Although this dish is not a Hamburger Helper meal, it truly is in the spirit of whip it up delicious. The Cheddar Cheese Soup and Hot Salsa just wake up your taste buds. Served with a quick salad and it’s an easy meal for our hectic lifestyles.
Continue reading “Spicy Beef and Butterfly Pasta is Oh So Good”
Today I’m going to share with you what I consider to be a work in progress. While these Taquitos are good, with just the right amount of crunch, there’s something missing. It might be years before I declare these Ground Beef Taquitos to be perfect. In the meantime, we’ve got good.
Lately it seems that I have fallen in love with my cast iron skillets all over again. It is amazing all the different delicious meals that can be had in a single skillet. That and they make a great door stop!
Taco Biscuit Cups are super easy to make, fun to eat and unbelievable filling. One or two “biscuits” is more than enough for even the largest appetites. My guys loved them. Hubby said he could eat Taco Cups several times a week. They are that good.
Continue reading “Supper Time is Fun Time with Taco Biscuit Cups”
Have you ever noticed that something happens when you bake pasta? Take Rigatoni – cook up the pasta, pile on the sauce and cheese and it’s great. Take those same ingredients, mix it all together in a casserole dish and bake it – totally different taste and texture.
One of Hubby’s favorite dishes has to be Shepherd’s Pie. You would think that it would be a hit with me as well. After all, who doesn’t like mashed potatoes that have been finished off in the oven? Yet for whatever reason, the first time I made a Shepherd’s Pie it did not win me over.
That first experience was thirty years ago. I’ve learned a lot since then. Don’t use instant potatoes, they lack the real potato consistency when baked. If fresh vegetables aren’t in season, go for frozen rather than canned. Quick frozen vegetables have that garden flavor, especially when it comes to green beans. Make sure the meat is tender. Stew meats need to really be “stewed” to be fork-tender. Ground meat is great when you are in a hurry and don’t want to be stewing all darn day.
Yeah, I’ve come around. Maybe it’s my love affair with the cast iron skillet that won me over.
Ground Beef Skillet Shepherd’s Pie
Parmesan Mashed Potato Topping
6 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons Butter softened
2/3 cup Whole Milk
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt to taste
White Pepper to taste
To Cook the Potatoes: Peel and cube the potatoes. Place in a large pot and cover with about 1-inch of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower heat to medium-high and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender; about 15 minutes.
To Mash the Potatoes: Drain the potatoes, return to the pot and “dry” the potatoes over low heat. Once dry, add in the soft butter. Use a potato masher or ricer, mash the potatoes until smooth. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, salt pepper and mash a bit a more until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
While the potatoes are cooking, you can prepare the meat mixture.
Meaty Vegetable Filling
1 large Onion
1 Garlic Clove
1 1/4 lb Ground Chuck
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1.package Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 cup Beef Stock
2 cups frozen Mixed Vegetables (Peas, carrots, green beans and corn)
2 tablespoons Italian Parsley, chopped for garnish
To prepare the Meat Mixture: Peel onion, chop fine and set aside. Peel the garlic clove, set aside. Finely chop the parsley, set aside until ready to garnish.
Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the skillet, season it with the salt and pepper and cook it for abut 5 minutes or until it’s no longer pink, breaking into small pieces as it browns.
Add the onion and cook for 3 more minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent.
Grate the garlic clove directly into the skillet. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the pepper flakes, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, beef broth and stir. Add in the frozen vegetables and cook for a couple more minutes. Set aside.
To Assemble and Bake Pie: Heat the oven 350 degrees.
Smooth out the meat mixture. Spread the potatoes over the meat and smooth the top of the potatoes with the back of a spoon. Use a fork to create a design in the potato topping. Garnish with some of chopped Parsley, reserving about half for a final garnish.
Place the skillet on a baking sheet, then place it in the oven and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown on top.
Remove from the oven, garnish with remaining parsley, a little salt and white pepper. Serve warm straight from the skillet.
There are a lot of things I take pride in and strive to accomplish. Variety at the dinner table is something that I strive to do. Here we are, three weeks into September and I have yet to repeat myself in the kitchen.
I know, football season has barely begun, so why am I thinking Super Bowl? In part because I don’t really care what teams are playing so I can think ahead. I’m only a fan of football for two reasons – I love my husband and I love the “munchie” style foods we all enjoy.
Years ago I came across a recipe for Tavern Joes in an old cookbook designed for Crock Pots. The first time I made it, my guys did not go back for seconds. The recipe called for 16 ounces of dark ale. We aren’t beer drinkers, so the flavor did not win favors. It was more like having hot beer with chunks of ground meat. I ask you, does that sound appealing? Didn’t think so.
My guys love Macaroni and Cheese. They love tacos. So why not give them what they love in one dish? Better still, this is a skillet supper. As in one pot or skillet is all it takes. Gotta love that!
As a lady of leisure, I should not be cooking anything that comes in a can or the freezer or any of a dozen other modern conveniences. Oh yeah, right! Cooking from scratch is fine and it has its place.
Continue reading “Beefy Ground Beef-Red Potato Vegetable Stew”
Those of us in the United States and parts of Canada are familiar with the term “Blue Plate Special”, especially if you frequent diners and roadside cafes. We understand the meaning, even if we don’t know the history.
Continue reading “Blue Plate Diner-Style Salisbury Steak”Not that long ago, we took a much needed family vacation. While we were away, a friend cared for our garden. Being a gardener himself, he had no need for our crops. He simply came and watered. The pepper plants went nuts! We came home to more peppers than we knew what to do with.
Way, way back in 1949 a man named Jim Knudson and his wife, Margaret, were served tacos for dinner at a friend’s home. What made this experience unique is that neither had eaten a taco before. Jim Knudson was experienced in the food industry and thought offering tacos to the American public was a good idea. After perfecting his recipe that included a dusting of canned Parmesan Cheese, Jim introduced the “Tayco” to the menu of his Grass Valley restaurant. Much to his surprise, customers were not enthusiastic about the new menu item. The taco was not a hit, but Jim Knudson was not about to give up.
My phone chirped – I had a text. It was coming up on five and I guessed Hubby was letting me know he was on his way home. I was right, it was Hubby. I was mistaken about the message. He was going to be late. No worries. My casserole wouldn’t take long. Planning ahead for late evenings is something I take pride in. And besides, it’s summer. There is something perfectly acceptable about eating dinner at seven in the summer. Eat at seven in the winter and you feel like it’s midnight. Why is that?
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