Miss Bev's Meatloaf

This is the meatloaf I grew up with. It's your traditional home-style comfort food in the form of tasty meatloaf and I love it. My mom got the recipe from my childhood best friend's mom, Bev. Which is why we've always called it "Miss Bev's Meatloaf" -- in fact, it is this meatloaf that I requested for many a birthday dinners. That's just how much I enjoyed eating it. I tried it for the first time myself this past week and and it was as good as I remembered. I love it with sweet potatoes and a salad.

Miss Bev's Meatloaf

• 1 lb beef
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t dry mustard
• dash or two of pepper
• dash of cayenne
• 1/4 c ketchup
  
• 2 T lemon juice
• 2 T water
• 2 t Worcester sauce

-- Combine all well and place in loaf pan
-- Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350

Cheese and Meatball Soup

I first had this soup at a playgroup lunch and I just had to get the recipe it was so scrumptious! It's perfect for these still-chilly Spring days. Full of good veggies and Italian meatballs (either frozen or homemade) this soup is bursting with flavor. Scot and the boys really enjoyed it, so it will be a definite redo! This was originally served with cheese biscuits -- I did cheese cornbread, both were fantastic pairs. Serves 10

Cheese and Meatball Soup

• 2 c potatoes, cubed
• 2 c carrots - chopped (I used a bag of baby carrots and sliced them in half if they were thick)
• 2 c corn (Next time i may do 2 cans cream corn to 'up' the cream factor)
• 1 c celery, chopped
• 1 c onion, chopped
• 6 c water
• 3 beef bullion cubes
• 2 lbs meatballs
• 2 T butter
• 3 T flour
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz block of cheddar cheese shredded or just cut into strips

--Cook vegetables in the water with bullion cubes over medium (slight boil) until potatoes and carrots are soft. 15-20 minutes.
-- Add cooked meatballs (defrost if frozen) to soup and stir gently.
-- Meanwhile, in smaller saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour. Slowly add milk making sure there are no lumps and whisk until thick. 2-3 minutes. Take off heat and add in cheese. Stir til melted.
-- Add the cheese sauce to the soup and stir until evenly distributed.
-- Add Tabasco to taste if you wanted a little kick

Crockpot: Cook vegetables in water/bullion for 5-6 hours (on low). Add meatballs and cheese sauce 30 minutes prior to serving.

Cowboy Stew

During our trip out to Colorado, mom and I made Cowboy Stew- quite possibly one of my favorite dishes from my childhood. It's sweet and chunky. Filling and oh. so. tasty. Love love LOVE it. This can be made in a crockpot, or in huge cast iron skillets like the one pictured. This is fabulous with some thick crusty bread.

Cowboy Stew

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 can butter beans
• 1 large can Pork and Beans (we used plain Baked Beans)
  
• 1/2 lb bacon (we used thick cut ham)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion - diced fine
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses

-- Drain kidney and butter beans. Cook up the bacon in skillet, breaking it apart. Set aside.
-- Brown beef (keeping it chunky) with the onion. Drain and set aside.
-- Mix all beans and meat together in a 9 x 11 pan (or large iron skillet).
-- Mix the ketchup, sugar, and molasses together and pour over the protein.
-- Bake for one hour at 350 OR for 4 hours at 200. Also, you can cook it on low for 4 hours in a crockpot.

Beef and Broccoli Pasta

I originally tried this meal in its original form - a crockpot dish - and didn't really like it much. Too bland and the noddles end up all mushy. So with some tweaks and a lot shorter cooking time without the crockpot, it turned out so much better! As in, I'll be making it again as not only Scot, but also the two little guys, chowed down on it!

Beef and Broccoli Pasta

• 2 cups broccoli florets (12 oz frozen bag)
• 1 onion - thinly sliced
• 1 t dried basil
• 1 t dried thyme
• 1/2 t dried rosemary
• Beef bullion cube
• 1 can Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 lb ground beef - cooked and drained
  
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 T tomato paste
• A good splash of ride wine vinegar
  
• Pasta - whatever kind you want
• Shredded cheese or Parmesan
  

--Saute onion, garlic and spices in some Olive Oil
--Add broccoli and heat until bright green
--Add the bullion cube and can of tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then simmer.
-- Add the cooked beef and the tomato paste and the splash of red wine vinegar.
--Serve over pasta with some shredded cheese on top.

YUM!!

NOTE: Next time, I may up the amount of tomato paste to make it more sauce-like, but the flavor was excellent

Red Wine Lasagna

I'm pretty sure this is the best lasagna I have ever had. If I've had better, I'm not remembering. It's so healthy, too, with the replacement of the Ricotta with tofu. If you're not into tofu, don't worry, you won't even notice it in this dish. It takes on the creamy texture that you would typically get with the Ricotta without all the fat that comes with it! And since it's tofu, it just tastes like everything around it, and really, you can't go wrong with that since this lasagna is bursting with flavors! We received this as a post-pregnancy meal and Scot and I both rated it as one of the top three dishes we ate in that wonderful time period where I did no cooking due to the fact there was a newborn in the house. Anyway, I finally got around to recreating the meal and it was fabulous, just like we remembered!

Red Wine Lasagna
Serves 8-10

• Oven ready lasagna noodles
• 1 lb sausage (you can do Italian or spicy it you'd like -- I just add a ton of Italian seasonings. I"m sure you could do, beef, too, the possibilities are endless!)
• 1 box firm tofu drained
  
• 1 box frozen spinach - thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 large can tomato sauce (I use the Traditional, but you could use whatever you wanted)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 eggs
  
• Cheese for the top (about 2 cups Mozzarella or a combo of Italian cheeses)
• 1 cup red wine

--Cook sausage until done. Drain and add tomato sauce.
--Mix the tofu, Parmesan, spinach and egg together.
--In a 9x13 pan:
--Layer: noodles, cheese mixture, meat. Repeat. Top with shredded cheese.
--And now, the fun part. Drizzle the wine over everything and watch the cheese turn a wonderful purple!
--Bake at 400 for an hour (covered for the first 45 minutes)

**This is very easy to freeze! Just wrap and freeze before you pour the wine. When you're ready to bake it, pour the wine and bake 90 minutes instead!

Beef and Barley Soup

So this was an experiment that turned out really well. The original recipe is not for a soup, but for some odd togetherness of everything in this soup - just minus the broth. So I just added broth and cut out the cheese because I thought the recipe was for soup and that's what I was in the mood for. This would be easy to cut in half or make as directed and freeze half since it feeds so many (12!). Make some nice warm bread and you're good to go!

Beef and Barley Soup

• 2 lbs ground beef or turkey
• 1 large onion - diced
• 1 (11oz) box quick cooking barley
• Vegetables (I used about 2 cups sliced carrots, 4 stalks celery - sliced, and 1 cup frozen corn -- but you can use whatever you have on hand)
• Seasoning (I used 1 T Italian and 1 T basil and it was great!)
• 10-12 cups beef or vegetable broth (depending on your meat)
  
• Splash of red wine or apple cider vinegar

--Saute beef and onion in LARGE pot (stock pot if you have it!) - drain as best as possible
--Add seasoning and let the aroma out!
-- Cook barely according to directions while meat is cooking
--Add veggies
--Add 10-12 cups beef or vegetable broth (depending on how soup-y or stew-y you want it)
--Add barley when it's done
--Add your splash of vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer about 30 minutes until the vegetable
are tender.

Pastitsio

This is called Greek Lasagna, although why it has that name, I have no idea. Scot and I were trying to figure out what makes this Greek and we haven't a clue. No feta, no spinach, no olives or sun dried tomatoes. Shows our limited food knowledge of a place we've only ever dreamed of visiting. All that aside, it was delicious! The cinnamon complimented the other herbs perfectly and the light and fluffy topping was a wonderful surprise. I got the recipe from a friend and have been anxious to try it for quite a few weeks and last night was the night. It was so worth the wait! I served it with fresh-from-the-garden green beans that had my favorite "Greek Dressing" on them - YUM!

Pastitsio

• 1 lb. ground meat
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• one 8 oz. can tomato sauce (I used 1 cup traditional spaghetti sauce and just used 1 T Parsley)
• 2 tbsp. parsley
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (I used my favorite Italian Shredded combo and upped the cheese to a cup)
• 2 cups dry elbow macaroni or other short pasta like Rotini (cook according to package instructions)

--In a large skillet, brown meat with the onion and garlic.
--Add the tomato sauce and spices. Let simmer 5 minutes and then add one beaten egg.
--In a small sauce pan, melt butter and stir in flour. Add 1 1/2 cups of milk (reserve the other 1/4 cup in a small mixing bowl) and stir until slightly thick. Add two beaten eggs and 1/2 the cheese. Stir til thick.
--In the small mixing bowl, whisk together the one last egg, the 1/4 cup milk, and the other half of the cheese. Mix in the cooked pasta.
--Now to assemble in a greased 8x8x2 pan: 1/2 the pasta on the bottom, all the meat, the other half of the pasta, and then the sauce on top. Sprinkle more cinnamon on top if desired (and you should desire).
--Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Bolognese Sauce

This is a very traditional Bolognese sauce -- very little tomato in it and slightly 'dry' to our saucy American taste -- but oh so good. It takes a little time, but let me tell you, the house never smelled so good! I found these fun 'track' noodles at this local discount food store (we live near Little Italy and this specific store gets a lot of very unique pastas, it's great) and they were really fun to use with this sauce. Enjoy!

Bolognese Sauce

• 1 lb ground beef (I used ground Turkey -- it's healthier)
• 1 garlic clove - chopped
• 1 onion - chopped fine
• 3 stalks celery - sliced
• 3 large carrots (or one small bag of baby carrots) - chopped fine. I wouldn't even touch this recipe unless you have a food processor! This whole chopping fine thing took a total of 15 seconds in the food processor! Saved my hands, and my sanity!
• 1 1/4 cup beef stock
• 2/3 cup dry white wine (I used mostly wine and a little white wine vinegar - superb!)
• 1 T Italian herbs (I used a combination of Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, and Tarragon)
• 1 T tomato paste
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• S & P to taste

-- Brown beef(lean) with the onion and garlic.
--Add the carrots and celery and let cook for about 5 minutes until slightly tender
--Add everything else, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for one hour, stirring occasionally. Raise the heat just a little and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until the sauce thickens. (I didn't read these directions too well when making it and improvised by just boiling for 30 minutes so we could eat at a decent time -- it turned out great but probably would have been even better with all that simmering.)

Also, for you parents out there who need to 'sneak' veggies into your kids, this is great. Evan's not particularly fussy about his greens, but he loved this sauce and ate as much as we did!

Noodles Romanoff a la Fast

So I got on here to just quickly update a recipe I could have sworn I had on here already. But after searching for it, I do not have it on here at all. Shame on me! This is not something you would have on the menu for company, but it's quick and easy and pretty inexpensive. I use all low fat products, so it's 'healthy', too. This is originally supposed to be made as a layered casserole (that picture would have at least been prettier), but it takes an extra 30 minutes that way, and since I was in a hurry Saturday night, I decided to wing it and make it this way as an experiment and it worked! I didn't have to turn the oven on and I only really dirtied one dish! Serves 4-6

Noodles Romanoff

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
• 1/2 c onion - diced
• 16 oz favorite traditional spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 heaping cup cottage cheese
• 3/4 lb wide egg noodles -- cooked according to directions
  

--Saute the onion and meat together in large skillet like shown or sauce pan
--Drain and add pasta sauce
--Add cheeses and stir til melted
--Add pasta and stir til coated

A lot like a hamburger helper type meal - but better. And only 20 minutes! Serve with salad and you're good to go!

Pizza Pasta

So this is not a gourmet meal at all -- but it's a great meal to throw together to freeze if you need that, or for a big group of college kids, or even just a Sunday afternoon easy lunch with friends. Get a big salad together and throw some garlic bread in the over and you have yourself a very tasty and filling meal!

Pizza Pasta

• 1 lb spaghetti
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 lb ground beef
• 48 oz spaghetti sauce (I used a combo of "traditional" and "garlic and herb")
• Pepperoni slices
• 8-12 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese

--Cook pasta according to directions...meanwhile...
--Brown beef
--Once pasta is cooked and drained, put it in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish
--Beat the egg and milk together and pour over pasta
--Combine the beef and pasta sauce together and pour that over the pasta
--Layer as many or as few pepperoni slices as your heart desires on top
--And now...sprinkle away with the cheese until it looks good to you
--Bake for 45 minutes at 350
--Let sit about 5 minutes before cutting and then...enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

Being 38 weeks pregnant has put a damper on my kitchen creativity. I've been recycling through old recipes and haven't tried a whole lot of new stuff. This recipe, however, came from a friend and I just had to try it. It was easy - a plus when this pregnant and being up and around cooking is just not all that desirable - and oh so yummy! We had it on toasted whole wheat buns with sweet potatoes on the side! Scot added cheese to his 'Joe' and really enjoyed it. Get out those paper napkins, though...

Sloppy Joes

• 2 lbs hamburger
• 1 large onion - chopped
• 1.5 cups ketchup
• 4 T mustard
• 3 T sugar
• 4 T vinegar - apple cider works well
• 1/4 cup oatmeal

--Brown meat and onion and drain.
--Add the rest, mix well, heat through.

I threw it all into the crockpot and put it on low for the afternoon and voila, by dinner time it was all ready and yummy to the max!

Also: this is easy to double (or triple) and then freeze!

Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere

This is the main meat dish I make every year for Christmas. I make a secondary meat dish just in case no one likes this one, but for the last 2 years, I've had no left-overs to speak of. The reason I make this dish is because my grandmother and her family are all French Canadian, so it's in honor of my heritage. This year was extra special as she was able to eat it herself and she gave it a big thumbs up! This is a very easy meal to prep - as in, I made the meat Wednesday morning, but didn't assemble the pie until Christmas day - it's actually better if the meat just sits for at least an overnight just to let all the amazing spices mix together! This is a very easy pie to double, or even quadruple if you wanted to!!

Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere

• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 onion - chopped fine
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/4 t allspice
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/8 t ground cinnamon
• 1 T liquid chicken stock
• A top and bottom crust - pre-bought or home made...doesn't matter. :)

--In a large pot, combine everything. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
--Drain the liquid into a bowl. Transfer the meat into a bowl and chill until ready to use.
--Place liquid in the fridge for about an hour, and then scrape and discard the fat the rises tot he top. Gross, I know, but it's healthier, I promise. Keep the reserved liquid until you're ready to assemble the pie.
--Spoon the meat into the pie crust (deep dish pie plate!) and add 1 T of reserved liquid to the pie (this prevents the pie from drying when being baked)
--Place top crust on - seal and vent.
--Bake for 50 minutes at 400.
--Serve immediately or you can freeze them until you're ready!

Chili

After a long, cold day, what's better than chili? This chili recipe has been described as "a chili I could eat every week - it's not seasonal", and as much as I'd love to know exactly what that means, I'm glad that it's enjoyed and raved about by all who eat it. This is a slightly sweet, tasty, hearty chili with lots of texture. I usually serve this with the typical chili toppings and my cornbread.

Chili

• 1-2 lbs beef
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 28 oz canned Italian diced tomatoes
• 28 oz canned stewed sliced tomatoes
• 28 oz canned chili beans
• 14.5 oz can red kidney beans
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 packet chili seasoning

--Brown beef and onion together. Drain.
--While beef is cooking, dump (and I mean dump - don't bother draining anything) everything else into a large stock pot.
--Add the beef when done - heat through


Like most chili, this is better on day 2 once the flavors have had time to mingle. A lot of times, I'll also just put it on low in the crock pot so it's amazing the first time around. Oh yeah - it feeds a ton. I usually get 8-10 servings out of it. And it freezes great!!

Beef and Orange Stir Fry

This is a brand new recipe for me. As in, I've never, ever, made anything like it before. Sure I've done stir fry before, but I have never cooked beef like this. The only way I've ever cooked beef is when it's ground up, but this was so easy! It was so easy, in fact, that I didn't get into the kitchen to start cooking until 6 and we were sitting and eating at 6:30! The next time I make this, and there will be a next time, I will make a few changes. I'll reflect those changes in the directions or as an 'after note'.

Beef and Orange Stir Fry

• 3 good sized oranges or 4 smaller ones
• 2 cloves garlic - minced (I used the minced stuff out of the jar)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless sirloin or rib eye, cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 1 T cornstarch
  
• 2 T oil
• 6 scallions, green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths

-If you are serving this over rice, and I suggest you do, start that first.
-In a medium bowl, toss meat with cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed), brown beef on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
-While you're monitoring that and in between batches, zest one orange into a small bowl. Add the juice from that orange, the garlic, and the soy sauce. (Here is where I will do things differently. First of all, I'll double the sauce and use orange juice from the fridge and use the orange instead in the stir fry. I will also add a little more garlic than called for, and maybe even a little ginger!)
-With a sharp paring knife, peel remaining 2 oranges. Slice oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve slices; push out, and discard any seeds. Set aside.
-Pour juice mixture into skillet, and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to skillet; add orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through! This should all wrap up just as your rice is done!

***Don't throw the orange peels out! If you're going to make this soon (as in before Christmas) lay the peels out, let them dry, and then simmer them in a small sauce pan (never letting the water get too low) with cinnamon sticks or cloves! It'll make the house smell so good. Or, you can just throw them down your garbage disposal and make your sink smell yummy!

Taco Soup

This is the simplest and tastiest taco soup I have ever made or had, and I love taco soup! This is very easy to double and freeze, and I'll often do that in the winter months so that when I'm just not up to cooking or going to the market to get ingredients I have a meal all ready! We serve this with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese, but it's great plain as well all fixed up!

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 can original rotel - found right next to all the tomato products
1 can garbanzo
1 can pinto
1 can kidney - I usually go with dark red
1 can corn
1 cans diced tomatoes - I usually do 1 diced and 1 sliced stewed because I like my soup chunky

--Brown beef while heating all other ingredients in large pot
--Don't drain or rinse anything!! -I think my mother would wriggle in disgust at this point, but really, it's good. And quite honestly, she loved it when she had it last night!
--Add meat when cooked and heat though.
--Dress with condiments if you'd like, or enjoy it in its naked goodness.

Meet Rotel! I totally forgot that I didn't even know what Rotel was until I got a hold of this recipe. It's usually located right by the tomatoes in the market.

Moroccan-spiced beef with couscous

This is one of my favorite meals to make! It's so tasty and so not like any other meal I have in my recipe box. I love meals like that. I made this last week when my folks were up for dinner and when I told Scot what I was making, he got really jealous that he wasn't there to enjoy it. This recipe was introduced to me at our church recipe exchange while back and it's one I will keep for years and years.

Moroccan-spiced beef with couscous

• Olive oil
• 2 medium carrots - chopped (I have used baby carrots and just lined them up to chop - so easy)
  
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 1 T paprika
• 1 t allspice
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
  
• 1 lb ground beef, turkey, or lamb
• 1 can garbanzo beans - rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup cut dried apricots
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves - chopped (or about a 1/4 cup dried)
• 1 can chicken broth (1.75 cups)
• 1 (10 oz) box plain couscous

--Saute carrots, onion and spices in large skillet with oil until carrots are tender - 10 minutes.
--Add meat and cook until meat is done.
--Stir in beans, fruit, parsley, and 1/2 cup broth.
--Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes.
--Meanwhile, prepare couscous as directed, substituting remaining 1.25 cups of broth for some of the water required. Fluff when done.
--Scoop couscous into plates and top with beef mixture. OR - mix all together and serve in a bowl!

Hamburger-Vegetable Soup

When I got up this morning, it was cold out and drizzling. Not a good day for the summer soup and salad I had planned - and since I was still needing to go tot he market, I changed my menu for this evening to a warm soup and some hearty bread. Go figure Colorado weather was against my meal planning and it was almost 70 when we sat down to our hot bowls of soup! Well, I love soup. It's in a bowl, you eat it with a spoon (something Scot loves!), and most times, it's hearty enough that I don't have to worry about a side dish! So I went on a hunt for a new soup and I found this in my Better Homes and Garden cookbook. It's so easy and very filling, also it's healthy and freezes well! But there were a few things I tweaked. Here is my version with my tweaks in italics:

Hamburger-Vegetable Soup

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped orange bell pepper -I'm not a huge green pepper fan and I like color in my meals!
• 4 cups low sodium beef broth (bullion cubes/base work great)
• 1 14.5 oz can Italian diced tomatoes
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup frozen lima beans
• 1 cup chopped potato
• 1 cup chopped carrot - I don't have time to make those skinny slices, so I just chop them.
• 1 t dried basil leaves
• 1 t BBQ sauce - I wasn't about to buy a whole bottle of Worcestershire sauce when I never use it!
• 1/8 t pepper

--In large sauce pan, brown meat, onion, and pepper until vegetables are soft and meat is no longer pink. Drain.
--Stir in remaining ingredients.
--Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Let simmer covered for 15 minutes!

Check the link I provided for the crockpot version!