And It Didn’t Come from a Box

Each Friday I put the final touches on our Meal Menu for the following week. Once the shopping list is printed, Hubby goes through the pantries, refrigerators and freezers, crossing off what he finds from the list to avoid any unnecessary purchases.

It’s a team effort. I try to remember what we have in stock (the Big Box Stores are great for stocking up – having multiple pantries, refrigerators and freezers makes getting things on special possible). Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to create meals using just what we have on-hand. Ground beef we buy in bulk. Canned goods are by the case. Oh but pastas – with the exception of 8 pounds of spaghetti noodles from the Big Box Stores, it’s a per-meal purchase. Pastas come in 16 ounce packages. Generally speaking, unless company’s coming over, I might use half a package for a meal. Which means we have boxes upon boxes of different pastas stacked up in the auxiliary pantry. Most weeks I hear Hubby grumbling “You have a million different pastas in here, but you need the one we don’t already have. Really?” Or he’ll say “You do know how many cans of Mushroom Soup you have, right?” As a hint that I should do something with the soups. Now sometimes my recipe will call for Rigatoni and we have Penne on hand, so I’ll switch things up. However; there are times when Rigatoni is a must and substitutions cannot be made.

This recipe was suppose to be finished as a casserole; not a skillet supper. It used egg noodles (which we didn’t have in the cupboards); several different cheeses and at least one other cooking vessel. The box of pasta shells had been in the pantry for a while. We really needed to use it up. And the mushroom soup – that’s a good place to get some inspiration. So I began gathering ingredients and spreading them out on the kitchen table. This will work, but not with that. Eventually fond memories of Hamburger Helper from my college days with small children to feed came floating back. Yeah, a box supper without the box, just with the ingredients we had on hand. The only thing this meal added to our shopping list was the Brown Gravy Mix. Gravy is something I make from scratch; not from a package. I wanted the mix for two reasons – enhancing the beefy flavor and as a thickening agent. My guys gobbled it up.

Thank you God for those days when I struggled. That experience helped me, taught me the value of making the most out of what I had with love and appreciation. Turly, that is a blessing!

Beefy Pasta Shell Skillet
2 cups small Pasta Shells
1 lb Ground Beef
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Sour Cream
3 tablespoons Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Beef Stock
1 package Brown Gravy Powder

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well.

While the water comes to a boil and the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef in the hot skillet until browned, breaking apart as it cooks, about 8 minutes. Drain and discard grease from the skillet. Season meat with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl mix together the sour cream, cream cheese, and mushroom soup. Pour into the skillet with the ground beef.

Measure beef stock in a 4-cup measuring cup. Add gravy mix, whisk until smooth. Pour stock mixture over the ground beef; simmer until flavors blend and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Add pasta, continue to simmer until heated through.

Serve alongside green beans for a quick, delicious and oh so family-friendly supper.

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Through all generations Your truth endures;
You have established the earth, and it stands firm.
Your word is for ever, O Lord.