Mexican Manicotti

1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained

1 can (14 oz.) refried beans

11-12 manicotti noodles, cooked according to pkg. directions

1 small can enchilada sauce

sour cream

sliced black olives

shredded lettuce

tomtatoes

guacamole

salsa

Combine ground beef with refried beans.  Stuff manicotti with ground beef/bean mixture and place in a greased casserole dish.  *Tip:  I find that filling manicotti noodles is almost impossible, but one of the best ways to fill them is to place the beef mixture into a Ziploc freezer bag, snip of one of the corners and fill them that way.  Pour enchilada sauce over manicotti.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until noodles are soft and sauce is warm.  Five minutes before done, sprinkle cheese over the top and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is melted.  Serve with sour cream and desired toppings.

I pinned something like "20 beef dinners" or something like that on Pinterest months ago, and for the life of me, I can't find where I got this recipe, but I'm SO glad I did!  This is rapidly becoming one of our favorite dinners!  Tyler and our kids all request this meal all the time.  It's such a nice change from regular enchiladas (don't get me wrong, I LOVE a good pan of enchiladas!).  If you love Mexican food then you've GOT to try this.  

Smothered Burritos

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 (4.5 oz.) can diced green chilies, drained (my kids hate these things so I left them out)

1 (16 oz.) can refried beans

half a can condensed tomato soup

1 (10 oz.) can enchilada sauce

burrito-sized tortillas, warmed

shredded cheddar cheese

Garnishes:

shredded lettuce

diced tomatoes

shredded cheddar cheese

chopped green onions

sliced black olives

cilantro

avocado

sour cream

Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.  Stir in green chilies and turn off heat, but keep warm.  Warm the refried beans over low heat & keep these warm also.  In a saucepan, combine enchilada sauce & tomato soup.  Mix well and cook over medium heat until heated through.  Place a warmed tortilla on a plate and spread some of the refried beans in the center.  Sprinkle with cheese, then spoon some of the ground beef mixture into the center.  Tuck in the ends of the tortilla and carefully fold into a burrito.  Spoon some of the enchilada sauce over the burrito and top with additional cheese and desired garnishes.  Repeat w/ remaining tortillas.  Serves 4-6.

Thanks to Google Reader, I can now follow even more cooking blogs than I ever have before; I'm like a kid in a candy store w/ these things.  :)  I found this recipe on a blog called Sing For Your Supper.  I'd never heard of it before, but I'm seriously hooked.  I want to try almost all of the recipes posted here.  This is the first one & it was a HUGE hit with my family.  Tyler orders smothered burritos almost every time we eat at a Mexican restaurant, so I was pretty happy to find a yummy homemade version of his favorite Mexican dish!

Mexican Torte

1/2 lb. - 1 lb. ground beef

dash of minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic or garlic salt

1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies, drained

6 tortillas

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack or Mexican blend

1 16-oz. can refried beans, heated up

salsa, sour cream, guacamole; opt.

Brown ground beef with minced onion, garlic salt & pepper.  If you use fresh garlic then use plain salt instead of garlic salt.  Stir in chilies with meat.  Spray round casserole dish with Pam.  Put in 2 tortillas.  Spread 1/2 of meat mixture on the tortillas.  Sprinkle with one cup of the cheese.  Put 2 more tortillas on top of the cheese layer.  Spread the can of heated refried beans on top of the tortillas.  Place 2 tortillas on top of beans.  Add the rest of the meat mixture and top with the rest of the cheese.  Cover & bake 40 minutes, uncover & bake additional 15 minutes if center isn't hot enough.  * When it's time to serve, remove torte from the bowl completely, place on a cutting board & cut into wedges like a pie.  Serve with salsa, sour cream and/or guacamole on top if you'd like.

My sister Elena gave me a cookbook as a present the Christmas before Tyler & I were married.  Not only was it full of great recipes, but it also had some great tips on how much certain types of meals cost when you go grocery shopping.  It's been extremely helpful, especially during the first year that I was a newlywed.  I made this for Tyler for the first time 8 1/2 years ago & he's loved it ever since.  This is such an easy meal & even both of our kids love this.  :)

Taco Soup

1-2 lbs. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

2 cans kidney beans, opt.

1 large can tomato juice (not sauce or regular tomato soup)

1 can corn with juice

grated cheddar cheese

Brown beef with minced onions, if desired.  Place in a large pot & then add remaining ingredients except cheese.  Heat thoroughly and top with cheese after serving.

This is a very quick & easy dinner to put together, and my whole family loves this.  I always serve freshly-baked corn muffins on the side.  Yummy!  :)

Beef & Carrot Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1/4 cup minced onion

garlic salt to taste

8 oz. tomato sauce

8 oz. noodles of choice, cooked & drained

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cottage cheese

1/4 cup parsley flakes

1 cup cooked & sliced carrots

desired amount of shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef with minced onion & garlic salt.  Add tomato sauce to beef mixture & pour into greased baking dish - I always use a large, glass Pyrex bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together sour cream, cottage cheese, carrots & parsley.  Place drained noodles on top of the beef & tomato sauce mixture, then place the cottage cheese mixture on top of that.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, then remove from oven, top with cheese & bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I got this recipe from a cookbook that was given to me as a bridal shower gift from Tyler's Grandma Andersen.  It was one of the best cookbooks I've ever had, because a lot of the women who had contributed to this cookbook were the older sisters in her ward who had gone through the Depression at some point in their lives.  When Tyler & I were newlyweds & when Aubrey was first born, we had very, VERY little money to spend on groceries.  I saw this recipe & thought I'd give it a shot, seeing how it was so inexpensive to make.  Tyler LOVED this & asks me to make it all the time.  Our kids both love this too.  :)

The BEST Stroganoff

1 lb. ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup (I hate mushrooms so I only use cream of celery for this recipe)

8 oz. sour cream

small or medium egg noodles; approx. 8-12 oz.

2 Tblsp. ketchup

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Brown ground beef with a dash of minced onion.  While meat is cooking, boil egg noodles according to directions on package.  When ground beef is done, mix with soup and heat thoroughly.  Add 2 Tblsp. ketchup, sour cream & Worcestershire sauce.  Mix & heat through; pour & toss over drained pasta.

This is the yummiest stroganoff I've ever had, and it's quick to make.  My Mom made this all the time for my sister Elena & I when we still lived at home.  Usually most stroganoff recipes call for meatballs, but it's a real time-saver to just cook the meat without having to worry about shaping it into balls first.  Both of my kids gobbled this right up.  Paxton even said to me, "Can you make this tomorrow?", which is really sayin' something since he's my pickiest eater at dinner time.

Sweet n' Sour Meatballs

1 lb. lean ground beef

3/4 cup rolled oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely-chopped onion (I despise chopping onions so I just used minced)

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp. salt

about 1/4 tsp. pepper or pepper to taste

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl & mix well (mixing with your hands is easiest, even though it will get pretty messy).  It says to form into 12 balls that are about 2 inches in diameter, but since I can't measure to save my life and since I wanted the balls to be small enough for my kids, I just made smaller balls & ended up with 15 instead of 12.  Place in a casserole dish * and cover with sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Now, Tyler & I are big on all sorts of sauces, so if you want a lot of sauce it's smart to double the ingredients.  Combine in a large saucepan and heat thoroughly.  Pour over meatballs and bake for 1 hour.  Serve over hot, cooked rice.

This is another recipe from The Recipe Society.  I made this for dinner just last night.  I didn't think it was going to be anything to scream and shout about, but after taking just one bite I realized I couldn't have been more wrong!  These were really, really yummy & everyone in my family loved these.  It made the whole house smell like barbecue sauce, but it was worth it.  * Here's a quick tip for ya - last night Tyler got home late, so I just mixed up the meatballs, formed them & stuck them in the fridge, & then made the sauce right before they were ready to go into the oven.  It made preparing dinner even easier & by the time he got home dinner was ready to put on the table.  Ah; I love it when that happens!

And here's just some useless information.  :)  I have a lemon-themed kitchen, so when I saw this menu & recipe organizer at Seagull Book I just had to have it.  Be sure to let me know if any of you see anything lemony anywhere.  ;)

The BEST Meatloaf EVER!!! :)

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 tube reduced fat sausage (trust me, you don't want the regular kind or your meatloaf will be too greasy!)

1 Tblsp. minced onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

little less than 1 Tblsp. ground sage

1 slice bread

1 egg

onion salt or regular salt to taste

pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together well with hands.  It gets pretty messy.  I always wear gloves whenever I mix this because the meat makes my hands way too cold without them.  Place in a greased loaf pan (I don't have metal pans so I only use glass) and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done.  Serve with baked potatoes & your favorite veggies.  This is the best meatloaf I've ever had in my life, and believe me, I've tried them all!  And no, you didn't mis-read this & I didn't forget anything - this meatloaf doesn't have 1 drop of tomato sauce in it.  This is the meatloaf my mom & Grandma have been making for as long as they've been cooking.  If you're a meatloaf fan, you'll regret it if you don't try this.  :)

Beefy Spinach Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup
8 oz. noodles, cooked & drained*
8 oz. fresh spinach

Brown ground beef & drain. In a large bowl, mix beef with soups, spinach and noodles until thoroughly mixed. Place in a greased 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until hot.*

*You can use whatever type of pasta you & your family like to eat when making this recipe. Egg noodles are a big hit in my house. After this casserole has cooked for about 30-35 minutes, I usually remove it from the oven, sprinkle cheddar and/or mozarrella cheese over the top, and then bake it for about 5 minutes more, until the cheese is melted. The very first time I made this for Tyler, he said to me, "Julia, you're keeping this recipe, aren't you?" Boy, do I love hearing that!

Simple Salisbury Steak

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 beaten egg
1 Tblsp. vegetable oil
1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
2 Tblsp. water
1 can (10 1/4 oz.) beef gravy

Mix beef, bread crumbs, egg and water thoroughly. Shape firmly into 4 patties, approx. 1/2-inch thick. Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until browned. Pour off fat. Add gravy; heat to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes or until patties are no longer pink.

I came across this recipe from Campbell's kitchen website. It was oh so yummy! I served the patties with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Tyler said that this recipe was definitely a keeper.

Porcupine Meatballs

1 pound ground beef
½ cup uncooked rice
½ cup water
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Mix together and form into large meat balls. Place in a 9x13 pan or dish.

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pour over meat balls. Cover pan tightly with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, or until sauce thickens.

This recipe was given to me by my Grandma. She has always been a MARVELOUS cook. I've seen many meatball recipes passed around which are similar to this one, but this is by far my favorite meatball recipe. I've had this for dinner many times throughout my childhood, and it's fun for me to be able to serve this to our children as well. Paxton's still too young for table foods of course, but Aubrey just LOVES these!

Beef & Cheddar Soup Tacos

1 lb. ground beef
1 can cheddar cheese soup
½ cup salsa
8 flour tortillas
2 cups shredded lettuce

In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat. Add soup and salsa. Reduce heat to low and heat through. Spoon about 1/3 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla. Top with lettuce (sour cream also tastes great with this).

I got this recipe out of a Campbell's cookbook that my Mom gave me for my birthday a couple of years ago. This is a VERY quick dinner for when you're short on time. My whole family loves this!