Megan's Enchiladas

One thing I miss about living in Happy Valley (Utah County) is the abunance of Tex-mex.  There are times I'd nearly give my right arm for a Cafe Rio Salad or Bajio Burrito.  So when my dear sister-in-law made these for us when we last visited her, I was in extreme bliss. They are easy to make, freeze great and are sooo yummy!  Thanks Megan.

2 tsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 -14oz. can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
Pepper to taste
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 lb. lean ground beef or shredded chicken
1 -15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
8 corn or flour tortillas
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet.  Add onion and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, but do not allow garlic to brown.  Add the tomatoes, coriander, cumin, oregano, and pepper and allow to cook for a few minutes longer.  The finished sauce will be a bit chunky.  Stir in cilantro.
Meanwhile, cook beef (or chicken, then shred); drain fat and stir in beans.  If using corn tortillas, warm the tortillas in the oven to make them easier to roll; remove.  Spread 1/2 cup of tomato mixture into the bottom of a rectangular baking dish.  Divide the beef (chicken)/ bean mixture and 3/4 cup of cheese among the tortillas.  Roll up and place seam side down in the baking dish.  Pour the remaining sauce on top and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.  Sprinkle on remaining cheese, and bake 5 minutes more until cheese is melted.

Taco Salad Dippers

My husband, he loves tacos. I am not a big fan. I would say it is more of the taco package mix that I don't see eye to eye with. To much --- well it has to much of something in there. This was a great middle ground for us. He gets his taco fix and I don't get grossed out by the "to much" of something in my food. My 2 year old, who normally won't touch rice or beans with a 10" pole, licked her bowl clean. A great weeknight meal, again from My Kitchen Cafe. This makes A LOT. I had enough left over to freeze for another 2 meals.

2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, chopped

6 c. water

1 c. rice

1 tsp. oregano

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

1 (15 oz.) Can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

In a large pot, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion and garlic and cook until the meat is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. Drain any accumulated grease. Add the water, rice, seasonings, tomato sauce, tomato paste and beans. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, watching to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The mixture will seem very watery at first, but after simmering, it will thicken to perfection as the rice absorbs water and all the ingredients meld together. Serve warm with tortilla chips for dipping and other taco garnishes.

Crock Pot Pot Roast

This is fabulous and I hate pot roast. Super quick to prepare and sooooooo good. I found the recipe here. I cooked my roast between 8 - 9 hours on low and added extra water towards the end. It came out so moist and tender and the gravy was out of this world. Highly recommend trying this one.

1 - beef roast (mine was about 3-4 lbs)

1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. Brown gravy mix

1 pkg. Italian dressing mix

1/2 - 1 1/2 c. warm water

In a small bowl combine the 3 mixes. Place roast in crock pot then sprinkle the mix over both sides of roast. Add 1/2 warm water to the pot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or until tender) adding more water if necessary.

Cube Steak Sandwich

This is yet another winner by The Pioneer Woman. A must try! I added the green pepper and left out the Tabasco sauce and it was wicked awesome.

2 – 3lbs. cube steak
1 large onion (or 2 small/medium)
4 deli rolls
1½ - 2 sticks of butter (no substitutes)
Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
½ c. (approx.) Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco sauce, to taste (optional)
1 – 2 green peppers

Begin by slicing the onions and pepper. Cook them in 2 Tbsp. of butter until soft and the onions are light brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. Slice cube steak into ½” thick strips, slicing against the grain. Season the steak with Lawry’s Seasoning Salt. In the same skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of butter over medium high heat until melted and beginning to brown. Add the seasoned cube steak in a single layer Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about 1 minute on both sides. Now add at least a ½ c. of Worcestershire sauce and about 5 to 6 shakes of Tabasco sauce. Now add another 2 Tbsp. of butter to the sauce and allow to melt. Add the cooked onions and peppers then stir to combine. Halve and butter the deli rolls and brown them on a hot griddle or under the broiler. To assemble, lay the bottom half of the roll on a plate. Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of sauce from the pan. Top with other half of roll.

Mini Meatloaf

I found this one on Stephanie's Kitchen. I'm not a big fan of beef. I'll eat it but I'm more of a white meat kind of girl. But I discovered that my 18 month old happens to love meatloaf, so hurray for that!

1 lb. ground beef

1 - 2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 an onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

salt and pepper

ketchup

In a small skillet, add olive oil and onions and cook until onions are soft. Add Worcestershire sauce and set aside to cool slightly. Ina a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add parsley, bread crumbs, cheese, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix together until well incorporated. Add ground beef and onions and mix with your hands just until combined. Do not over mix. Separate into 4 even patties and shape into loafs. Place on a baking sheet and cover tops of loafs with ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 -40 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches between 155 to 160 degrees.

Italian Meatballs (blogchef.net)

1 ½ pounds of lean beef or pork (or use a mixture of both)

¼ cup parmesan cheese

1 large slightly beaten egg

½ cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

2 teaspoons of salt (or less)

1 teaspoon of black pepper

½ cup of milk

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons of dried parsley

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Shape mixture into small – medium sized meatballs. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350˚ for 25 minutes (cooking time may vary depending on size of meatball). Another method of cooking to the meatballs is to simmer in pasta sauce in a large skillet for 40+ minutes. These can also be frozen and cooked at a later time.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

24 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1 lb. ground beef
2 c. salsa

1 (8oz.) can tomato sauce
1 c. corn

½ c. black beans, rinsed & drained
1 c. Mexican cheese blend or cheddar, shredded

Sour cream
Salsa

Olives, sliced
Green onions, sliced

Cook pasta shells according to package directions; drain. In a nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in salsa, tomato sauce, corn and beans. Spoon mixture into pasta shells. Place shells in a 9”x13” baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350º F for 25 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Top with sour cream, salsa, olives, and onions. Yields 8 servings.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 -1½ lbs. lean ground beef

1 medium pkg. frozen tater tots
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

4 – 6 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
¾ - 1 c. of milk

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. mined garlic

Salt & pepper, Mrs. Dash

In a skillet, brown ground beef with onion, garlic, and season with salt & pepper and Mrs. Dash. Drain grease and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine soup and milk until a gravy consistency is reached. Add cheese and mix thoroughly. Add ground beef and tater tots and mix until well combined. Pour into a greased 9”x13” pan and bake at 350º F. for 20 – 30 minutes or until edges are bubbling.

Beef Stoganoff

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. water
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak strips

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup

3 c. uncooked corkscrew pasta
1 can beef broth

½ c. sour cream

Heat oil in skillet then add beef, cook until browned, and juices evaporate, stirring often. Add soup, broth, water, Worcestershire sauce and pasta. Heat to a boil. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until pasta is cooked, stirring often. Add sour cream. Heat through. Yields 4 servings.

*I usually use ground beef in place of the steak strips because I always have it. If I do not have corkscrew pasta I just replace it with cooked egg noodles and it is just as good. When substituting with cooked egg noodles, I only use 2/3 c. of water to keep the sauce from becoming too thin.

Sloppy Joes

1¼ lbs. ground beef

¼ c. brown sugar
2 tsp to 1 Tbsp steak seasoning

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 c. tomato sauce

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meat to the pan, spread it around and begin to break it up. Combine brown sugar and steak seasoning. Add sugar, spice mixture to the skillet, and combine. When the meat has browned, add onion to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook onions, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce with meat for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook mixture for 5 minutes longer.

*The original recipe called for a small red pepper but I excluded it and it was still great. I also used 1 tsp. of Lawry’s season salt and 1 tsp. of Mrs. Dash in place of the steak seasoning.