Hamburger Hash

November 29, 2011 by

This Betty Crocker recipe (original here) is described as an “Easy hamburger dish that’s made in slow cooker–perfect for a dinner.” Certainly worth a try. The Expert Tip with the recipes says, “This recipe is a tried-and-true kid pleaser. Take it to Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts or school events, and there’s little chance you’ll have leftovers.”

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 can (15 oz) tomato puree
  • 1 can (10¾ oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 can (10½ oz) condensed French onion soup with beef stock
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 bag (28 oz) frozen O’Brien potatoes with onions and peppers, thawed
  • 4 medium carrots, diced (2 cups)
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Cook beef in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain.
  2. Mix tomato puree and mushroom soup in medium bowl.
  3. Stir in onion soup and water.
  4. Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
  5. Reserve 1 cup of the potatoes.
  6. Gently mix beef, remaining potatoes, carrots, salt and soup mixture in cooker.
  7. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup potatoes.
  8. Cover and cook on low heat setting 8 to 9 hours or until vegetables are tender.
  9. Hash will hold on low heat setting up to 2 hours.

Variations

  • NOTE: For tender potatoes, make sure to thaw them before adding to the slow cooker.

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Dirty Rice

November 26, 2011 by

I’ve only ever made Dirty Rice from a mix, so this simple recipe from the June 2003 issue of Southern Living (original here) caught my attention. The mixes are pretty easy, but this looks easy enough that I will probably give it a try eventually.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 cup uncooked rice
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) can beef broth
  • 3/4 cup water

Directions

  1. Cook ground beef, garlic, celery, onion, parsley, and green pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink.
  2. Stir in salt, red and black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce, mixing well.
  3. Add rice, broth, and 3/4 cup water, stirring well.
  4. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender.

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Ramen Beef Pie

November 13, 2011 by

I found this recipe in a Seattle newspaper article that was exploring recipes that used every college student’s favorite cheap food, ramen noodles. The article explains, “Now that work is over, you can finally go home and enjoy a nice, giant helping of ramen beef pie. It’s like Shepard’s Pie or Pâté Chinois, a dish they serve in Canada, only ramen style.” I’m not convinced it could ever beat a Shepard’s Pie, but I may try it out with a little variation. Some details were missing in the original, so I’ve made correction in my version below.

Ingredients

  • 2 pkg ramen noodles
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 can sweet corn, drained
  • 1/2 c onion, chopped
  • vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Cook the ramen noodles, according to the package directions.
  3. In a separate skillet, saute the onions with vegetable oil until golden brown.
  4. Add the ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up and cooking until fully browned.
  5. Spray a casserole with nonstick spray.
  6. Layer the ground beef and onion in the bottom of the casserole dish.
  7. Spread sweet corn in a layer on top of ground beef mixture.
  8. Top with ramen noodles, spreading evenly to cover entire casserole.
  9. Bake in 350° oven for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown and heated through.

Variations

  • Instead of corn alone, add any vegetables you like. Precook before adding them in a layer. I would probably use mixed vegetables or at least corn, peas, and carrots. Even the picture on the Seattle news website looked like it included peas.
  • I might try mixing a can of Cream of Mushroom or Beefy Mushroom soup into the ramen before topping the casserole.

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Crockpot Cabbage Roll Casserole

September 7, 2010 by

Love cabbage rolls (Mama calls the dish halupki) but not the work of putting them together? This crockpot version is for you!

It has the same taste, but relies on shredded cabbage from the produce section of your grocery store. Serve the finished dish with a side of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 bag shredded cabbage
  • 1 cup uncooked instant rice
  • 2 to 3 cans (15 ounces) stewed tomatoes

Directions

  1. Spray crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Turn crockpot on to low.
  3. Brown ground beef and onion in a medium skillet, breaking up the meat.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. When meat is browned, pour water into pan and reduce heat to low.
  6. If desired, chop stewed tomatoes in blender or food processor.
  7. Pour tomatoes into prepared crockpot.
  8. Stir in instant rice.
  9. Add shredded cabbage and pour ground beef mixture on top of cabbage.
  10. Stir to combine ingredients well. The crockpot will be full, but will cook down as the cabbage wilts.
  11. Cover and cook on low setting, stir occasionally to ensure the casserole is well-mixed.
  12. Allow meal to cook 4 to 6 hours or until cabbage is tender.

Variations

  • Substitute a bag of shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrots, typically) for the shredded cabbage.
  • If casserole absorbs the sauce, stir in another can of stewed tomatoes or a can of tomato sauce.
  • Sprinkle individual servings with Cheddar cheese.

Time Required: 4 to 6 hours

Servings:8–12

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Poppin’ Fresh Barbecups

September 5, 2010 by

These easy-to-serve sandwiches are a variation of a Pillsbury recipe. We prefer the lighter taste of crescent rolls, and the Manwich sauce makes the recipe even simpler to prepare. We serve our barbecups with fries or hash browns, and a green vegetable. Leftovers can be refrigerated and warmed in the microwave.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 15.5oz can Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce
  • 1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
  • 3/4 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
  2. Spray a muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. You need 8 muffin cups.
  3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Add Manwich sauce to the ground beef, and stir to combine thoroughly.
  5. Remove skillet from heat.
  6. Place one crescent roll in each muffin cup, pressing the roll into the bottom of the muffin cup and up the sides to form a shell.
  7. Repeat with remaining crescent rolls.
  8. Fill each of these muffin cups with the Manwich mixture (about 2/3 to 3/4 full).
  9. Sprinkle evenly with Cheddar Cheese.
  10. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. Allow to cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Variations

  • Use your favorite flavor of Manwich sauce—Original, Bold, or Thick & Chunky.
  • Substitute refrigerated biscuit dough for the crescent rolls, if desired.
  • Make your own Manwich sauce with 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, 1 tbsp minced onion and 1 tsp brown sugar.
  • Create your own variations by changing the sauce and cheese. For instance, try using Taco Sauce with Mexican cheese blend, or use pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese.

Time Required: 20 mins

Servings: 4–8

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Taco Soup

August 27, 2010 by

We loved this soup so much that the first time we made it, we ate it three days in a row. It’s one of those meals that sits in the crockpot on the kitchen counter taunting you all day long.
 
A definite treat for a cool fall or winter day, the soup can be easily modified to your tastes—just add or remove any of the ingredients. Because several family members have difficulty with spicy foods, for instance, we modified the recipe to make it a bit less spicy than Paula Deen’s original recipe. This is how we serve it at our house.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs ground beef
  • 2 cups diced onions
  • 1 (15 1/2-oz) can pinto beans
  • 1 (15 1/2-oz) can red kidney beans
  • 1 (15 1/2-oz) can black beans
  • 1 (15 1/4-oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 (15 1/4-oz) can white corn, drained
  • 1 (14 1/2-oz) can stewed tomatoes
  • 1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 2 (4 1/2-oz) cans green chiles, diced with no seeds
  • 1 (4.6-oz) can black olives, drained and sliced
  • 1 (1 1/4-oz) package taco seasoning mix
  • 1 (1-oz) package ranch salad dressing mix
  • Corn chips
  • Sour cream
  • Grated cheese
  • Chopped green onions

Directions

  1. Brown the ground beef and onions in a skillet. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Transfer the browned beef and onions to a large slow cooker or a stockpot.
  3. Add the beans, corn, tomatoes, green chiles, black olives, green olives, taco seasoning, and ranch dressing mix.
  4. Cook in a slow cooker on low for 6 to 8 hours or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a pot on the stove.
  5. Garnish bowls with corn chips, sour cream, cheese, and green onions. Add tabasco sauce, if desired.

Time Required: 6 hrs

Servings: 10–12

Rating: 5 stars (★★★★★)

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Lasagna Soup

August 11, 2010 by

Decided I was in the mood for a bowl of soup, but wanted to try something different. I knew my search was over when I found Paula Deen’s Tastes Like Lasagna Soup. Everyone in the family loves lasagna, and Paula’s recipe sounded like a fun, new variarion. My version uses a few alternative ingredients, but it’s very close to the original.

Ingredients

  • Lasagna Soup, before cheese garnish2 pounds ground beef
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 cubes chicken bouillion
  • 2 (14.5-oz) cans diced tomatoes
  • 1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 (16 oz.) box lasagna noodles, broken into 1″ to 2″ pieces
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Crumble ground beef in a large soup pan. Season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3 to 5 mins.
  2. Add chopped onion and bell pepper, and continue to cook until beef is browned and vegetables are cooked. Stir occasionally.
  3. Add thyme, Italian seasoning, brown sugar, water and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine.
  4. Add diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Allow pot to continue simmering over medium heat.
  5. While pot simmers, break lasagna noodles into small pieces, approximately 2″ long or less. The pieces will look rustic and uneven.
  6. Bring to a boil, and then add broken lasagna noodles, stirring thoroughly.
  7. Reduce to low and simmer 20 to 30 mins, or until noodles are cooked. Soup will be thick, almost stew-like.
  8. Stir in Parmesan cheese and allow to simmer another 3 to 5 minutes.
  9. Spoon portions into bowls and garnish with a generous portion of mozzarella cheese.

Variations

  • Follow Paula Deen’s instructions to top the soup with broiled cheese before serving. Preheat the broiler, and scoop soup into ovenproof bowls. Sprinkle each bowl generously with mozzarella cheese. Broil soups, 6-inches from heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until melted and bubbly.
  • Add mozzarella cheese with Parmesan. Serve with a healthy dollop of ricotta and chopped green onion or parsley.
  • Vary the ingredients to suit your favorite lasagna ingredients. You might substitute some Italian sausage for some or all of the ground beef, or add some veggies like chopped carrot, spinach, or zucchini.
  • To make a vegetarian version, use vegetarian crumbles for the ground beef, vegetable broth for the water and bouillon, and add your favorite chopped veggies.

Time Required: 50 mins

Servings: 6–8

Rating: 5 stars (★★★★★)

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