recipe.

Taste of Home Tuesday: Best Beefy Burgers with Roasted Onion and Peppercorn Mayo

Ingredients
1 small red onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns, crushed
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
4 kaiser rolls, split and toasted
Optional ingredients: tomato slices and lettuce leaves

Directions
Place onion on a greased baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt; toss to coat. Bake at 400° for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Cool slightly. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crushed peppercorns and onion mixture; set aside.

Sprinkle beef with remaining salt; gently mix. Shape into four patties. In a large skillet, cook patties over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160° and juices run clear. Serve on rolls with mayonnaise mixture and, if desired, tomato and lettuce. Yield: 4 servings.

These hamburgers were pretty good.  Justin said he wasn't sure about the onion mixture at first, but after we ate them said he enjoyed it.  We did not make our own patties since we had some from Basinger's Backyard Beef;) and we grilled them on the grill instead of in the skillet.  We used onion buns instead of the kaiser roll because there's nothing better then a fresh onion bun.  We will be making these burgers again!