ground beef

Cottage Tot Pie

Let me start with saying I love a good traditional Cottage Pie. I love Shepherd’s Pie. I love meat and mashed potatoes and gravy… which is kind of what shepherd’s pie is, but constructed and upside down. I am all for whipping up mashed potatoes to top a pie… I’ve done it and I’ll do it again. But I am a busy mom! And if I’m honest about it, most nights of the week if I’m going to whip up some potatoes, it’s because it’s a side dish- not an extra step toward accomplishing dinner. I’m also a child of the frozen food era. And I am not too proud to admit that a tater tot baked and salted to crispy perfection is delicious. Of course, in this case I can also boast (like I really care), that it’s baked not fried. However, if I wanted to get really honest, a deep fried tater tot is sublime. If I could figure out a way to deep fry this whole dish I probably would. But if I had time to shred the potatoes for an awesome crust that I stuffed with this seasoned beef filling to deep fry, then surely I would have had the time to whip up a mashed potato topper. Right? So, when you want all the taste without the extra steps… this is the bomb. #momwin

As organic as possible:

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Onion, diced

1 Celery stalk, diced small

1 lb ground Beef (or Lamb, but then you need to call it Shepherd Tot Pie)

1 tsp Salt, to taste

1/2 tsp Pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Flour

1½ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Peas, frozen or fresh

1 cup Corn, frozen or fresh

1-1½ cups Beef stock

2lbs or 24 oz. (approx) Seasoned Tater Tots, frozen (I like Alexa)

Heat the over medium high until hot. Add the diced onion and celery. (And if you’d like a little diced carrot to make it a true trinity… but if your kids are like mine, leave the orange vegetable out.) I only like to cook it for a minute before I add the ground beef, because it’s going to get baked and I like to try and have some texture.

Add the beef, salt and pepper. Cook until just browned. (And if it’s just slightly pink, it’s ok. It will continue to cook and better that it’s not overdone.) Strain all but about a tablespoon of the fat into a safe hot fat catching container. Add the tablespoon of butter.

When it’s melted, give it a little swirl around the pan and add the 2 tablespoons of flour.

Let the flour cook in the meat, onion and celery mixture for a couple minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup beef stock. Let cook for a few minutes, until sauce starts to thicken, if too thick add remaining 1/2 cup of stock. Add the peas and corn. Give the whole mix a stir and take it off of the heat.

I have a 1¾ quart dish that is perfect for this recipe, however a 2 qt dish will do. Pour the meat and veggie mixture into the dish in an even layer. Then lovingly place the tater tots in calculated rows (or completely abstract) in a single layer on top of the meat mix.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until the tots are golden brown and crisp.

Let stand a couple minutes to cool After gravy stops bubbling, serve warm… and with ketchup if you’d like, because it’s tasty.

 

 

 

 

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Dorito Taco Salad

This is like in a food group all of its own… or it should be. We should be required to have one serving every day. It definitely is a mandatory staple at all potlucks. It’s colorful and textural and down right appetizing. If you’ve tasted Dorito Taco Salad before then you know what I’m talking about. If by chance you haven’t, well then today is your lucky day! And may I suggest that you change all other dinner plans?

 

1 lb Hamburger

1 pkg Taco seasoning

l bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (10 oz.)

16 oz.  Catalina salad dressing

8 oz. (2 cups) Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 head Ice Burg Lettuce

 

(Side note: I know that saying “as organic as possible” seems odd in this case… but every bit is worth doing! Even the hamburger, lettuce and cheese!)

Brown hamburger and add taco seasoning according to package directions. Set aside to cool. Break lettuce into bite size pieces. Crush chips to bite size. After meat cools add to lettuce and cheese mixed together. When ready to serve add chips and dressing. It’s best to mix every thing just before serving if possible (otherwise the Doritos begin to lose their crunchy texture).

Other optional toppings include sliced scallions, salsa, olives, diced green pepper, etc., but you will never be disappointed with the basic. Furthermore, you might want to have another bottle of Catalina dressing and bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos on hand and add to taste, because sometimes as a party goes on I like to add more Doritos and Catalina, and toss.

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Lasagna

It’s not just Garfield who loves lasagna! I have explained to you before our high regard for Italian cooking. When the smell of garlic bread and baked pasta is in the house I want to pour a glass of vino, raise my voice a little and hug my babies. I can’t help myself, without any actuality I’m part Italian.

As organic as possible:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Yellow onion, diced
3-4 Cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs Ground hamburger (I prefer lean)
2 jars Homemade or store bought pasta sauce (about 50 oz)
1 lb Lasagna noodles

8 oz Cottage cheese
16 oz Ricotta cheese
8 oz Fresh Mozzarella, shredded and divided
3/4 cup Grated Parmesan, divided
1/4-1/2 tsp Salt
1/8-1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp Granulated garlic
1 tsp dried basil

Lasagna requires a few steps, but the difficulty is low. And once assembled it’s a make ahead dish that’s easy to throw in the oven, bake and serve.

Preheat the oven to 350º

I like to start with my sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat, add diced onion and let sauté about 2 minutes. Add garlic and let sauté another minute. Add beef, let cook until browned and drain. Pour in sauce and stir. Allow to simmer. Taste! Add seasonings accordingly.

In the meantime, start boiling pasta water and cook according to package directions (remember to salt your water and keep in mind the noodles are supposed to be “al dente,” still maintaining a little bite because they will continue to soften when in the oven). Drain and rinse the pasta under cool water to stop the cooking process and make the noodles easier to handle during assembly.

In a separate bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta, 2/3 of the shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, granulated garlic and basil. (Side note: I love cottage cheese in my lasagna; it has a tangy salty zing that I prefer over ricotta, and I have made my cheesy filling with it alone. However, ricotta gives that little bit of creaminess that cottage cheese in general is lacking, so I prefer the combination). Taste! Some cheeses are saltier than others, you want each part of your layering to taste equally delicious, so if this is flat add more salt and/or pepper now.

Ok. You’ve made it this far, so you might as well finish what you’ve started! In a large baking dish (or a 13X9 dish will do) place just enough sauce on the bottom, smearing it all over, so your noodles won’t stick. Line your noodles closely to each other so that you completely cover the pan (trimming noodles to fit like a puzzle if necessary). Using about a 1/3 of your cheese mixture spread the creamy goodness all over the noodles. Next use about a third of your pasta sauce to layer on top of the cheese. Repeat with the noodles and continue with cheese and sauce until you are out (you will most likely have left over noodles).

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. (I did not forget about the remaining cheese…) When the kitchen timer goes off (or after you have watched the clock relentlessly for 30 minutes), carefully remove the baking dish from the oven and turn the oven up to 425º. Take off the aluminum foil and on the top layer of sauce, evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/3 shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Place back into the oven uncovered for about 15 minutes until cheese is browned and dish is perfect!

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before attempting to serve. Not only will you spare the skin on the roof of your mouth, but this gives your dish time to set and will allow for you to cut into it without it spreading.

Mexican Goulash

I grew up eating goulash. It’s a hearty and relatively inexpensive meal that’s flavorful and colorful. I also love Mexican food. So when I had ingredients to suit both, I got creative. This is one of the first recipes I ever made. It’s still a favorite.

Serves 6

12 oz pasta (rotini, macaroni, whatever you have)

4 cups vegetable broth (divided)

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic minced

1 small onion diced

1 hot pepper diced

1 lb ground beef

1 taco seasoning packet

2 Tbsp butter

8 oz cheddar cheese

5 rounded Tbsp salsa (or can of diced tomatoes, drained)

½ tsp paprika

Bring 3 ¼ cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add and cook pasta (stirring often). In the mean time, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Sauté onions 1-2 minutes until they soften. Add garlic and pepper, sauté 1-2 minutes more until onions are translucent. Add beef, brown and drain excess fat. In a medium sauce pan heat remaining ¾ cup of broth and butter. Add and melt cheese and paprika (because this dish is partially Hungarian! And it gives pretty flecks of color to the cheese sauce.) Remove from heat.

Check your pasta for doneness and remove from heat if necessary, it should have absorbed the liquid, so no need to drain. Then add pasta and cheese sauce to meat mixture in the skillet. Toss until all components are mixed together. Then take pleasure in the opportunity to bring two diverse cuisines into one yummy dish!

Kid-Friendly Chili

In our family tradition of chili making, the beans are as essential as the meat. In fact, it wasn’t until adulthood that I even found out that people made it without beans! Something I will bend the rule on, however, is heat; as in spicy heat. Since I have a few little tummies to fill, our chili has to work for everyone in the house; which also means no visible chunks of tomatoes. I happen to like chunks of tomatoes in mine and I like it broth-y. I think this stems from elementary school lunch when I used to dip the paired peanut butter sandwich in it. (I own it. And I’ve added that option.) But my family’s preferences have influenced and shaped what our recipe is today… We think it’s perfect.

Serves 6

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small yellow onion diced

3-4 cloves garlic minced

1 ¼ pound ground beef (this is a great time to use lean meat, like 92/8)

2 tsp salt

¾ tsp freshly ground pepper

1- 15 oz can tomato sauce

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 hearty pinch of sugar

2- 15 oz cans red kidney beans

1- 15 oz can tri-bean blend

1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes (optional)

Tabasco sauce to taste (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot (or Dutch oven). Sauté the onions for about 2-3 minutes add the garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes more. Add the beef and add half of the salt and pepper (because I am an advocate in seasoning your beef while it is cooking, especially in chili). Let the beef just turn almost completely brown (it will continue to cook, but you don’t want it overdone,) and drain off excess fat. Keep in mind if you are using lean meat that fat is flavor and a little left in the pot is ok… don’t get it dry. Add the tomato sauce and stir. Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and sugar. Stir and let mingle for a few minutes. Then add one whole can of beans including the bean liquid. (I love using the bean liquid for a thickening agent, because it’s already bean flavored and since a use organic beans I’m not worried about it.) Now add the next two cans of beans rinsed and drained, because we don’t need the extra liquid. If you and your family like chunks of tomatoes in your chili, add that now too; and maybe another pinch of sugar for balance. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, and add the remaining salt and pepper. If you want a little heat, add a couple dashes of Tabasco sauce. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste. Let cool slightly before serving.

This hearty soup is great in the fall when things start to get cool and all winter long. It’s also perfect in Michigan in late May and early June… when it’s 60 degrees and blustery outside. My kids like their chili with oyster crackers. Owen likes it with corn chips, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese. I love chili with corn bread; corn bread or peanut butter sandwiches. Serve with the prepared toppings and sides of your choice… And enjoy!