Sloppy Joes

Are you a fan of the can of Sloppy Joe mix? If you answered yes or no you will love this homemade recipe. I have never been a fan of the can stuff, it always had a weird taste to me. My husband loves it! After I made this recipe my husband now has a new favorite Sloppy Joe recipe and for me this version doesn’t have a weird taste. Instead it has a layer of flavor that you can’t get from a can. The recipe I used is The Pioneer Woman’s recipe and what I love about it is you can control the heat. Make it as hot or mild as your little heart desires.

Sloppy Joes

~ 2 1/2 lbs. ground beef

~ 1/2 of a large onion, diced

~ 1 whole green bell pepper, diced

~ 5 cloves of garlic

~ 1 1/2 cup ketchup

~ 1 cup water

~ 2 Tbsp. brown sugar

~ 2 tsp. chili powder (more to taste)

~ 1 tsp. dry mustard

~ 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (more to taste)

~ Worcestershire sauce, to taste

~ 2 Tbsp. tomato paste (optional)

~ Tabasco sauce (optional; to taste)

~ salt to taste

~ fresh ground black pepper, to taste

~ rolls

1. Add ground beef to a large skillet and cook over medium high heat. Cook until brown then drain most of the fat off.

2. Add onions, green pepper, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

3. Add ketchup, brown sugar, chili pepper, dry mustard, and water. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Also add tomato paste, Worcestershire, and Tabasco if desired. Tate and adjust seasonings as needed.

4. Spoon meat mixture over the rolls and top with a slice of cheese. Enjoy!

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Sloppy Joes

Freezer Burritos

My husband loves the frozen burritos that you buy at the grocery store. I don’t understand why, they kind of gross me out. Any ways he used to buy them quite often and take one with him to work, microwave it, and have it for lunch or dinner. When I saw this recipe over at the Finer Things in life it reminded me of those frozen burritos but I just knew that they had to taste better and be better for you.

So I gathered up all the ingredients and made a batch. Just as I had finished up the meat mixture my kids came in and said they wanted lunch. I made each of them one of these and they were gone with in minutes. My son then had another after he finished his first. What a huge hit these were and since it made 24 burritos I know that we will have enough for a few quick and easy meals during a busy night.

Freezer Burritos

~ 2 lb. ground beef

~ 2 cans refried beans (or homemade)

~ 1 1/3 cup enchilada sauce

~ 1/2 cup water

~ 1 tsp. onion powder

~ 1 Tbsp. chili powder

~ 1 Tbsp. garlic powder

~ 1 tsp. salt

~ 1 tsp. dried oregano

~ 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)

~ 24 medium flour tortillas (you can make them bigger or smaller depending on your liking)

1. Brown ground beef and drain. Add remaining ingredients (except tortillas). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Heat 3-4 tortillas at a time. Spoon 1/4 cup beef mixture down the side of each tortilla.

3. Roll up. Wrap each burrito in a paper towel, then wrap in foil.

4. Refrigerate or freeze.

5. When ready to eat, remove foil and microwave for about a minute. The paper towel keeps the burritos moist. You can also heat burritos in the oven wrapped in foil, just make sure to remove the paper towel before heating.

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Freezer Burritos

Easy Dinner for a Busy Weeknight Tater-Tot Casserole

This recipe can be made ahead of time and stuck in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. You can double the recipe to make more if you have a bigger family and it can also be made a frozen as well. So many options with this recipe. It is also really simple to make even on a busy night.

Tater-Tot Casserole

~ 1 lb. ground beef

~ 1/2 medium onion, chopped

~ 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

~ 1 16 oz. package frozen tater tots

~ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

~ salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375^o F.

2. Brown ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.

4. Combine ground beef mixture and cream soup and then spread evenly in a 9 x 9 casserole dish.

5. Top mixture with tater tots.

6. Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and tots are golden brown.

7. Remove from oven and top with cheese, return to oven until melted.

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Tater-Tot Casserole

Easy Dinner for a Busy Weeknight Italian Mini Meat Loaves

These mini meat loaves are super easy to pull together even on a busy night. What my family loves about them is that they are full of flavor and are small in size. I love that they are mini because that means each meatloaf has more of that crispy crust on it. The other thing about these is that you can omit or add so many different things into these and change up the flavor.

Italian Mini Meat Loaves

~ 1 1/3 pounds ground beef

~ 1 large egg, beaten

~ 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs or Panko

~ 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano

~ 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

~ 4 cloves garlic, chopped

~ 3 Tbsp. tomato paste

~ salt & pepper

~ extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 425^o F.

Place meat in a bowl. Add egg, bread crumbs, Parmigiano, onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix meat and breading and form 4 individual oval meat loaves, 1-inch thick Coat loaves with extra-virgin olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast 18 to 20 minutes.

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Italian Mini Meat Loaves

Easy Dinner for a Busy Weeknight Taco Chili

This chili is a big hit in my house and it can be frozen! It is fast to make on its own but can be made on a weekend, frozen, and then thawed out for a quick and easy dinner. We usually sprinkle Fritos and cheese on ours to make something similar to Frito boats.

Taco Chili for 4

~ 1 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef

~ 1/2 cup frozen or fresh chopped onion

~ 2 tablespoons Taco Seasoning Mix (from 1.25-oz. pkg.)

~ 1 15.5 oz con diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

~ 1 8 oz can tomato sauce

~ 1 cup frozen corn

~ 1 15.5 oz can southwestern black beans with chili spices, undrained

~ Fritos

~ shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, cook ground beef and onion over medium-high heat until beef is browned, stirring frequently. Drain.

2. Stir in taco seasoning mix, tomatoes, tomato sauce and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until beef is thoroughly cooked and corn is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Stir in beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and flavors are blended, stirring occasionally.

4. Spoon into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle each serving with Fritos and cheese.

* I am never able to find the black beans with seasoning or the tomatoes with green chilies and I also buy the cheap stuff so I just use regular black beans and tomatoes.

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Taco Chili for 4

Taco Chili for 16

~ 3 lb. lean (at least 80%) ground beef

~ 2 cups chopped onions

~ 2 1.25 oz pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix

~ 4 15.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained

~ 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce

~ 1 lb pkg frozen corn

~ 4 15.5 oz cans southwestern black beans with chili spices, undrained

~ Fritos

~ shredded cheddar cheese

1. In 8-quart Dutch oven, cook ground beef and onions over medium-high heat until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in taco seasoning mix, tomatoes, tomato sauce and corn. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 to 15 minutes or until corn is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in beans; return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated and flavors are blended, stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon 6 cups of the chili into each of four 6-cup freezer/microwave-safe containers. Cool 30 to 45 minutes. Cover; refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months.

4. Thaw 1 container of chili in refrigerator for 48 hours, or uncover and thaw in microwave on Defrost for 30 to 40 minutes.

5. To heat refrigerated or thawed chili, cover loosely and microwave on High for 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring once or twice. Spoon into 4 individual serving bowls and sprinkle each with Fritos and shredded cheese.

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Taco Chili for 16

Easy Dinner for a Busy Weeknight Enchilada Casserole

Some of you may have been wondering what has happened to me. Well my daughter has started preschool, swim season is in full swing bright and early with 5 am practice, my husband school has also started, and I am still trying to run a Bountiful Basket site in our small town. So basically what that means is I spend most of my day driving back and forth from my house every few hours and haven’t had much time to cook or even sleep!

Now I know many of you are in the same position especially with school starting up again. So I have decided to take a few days to show case some of the recipes that I like when cooking just isn’t at the top of your list. These recipes can either be made a head of time or take almost no time at all to make.

The first recipe in this series is Enchilada Casserole. Now this recipe does take a bit of time to make but if you make on Sunday and stick in the fridge all you have to do on Monday night is pop it in the oven and make up a salad or a veggie and in no time you have dinner ready to go. The other reason why I love this recipe is that it makes so much for my family that we can eat it as leftovers for several nights. This means I don’t have to worry about cooking for a few days.

Enchilada Casserole

~ 2 lb. hamburger

~ 1 can cream of chicken soup

~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup

~ 1 can enchilada sauce (small can)

~ 1 can small diced Ortega green peppers

~ 1 can pitted olives, chopped

~ 1 can condensed milk (5.5 oz.)

~ 1/2 lb. grated cheese

~ 12 corn tortillas

~ 1 bundle of green onions, chopped

1. Brown hamburger and drain off grease

2. Add in cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, enchilada sauce, Ortega green peppers, condensed milk, and olives. Mix well and then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. While hamburger mixture is simmering, cut tortillas in quarters and layer bottom of 13 x 11 inch dish with half of the tortillas.

4. After hamburger mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, spread half of meat mixture over tortillas. Place another layer of tortillas and then spread with the rest of the meat mixture. Top with grated cheese and green onions.

5. Bake at 350^o F for 30 minutes.

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Enchilada Casserole

Tater-Tot Casserole

So here we are middle of the week and if your house is anything like mine you are tired and at a loss on what to make for dinner! Sound familiar? Well give this recipe a try and it won’t disappoint. I had been wanting to make tater tot casserole ever since I saw it on 16 Kids and Counting. But let me assure you their recipe will feed an army and it would be way to much for this family of 4. When I saw this recipe on Craving Comfort I just knew I would be giving it a try. It was super easy to make, could be double very easily, can be frozen for an easy weeknight meal, and is great warmed up. Now that is my kind of meal!

Tater-Tot Casserole

~ 1 lb. ground beef

~ 1/2 medium onion, chopped

~ 1 (10 1/2 ounce) can condensed cream of celery or cream of chicken soup

~ 1 16 oz. package frozen tater tots

~ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

~ salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375^o F.

2. Brown ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.

4. Combine ground beef mixture and cream soup and then spread evenly in a 9 x 9 casserole dish.

5. Top mixture with tater tots.

6. Bake, uncovered for 30-40 minutes until bubbly and tots are golden brown.

7. Remove from oven and top with cheese, return to oven until melted.

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Tater-Tot Casserole

Enchilada Casserole

Growing up my husbands family made this recipe all the time. He loves it so much that he asks for it often. The great thing about this recipe is that it is so much easier than making enchiladas but you still get all the same flavor. It does make a lot which is great for a big family or if yours is smaller like mine you have several days of left overs.

Enchilada Casserole

~ 2 lb. hamburger

~ 1 can cream of chicken soup

~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup

~ 1 can enchilada sauce (small can)

~ 1 can small diced Ortega green peppers

~ 1 can pitted olives, chopped

~ 1 can condensed milk (5.5 oz.)

~ 1/2 lb. grated cheese

~ 12 corn tortillas

~ 1 bundle of green onions, chopped

1. Brown hamburger and drain off grease

2. Add in cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, enchilada sauce, Ortega green peppers, condensed milk, and olives. Mix well and then simmer for 30 minutes.

3. While hamburger mixture is simmering, cut tortillas in quarters and layer bottom of 13 x 11 inch dish with half of the tortillas.

4. After hamburger mixture has simmered for 30 minutes, spread half of meat mixture over tortillas. Place another layer of tortillas and then spread with the rest of the meat mixture. Top with grated cheese and green onions.

5. Bake at 350^o F for 30 minutes.

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Enchilada Casserole

Taco Salad

This recipe is for my sister Jamie. Every time she comes to visit and we are trying to decide what to make for dinner the first thing she wants is Taco Salad and then my husbands breakfast sandwiches. This Taco Salad recipe is simple to make but don’t be fooled by the Salad part. It has thousand island dressing and Doritos on it so it wouldn’t rank up there with the healthy salads but I don’t mind because it is so tasty.

Taco Salad

~ 1 lb. of ground beef

~ 1 head of lettuce or bag of lettuce

~ 1-2 tomatoes

~ 1 can of Kidney beans

~ Cheddar cheese

~ Avocado (optional)

~ Doritos

~ Thousand Island dressing

1. Brown up the ground beef. Once the ground beef is browned drain off the fat and set it aside to cool.

2. Chop up the lettuce and tomatoes and add to a large bowl. Drain the Kidney beans and add them to the lettuce and tomatoes. Add a couple of handfuls of cheddar cheese or as much as you like.

3. Add in browned ground beef and toss with Thousand Island dressing, enough to coat. Top with crunched up Doritos.

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Taco Salad

Italian Mini Meat Loaves

This is a great meat loaf recipe that is a go to in our house.  I have adapted it from Rachael Ray’s 30 minute meals.  Always a fan favorite in my house and it is something that my daughter asks for quite often.  It cooks fast since you make individual loaves and is full of flavor.  Not to mention it pulls together quickly.  I hope you enjoy.

 

Italian Mini Meat Loaves

~ 1 1/3 pounds ground beef

~ 1 large egg, beaten

~ 2/3 cup Italian bread crumbs or Panko

~ 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano

~ 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

~ 4 cloves garlic, chopped

~ 3 Tbsp. tomato paste

~ salt & pepper

~ extra-virgin olive oil

 

Preheat oven to 425^o F.

Place meat in a bowl. Add egg, bread crumbs, Parmigiano, onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix meat and breading and form 4 individual oval meat loaves, 1-inch thick Coat loaves with extra-virgin olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast 18 to 20 minutes.

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Italian Mini Meat Loaves