Taco Soup

It is getting cold and rainy here in Oregon.  What I do love about the weather getting chillier is it's the perfect weather for soups, stews and crock pot cooking.  I also love that crock pot cooking takes easy ingredients and turns them into something scrumptious.

This recipe is one I've had forever.  I'm pretty sure I got it from my mom.  I've been making it since college.  It's perfect for long, busy days, makes the house smell so yummy and the hardest part it browning the meat.

Just a quick side story.  My son who is so picky took one look at this soup and didn't want any part of it.  He does love meat and corn, but the tomatoes were psyching him out.  We explained that the tomatoes taste different when they are cooked then when they are fresh, but he didn't believe us.  After 2 fits of crying and us telling him it's the soup or nothing for dinner, he finally tried it AND LOVED IT!!!!  He doesn't like squishy textures and hated the kidney bean, but everything else was yummy!  Afterwards I asked him if throwing a big fit was worth it since he liked the soup and he admitted it wasn't.  Silly kid!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 onion, chopped or 2 T. dried onion
1 16-oz. can kidney beans
1 16-oz. can whole kernel corn
1 15-oz. can tomatoes
2-3 teaspoons chili powder
1 envelope taco seasoning or 4 T. of taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 8-oz. cans tomato sauce
3 cups water

First up, brown the meat with the onions.  I didn't have an onion on hand so I added in some dried later on.  Do not add your dried onion here if using.  Either way works.  I usually make it with ground beef, but had turkey instead so made it that way.  Add it to the crock pot.

Now to add all the other ingredients.

Add the kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, taco seasoning, and garlic salt.  If you only have dried onions on hand, then add it here.  I mixed it up afterwards just to distribute the flavors and to get a pretty pictures, but really you don't need to do that.

I didn't want this too spicy for the kids, so I only did 2 tsp. of chili powder and 3/4 pkg (or 3 T) of the taco seasoning mix.  It added enough flavor and wasn't spicy at all.

Add the tomato sauce and water.  Turn on low and cook for 2-6 hours.

Top with sour cream and cheese.  You don't have to, but yummy melted cheese is so delish in this.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a crock pot, cook in a stockpot over the stove.  Brown the meat and onions and then mix the rest of the ingredients together and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours.

Taco Soup Printable Recipe

Tater tot Casserole

I can't believe it's already been a month since I last posted.  With the end of school and Matthew's birthday, time has gotten away from me. 

I grew up with this recipe and even though it might look a little weird, there's something about meat with tater tots that is just so good....and really what kid doesn't love eating tots for dinner?  My kids love this meal.

Today's Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef
1 can string beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Milk
1/2-2/3 package tater tots

To lighten it up:
Use ground turkey for beef
Skim Milk
Light Cream of Mushroom Soup
Cubed hashbrowns instead of tatertots

Cook beef, onion, and garlic until the onion is translucent and soft

and the beef is cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper.

Once the beef is cooked through, drain off excess fat if needed.

Add the cream of mushroom soup, green beans and 1/3-1/2

can of milk.  I would add less milk at first and then add more if

needed. 

Mix it all together.  I know it looks gross, but the end result is good!

Put in a 8x8 pan or something smaller than a 9x13 pan.  I've even

cooked it in a round baking dish before and that works too.

Add 1/2-2/3 bag of tater tots on top of the casserole.  Mine was a

smaller bag so I almost used all of it.

Bake at 350 for 30 min. or until the tater tots are browned.



So delish!

Tater tot Casserole Printable Recipe



Taco Rice Casserole

Sorry I've been a little MIA lately.  My husband was out of town for 2 weeks for training - uhhh...I didn't cook much while he was gone.  The kids and I have been a little under the weather lately too.  I think we're getting over everything and it's so nice having the hubby back!

I grew up on this casserole. It is so easy to make and a great recipe to use up leftover rice. I don't really know why it's called a casserole since you don't put it into a 9x13 pan and bake in the oven. Maybe it should be called Taco Rice Skillet. Anyways, enjoy!

Today's Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 can tomato soup

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can diced tomatoes (drained)

3 cups cooked rice

1 8 oz. can corn

1 package taco seasoning mix

1/2-1 teaspoon salt




Over medium high heat saute ground beef until done.  Drain excess

fat if necessary.




Lower heat to medium and add taco seasoning, tomato soup, cheese

and tomatoes.  Heat through until cheese melts.

You can definitely add more cheese if needed to suit your family's

tastes.  Also, if you have little kids or are sensitive to heat, you might

want to scale back on the taco seasoning just a bit. I only added 3 T.

(1 pkg is 4) and Matthew and Isabelle still thought it was "hot".

Also, I hate big chunks of tomato in casseroles like this so I took
the tomatoes after draining them and chopped them a bit more.




Once the cheese is melted stir in the rice, salt, and corn.

Matthew HATES rice so last night when he saw dinner he said
"is this pasta?"  I said yes so he would try it.  He has a mental block
about some foods and I knew he wouldn't try it if he knew it was
rice.  Of course, he liked it and never even commented that it was
rice.  Just getting him to try something new is usually a pain and
causes lots of gnashing of teeth around here, but he ate it easily
AND liked it even if he thought it was hot.

The other night he was refusing to try pineapple and we almost
had to tie him down to try it.  Finally after threatening time-out
he tried it and guess what - LOVED IT!  We knew he would
and now he has "unlocked" pineapple (like you would do in
the star wars wii game).




Cook through and serve.  See...that was super easy to make right?




This is one of my husband's favorite meals and he loves eating it

with tortilla chips!

Taco Rice Casserole Printable Recipe





Mexican Shredded Beef

I was watching a Tyler Florence show 4 years ago and he featured this Mexican shredded beef recipe.  It makes the best mexican beef ever.  We mainly use it in tacos, but have also used the leftover beef in quesadillas and burritos.  I also love this beef because it freezes so well and if we're having a full day I'll just pull it out in the morning and we have a great dinner.

Today's Ingredients:

2 pounds beef shoulder

S&P

EVOO

2 garlic cloves, smashed or minced

1 large onion, sliced

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon ancho chile pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon ground cumin

3 bay leaves

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of S&P.  In a large

dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lide, heat 2 tablespoons olive

oil over moderately high heat.  Brown the meat on all sides. 

To get a good crust you need to put it in the pot and don't touch the 

meat for about 2-3 min. per side.  This will result in a good crust. 

If you are moving the meat around you can't get a good crust - which

is also sealing the juices in.  

I slice my onions and then I also cut them in half so they are like half

moons.  Works better in my opinion.

After you have browned the beef on all sides, add the onions to the

pot on the side of the beef and stir back and forth so they are

coated in oil and cooking nicely.  Cook for a few minutes and then
add the garlic.  Keep moving the onions and garlic back and forth
so they don't get burned.

Add the crushed tomatoes, 1 can (28 oz.) of water and the spices. 

There were kids coming over for this meal so I cut the cayenne in half. 

It really isn't overpoweringly spicy once it gets mixed into the tomatoes

and meat at the end, but cut it down some if you are nervous about

lots of heat.

I also already had diced tomatoes in my pantry so I just pulled
out 2 cans and pureed them in my food processor.  Works like a
charm.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer with the lid on for 3

hours until the meat is fork tender.  Let meat cool in the liquid. 

Remove the bay leaves.

Take the meat out and shred and then add in some of the juices

and onions.

I didn't get a good shot of the meat in taco action because we had 2

families coming over for dinner and ate as soon as the meat was
shredded.

Mexican Shredded Beef Printable Recipe



Spaghetti Pie and Cheddar Biscuits

 

Today's Ingredients:

1 (6 oz.) package spaghetti

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion or 1 small yellow onion

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper (I did not use)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Get your water boiling for your spaghetti and cook your spaghetti.
Heat your oven to 350.

Meanwhile in a skillet cook the beef, onion, green pepper (if using)

and garlic.  Drain off the fat.

Stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar and oregano.

Season with salt and pepper.

 

First cook the spaghetti and drain it.  Stir in butter, cheese, and eggs

while the spaghetti is still hot.

Press the spaghetti into a 8x8 pan or a 10 inch pie plate.

Spread cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust.

Spread beef and tomato mixture and cook for 20 min. (I neglected to

get a pic of that).

Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and bake for 5 min. longer,

until cheese melts (I used more than 1/2 cup).

So yummy!

Cheddar Biscuits

I happened to be watching Food Network on a Saturday morning and

Paula Deen was on demonstrating these and I just knew they'd be

perfect with this meal!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 cup shredded Cheddar

4 cups biscuit mix (bisquick)

2 cups milk

S&P

Garlic Butter - melt 1/2 stick butter and mix 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat your oven to 375.

Shred your cheeses and mix together and place in a bowl.

Add the biscuit mix and gradually add the milk.  I ended up only using

1 1/2 cups of milk or they would have been soupy.

Stir together until desired consistency is reached.  Add S&P to taste.

Scoop batter with an ice cream scooper (I used the largest Pampered

chef scoop) and drop onto a prepared baking sheet (spray with

nonstick spray.)  Brush the biscuits with garlic butter. 

Bake for 12-15 min. 

Brush the biscuits with more garlic butter when they come out of the oven.

I ended up with about 16 servings, but using an ice cream scooper you

should get about 12 servings.

We had company over for dinner and everyone loved it - yum!

Spaghetti Pie Printable Recipe

Cheddar Biscuits Printable Recipe







Crockpot: 4-Hour Stew

There is nothing better than a yummy bowl of stew on a cold day. When we lived in AZ, my window of making soups and stews was pretty small, but in Oregon it's been cold and rainy since we moved here in December so it's been perfect for these recipes.


Make some yummy bread and it's so delicious.


Today's Ingredients:
2 lbs stew meat, cubed
2 cups potatoes (new, white or red), quartered
20 baby carrots, cut in thirds
1 (8 oz) package whole mushrooms - optional
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of celery soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can water
1 (1 ounce) envelope onion soup mix


This part is optional - you can brown your meat before adding to the crockpot. I haven't done that before and next time I think I'll just put the meat in raw. I just wanted to see if it added any flavor or tenderness and it really didn't.


Add your quartered potatoes.


I used three carrots instead of baby carrots, so either work. Did you know that baby carrots aren't baby carrots at all but just mature carrots shaped to make those little carrots. They are essentially the middle of carrots. You can read about it here.


The original recipe didn't call for mushrooms, but I love mushrooms and we had some leftover that needed to be used up and then I also bought another package so there would be enough. I didn't know how they would do, but they were so good and juicy. If you don't like mushrooms, leave them out.


Last add the meat. We only used 1 pound and I did feel the stew was a little sparse without it, but 2 pounds would have been too much. It was fine though especially since I had added the mushrooms.


Combine the soups, can of water and soup mix (I prefer Lipton over generic-I can taste the difference).


Pour over all the ingredients. Cook on high for 4 hours (hence the name) or low for 8 hours (that's what I did).


I don't know if it was because I didn't use enough meat or the mushrooms added some liquid while cooking, but the liquid was a little thin for me - I like a thick broth. Next time I'll only do 1/2 can water and see what the results are.

Seriously delicious!

4-Hour Stew Printable Recipe

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie

Ok, so this is seriously decadent, but I'll give you ideas below on how to lighten it up!


It was so fabulous and we had company over that loved it too!


Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef*
2 carrots, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 large onion, cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into ¼-inch cubes
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
½ cup dark beer or beef broth
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt & Pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

*I only used 1 pound of ground beef and it was plenty. I think this recipe would work just as well with ground turkey too.


First up. Get your oven heating to 375. Dice your onions, carrots, potatoes, celery and mince your garlic.


In a skillet, combine the beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic and potato and cook breaking up the meat, over medium-high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.


Lower the heat to medium, add the beer/beef broth and cook for 10 min.


Add the cheese, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let cool. I thought I had more cheddar than I did so I combined cheddar (mild) and monterey jack. Worked great! You could probably do less than 8 oz. of cheese as well. You could always make the filling the night before, let cool and then put it in the fridge until the next night.

Roll out 1 pastry puff and layer in a deep pie dish or skillet. I did not get my pastry puff out quick enough to thaw and so had to thaw it out in the microwave a little bit to get it pliable. It didn't look pretty and I had to patch some holes, but I finally got it to work. Using a slotted spoon transfer the meat mixture to the pie dish.

Take a bit of the egg mixture and coat the top of the bottom crust before adding the top crust. Press slightly and cut off the extra parts. Brush more egg on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make sure to cut an "x" in the top to let the air escape.

You could definitely lighten this up by leaving the bottom crust off. I really felt it didn't need it. It won't stay together as well when you get it out of the pan, but really the filling and the golden crust are the best parts.

Bake for 45 min. Tent the top with foil if it starts getting too brown. Mine came out perfectly.

So delish!

Beef, Cheddar and Potato Pie Printable Recipe