Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

From: The Duo Dishes

1 cup quinoa, cooked
1lb. ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. red onion, diced
1med eggplant, diced
1 1/2 cups small mixed heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 tsp. ground paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1tsp. chili powder
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
8 med. mixed bell peppers, tops, seeds and ribs removed
Grape seed oil

Swirl a bit of the oil in a deep, large pan.  Once hot enough, add the garlic and onions.  Cook until the onions begin to become translucent, about 3-5 mins.

Add the eggplant and tomatoes, followed by paprika, cumin, chili powder and jalapeño.  Stir to mix well.

Add the ground beef and cook until just browned, about 6-8 mins.  Stir in quinoa and salt.

Spoon the filling into each pepper and stand in a baking dish just large enough to fit all of the peppers snugly. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 min.

Meatball Subs

Meatball Subs

From: Sugar and Spice

For Meatballs:

1/2 lb. ground beef
1 tbs. garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs or panko bread crumbs
2 Tbs. parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 Tbs. grated parmesan
1 egg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 cup tomato sauce, jarred or homemade, recipe below (definitely must make the homemade sauce. It really is not optional)

Chunky Tomato Sauce:

2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 Tbs. garlic, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
2 Tbs. fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 Tbs.fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

For meatballs, in a large bowl mix together all ingredients, except the canola oil, tomato sauce and mozzarella, until well combined. using wet hands, form walnut sized pieces into balls. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and fry the meatballs until browned on all sides. (I made my meatballs a tiny bit bigger than walnut sized. Also, I never fry my meatballs. I always bake them. It is so much easier and healthier. Just line a cookie sheet with foil and place the meatballs on the cookie sheet just so that they aren't touching. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.)

Slice the rolls in half lengthwise and put on a baking sheet. Top each half with 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce, 4 meatballs and some mozzarella. (As you can see in the picture, I didn't put a ton of sauce on mine to start thinking it would be super messy. I added more later.) Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. (I just popped mine into my toaster oven.) Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

For Sauce, in a medium pot, add the oil and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Lasagna

Lasagna

From: Betty Crocker

1lb. ground beef
3/4 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (1 lb.) can whole tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 Tbs. parsley
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. basil leaves
3 cups cottage cheese
1 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
1 Tbs. parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1 (8 oz.) pkg. lasagna noodles(pictures are some homemade noodles- I swear the recipe is coming soon.)
3/4 lb. mozzarella, shredded

Cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic in a lg. saucepan until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain fat. Add tomatoes and break up with a fork. Stir in tomato sauce, 2 Tbs. parsley, the sugar, 1 tsp. salt and the basil. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until mixture is the consistency of spaghetti sauce.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, 1 Tbs. parsley, 1 1/2 tsp. salt and the oregano.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the meat sauce for a thin top layer. In a 9x13 pan, put a thin layer of meat sauce. Then layer noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella and the cottage cheese mixture ending with a layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the parmesan on top. Bake for 45 minutes.

Gnocchi with Meat Sauce

This was my first time trying my hand at making Gnocchi and I think that it turned out pretty good. Things I learned: cut the Gnocchi a little bit smaller and cook them a tad bit less time.Gnocchi

From: Janet is Hungry

6 medium russet potatoes
1 egg
1 Tbs. salt
2 Tbs. butter
2-3 handfuls of flour, a little over 1 cup

Boil the potatoes in the skin until soft, but not falling apart. While still warm, peel the skin off of the potatoes. Mash the potatoes with a potato ricer so that there are no lumps. (I don't have a potato ricer so I just made sure to mash them up really really well.)

Add the egg and butter. Begin adding flour, a handful at a time until the mixture forms a soft dough that can be worked, but is not sticky. (I gave up on the whole not sticky bit, mine was always a bit sticky and I didn't want to overdo the flour, so I just stopped with about 1 1/4 cups of flour and will likely stop before that next time.)

Divide the dough into 4 smaller balls and roll out on a floured surface into a 1" diameter log. Cut into 1" sections, they will look like little pillows. (Like I said above, I would make these a little bit smaller next time.) Cover with a tea towel and let sit.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt. Drop the gnocchi in batches into the water. Cook until they float, about 2-3 minutes. Scoop them out and add the next batch. Serve warm with the meat sauce.

Meat Sauce

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I think I only used 1 lb.)
6 oz. pancetta, diced
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste.

Saute pancetta with onion, carrots and celery. When the onions are almost cooked, add the beef. Cook until beef is no longer pink.

Add the wine and simmer until mostly reduced. Add the tomatoes and about half of the beef broth. Simmer for about 2 hours adding more broth if the sauce is starting to dry out. (I didn't have the time for the 2 hour reduction, so I just add the half of the broth and simmered for about 30 minutes and never added the remaining 1 cup of beef broth and the sauce was still divine.) Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meatloaf

I love meatloaf. There is something about it that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Meatloaf

From: Mom... aka Ruth Solter

1-1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 cup saltine crackers, crushed
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 egg
1/4 cup minced onion
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. each pepper, celery salt, garlic salt, dry mustard and sage
1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
BBQ sauce
Ketchup
Brown Sugar

Mix all but the last three ingredients together. Form into a loaf in an ungreased 9x13 pan.

Mix together desired amounts of BBQ sauce, ketchup and brown sugar. I usually do about 1/2 and 1/2 ketchup and BBQ sauce and just dump in a small handful of brown sugar. I like my sauce sweet. Pour over the top of the meat loaf.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Tortilla Pie

This picture doesn't do justice. It is also a picture of one that I made only two layers rather than the for layers for the kids.Tortilla Pie

From: My Recipes

4 flour tortillas (I used more)
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 tomato sauce
1 cup green salsa (I used more)
6 oz. pepper jack cheese, grated (I used more)
Toppings: shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guac, etc.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place a skillet over high heat. Mist the tortillas with cooking spray and toast in the skillet, turning once, until golden, 1 minute. (I thought the ones that I tried on high heat burned rather than toasted. When I turned the temp. down a bit, I got a nice result).

Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, spices and salt; cook for 1 minute. Add beef and saute, breaking into small pieces, until cooked. Add tomato sauce, reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate.

Place a tortilla on a baking sheet misted with cooking spray. Spread with 1/3 each of the beef mixture, salsa and cheese. Repeat with 2 more layers of tortillas, beef, salsa and cheese. Top with remaining tortilla; press to adhere. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. (I toasted several more tortillas and spread a little less meat between each layer but used about the same amount of cheese and salsa and made a few of the tortilla pies, thus spreading the meal. It was a great result.)

Korean Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

Korean Spiced Beef and Cabbage Rolls

From: MyRecipes

Filling:
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1 Tbs. dry sherry
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper (I didn't have this and so I just threw is some red pepper flakes)
1/2 lb. ground beef
cooking spray
2 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced

Dough:
4 cups flour
2 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbs. canola oil
1 Tbs. water
1 lg. egg white, lightly beaten
1 Tbs. sesame seeds

Preheat over to 375 degrees.

To prepare filling, combine the first eleven ingredients in a large bowl.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add the ground beef mixture to the pan; cook 8 minutes or until done, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cabbage and cook for 4 more minutes or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat, cool completely.

To prepare the dough, combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 cups water, honey and canola oil, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to the flour mixture; stirring until a soft dough forms. (I had to add a tad bit more water). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. (It took me a 10+ minutes of kneading). Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Roll the dough into a 16" x 12" rectangle (about 1/4" thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12-4" squares. Working with 1 square at a time (cover remaining dough with a towel to prevent drying), spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into the center of each square. Moisten the edges with water and bring the opposite corners to the center, pinching points to seal. Place rolls seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine 1 Tbs. water and the egg white in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Lightly brush the tops of the dough with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle each with 1/4 tsp. sesame seeds. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire racks.

Ukrainian Style Sweet and Sour Meatballs

Ukrainian Style Sweet and Sour Meatballs

From: Eat For Dinner

Sauce:
1 cup water
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of garlic powder
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey (I used 1 lb. of meat and used beef)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I didn't use quite this much as I cut down on the meat and I don't like my meatballs really dense)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all meatball ingredients and mix well. Fry or bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. (I opted to bake mine.) Put the meatballs in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in the top of a double boiler; heat to boiling and cook until well blended. (I don't own a double boiler and while I have used the two pot method in the past I didn't feel the need and just used a regular pot and it was fine.) Pour the sauce over the top of them and roll the meatballs around to coat. Bake for 30 minutes. (I had to stir my sauces up a little again as they had started to separate.) Serve over rice.

Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

I was a little skeptical of these because it used a few ingredients I have never used before, but that is why I wanted to try the recipe. They were fantastic.Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

From: Dine and Dish

1 head romaine lettuce or Boston Bibb or butter lettuce
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/4 hoisin sauce
2 tsp. minced pickled ginger
1 Tbs. rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (I used sriracha)
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tsp. Asian sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 Tbs. of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add ground beef back into the pan and mix together.

Line lettuce leaves with desired amount of meat mixture. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito and eat.

Sloppy Joes

These aren't just any Sloppy Joes. These are the sloppy joes of your dreams. I'm telling you, once you try them you'll never go back to the same old run of the mill "Slop Slops"(as we call them in my house) that you've been making.Sloppy Joes

From: Unknown

1 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbs. heaping brown sugar
1 Tbs. vinegar
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. mustard
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt

In a large skillet, combine ground beef, onion and green pepper. Cook until ground beef is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for 30 minutes.

Serve on lightly toasted (or not) hamburger buns.

Pakistani Kima and Indian Chapati

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous curry.Pakistani Kima and Indian Chapati

From: Fun Foods on a Budget

Kima:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Dash each pepper, cinnamon, and ginger
1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 potatoes, diced (I used 3 small, and next time will likely use 4)
2 cups frozen peas
water

Chapati:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 cup hot water or as needed

Brown ground beef in a large skillet with garlic and onion. When meat is browned, stir in curry powder, salt, seasonings, tomatoes, potatoes, and peas. (I didn't drain the water and fat from the meat first but will next time.) Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, add a small amount of water if necessary.

While Kima is simmering, make the Chapati.

In a bowl mix the flours and salt. Stir in oil and enough water to make a soft dought hat is elastic but not sticky. Knead the dough until smooth.

Divide the dough into 8 parts. Roll into balls and let rest for a few minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll the balls of dough until very thin. (I found the thinnest ones turned out the best.)

Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot; lightly grease. When the pan is hot, put the chapati on it. Cook until the underside has brown spots, about 30 seconds. (I had to leave mind for several minutes) Flip and cook on the other side. Continue with remaining dough.

Serve Kima with Chapati.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

I hate bottled spaghetti sauce. Even the best store bought sauce is only eh. So, if we are going to have spaghetti for dinner, we have to have homemade sauce. This is a creation made over the years. This recipe, although not my mom's is true to mom's form it that I don't really measure my spices. So my spice measurements are a guesstimate.Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 () cans tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
1 1/2-2 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs. sugar
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional- sometimes I use this and sometimes I don't, just depends on my mood)

Brown ground beef with onion and garlic, drain. Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine using a fork to break up the whole tomatoes. I often use a knife to assist in this. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour or more until sauce is of desired thickness. Remember to remove the bay leaves. I seem to remember my mom forgetting to do this in a sauce growing up and my dad choked on it, or something along those lines. Serve over a bed of hot pasta. And please DO NOT forget the cheese.

Tater Tot Casserole

This meal is the epitome of quick fix. My mom used to make this growing up. It is perfect when you are in a time crunch. My husband begs for this meal. I wouldn't say that it is good enough to beg for, but it is yummy... unless your Alissa who doesn't like cream soups, then it is nasty.
Tater Tot Casserole

From: Mom aka Ruth Solter

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 med. onion
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
garlic powder, to taste
1 package frozen tator tots, thawed...or not
1 can cream of mushroom soup
sour cream to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with onion and fresh garlic. Drain fat. Add cream of mushroom soup and enough sour cream to make enough sauce for the tater tots. (I usually use a few good sized spoonfuls.) Add garlic powder if the mixture doesn't taste garlicy enough for you. (It never does for us)

Dump your tater tots into a casserole dish. Pour cream soup sauce over the top and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes or until everything is hot.

Waikiki Meatballs

Another great one from my mom. Growing up we always got to pick what we ate for our birthday dinner. I ALWAYS picked this. It is now my husband's favorite thing for me to make.Waikiki Meatballs

From: Ruth Solter aka Mom

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can pineapple, drained, syrup reserved
1/3 cup vinegar
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped (I usually use at least 1/2-1 whole pepper)

Mix together beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger, and milk. Shape into meatball and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile mix cornstarch and sugar. Stir in pineapple syrup, vinegar and soy sauce until smooth. Pour into a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 min. Add meatballs, pineapple and green peppers. Heat through.

Barbecue Beef Cups

Barbecue Beef Cups

From: Allrecipes.com

3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 Tbs. dried minced onion
1 (12 oz.) pkg. refrigerated biscuit dough.
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cups of a muffin pan. Brown ground beef. Drain excess fat. Stir in BBQ sauce and dried onion. Simmer for a few minutes over low heat.

Flatten each biscuit and press into the prepared muffin cups. Make sure enough dough comes to the top of the pan. Spoon a portion of the meat mixture into each cup. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 3 more minutes.

Stuffed Green Peppers

This crockpot dish is fantastic. We love it for those busy days. I throw everything together and leave it for the day.

Stuffed Peppers

4-6 green peppers, tops removed, seeded
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen corn, partially thawed
1 lbs. ground beef, browned and drained
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. or more ketchup

Wash peppers and drain well. Combine all remaining ingredients except for the ketchup. Stir well. Stuff peppers. Pour 3 Tbs. of water into stoneware to prevent the peppers from burning to the bottom. Pour ketchup over the peppers. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or high for 3-5 hours.

Ground Beef Enchiladas

I usually prefer a Chicken Enchilada, but I was trying to find more uses for ground beef.

The only thing I did differently from her, was that I have a major fear of frying. I'm quite terrified of burning my house down in an oil fire, so I don't fry. I simply steamed my tortillas in the microwave for a couple of seconds and then dipped them in the sauce before filling them.



PW’s Favorite Enchiladas
from Pioneer Woman

THE SAUCE
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 large (28-ounce) can enchilada or red sauce
2 cups chicken broth
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped Cilantro

In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a past, cooking for 1 minute. Pour in other red sauce, chicken broth, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes.

THE MEAT
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies
1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Set aside.

TORTILLAS
10 to 14 corn tortillas
½ cup canola oil

Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas oil until soft, not crisp—about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

ASSEMBLY
Sauce (above)
Meat (above)
Tortillas (above)
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped black olives
1 cup chopped green onions
½ cup chopped cilantro

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out.
Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubble. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Beefy Polenta Casserole

I love this dish. I can't remember where I got the recipe from ages ago, but it is a winner. The polenta crust doesn't look so fabulous in this picture because I made it too far ahead of time, but it still tasted great.

Beefy Polenta Casserole

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup cold water
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (you know, the powdered stuff)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & squeezed to drain
1 jar (14 oz.) pasta sauce, any variety
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Grease a 9" pie plate. Mix cornmeal and cold water in a 1 qt. saucepan. Stir in boiling water and salt. Cook over med-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in parmesan until smooth. Spread on the bottom and sides of your greased pie plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until completely firm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put covered pie plate in the oven for 30 minutes. Cook beef in skillet until browned; drain. Stir in spinach, pasta sauce, marjoram and garlic salt. Pour into shell. Cover and bake 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with mozzarella and bake uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. (umm... yeah, we never wait to cut ours, maybe that is why is doesn't look so pretty.)

Manhattan Meatballs

The sauce on these meatballs was just too die for. The meatballs on the other hand were just a little thick for my tastes. So instead I substitute my favorite meatball recipe with a few adjustments to make this recipe just perfect.

Manhattan Meatballs

From: Blog Chef

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
2/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1/3 cup onion, minced
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup milk
10 oz. apricot preserves
1/2 cup barbecue sauce

In a large bowl, combine beef, cracker crumbs, onion, egg, salt, ginger and milk. Mix together and shape into meatballs.

Place meatballs on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 350 degrees until browned on top but not cooked through. Once browned place meatballs into a casserole dish.

In a bowl, combine remaining barbecue sauce and apricot preserves. Double apricot preserves and barbecue sauce if you like a little more sauce, you won't be disappointed. Pour mixture over meatballs and bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Tamale Pie

When I lived in Provo, ages and ages ago, there was an Hispanic Grandma lady that would go around selling her homemade tamales at all the apartment complexes. I was never adventurous enough to try them, but my good friend, Jen, was. And she shared with me. And my love of tamales was born. Give me a shout out if you lived in Provo, and know the Tamale lady!

This is actually one of Jenny's recipes that my mom made for me when she was visiting after I has Lucas. However, I couldn't remember if it was good. So, I threw caution to the wind and made it anyway. I have to admit that dishes like this, well... it's difficult to make them look incredibly appetizing. But this is! It's very filling, too!


Tamale Pie

Filling:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1- 10oz can Red Enchilada Sauce
1/2 can corn
1/4 c sliced black olives
1 tsp salt


Crust:
1.5 c corn meal
1 c water
3/4 c evaporated milk (I used one 5oz can)
1 tsp salt
1- 4oz can diced green chilis
1/2 c colby jack cheese

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. Drain off the fat. Add enchilada sauce, corn, olives and salt until heated through.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9" pie plate (could also use a 8x8 glass pan). In a saucepan, combine the corn meal, water, evaporated milk, and salt. Cook over medium heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes). Add green chilis. Set aside 1 cup of the corn meal mixture. Spread the rest as a crust in the bottom & sides of your pan. Bake for 10 min. Cool slightly. Spoon beef mixture onto the crust. Top with the set aside corn meal mixture. Bake for 15 minutes. Add the colby jack cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes. Yum.