Beefy Salsa Mac

1 lb. ground beef

Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin to taste

1 can beef broth

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 can Rotel

2 cups macaroni

Brown ground beef with spices to taste and drain. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until pasta is cooked and sauce is thickened. Add additional water during cooking if necessary.

Beef Barley Vegetable Soup

1 – 1 1/2 lb. stew beef, cut into 1/2” cubes
1 28 oz. can or 2 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
2 cans beef broth
1 can water
1 pkg. frozen mixed vegetables
3/4 cup pearl barley
House seasoning* and Italian spice to taste
Worcestershire sauce to taste (optional)

Spray a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add beef, tomatoes, broth, water and seasonings. Cook on high 2 hours. Turn to low and cook 6-7 hours. Approximately 1 1/2 hours before serving turn to high and add barley. Add vegetables during last 30 minutes.

*House seasoning (from Paula Deen): 4 parts salt, 1 part pepper, 1 part garlic powder.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

This was a bare cupboard desperation dinner that turned into a family favorite.

1 lb. ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 box deluxe macaroni and cheese dinner
2/3 cup skim milk
2 tbl. butter or margarine
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a 3-4 quart saucepan, Dutch oven or large skillet, brown ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic and cumin. Drain well and set aside. In the same saucepan, prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions, altering amount of milk to 2/3 cup and butter to 2 tbl. Return ground beef to saucepan and mix well. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese until melted and serve.

Enchilada Casserole

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo so I thought it was only fitting I post a Tex-Mex recipe. I don't remember where this recipe came from, but it's always a popular dish. This is what we'll have for our "fiesta" tomorrow night, served with cole slaw and pinto beans. Olé!

1 lb. ground beef
1 small chopped onion
Cumin, garlic, salt and pepper to taste
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can enchilada sauce
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can sliced black olives, drained
Flour tortillas
Mexican cheese blend

Spray baking dish with cooking spray. Brown ground beef, onion and spices in a skillet and drain. Stir together soup, chilies, enchilada sauce and tomato sauce. Line dish with flour tortillas. Layer half of beef mixture, half of soup mixture and half of cheese. Repeat layers except cheese. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Remove cover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake another 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.

Update: The ingredient list has been corrected to include the tomato sauce.

Baked Ziti

This recipe is courtesy of Mr. Food. It's basically unchanged but, being the carnivores we are, I decided it needed some meat. Leave the meat out for a vegetarian friendly meal.

1/2 lb. ziti
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
1 jar (28 oz.) spaghetti sauce
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 lb. lean ground beef

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and stir in ricotta cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella. Brown ground beef in skillet, drain and stir into spaghetti sauce. Spread 1/2 of spaghetti sauce mixture in a 13x9x2 baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon in ziti and cheese mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella. Bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown and hot through.

Rice Oriental

I developed this dish when our favorite flavor of Hamburger Helper® was discontinued. The variation uses the Cream of Whatever Soup Mix I found on CafeMom. Both methods work equally well and I can't taste a difference between them.

1 lb. hamburger
onion powder
Garlic salt
1 c. cooked rice
1/4 c. soy sauce, or less
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water

Brown hamburger with spices. Stir in rice, soy sauce, soup and water and heat through.

Variation: Use 1/3 cup cream of soup mix, 2 3/4 cup water and 1/2 cup raw rice. Stir into cooked hamburger, cover and cook 20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Beef Stew

My friend Patty created this recipe many years ago. Now, Patty is a bit of a perfectionist, so all her vegetables will be cut into perfect little cubes or slices, but I usually just chunk things up. It tastes great all the same. The turnip is surprisingly good in this recipe. I don't usually like turnips, but the flavor blends in well and it holds up better than the potatoes to the long cooking time.

1/2 cup flour
1 tbl. + 1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tbl. sugar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tbl. shortening
2 lb. stew meat
6 cups hot water, divided
3 potatoes, cut into cubes
4 carrots, cut into 1" slices
1 cup sliced celery
1 turnip, cut into cubes
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, diced
1 can (16 oz.) tomatoes

Mix flour, salt and pepper. Coat meat with flour mixture. Brown meat in shortening in large stew pot. Add 2 cups of water, vegetables (except tomatoes) and remaining seasoning. Cover and simmer, adding hot water as needed until vegetables are tender. Add tomatoes and cook an additional 15 minutes or until done. To thicken liquid, mix 2-3 tbl. flour with 1/2 cup water to make smooth paste. Stir into stew, cook and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1 tbl. minced onion flakes
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
2 tbl. Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables
tater-tots
shredded cheese

Brown hamburger and onions with salt, pepper and garlic. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, soup and veggies. Pour into greased 11x7 baking dish. Top with tater-tots. Bake at 450ºF for 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Taco Pizza

1 lb. ground beef
1 env. taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
3/4 c salsa
1 can sliced black olives, optional
Tortilla chips, optional
Shredded cheese
Pre-baked pizza crusts
Chopped lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sour cream

Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain. Add taco seasoning, refried beans, salsa and olives. Stir and simmer until heated through. Spread onto pizza crusts. Top with crunched tortilla chips, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350ºF until cheese is melted and crust is browned. Remove from oven. Top with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream if desired. Makes 2 pizzas.

Macaroni and Cheese Lasagna

1 pkg. macaroni and cheese, prepared according to package directions
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb. lean ground beef, cooked & drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tbl. Parmesan cheese

Spoon half of macaroni into lightly greased 8" square baking dish. Top with half each meat, sauce and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350ºF for 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Enchi-Mamas

2 lb. ground beef
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans enchilada sauce
1 can sliced black olives
grated cheese
flour tortillas
1/4 cup water

Brown ground beef and drain. Add soup, enchilada sauce and olives. Simmer 10 minutes. Spoon mixture into tortillas, add cheese and roll. Place in lightly greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Pour leftover meat mixture over top. Sprinkle with grated cheese and water. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 20-30 minutes.

Adapted from: Golden Plate Cookbook published by Sherman Service League

Pepperoni Macaroni

2 1/2 cups macaroni
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can pizza sauce
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/3 cup milk
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 can sliced black olives, drained
3 1/2 oz. sliced pepperoni, halved
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain macaroni. In a large bowl, combine pizza sauce, tomato sauce and milk. Stir in hamburger mixture, macaroni, pepperoni, mushrooms and olives. Transfer to a greased 13x9x2 baking dish. Cover and bake at 350ºF for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Nacho Pie

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 small can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 tube crescent rolls
1 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
8 oz sour cream
1 cup Mexican cheese blend

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a large skillet brown beef and onion over medium heat till done. Drain. Stir in tomato sauce, water and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 -10 minutes. Separate crescent rolls into 8 triangles. Place in greased 9 inch pie plate points facing towards the middle. You might have to maneuver the triangles a bit at the end and turn some of them side ways, that's okay as long as the pie plate is covered completely. Press onto bottom and up sides of plate to form crust. Seal perforations. Sprinkle 1 cup crushed tortilla over crust. Top with meat. Spread sour cream over meat. Sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips. Bake 25 - 30 minutes or until cheese melts and crust is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes before cutting.

Source: Mommy's Kitchen

Crockpot Chili

Fall has definitely arrived! October isn't usually this cool here in Texas, but the weather is just fine and dandy for me 'cause I've been craving all my favorite winter dishes. Since it was a brisk 48 degrees this morning, I decided a pot of chili would be a welcome Friday night dinner.

The Ingredients:

Crushed tomatoes, beans, and spices. There's also ground beef and onions, which didn't make it into the picture because they were browning on the stove when I remembered to go get my camera. Doh!

This isn't true Texas chili because it's made with beans. Also, no self-respecting Texas chili would ever be caught containing ground beef. No sir! Authentic Texas chili starts off with stew beef or a big ole chuck roast cut into cubes. But for fast, out-of-this-world delicious, everyday chili, you can't go wrong with this.

Use whatever beans you happen to like: kidney beans, red beans, black beans, great northern beans, etc. I prefer pinto beans and/or chili beans. Today all I had was one can of pintos and one can of pork & beans, so that's what I used. It was a little sweeter than usual, but still tasted great.


Here's everything stirred together in my 4-quart crockpot. Sorry about the picture, I had to tip the pot to get good light.


If you asked 100 cooks, you would get 100 different recipes for chili. I just happen to think mine is the best of the lot. Looks good, doesn't it? Oh, and I didn't need the oatmeal this time, it was thick enough without.

I hope you'll try this recipe and that it helps to keep you warm and satisfied all through the fall and winter months.

Crockpot Chili

2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, finely chopped
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cans pinto or chili beans
3 tbl. or 2 pkg. chili seasoning
1 tbl. chili powder
1 tsp. ground red pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup dry oatmeal (optional)

Brown ground beef and onions. Put all ingredients into crockpot (except oatmeal) and stir together, adjusting seasonings to taste. Cook on high/low 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Add oatmeal about 30 minutes before serving to thicken, if desired.

Meatball "Stone" Soup

Earlier this year I participated in a Betty Crocker Dinner Made Easy recipe test. Betty Crocker provided us with several recipes to choose from and I made the "Meatball 'Stone' Soup."

The Ingredients:

Italian style meatballs, diced tomatoes, beef broth, mixed vegetables, onion, potatoes and spices.

I didn't have the exact spices called for so I substituted garlic powder and fresh ground black pepper for garlic-pepper blend and since my can of tomatoes was unseasoned, I added some Italian seasoning. I thought I had a potato, but discovered too late that I didn't, so I added a can of diced potatoes, drained, at the same time as the frozen veggies.


This is how full my 4-quart crock pot was when all the ingredients had been added. The size was perfect; I wouldn't go any smaller.


Our whole family enjoyed this soup very much. Even my finicky 11 year-old ate it to the last drop. I've made this soup several times in the past few months and it is always greeted with enthusiasm.

This is the recipe, exactly as it was provided to me by Betty Crocker with my changes in italics. It doesn't need to cook as long as the recipe recommends. It turns out fine at 6-7 hours instead of the original 9-11.

MEATBALL STONE SOUP

Prep Time: 10 Min
Start to Finish: 10 Hr 10 Min

1 bag (16 oz.) frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs
1 can (28 oz.) Progresso® diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
(or 1 can (28 oz.) regular diced tomatoes, undrained plus 1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend)
1 medium potato, chopped (1 cup)
(or 1 can diced new potatoes, drained)
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cans (14 oz. each) beef broth
1/4 tsp. garlic-pepper blend
(or 1/8 tsp. each garlic powder and black pepper)
1 bag (1 lb.) Green Giant® frozen mixed vegetables

1. Spray inside of 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In slow cooker, mix frozen meatballs, tomatoes, potato (if using canned, wait until adding frozen vegetables), onion, garlic-pepper blend (Italian seasoning blend) and broth.
2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 9 to 11 hours (6 to 7 hours).
3. Increase heat setting to High. Stir in frozen mixed vegetables (and canned potatoes). Cover; cook 1 hour longer.

6 servings

1 Serving: Calories 375 (Calories from Fat 170); Total Fat 19g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat nc); Cholesterol 120mg; Sodium 1670mg; Total Carbohydrate 27g (Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars nc); Protein 31g
% Daily Value: Vitamin A nc; Vitamin C nc; Calcium nc; Iron 24%
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable
Carbohydrate Choices:

2008 © and ®/™ of General Mills

Betty Crocker Kitchens® Tips: "Stone Soup" is a children's folktale that tells an optimistic story of townspeople sharing ingredients from their cupboards and an actual stone to make a pot of soup. We used some of the same ingredients -- but not the stone! -- and cooked them in the slow cooker.
Make this hot and hearty soup the main course of a simple meal. Sprinkle the soup with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, and serve with whole-grain rolls or assorted crackers. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.