A popular Mexican favorite outside of Mexico is the burrito, a tortilla wrapped entrée that is is both delicious and convenient. It’s a meal you can hold in your hand. There is a lot of folklore surrounding the origins of the Burrito and like most “peasant” food, its history is unclear.
Category: Ground Beef
French Style Meatballs over Egg Noodles
These meatballs are wonderful. Little melt-in-your-mouth bites of heaven. While the recipe is designed to be served over egg noodles (similar to Stroganoff), it could be served over any style pasta or even rice if desired. I love the addition of red wine in the meatballs and the sauce. It brings depth and flavor to the plate. This dish is so simple to make, perfect for casual entertaining or as something a little extra special mid-week.
Hamburger Helper Cheesy Italian Shells
If someone had told me that my 504th posting would have been how to make a Hamburger Helper Style meal without a box, I would have laughed. No way – I would have something sensational, something so awe-inspiring, it will knock your socks off. Yet, here it is. I will admit, I stressed about reaching over 500 posting – and then I realized it is just a number. The point of my little blog isn’t about numbers, it’s about enjoying my life, my family, and puttering about in my cozy kitchen. Simple pleasures and the sound of my guys laughing together – that’s what matters.
This is now my eighth “installment” of Hamburger Helper meals without using an actual box of “Hamburger Helper”. Yep, the easy, busy mom’s best friend, only without all the stuff no one wants to eat in the first place. Have you ever read a box of Hamburger Helper ingredients? Half of the ingredients are words I cannot even begin to pronounce – but have no fear – all those yellow and red dyes and words that seem to be a bunch of letters strung together have all been deemed safe for human consumption by the FDA – so no worries. Right? What’s that – you aren’t impressed? Neither am I. Especially when you consider how absolutely easy it is to skip the box and still have all the convenience of a quick, easy weeknight meal. Add a fresh salad, some warm bread and tall glasses of ice-cold milk – what more do you need? Oh, and just like the boxed variety – one pan will do the trick. Unlike the box variety – this dish has chunks of tomatoes you can actually see.
I adore suppers that only need a tossed salad and warm bread for the finishing touches – especially the bread part. Bread has to be my greatest weakness. I could easily sit down with a loaf of fresh-baked bread and sweet butter and call it a day. Happy, content. Okay, maybe a glass or two of a full-bodied red wine to go with the bread. Yeah, bread and wine – reminds me of a prior life – before Hubby. Sitting ’round a campfire on a beach in San Francisco, dining on warm, fresh-baked San Francisco Sourdough slathered in butter and drinking cheap wine from a Bota bag. And cheese. Yeah, bread, wine and cheese . . . oh, but I digress. We’re here to talk about Hamburger Helper-Style suppers.
Hamburger Helper Style Cheesy Italian Shells
Italian Shells:
1 lb Lean Ground Beef (Ground Turkey is fine, too)
1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 ¼ Cups HOT water
½ Cup Milk
1 Can (14 oz) Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Garlic
2 Cups Medium Shell Pasta
1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese
Seasoning Package:
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasonings
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and garlic together. Drain well.
Add water, milk, tomatoes and pasta. Bring to a boil. Stir in seasoning package (everything else but the cheese). Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes or until liquid has evaporated and noodles are tender.
Stir in the Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheeses, cover and simmer a few minutes more to allow cheese to melt.
Remove from heat, uncover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken.
That’s it – dinner is served.
What’s that? You missed the other seven posting? No need to worry – All delicious, all one-skillet, all family friendly.
Hamburger Helper Style Chili-Cheese Macaroni
Hamburger Helper Style Skillet Lasagna
Hamburg Helper Style Cheesy Jambalaya
Hamburger Helper Style Stroganoff
Hamburger Helper Style Cheeseburger Macaroni
Here we go again – my 7th installment of Hamburger Helper Style one-skillet dinners. There isn’t a whole lot more to say about Hamburger Helper. I am surprised, considering when Hamburger Helper first hit the market place, that it wasn’t marketed with a subtitle of “Mother’s Little Helper”. Then again, the Rolling Stones were singing about “Mother’s Little Helper” in reference to Valium – so maybe they wanted to avoid any confusion between the two. Just kidding – a little.
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Slow Cooker Ground Beef and Three-Bean Supreme
I will never forget the first time we tasted this wonderful slow cooker delight. Kiddo was enjoying a break from work, as business in the event industry tends to taper off in the winter. You would think Holidays would be a busy time. Perhaps in the past, that were true, when companies put on elaborate parties for their employees. These days, people would rather find a few extra dollars in their Christmas Stocking than to toast in the new year with the boss.
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Meatloaf Muffins
For the record, I’m not a fan of meatloaf. That said, I do like the cute little meatloaf muffins. Maybe it’s because they are so small and . . . well . . . cute that gets to me. Maybe because they are easy to make and cook up much faster than a traditional meatloaf, making them a good choice for a weeknight meal. Hubby likes his with creamy Au Gratin potatoes, and those take time, which defeats the “quick” weeknight meat thing, unless you use a boxed potato and cook them on the stove top rather than baked in the oven.
I will confess, I’ve used the boxed Au Gratin potatoes. With the right amount of tweaking, they aren’t bad. Add sautéed onions and grated cheddar cheese to the box mix and top with breadcrumbs for a nice finish to the top – not quite “homemade” but not half-bad for a quick side dish.
Using lean meat is very important, otherwise the muffin tins fill up with meat drippings and the meatloaf inside won’t brown well. If you happen to have an old muffin tin, you could punch a hole in the center of each tin, then elevate it on cooking racks over a shallow baking pan to allow the excess fat to drain away. Or you could use good quality meat. Personally, I vote for lean meat.
Meatloaf Muffins
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
1 Cup Onion, finely chopped
½ Cup Carrots, finely chopped
1 Teaspoon dried Oregano
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Ketchup, divided
1 ½ Lbs Ground Beef (or ¾ lbs ground beef, ¾ lbs bulk sausage)
1 Cup Saltine Crackers, finely crushed
2 Tablespoons Mustard
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ Teaspoon Pepper
2 Large Eggs
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Peel and chop onions. Set aside. Peel and chop carrots. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots, oregano and garlic.
Sauté for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine ½ cup ketchup, ground beef, crackers, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, eggs and onion mixture. Mix well.
Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Divide meat mixture evenly between tins. Top each meat loaf muffin with 2 teaspoons of ketchup.
Bake meat loaf muffins in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until meat registers 160-degrees.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Here’s to simple meals and family dinners!
Hamburger Helper Style Salisbury Steak
I can always tell when we are getting into the busy season in the Event business . . . shortcut meals start hitting the dinner table in record numbers. Oh but it is better to make a quick meal at home than to let my guys wiz through the nearest fast-food joint and bring home a bag of whatever. What is this now? Oh yes – installment six. We’re getting quite the collection of Hamburger Helper style suppers.
Diner-Style Sourdough Bacon Burgers
Have you ever had your mouth all set for something you know to be yummy, only to have everything that could go wrong do just that? We like to spend time exploring the small towns up and down Highway 49, so named after the miners that struck gold back in 1849 in what is now know as “The Mother Lode”. One of my favorite towns to visit is Jackson. I love the historic hotel at the end of main street. I love the nearby Rosebud Cafe with all sorts of fresh creations from their garden. You get what you pay for, and Rosebud’s isn’t cheap – but man is it good!
Hamburger Helper Style Stroganoff without the Box
Here we are, installment five of the Hamburger Helper series. Just remember, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it’s not necessarily a duck. How many of you remember the popular “Hamburger Helper” first introduced to the American Consumer in the early 1970s? The timing of this “convenient” form of cooking wasn’t by chance. It was a result of a corporation seizing the moment. On the heals of the Civil Rights Movement; the Woman’s Movement began to build momentum as women left the kitchen and joined the work force seeking more than jobs, they wanted careers and to be viewed as equals.
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Spaghetti with a Meaty Ragù
A while back, Kiddo was given a strange gift – a small bottle of top-shelf imported Italian Balsamic Vinegar. I say strange because Balsamic Vinegar is not a typical gift to give a twenty-something guy. Kiddo in turn gave the bottle to me.
Busy Cook’s Hamburger Helper Style Cheesy Taco
Yep, it’s time for another installment of “Hamburger Helper without that box of stuff”. Thus far, this is the best one yet.
I remember fondly the first time I made this dish for my family. I first started by gathering all the ingredients and lining them up to have at the ready. Kiddo wandered into the kitchen to see what he could do to help. He took one look at the table – rice, chips, cheese and a lineup of seasonings – and gave me a funny look.
“What on earth are you making?”
“Hamburger Helper.”
“Again?”
I frowned and promptly put him in charge of browning the meat while I mixed up a bowl of seasonings.
This dish cooks up is like a giant one-skillet taco – the Frito Chips give it that corn tortilla “crunch” – with meat, rice and tons of zippy flavor. While the original recipe did not call for Taco Seasoning, when the tasted the “broth” (before thickening) I knew it needed something to bring out that whole taco flavoring thing. The original recipe called for 1 cup of chips. After a quick stir, the chips all but vanished into the dish. That simply would not do, so I tossed in a second cup. Yeah, that was the ticket – a little “crunch” in every bite. It was ready for the final test – my fellows. When dinner was served, I heard a lot of wows – this is good and yummy eating sounds from my guys. They went back for seconds, polishing off what was left in the pan.
Hamburger Helper Cheesy Taco
Ingredients – Seasoning Package
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt (optional)
¼ Teaspoon Sugar (optional)
½ Teaspoon Paprika
In a small bowl, mix together Seasoning Pack. Set aside until ready to use.
Ingredients – Hamburg Helper
1 lb Lean Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
2 ¼ Cups HOT water
½ Cup Milk
1 Cup Converted Rice
1 Can (15 oz) Stewed or Diced Mexican Style Tomatoes, drained
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Drain well and return to pan.
Add water, milk and rice. Bring to a boil.
Stir in seasoning package and Mexican Tomatoes. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 12-15 minutes or until liquid as evaporated and the rice is tender.
Stir in 1 cup of cheese, cover and simmer a few minutes more to allow cheese to melt.
Ingredients – Final Toppings
1/2 Cup Cheese
2 Cups Frito Corn Chips
Chopped Jalapeno Peppers (Nacho Style), Optional
Remove from heat, uncover, sprinkle with ½ cup Cheddar cheese and 2 cups Frito Corn Chips. Allow to sit for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken.
Give everything one final stir, serve with Jalapeno Peppers for added heat as desired.
Now stand back and watch it disappear!
Medley of Meatloaf American Style
Have I mentioned that Hubby’s all time favorite meal revolves around meatloaf? Somewhere in all the hoopla of birthdays, I always manage to make his favorite meal. Meatloaf, Au Gratin Potatoes and Green Beans has been a birthday tradition for over thirty years. I could be mistaken, but I think making meatloaf at least once a year may have been a part of our wedding vows. A very important part of our marriage vows for a very good reason. I am NOT a huge fan of meatloaf. Growing up, meatloaf made a regular appearance at our supper table. It was cheap to make, filing and we all ate it – even my picky brother. Mom’s was a very basic meatloaf. Ground beef, chopped onions and tomato paste. Bread and an egg were thrown into the mix to stretch the meat and keep everything bound together. If there were ever a meal I could have done without once I was on my own, it was meatloaf. Then one day I met the love of my life – my soul mate. As fate would have it, his all-time favorite food was meatloaf! And not just any meatloaf – his favorite could be found on a box of Lipton Onion Soup – aka Superior Meatloaf. You had to be kidding . . .
I know there are some very complicated recipes out there with all sorts of wonderful ingredients – let’s face it – meatloaf has evolved. And I would hope so, since the first mention of meatloaf can be traced all the way back to Fifth-century Rome. This loaf of minced meat scraps, stale bread soaked in wine and pine nuts was shaped into a large patty that was baked in an oven. Medieval Europe had a meatloaf of scraps of meat mixed with nuts and fruits. Neither of these resemble the meatloaf of today. The modern meatloaf is an American invention with ancestry that spans the globe. Necessity and the Industrial Revolution gave birth to the American Meatloaf. First was the invention of the mechanical meat grinder by German inventor Karl Drais in 1899, and then the hardships of the Great Depression. Scraps of meat could be ground, mixed with fillers and feed an entire family. With the increased strictures of wartime rationing of the 1940s, meatloaf earned its high-ranking position in the housewife’s culinary artillery. Through hardship and difficult times, the meatloaf was a comfort food. Along comes the 50s and 60s, when meatloaf went from a necessity to a liberated food. Women were encouraged to do more with their blobs of ground meats. Sculptures were born. Seasonings expanded the flavor spectrum and meatloaf was no longer our mother’s dish. Still, I don’t care much for the traditional meatloaf.
There are hundreds of recipes out there claiming to be the best. Hubby likes his meatloaf very straight forward without offbeat ingredients. He does not want to find a hard-boiled egg like a giant eye looking back at him. He wants a big loaf of meat that he can happily bury in a bottle of ketchup. It took a while to convince him to let me to deviate even a little in an attempt to bring more flavor and texture to the basic meatloaf. The meatloaf I serve these days is a compromise of sorts. I don’t mind the simplicity of the meal, and he can cover it in a half a bottle of ketchup.
Meatloaf Medley American Style
1 Envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 Lb Ground Beef
1 Lb Jimmy Dean Regular Breakfast Sausage
4-5 Slices of bread, torn into small pieces
3/4 cup Water
1/3 Cup Ketchup
2 Eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350-Degrees.
In a large bowl, place ground beef. Place all remaining ingredients, ending with sausage, on top of ground beef. Using your hands, combine all ingredients for meat loaf.
Place in a meatloaf pan (that’s a loaf pan with holes in the bottom inside another loaf pan. It allows the meat to drain rather than sit in its own grease), and bake for 1 hour or until done.
Lift loaf pan from the drip pan, transfer the meatloaf to a serving platter and garnish with a few sprigs of curly parsley.
Serve this simple meatloaf with a side of green vegetables such as green beans or broccoli and cheesy potatoes such as Au Gratin.
Super Easy Tater Tot Casserole
One afternoon I was watching Worst Cooks in America Celebrity Edition. The celebrities were asked to name their signature dish. One gal said she was from the mid-west, a real meat and potatoes part of the country, and hers was a Tater Tot Casserole. Tater what? Sounded crazy to me. But then, I’ve never understood tater tots in the first place. When I mentioned this to Hubby, he said that sounded about right. I filed the idea away and forgot all about the idea. That is until a few night ago. For whatever reason, I thought what the heck. My guys like ground beef. My guys like tater tots.
Tater Tot Casserole
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1 pound ground beef
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups frozen fried potato nuggets
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
Chop onions into bite-size pieced. Set aside.
Crumble beef into a large skillet over medium-high heat.Cook the beef until nicely browned, breaking up any chunks as it cooks. Drain off excess grease.
Add onions to beef and continue to cook about 5 minutes or until onions are tender and translucent.
Stir the soup, ketchup and Worcestershire in the skillet. Continue to cook until heated through.
Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Arrange the potatoes around the inside edge of the baking dish.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown.
Serve with a nice salad and enjoy.
Taco Braid
Just when you thought we were done with Taco Rings, Taco Pies and all things Taco in Crescent Rolls – along comes another in the long line of takes on the Taco. Oh, but this one is just a little different. While Taco Braid is very similar it is made with pizza dough rather than Crescent Rolls, with the addition of sautéed onions and chopped tomatoes baked right into the Braid. Besides, I’ve got to admit – I really like the look of just about anything served inside braided bread. The outside all golden and delicious. Slice into that braid and everything just looks so yummy.
A Midsummer Night’s Delight – Lasagna with a Meaty Sauce and Mini Garlic Monkey Bread
Monkey Bread. Monkey Bread. What a fun thing to say. Monkey Bread.
Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t even dream of making Lasagna in the summer. I try to avoid anything that is baked in the oven, even for a short time. I try to avoid dishes that are heavy when it’s hot. Summer is a time for light meals, and lots of cooking outdoors.
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Welcome to Rosemarie's Kitchen 