Queso Taco Pasta Bake

There's a possibility that I used every pot and pan I own to make this dish.  But - it was totally worth it!  The leftovers are in the fridge right now, and I can't wait to dig in.  This recipe makes a TON of food.  Half this recipe, and you'll have plenty for a family of four.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup prepared mild salsa
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
One 10 ounce can Rotel tomatoes, mild
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
3/4 pound small pasta of your choice
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Place butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to melt. Whisk in flour, salt and pepper for about 30 seconds until bubbly. Slowly whisk in chicken broth until smooth. Increase heat to high while whisking until thickened. Takes 3-5 minutes. Stir in cheese and salsa, turn off heat and set aside.
Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Saute onions until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add ground beef, salt and pepper, cooking until browned. Drain fat if necessary. Add tomatoes, cumin and lime juice, stir to combine.
Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and run under cold water.
Transfer beef, noodles and queso to a large pot or dutch oven over medium low heat. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper to your liking. Transfer to prepared baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cheese is melted. Serve warm. 

Original source: www.picky-palate.com

Cowboy Spaghetti

I love recipes that offer us variety at dinnertime. These days, I make almost every meal we eat, and so I am thrilled to find a new recipe that is different from our usual fare. This recipe fits the bill. Also, it's a Rachel Ray recipe, and you can't go wrong with her food!

1 pound spaghetti
Salt
1 T olive oil
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
1 pound ground sirloin
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic
Ground black pepper
2 t hot sauce (I was a wimp and only used 1 t, and it wasn't enough)
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c beer
1 (14-ounce) can, chopped or crushed fire roasted tomatoes
1 (8-ounces) can, tomato sauce
8 oz sharp Cheddar
4 scallions, chopped

Heat a pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti and salt the water. Cook to al dente or with a bite to it.

Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil and bacon. Brown and crisp bacon, 5 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon. Drain off a little excess fat if necessary. Leave just enough to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add beef and crumble it as it browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add onions, garlic and stir into meat. Season the meat with salt and pepper, hot sauce and Worcestershire. Add 1/2 cup beer and deglaze the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes more then stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Add hot spaghetti to meat and sauce and combine. Adjust seasonings and serve up pasta in shallow bowls. Grate some cheese over the pasta and sprinkle with scallions. Garnish with crisp bacon.

Original source: Rachel Ray

Hot Tamale Casserole

This was absolutely fantastic! Thanks so much to Jen, who passed along the recipe.

Jiffy corn muffin mix (prepare using directions on the box, you will need milk and an egg)
1.5 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (10oz) enchilada sauce
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
1 can (2 ¼ oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion, green pepper and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce, chilies, olives, chili powder and cilantro, heat through.

Prepare the cornbread mix and put it in an 8 x 8 casserole dish. Top cornbread mixture with the meat mixture. Cover and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Then add cheese for the last 5 minutes until it’s bubbly and cheese is melted.

Pot Roast with Vegetables

I made this about a month ago for the first time. At the time, Tom was out of town, so my parents came over for dinner. My Dad proclaimed this the best pot roast he'd ever eaten. We'll see what Tom says when he tries it tonight! If he's lucky, I'll make some rosemary focaccia to go with it.

1 (3 to 4 pound) piece beef chuck roast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 yellow onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bunch baby carrots
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

Season all sides of the beef with a fair amount of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot; heat the oil over moderately high heat. Brown the meat on all sides, taking the time to get a nice crust on the outside.

Meanwhile, pour the tomatoes in your crock pot. Add the vegetables and herbs around the sides of the pot. Once your meat is browned, transfer it to the crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Lazy, Lazy Girl Lasagna

I call this Lazy, Lazy Girl Lasagna because Lazy Girl Lasanga is when I use no bake lasagna noodles. This recipe takes it to a whole new level of lazy.

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce
1 15-0z ricotta cheese
2 c + 1/2 c mozzarella cheese
1 c parmesan cheese

Boil noodles according to package directions. Brown and drain ground beef. Combine noodles, beef, and tomato sauce. In a separate bowl, combine cheeses. In a 9 x 13 pan, place 1/3 of the noodle mixture. Cover in cheese mixture. Repeat. Top off with remaining noodles and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 25 minutes.

Slow-Cooked Asian Chuck Roast

This was really, really good. Not too spicy, but plenty of zip!

1 (2 1/2 - 3 lbs) Boneless beef chuck roast

Flour

2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 bottle (20 oz) Wegmans Asian-style BBQ sauce
2 cups Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Thai culinary stock
2 pkgs (8 oz each) Fresh baby corns, cut to 1-inch rounds
1 pkg (16 oz) Frozen broccoli cuts, thawed
2 pkgs (16 oz each) Wegmans Asian Classics Udon noodles, thawed per package directions

Dust meat with pan-searing flour; pat off excess. Heat oil in large braising pan on MEDIUM-HIGH, until oil faintly smokes. Add meat. Brown, turning to brown all sides, 3-4 min per side. Transfer meat to slow cooker. Stir in BBQ sauce and stock.

Cook meat in slow-cooker 4-5 hours on HIGH or 7-9 hours on LOW. Remove just the meat from slow-cooker; transfer to clean platter.

Add corn, broccoli, and noodles to slow-cooker on HIGH; stir to combine. Cover; cook 5-15 min, or until vegetables are thoroughly heated. Stir before transferring to serving platter and topping with meat.

Ginger-Lime Beef Stir Fry

This wasn't the best ever; however, it has potential because the sauce was good. Next time, I'll add a bunch of stir fry vegetables, triple the sauce, and serve over rice. Today, I served over rice noodles, which were good too.

1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 1/2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
12 ounces boneless sirloin steak, cut into thin strips

Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; drizzle evenly with ginger-lime mixture. Garnish with green onions and lime wedges, if desired.

Taco Rice Bowls

This recipe is very versatile. I actually won a chili cook off with this recipe several years ago (in the most unusual category). Anyway, tonight we ate it like a rice bowl with guacamole and salsa on the side. You could use it as burrito or taco filling, dip, nacho filling - there are plenty of possibilities.

1/2 lb ground beef
Taco seasoning
1 1/4 c cooked instant rice
1 can diced tomatoes with chilis, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn (the mini can), drained

Brown the ground beef and drain. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until warm.

If I were eating dairy right now, I'd definitely serve it with cheese and sour cream. However, tonight, like I said, we had it with guacamole and salsa. Sydney had two enormous helpings!

Sloppy Joes

Ground beef
Sweet onions
Tomato soup
3 T Brown sugar
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 T Vinegar
Buns

Brown meat and onions. Drain fat. Add remaining liquid ingredients (add tomato soup until you get it the consistency you like). Serve on buns. I like to serve them on hot dog buns because they're a little less sloppy. :)

Mexican Bubble Pizza

I believe this recipe won the Pillsbury Bake-Off several years ago. Anyway, I've made it several times with much success. It's on the stove as I type this!

1 1/2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 package (1 oz) Old El Paso® taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup water
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1 can (16.3 oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (8 oz)
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 cup Old El Paso® Thick 'n Chunky salsa
1 can (2 1/4 oz) sliced ripe olives, drained
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
3 green onions, sliced, if desired

Heat oven to 375°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Add taco seasoning mix, water and soup; mix well. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into 8 pieces. Add pieces to beef mixture; stir gently. Spoon mixture into ungreased 13x9-inch pan.

Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is bubbly.

To serve, cut pizza into 8 squares. Top each serving with remaining ingredients.

Crockpot Beef-and-Bean Burritos

Served this to the Bergemans tonight. Everyone seemed to enjoy it! It was pretty easy, so this will likely go into our regular rotation. In fact, I think I'll add a new Regular Rotation label.

1 (2-pound) London broil
1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning mix
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
12 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomato
3/4 cup fat-free sour cream

Trim fat from meat; rub seasoning mix over both sides of meat. Place meat in an electric slow cooker coated with cooking spray; add onion, vinegar, and green chiles. Cover with lid; cook on low-heat setting for 9 hours. Remove meat from slow cooker, reserving cooking liquid; shred meat with two forks. Combine meat and reserved cooking liquid; stir well.

Warm beans and tortillas according to package directions. Spread 2 tablespoons beans down the center of each tortilla. Spoon a heaping 1/3 cup meat mixture on top of beans. Top each with 2 tablespoons cheese, 2 tablespoons tomato, and 1 tablespoon sour cream; roll up.

Original source: Cooking Light

Spicy Beef Roast

This is a family favorite! I believe Jodi originally found the recipe, and it's something that appears on the dinner table many times during fall and winter!

3 lb rount tip roast
1 T peppercorn
1 1/2 t garlic
3 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 T worchestire sauce
2 T dry mustard

Rub meat with peppercorn and garlic. Cut meat so that there are four slices about an inch deep each. Mix all other ingredients. Pour mixture over meat. Cook meat in crockpot 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low.

Original source: Jodi Bergeman

Greek Steak Pitas

This was great for dinner last night. Very different from what we usually eat. Let me tell you, though, it was very difficult to find Greek seasoning. I went to Target and Giant and looked in the seasoning aisle. I turned out finding a Greek-style marinade and dry rub in the dressing aisle of Target. Anyway, if you're in Northern Virginia and want to make this recipe, let me know, and I'll let you have some of this rub. I have enough for years.

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Greek seasoning (such as McCormick)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
4 (6-inch) pitas, cut in half
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
24 slices English cucumber
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese


Preparation
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; add steak to bag. Marinate 3 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Sprinkle steak with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil. Add steak; cook 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Let stand 2 minutes. Cut steak across grain into thin slices.

Return pan to heat. Add juice, garlic, and spinach; sauté 1 minute. Remove from heat; add remaining salt.


Spoon 2 tablespoons spinach mixture into each pita half. Place 1 tablespoon onion, 3 cucumber slices, and 1 1/2 ounces steak in each pita half; sprinkle 1 tablespoon cheese in each pita half.

Grilled Flank Steak with Avacado-Lime Salsa

I managed to forget to serve these with the cabbage, but they were still very tasty!

Steak:
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
Cooking spray

Salsa:
1 cup diced peeled avocado
3/4 cup finely chopped tomato
1/3 cup finely chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco)

Remaining ingredients:
8 (6-inch) corn tortillas
2 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage


Preparation
To prepare steak, combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of steak. Rub chili powder mixture evenly over steak. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Place steak on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

To prepare salsa, combine avocado and next 7 ingredients (through pepper sauce) in a medium bowl.


Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon steak mixture evenly over each of 8 tortillas. Top each taco with 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 cup cabbage.

Original source: Cooking Light