Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

A few weeks back I bagged the regular dinner schedule and we had almost an entire week of Mexican food.  I don't cook to please the kids - we all know that can be hard to do - but if Ben likes a meal I consider it a success and this was definitely a success.  The ingredient list is long but the casserole actually comes together quite quickly.  You could also easily omit the meat and it would still taste great.

Tex-Mex Enchilada Casserole

• 14 corn tortillas cut into thirds
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red or green bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced
• 1 large poblano chile, diced
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons chile powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
2. Arrange the cut tortillas in a single layer on two large, rimmed baking sheets. Bake the tortillas until slightly crisp, about 10-15 minutes.
3. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or turkey with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper breaking the meat up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Scrape the meat onto a plate and wipe the skillet clean (you may need to drain off excess grease from the meat depending on the fat content).
4. In the same skillet over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil and stir in the onion, bell pepper, poblano, corn and garlic. Cook until the veggies are softened, 3-4 minutes. Stir the flour, chile powder, cumin and coriander into the vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook until thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the beans, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
5. Line the bottom of the greased baking pan with 1/3 of the baked tortillas. Layer with 1/3 of the meat and then 1/3 of the veggie/sauce mixture and then sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheeses. Repeat that process again twice more ending with the cheeses.  (I was only able to get 2 layers.)
6. Bake the casserole until hot and bubbly, about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes or so before serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

My sister made several freezer meals for us when she was in town and this was one of them.  Everyone in the family enjoyed them including my picky eater!  Thanks for the great recipe Janae!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup sliced green onion
1 cup cabbage and carrot mix (or shred your own cabbage and carrots, equal parts)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
Lettuce leaves, for serving

Brown the ground beef, drain. Add the rest of the ingredients except lettuce leaves and cook until cabbage is soft. Wrap some meat mixture in a lettuce leaf and enjoy!

Beth's Flank Steak Marinade

Ben's mom bought steak for dinner on Sunday so I decided to try this marinade.  It was delicious!  I forgot to take a picture, however, so I borrowed this one from The Sisters Cafe.  I used a top sirloin and marinaded it in the fridge all day.  The recipe suggests marinating overnight but mine only had about 8-9 hours and was still very flavorful.  We grilled the steak on the barbecue and then cut it into strips. 

Beth's Flank Steak Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 garlic clove chopped

1 tsp ginger (I used dried.)

2 TB lemon juice (Fresh-squeezed is best.)

2 TB canola oil

1 TB onion chopped (I used dried because it called for such a small amount.)

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together and allow steaks to soak in marinade in fridge all day or overnight.

Lasagna Soup

Last night for Valentine's Day dinner we had lasagna soup.  It was delicious!  I'm craving this soup again today but Ben took all the leftovers to work!  I found the recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe months ago and am now wishing I hadn't waited so long to make it!  I made a few changes to suit my taste and the ingredients I had on hand better. 

Lasagna Soup

Soup:
1 1/2 pounds Italian sausage (I used ground beef.)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper (I only used 1/4 tsp so it wouldn't be too hot for my kids.)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained (I used regular diced tomatoes.)
2 bay leaves
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I just used 3 cans which is a little less than 6 cups but it was plenty soupy.)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz. Rotini pasta

Cheese topping:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, for sprinkling

In a large 4-quart pot, add the Italian sausage and cook over medium heat, breaking the pieces up with a wooden spoon or spatula while it cooks. After about 3-4 minutes, add the onion. Cook the sausage and onion together, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through and the onions are soft. Drain any excess grease. Stir in the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves and chicken broth. Add the basil, if using dried (if using fresh basil, add it in the next step).

Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste and the fresh basil, if using.  While the soup is simmering, cook the noodles.

For the cheese mixture, in a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and basil. Set aside.

To serve the soup, add a scoop of cooked pasta noodles to a bowl. Top with a ladle or two of soup and dollop with a generous spoonful of the cheese mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Serve immediately.

Poor Man's Stroganoff

I haven't been doing a lot of cooking lately with all the morning sickness I've been feeling, but I managed to put this dish together a couple of weeks ago.  It was really quite easy and took very little time to prepare.  The best part was it totally hit the spot - at least for me.  I got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.  I omitted the bacon because I didn't have any on hand and also omitted the mushrooms because I am not a fan.

1-2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces turkey bacon, diced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium red or yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
½ teaspoon paprika
1 cup sour cream, light or regular
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dried

Cooked egg noodles or rice, for serving

In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil and saute diced bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate and set aside, leaving any grease/oil in the pan. Add sliced mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about one minute (if the pan is too dry, add a teaspoon of oil as needed). Add salt. Continue cooking until the mushrooms are softened and have given up most of their juices. Transfer them to the same plate as the bacon.

In the same skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey with the onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain the grease.

Stir in the flour and tomato paste to the meat mixture and mix to combine well. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 1 minute. Add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking to combine all the ingredients. Simmer vigorously for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and paprika. Cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add sautéed mushrooms and bacon back to the skillet. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the sour cream, mixing well to avoid lumps. Stir in the parsley. Serve over egg noodles or hot, cooked rice.

Beef Soup Provencal

When Ben and I were first married we lived in a small condominium complex with other newly married couples.  I was still learning how to cook and my neighbor Kristen was a pro at it.  She passed on many a recipe to me in those days and this is one of them!  This soup is healthy, tasty, perfect for a cold day AND takes very little time to make.

Beef Soup Provencal

1 lb. ground beef (I used 1/2 lb. of ground turkey.) 
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
14 oz. ready-to-serve vegetable broth (I've substituted beef broth or beef bouillon with good results.)
14 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed
4 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

In a large saucepan, brown beef and drain off grease.  Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes and seasonings.  Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for five minutes.  Stir in spinach.  Continue simmering for another five minutes.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and enjoy! 
 

Barbeque Brisket

I threw this in the oven before church, made the sauce up when we got home, and an hour later we were eating. The meat was really tender and tasted great. You could also shred this meat and eat it as a sandwich.

Barbeque Brisket

6 lbs trimmed beef brisket (I used a tri-tip roast.)

Marinade:

3 Tbsp liquid smoke
2 tsp onion salt
3 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp celery salt

Sauce:

3 cups brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp celery salt
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Trim excess fat off meat and place in 9X13 pan. Rub marinade over meat. Also sprinkle pepper and worcestershire sauce over meat. Double cover with tin foil and bake at 275 for five hours.

Drain off juice. Mix together sauce ingredients and pour mixture over meat. (I halved the sauce recipe and I still had plenty of sauce.) Bake at 275 for an additional hour. Remove from oven and slice into thin strips. Pour remaining sauce over meat and serve.

Sloppy Joes

I've tried a few different Sloppy Joe recipes and this is my favorite to date. I like that it's not too runny so it doesn't make your bun soggy. Tonight we had these with homemade buns. (I just used my bread machine roll recipe and cut the dough into circles with a cookie cutter.) We like to top off our Sloppy Joes with a slice of cheese.

Sloppy Joes

2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 Tbsp flour
1 small can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp dry mustard
4 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp vinegar
3 Tbsp ketchup
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain off grease. Add remaining ingredients. Heat on stove top until warmed through. Serve on buns.

Grilled Steak with Garlic Rub

This is a flavorful and super easy way to grill steaks. The best part about this marinade is you don't have to plan in advance. It only has to sit on the steak for 30 minutes before grilling.

Garlic Rub

1-2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper (I use 1/2 tsp)
2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press

Mix together in a bowl and spread on steaks. Allow to sit for 30 minutes. Then grill or broil in oven. My husband grilled these outside tonight and he was able to do it without flipping the steaks - that way we didn't lose any of the marinade. They were still grilled on both sides and tasted great.

Mini Meatloaves

Mini Meatloaves

1 egg
3/4 c. milk
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. quick oats (I've used regular oats before and put them in a blender to make more fine.)
1 t. salt
1 t. garlic powder or 1 t. onion powder
1 lb. ground beef

Sauce:

2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 t. prepared mustard
**This makes quite a lot of sauce. It's a little too much for my liking so I'll probably half this next time.

Preheat oven to 350. I large bowl, combine egg, milk, cheese, oats, salt and powder. Add ground beef, mixing well. Place mixture in lightly greased muffin tin. In separate mixing bowl combine sauce ingredients: ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Stir thoroughly and spread over each meatloaf. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. Makes 12 mini loaves.

Pineapple Meatballs

This freezes well and makes a lot of sauce so you could half it or add quite a few more meatballs to it if you want.

Pineapple Meatballs

1 recipe basic meatballs (I use Costco frozen meatballs.)

3/4 cup BBQ sauce

3/4 cup orange juice

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T cornstarch

1 can crushed pineapple

Arrange meatballs in greased baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs. Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Serve over rice. Easy!