Quick Hamburger Soup

The day after we had CHEESEBURGER CASSEROLE, I told Brad he could either stop at the store to get ingredients for this soup or he could eat cheeseburger casserole leftovers. He stopped at the store. It was perfect soup weather (wet and cool), but I needed one that would come together pretty quick since I didn't have time to simmer it all day or evening. I searched Pinterest and this is what I found.

Quick Hamburger Soup
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup water
2-3 cloves garlic (I probably used 3 because that's just how I roll.)
32 oz. beef broth
1 can diced tomatoes
15 oz. tomato sauce
1-2 cups small pasta (I used bowtie noodles because that's what Brad brought home.)
salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

Brown ground beef with onion and green pepper over medium heat in a stock pot until beef is brown and veggies are tender. Drain. Season with salt and pepper. Pour back into pan. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and seasonings.  I didn't measure this. Just poured some into my palm and dumped it in. Bring to a boil. Taste to adjust seasonings. Stir in pasta. I'm not sure how much I used here, either. The original recipe called for 1 cup of pasta, but that didn't look like enough so I dumped in a little more. Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is done.

Adapted from EAT AT HOME

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Cheeseburger Casserole

There's a funny story about this dish. Everybody loved it, but after a big helping, Brad asked, "Does this have pickles in it?" When I told him it did, he said, "I knew there was something in here I did not like! The whole thing tastes like pickles!" He *hates* pickles and I tried to sneak them past him justifying it because it was *just* 1/4 cup. The kids and I liked it. It's worth a try if you like pickles...and if you don't, just leave them out. It won't be as good, though...

Cheeseburger Casserole
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup dill pickles, chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
salt & pepper
6 oz. Velveeta, grated
1 can (8oz.) crescent rolls
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat until onions are soft and beef is browned. Drain. Season with salt and pepper (I think I might have used steak seasoning, but salt and pepper would work fine, too). Stir in pickles, water, ketchup, and mustard. Spoon into a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle with Velveeta. Unroll dough; press seams together and place on top of beef mixture (I had to kind of "squish" it a little to make it fit). Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a deep golden brown.

Adapted from KATHIE COOKS

Family Rating:

Brad: ** 

Jordan: ***

Eli: *****

Phoebe: *****

Overall Family Rating: 15/20

The Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak

This was one of those recipes that Brad and Eli really liked, but I just didn't. I'm posting it because they did like it so much even though there's a chance I may never make it again because I really didn't. Make it and then let me know what you thought!  The Pioneer Woman served hers with mashed potatoes and peas. I served mine with mashed potatoes and green beans because peas are from the devil!

The Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak
Meat Mixture:
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 cube beef bouillon
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
salt and pepper
Gravy:
1 whole onion, thinly sliced
2 cups beef broth
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
2-3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water or beef broth to make a paste about as thick as school glue

Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture and knead until all combined. Form into 4-6 patties. Fry in a large skillet with evoo and butter on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat and pour off grease. Keep warm. Melt a little more butter in some evoo and add the onions. Cook and stir until golden brown and soft. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire, ketchup, and Kitchen Bouquet (if using). Stir to reduce and bring to a simmer. Pour cornstarch mixture into the skillet in a slow stream while whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. Stir until thickened. Taste to adjust seasoning. I added a little salt. Move the "steaks" back to the gravy. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Adapted from THE PIONEER WOMAN 

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: **
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ***
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs

This dinner was a life-saver. Really. I stuck it in the crockpot and ended up not eating it because I had a migraine and spent the evening in bed. I used my crockpot timer, which is just a timer on the outlet like you might use for Christmas lights, so it would come on at the right time. 

Crockpot Hawaiian Meatballs
32 oz. package frozen meatballs
15 oz. can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained and juice put aside
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2/3 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Place frozen meatballs in the crockpot. Place bell pepper and pineapples on top. In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and pour over the top. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Stir before serving over rice to make sure all the goopy mess at the bottom is combined and the sauce is thick.

Recipe from SIX SISTER'S STUFF

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: N/A
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ***** (Three helpings!)
Overall Family Rating: 12/15

Asian Flank Steak Skewers

I made another flank steak skewer, but I think I like this one a little better. I grilled it inside on my grill pan and served it with veggie fried rice (both can be found HERE). Be sure to use reduced sodium soy sauce because I didn't and mine were a little salty. The kids called these "meat popsicles". 

Asian Flank Steak Skewers
1 1/2 lb. skirt steak
1 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
juice of 1 lime

Slice meat thinly against the grain. Place in a ziplock bag. Combine the rest of the ingredients and marinate overnight. Thread onto skewers (if using wooden ones, be sure to soak them for 30 minutes beforehand). Grill over medium heat about 5 minutes per side until done.

Adapted from SKINNY TASTE

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Ok, I know it's been a while since I posted here, but summer isn't when I find new recipes. Especially not this summer. I am going to play a little catch-up, though, because there were a few that needed to be posted. Like this one. I love any recipe with the words "Philly Cheesesteak" in them and this was no exception! And it's fast! 

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (8oz.) package sliced mushrooms
sliced provolone cheese
salt & pepper to taste
rolls or bun

In large skillet, brown ground beef over medium-high heat. Add onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and cook until soft. Stir in steak sauce and beef broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes. Split the rolls and toast briefly in the oven. Place meat mixture and a slice of provolone cheese over one half and toast until cheese is melted.

Adapted from SIX SISTER'S STUFF

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ***** (She loved these and ate two whole ones at dinner!)
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Taco Braid

I thought this was a great way to use up leftover taco meat. I realize not everyone has leftover taco meat when you make tacos for your family, but you could always make a double batch and use the extra for this. 

Taco Braid
1 loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
4 oz of Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Salsa
1/2 lb leftover taco meat (ground beef or turkey seasoned with taco seasoning)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
olive oil
garlic salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into a 15-in. x 12-in. rectangle. Place on a greased cookie sheet. It's very important to place the dough on the cookie sheet before you fill it because once you fill it, it will be too heavy to move onto the cookie sheet. Mix salsa and cream cheese in a small bowl. Spread cream cheese mixture lengthwise down center third of rectangle and then spread on top. Sprinkle with cheese.  On each long side, cut 1 inch wide strips about 2-1/2-inches into center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal and tuck under. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt. Cover and let rise for 20 minutes (I think I only let mine rise for about 10 minutes). Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Adapted from THE GIRL WHO ATE EVERYTHING


Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: ** (I was surprised he didn't like this. I think it was the cream cheese/salsa mixture. Next time, I'm going to use a little less and see what happens.)
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 13/20

Crockpot French Onion Roast

I sure do love me a good roast. I didn't always, but once I learned the secrets of getting a yummy roast every time (low and slow; lots of salt), it's one of my favorite dishes. This was a good roast, the kids and Brad loved it, but I though the gravy fell a little flat. It didn't have as much flavor as a roast made the same way with Onion Soup mix. But it was still pretty good.

Crockpot French Onion Roast
kosher salt
coarse ground black pepper
3-4 pound boneless beef chuck roast
1-2 Tbsp canola oil
8 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 onion, quartered
1 (10.5oz) can Campbell’s condensed french onion soup
flour (optional)
water (optional)

Rub the roast with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and sear meat over high heat. You want a nice brown color on each side of the roast. Add more oil and lower heat if needed. Remove from heat and set aside. Add the carrots and onion to the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the soup into the bottom of the crock pot along with 1/2 can of water.
Place roast in the crock pot on top of the vegetables. Cook on low for 10 hours.
Slice or shred roast removing and big pieces of fat. You can serve it like this with the "juice" from the roast or you can make gravy, like I did. Ladle most of the "juice" into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. In a small cup, mix 3-4 tablespoons of flour with a little water until it's the consistency of school glue. Pour slowly into the saucepan, a little at a time, whisking furiously to (hopefully) avoid lumps. Keep adding the "glue" until it's the consistency you desire...you may have to make more glue. Taste and adjust seasonings. I had to add salt and pepper.

Adapted from REAL MOM KITCHEN

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Beef Stroganoff

I *love* me some beef stroganoff. And this isn't the fancy beef stroganoff. It's the one with three ingredients. I grew up eating it and it's one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Yummy.

Beef Stroganoff
1 lb. ground beef
1-2 cans cream of mushroom soup (I've done both. I usually use 8 oz. sour cream if using two cans and only 4 oz. if using 1 can.)
4-8oz. sour cream
cooked egg noodles

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Add cream of mushroom soup and simmer until noodles are ready. Just before ready to serve, stir in sour cream. Taste to adjust seasonings (it usually needs a little salt and pepper). Serve over noodles.

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: *****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ***
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Crockpot Italian Roast

It's not that I've forgotten about this little blog, I've just haven't been cooking the last several weeks. After my seizure (which you can read about HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE), people were bringing me food for almost two weeks. It was great! And we had some great food, but I didn't have recipes for any of them so I didn't post. I'm back in the saddle again posting about a dish my dad made while he was here. Its an old family-favorite I grew up eating. And it's super-easy! Be sure to serve it with whole green beans, too. Not sure why (except they're pretty), but that's what we always ate with this dish. :)

Crockpot Italian Roast:
3-4 lb. rump roast (I normally use a chuck roast because I usually have one in the freezer)
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 (4 oz.) can mushrooms, drained
1 diced onion
1 (1 1/2 oz.) package spaghetti seasoning
8 oz. tomato sauce
optional: 1/2-1 cup red wine (It makes it really, really good!)
1 lb. egg noodles

Place roast in the crockpot. Pour the rest of the ingredients (except egg noodles) over the top. Cook on low 8-10 hours or on high 4-5 hours. Shred roast with a fork. It should shred very easily. If it doesn't, it's not done. Serve over hot, cooked egg noodles.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 17/20

Classic Beef with Noodles

This dish didn't get great reviews, but I think it's because I thought I had more sour cream than I did. I had to make a buttermilk/butter substitution that affected the taste. I'd like to try it again sometime with ALL the right ingredients because it was so fast!

Classic Beef with Noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2-2 lbs. stew meat
1/4 lb. mushrooms, cut in half
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup water
egg noodles

Brown beef in oil in a large skillet over high heat. Combine beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, slat, pepper, oregano, pepper, marjoram, and bay leaf in a 4 qt. slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Remove and discard bay leaf. Combine sour cream, flour, and water in a small bowl. Stir in 1 cup liquid from slow cooker into sour cream mixture. Add to the slow cooker. Cook, uncovered, on high for 30 more minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve over hot egg noodles.

Family Rating:
Brad: **
Jordan: ***
Eli: ****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Beef and Veggie Stew

This was even better than I thought it would be! And it's easy-peasy so we'll be having this often in these cold winter months.

Beef and Veggie Stew
1 1/2-2 lbs. stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces, if needed
4-5 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. vegetable juice cocktail (like V8 or even Bloody Mary mix)
1 10-oz. can condensed tomato soup
10 oz. water (just use the can from the tomato soup to measure)
1 tsp. basil
2 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
coarse salt

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours or high for 5-6. You could also use a large dutch oven or other oven save dish with a tight fitting lid and cook for about 3 hours at 350. Serve with some good whole wheat bread or rolls.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon

Crockpot Beef Bourguignon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon course salt
2 pounds beef stew meat
3 tablespoons bacon fat, olive oil or a combination of the two
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
5-6 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups good-quality red wine, such as Burgundy or Beaujolais
1/2 cup beef broth
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped finely
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, strip off the leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, peeled and separated if large
1 (8-ounce) package Baby Bell mushrooms, cleaned and halved
1 lb. egg noodles

Put the flour, salt and pepper in a zip-top bag. Trim the meat to remove visible fat and place in the bag. Shake to coat the meat with flour and seasonings. Heat the bacon fat or olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the meat and sauté, in batches if necessary, on both sides until browned. Once the meat is browned, add the garlic and cook a few minutes. Transfer the meat to a slow cooker. Sear the carrots in the pan and then add to slow cooker. Add wine and broth to the sauté pan and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the browned bits that stick to the pan. Pour the liquid over the meat in the slow cooker. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme, cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours.

One hour before the finished cooking time, heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, in batches if necessary, until lightly browned. Add to the slow cooker, cover and cook an additional hour. Right before ready to serve, cook noodles according to package directions. Serve stew over noodles.

Adapted from THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ***
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 14/20

Italian Beef Stew

Italian Beef Stew
About 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup chopped carrot
About 1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for seasoning the stew at the end if necessary)
1 1/2-2 lb. cubed beef or beef stew meat
1 cup dry red wine
2 15-oz. cans diced Italian tomatoes, undrained
32 oz. box beef broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
pepper
8-10 ounces sliced baby portabella
3/4 cup sliced carrots
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley


Chop the onions, first batch of carrots, and the garlic and set it aside. Heat about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a stock pot or a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onions and carrots and saute for about 5 minutes or until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the garlic and saute it for about 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. In a shallow dish, whisk together 1/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Toss the beef in the flour and then transfer the beef to the pot. Cook the beef on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, browning it on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Pour the wine into the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan (loosen up the cooked bits on the bottom of the pan). Scrape it regularly for about 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by about 2/3.

Return the meat and onion mixture to the pan. Add the undrained canned tomatoes and beef broth. Strip the thyme and oregano leaves from their stems and then chop up about 2 teaspoons of each. Add those to the stew mixture along with 1 bay leaf.

Add your mushrooms and some more chopped carrot to the stew. Bring it to a boil and then cover the stew and reduce the heat to a steady simmer for about 1 1/2-2 hours or until the beef is tender. Discard the bay leaf and then add some chopped parsley and basil and season with salt to taste. Serve it with crusty bread.

Adapted from OUR BEST BITES

Family Rating:
Eli: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: **
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Empanada Grande

Empanada Grande
1 package (15 oz.) refrigerated pie crusts (In this case, a store-bought crust really is the best way to go. Homemade crusts are too flaky and not "short" enough to hold up to the filling.)
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1-3 teaspoons dried cilantro
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chunky salsa
1 1/2 tablespoon taco seasoning
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Let pie crust stand at room temp while preparing other ingredients. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat; drain. Return to pan and stir in black olives, cilantro, cheese, salsa, seasoning, and garlic. Place one crust on a large round baking stone or cookie sheet. Spread beef mixture evenly on top to within one inch of the edge. Lay the other crust on top. Fold edges up and crimp to seal. Cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Brush beaten egg over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 16/20

The Best Pot Roast Ever

I spent a lot of years trying to find the very best pot roast recipe.  This is it.  Sure it's not as easy as throwing it in the crockpot, but it's sooooo much better.  


Pot Roast:
3-5 lb. chuck roast (one with a lot of marbling)
2 tablespoons (or more) olive oil
2 onions, quartered
8-12 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
coarse salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
1 (32 oz.) box beef broth
4-5 springs fresh rosemary

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven until hot, but not smoking.  Quickly brown onions, but don't cook all the way through. Remove from pan; repeat with carrots.  Liberally salt and pepper the roast on all sides.  When you've removed the carrots, you may need to add more olive oil and bring it up to heat.  Sear the roast on all sides (it won't cook all the way through, either), making sure it's good and brown.  Remove from pan.  Deglaze pan with the red wine and make sure you scrape up all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Return the roast to the pan, and pour the onions and carrots on top.  Pour in the beef broth.  Submerge the rosemary into the broth, no need to pull it off the stem.  Cook in the oven for 3-4 hours.  3 hours if it's a 3 lb. roast.  4 hours (or more) if it's a 4 lb. roast or bigger.  You'll know its done when the meat is juicy and literally falls apart.  If it seems dry, you need to cook it longer.  Serve with mashed potatoes (preferably THESE) and pan juices.

Adapted from THE PIONEER WOMAN

Family Rating:
Brad: *****
Jordan: *****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 20/20

BBQ Meatballs

These are the best meatballs ever!  I always plan to make a big batch and freeze half, but we never end up having that many leftovers.


BBQ Meatballs
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
3/4 cup oats
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons very finely minced onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
plenty of ground black pepper
4 tablespoons oil
1/2 cup flour
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4-6 tablespoons finely minced onion
dash of Tabasco

In a bowl, combine ground beef and oats.  Pour in milk, then add the onion, salt, and pepper.  Mix thoroughly. Roll into tablespoon sized balls and refrigerate 30-45 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Dredge meatballs in flour and brown in oil until lightly brown.  Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Stir together ketchup, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, onion, and Tabasco and pour over meatballs.  Bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and hot.  Serve with mashed potatoes.

Family Rating:
Brad: ****
Jordan: ****
Eli: *****
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 18/20

Skillet Pasta

I got this recipe from my youth minister's wife when I was in college. It was one of the first things I made as a new wife.

Skillet Pasta
1 lb. ground beef
salt, pepper, garlic powder
2 1/2 cups water
3 cups mostaccioli or penne pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown beef in a large skillet.  Drain.  Season beef with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil.  Place pasta in the water and make sure it's covered.  Let boil until pasta is tender (this always takes longer than the box instructions tell you). Stir in spaghetti sauce.  Taste to adjust seasonings. Pour mozzarella over the pasta and then the Parmesan cheese.  Replace cover and let sit 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: **** (It gets an extra star because it's so darn easy and fast!)
Eli: ***
Phoebe: *****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Super Nachos

I got this recipe from our preacher's wife several years ago. It's so good. The kids devour it!

Super Nachos
1 lb. ground beef, browned, drained, and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 cans refried beans
1-2 cans chopped green chilies
16 oz. grated cheese
2 cans taco sauce
1 large can sliced black olives
chopped tomatoes
sour cream
tortilla chips

In a 9x13 inch pan, beef, beans, green chilies, cheese, taco sauce, and black olives.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, and chopped tomatoes.

I almost always half this when I make it for dinner.

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ***
Eli: *****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20

Philly Cheesesteak Calzone

Photo from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Philly Cheesesteak Calzone
1 pizza dough ball, thawed
16 ounces deli roast beef, thinly sliced (leftover roast beef like this Italian Beef or this French Dip would work great in this)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onions, cut in half and sliced into thin half moons
1 green pepper, chopped
6 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
8 ounces provolone cheese, grated or thinly sliced

Separate the dough into 7 or 8 pieces and shape into a ball. Let them rest lightly covered for 10-15 minutes to help the dough relax a bit.

While the dough rests, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring now and then, until the onions begin to become translucent and the mushrooms start to cook down, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has cooked off, about another 3-5 minutes. Toss in the roast beef and cook until the beef is warmed through (if there is still a lot of liquid left in the skillet from adding the roast beef, either drain the liquid or cook until the liquid evaporates). Take the skillet off the heat.

Using a nonstick mat or a lightly greased countertop, working one at a time, start flattening each piece of dough into a circle. On the bottom half of the dough circle, leaving at least a 3/4-inch edge on the bottom and sides to crimp later, layer on a portion of the meat and veggies, taking care to portion the meat and vegetables so you’ll have enough for each calzone. Top the meat and veggies with cheese. Grab the top edge of the dough and fold it up and over the filling. Pinch edges to seal. Transfer to a cookie sheet and bake for 14-15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Recipe adapted from MEL'S KITCHEN CAFE

Family Rating:
Brad: ***
Jordan: ****
Eli: ****
Phoebe: ****
Overall Family Rating: 15/20