Beef Enchilada Bake

Original Photo and Recipe

I took the advice of my friend, the original pinner of this recipe, and cooked the meat in taco seasoning, which is a must.

Beef Enchilada Bake
Serves: 4
Approx. 890 calories per serving

 

• 1 pound lean ground beef
  
• 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
  
• 1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) cubed VELVEETA (1/2-inch cubes), divided
  
• 6 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut in half
  
• 1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL® Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained

HEAT oven to 350 degrees F.

BROWN meat in large skillet; drain. Stir in soup and 1 cup VELVEETA.

SPOON 1/3 of the meat mixture into 8-inch square baking dish; cover with 6 tortilla halves and 1/4 cup RO*TEL®. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat mixture, RO*TEL® and VELVEETA; cover.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

Sausage and Pepper Rigatoni

Not an actual picture of the recipe, I didn't take one, but it basically looks like this haha.

I didn't have a recipe, I just worked with what I had.  It was tasty and easy, and definitely a good twist on just using plain ol' chuck.

Sausage and Pepper Rigatoni
Serves: 6-8
Calories: About 485 in 1/8

12 oz frozen onion and 3 pepper mix from Kroger
16 oz rigatoni
16 oz hot breakfast sausage roll
48 oz (2 jars) of pasta sauce, I used Classico's Italian Sausage flavor
8 slices of provolone cheese

Preheat oven to 375.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook pasta according to package.  Drain and return to the pot.

In a large skillet, break up and brown the sausage and the frozen onions and peppers (takes about as long as the pasta to cook).  Drain, add to drained pasta pot.  Add both jars of sauce, stir all together.

Pour into 9x13 casserole dish.  Cover with slices of cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Grown Up Hamburger Helper - Revisited

I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray cookbook and adapted it. I cut the recipe in half because apparently RR cooks for an army in her house. This was pretty good and much better than that boxed crap. And it really didn't take much more time or effort.

Edited 1/24/12

Grown up Hamburger Helper
Serves: 3-4
Calories:  Approx 625 per 1/4 recipe


Ingredients:
-2 cups pasta (I used elbow macaroni. Cavatappi or penne would work too)  Mini Penne
-1/2 pound ground beef
-2 big tablespoons of grated onion
-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

-2 tablespoons butter
-1 1/2 tablespoons flour  2 Tb
-1/2 cup chicken stock  1 cup
-1 cup of half and half
-1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard  2 Tb
-1 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese  1.5 cups Kraft Triple Cheddar

Garnish:
-chopped dill pickles
-diced tomatoes or salsa

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

2. In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cook for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. More salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

Matt wants to add that he sprinkled on his most favorite ingredient in the world and it made the dish unbelievable. What is this secret ingredient that makes everything better? A Little Caesars spice pak of course!

Mexican Baked Penne

You should definitely make this.  I am also "borrowing" her photo because I am too lazy to take my own photos.  Click the link for the original recipe, my modifications are below (like cutting the recipe in half because I am not cooking for an army).



Mexican Baked Penne
Serves:  6
Approx 410 calories per serving

1/4 pound Garden Delight Radiatore Pasta from Ronzoni
12 oz ground beef
1 TBSP olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz frozen veggies (onion and 3 pepper blend from Kroger)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 jars salsa - 16 oz of Chi Chis Thick and Chunky Hot Salsa
1/2 can black beans, drained and rinsed
salt and pepper
1.5 cups shredded cheese, I used 'casserole' blend and pepper jack

Preheat oven to 350*.  Boil pasta according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, saute garlic, onions, and peppers in the olive oil over medium~high heat in a large non~stick skillet.  Season ground beef with salt and pepper and add to pan.  Add spices and additional salt and pepper to taste.  Cook ground beef until browned.  Drain and add to a large bowl.  Add the beans, salsa and pasta. Stir to combine.

Spray a 9×13″ (I think mine is a little smaller than this) baking dish with non~stick cooking spray.  Pour half the pasta mixture into the pan.  Top with 1/2 of the cheese cheese.  Cover with remaining pasta.  Then top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is golden.

I topped with some green onions and sour cream... I think it definitely made the dish.

Taco Rice Skillet

I needed to use up some ground turkey and we needed a quick meal. So I looked up some recipes as inspiration and started throwing whatever into a pan. Worked out great and the leftovers made a great midnight snack... the guys at it as dip! I think it would make a better dip if you switched out the shredded cheese for a big hunk of Velveeta... might try that in the future for a yummy party dip.

Tace Rice Skillet
Serves: 3-4

1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup salsa
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice
1 cup shredded cheese


In a skillet, cook turkey and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain if necessary.

Stir in taco seasoning, water, salsa and corn; bring to a boil. Add rice. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand until the cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips.

Potato Pizza Casserole

This was another I-need-to-use-up-the-hamburger casserole. It was pretty tasty! Matt thought the potatoes were strange instead of pasta, but I liked it! Another find on allrecipes.com



Potato Pizza Casserole
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+1 pound ground beef
+1 small onion, chopped
+salt and pepper to taste (I used montreal steak seasoning instead)
+1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (see above)
+5 cups peeled and thinly sliced potatoes (I used about 4 large red potatoes... or one good layer in th 9x13 pan)
+1 (3 ounce) package chopped pepperoni (I used slices... 1 layer in the pan)
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
+1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
+1/2 cup milk
+1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (I omitted)
+1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I used more)
+1/2 teaspoon brown sugar (I omitted)
+8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium heat until evenly browned. Drain off grease. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

2. Spread the sliced potatoes in a layer on the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the ground beef and onion over the potatoes. Place slices of pepperoni over the ground beef. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato soup, Cheddar cheese soup, and milk. (I did this in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup in the microwave) Season with oregano, Italian seasoning, and brown sugar. Mix well, and cook until heated through. Pour over the contents of the baking dish.

3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Beefy Casserole

Yet another recipe to use up ground beef. It was pretty good. Matt added a spice pack yet again. He loves that stuff on pretty much everything haha.

Beefy Casserole
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
-3/4-1 pound of ground beef
-2 1/2 cups of elbow macaroni (uncooked)
-1 cup sour cream
-4 oz cream cheese, softened

-half onion, diced

-1 can tomato sauce
-handfuls of shredded cheese (colby jack or cheddar)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Get a pot of water boiling and cook the macaroni per package directions. Drain and dump into a 9x13 baking pan.

3. Meanwhile, brown up the beef and onions. I added a little Montreal Steak Seasoning. Drain the grease. Dump in the tomato sauce and cream cheese, reduce heat and cook until the cream cheese is pretty much melted in. Add the sour cream and stir.

4. Dump the mixture over the macaroni. Cover with handfuls of cheese and bake for about 15 minutes. I broiled it for an additional 2 minutes to get the cheese all bubbly and browned.

Enchiladas

Mmmmm Cinco de Mayo... the one day a year I can make mexican food and Matt cannot complain. I just tell him to kick back with some mexican beer and eat whatever I make. My parents recently went on a trip to New Mexico and brought back a packet of enchilada sauce mix and it sounded delicious....... so I made a New Mexico style enchilada dish. This is not your rolled up variety. My sorority big sister LeighAnn made this style a lot, but I am sure hers are a lot better. By the way... the enchilada sauce was so friggin hot... wow. So I am just going to recommend using something else.

New Mexico Style Enchiladas
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
-6 small soft taco sized tortillas (corn is best, but I like flour)
-Oil
-Pre-made red enchilada sauce (1 can should be fine)
-1/2 pound ground beef
-1/2 onion, diced
-Shredded mexican blend cheese
-Fried egg or sour cream to top it (optional)

1. In a small pan, heat up a little veggie oil. One at a time, place a tortilla in for about 30-60 seconds and flip it over and repeat. You want it lightly fried but not super crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. In another pan, cook the beef and onion together until done. Drain the grease.

3. In yet another pan, heat up the enchilada sauce. You can get fancy and make your own, but canned will suffice if you are feeling lazy.

4. Place one tortilla on a plate and top with a little meat and a little cheese and a little sauce. Layer again with a tortilla then meat, cheese & sauce. Repeat once more. Traditionally, it is topped with a fried egg, but I don't like those so I used sour cream. Make a second stack on another plate. Serve with rice and/or beans. Yum.

Itali-Mexi-Nese Skillet

This was just a concoction I made up with stuff around the house... we were hungry and needed to eat. It actually turned out pretty tasty despite the fact it has italian, mexican, and chinese ingredients haha. You can definitely adjust the proportions based on what you have to use up. I didn't measure anything... so everything below is a guess.

Itali-Mexi-Nese Skillet
Serves: 3

1/2-3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup soy sauce (or less)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 box of shaped pasta (I used rigatoni)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
8 oz. cheese (I used monterey jack and cheddar blocks, 4 oz. cubed each)
1/2 cup salsa

1. In a large skillet, cook beef, onion, soy sauce and garlic. Drain.

2. While beef is cooking, boil some water and cook your pasta according to package directions.

3. Throw the butter and cheese into the beef mixture to melt (smaller cubes are better). Add the salsa and sour cream until hot. Then stir in the pasta. Top with some extra shredded cheese if you like, serve.

Tot-sserole

In trying to keep with the 'spend less, use up more' philosophy, I looked thru our cabinets and started dragging out some old standbys. I thought this was pretty darn good. Matt however was ALL OVER IT. He ate it for dinner then leftovers twice and loved it each time. Sure he kept dumping Franks red hot sauce on it... but he still loved it! He said "Put this on the regular rotation please!" Oh, and I don't know what the crap happened to the pictures I thought I took.. sorry! It basically looks like a hot mess of delicious slop!

Tot-sserole
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
+1 can drained french style green beans (peas would work too)
+3/4-1 pound ground beef
+1 onion, chopped
+salt and pepper to taste (lots!)
+about a half bag of tater tots (like 16 oz? I used Schwans tater rounds)
+1/2-3/4 can cream of mushroom soup (just do it)
+1 can condensed cheese soup
+1/2 cup milk
+1 1/2 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. In a large pan, brown the ground beef with the onions and salt & pepper. Drain fat.

3. In a 9x13 pan, spread the green beans evenly. Top evenly with beef. Arrange as many tater tots as you can/want over top.

4. In a bowl, mix the soups and milk. Dump over top of casserole. Sprinkle handfuls of cheese over top.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes plus, or until cheese is as browned as you would like.

6. Serve! Matt says to add hot sauce =)

Matt's No-Bean Spicy Venison Chili

Most of the time I make dinner at home. But one day Matt was sweet enough to say the HE wanted to buy the ingredients and make an awesome dinner... and boy did he ever! I am actually quite impressed with his skills. We both were! I told him if he is going to show me up in the kitchen like this he might have to take over cooking full time... apparently he didn't think that was funny. Warning: This is spicy. If you can't handle it, don't whine that I didn't warn you.


Matt's No-Bean Spicy Venison Chili
Serves: 4-6

1. In a large skillet, brown 1 pound of ground venison (or ground beef), 1 medium onion diced, 1 red bell pepper diced, and 1 green bell pepper diced. Drain the fat.

2. In a large pot, throw in the following:
+Meat mixture
+1 diced jalapeno pepper, seeds and all
+1 can (14.5oz) of diced tomatoes w/ green chiles
+2 cans (15oz) tomato sauce
+1 tablespoon ground cumin
+2 tablespoons chili powder
+1/4-1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (depending on how potent they are)
+salt & pepper to taste

3. Mixture will appear thick... don't think you are smart and add water or more sauce. Just wait. You can add this in about 10 minutes if you still think it is too thick. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

4. Serve plain with some kind of starch (elbow macaroni, bread, biscuits etc). I like mine with some sour cream and shredded cheese. Delicious!

Grown up Sloppy Joes

Not just meat, manwich and a bun........ these have a little more to them. They were pretty tasty and Matt went back for seconds, so it was a success!

Grown up Sloppy Joes
Serves: 3

1. In a skillet brown up about 3/4 pound of ground whatever (we had chuck leftover so that'll work). Throw in a handful each of diced sweet onion, red pepper, and green pepper. Drain and put back on the burner.

2. Bust out a handy packet of sloppy joe seasoning (found in the seasoning section by the gravy and dressing packets). Throw that in with the amount of tomato paste and water it recommends (laugh in the packets face that it asks for 1 pound of meat). Simmer according to packet directions.

3. Toast a bun and put on a slice of pepper jack cheese and a fat slice of red onion. Top with the meat. Enjoy!

Grown up Hamburger Helper

I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray cookbook and adapted it. I cut the recipe in half because apparently RR cooks for an army in her house. This was pretty good and much better than that boxed crap. And it really didn't take much more time or effort.

Edited 1/24/12

Grown up Hamburger Helper
Serves: 3-4
Calories:  Approx 625 per 1/4 recipe


Ingredients:
-2 cups pasta (I used elbow macaroni. Cavatappi or penne would work too)  Mini Penne
-1/2 pound ground beef
-2 big tablespoons of grated onion
-2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

-2 tablespoons butter
-1 1/2 tablespoons flour  2 Tb
-1/2 cup chicken stock  1 cup
-1 cup of half and half
-1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard  2 Tb
-1 1/4 cup shredded colby jack cheese  1.5 cups Kraft Triple Cheddar

Garnish:
-chopped dill pickles
-diced tomatoes or salsa

1. Boil a pot of water and add the pasta, cook per the box. Don't drain until the rest is ready.

2. In a large skillet brown the meat. Add the onion and worcestershire then some salt and pepper. When fully cooked, remove to a paper plate and get rid of the grease.

3. In the same skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Whisk in the half and half and the chicken stock. Bring to a bubble and cook for a few minutes until it thickens up. Stir in the dijon. Add the cheese and keep stirring until all melted into gooey goodness. More salt and pepper.

4. Drain the pasta and add to the sauce skillet along with the meat. Serve with the dill pickles and tomatoes/salsa if you wish.

Matt wants to add that he sprinkled on his most favorite ingredient in the world and it made the dish unbelievable. What is this secret ingredient that makes everything better? A Little Caesars spice pak of course!