Ground Beef Stroganoff

 

Coming at ya with another quick and easy dinner option!  You probably have most, if not all, of the ingredients already in your pantry.

16oz bag of egg noodles
1 pound ground beef
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups beef broth
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sour cream

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook egg noodles according to the package directions.

While the noodles are cooking, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink.

Once the meat is cooked, add the stick of butter and allow it to melt.

Add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute.

Slowly pour in the beef broth, whisking constantly.  Continue whisking until the sauce begins to thicken.

Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to cook until thick.  The sauce should be smooth and creamy.

Add the sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.  Whisk well dissolving all lumps.

Reduce the heat to low.  Add in the cooked egg noodles and stir until the noodles are thoroughly incorporated.  

Simmer until the sauce is the consistency you like.  It should be nice, thick, and creamy.

Instant Pot Beef Stew

 

We bought the most amazing half of a beef from a farm in Delta Junction.  We were in the mood for a rich, hearty soup and the chuck roast in the freezer was calling our name!

1 chuck roast, cut into 1-2 inch chunks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

6 carrots, peeled and chopped into thick coins

1 large sweet onion, roughly chopped

1 head of garlic, minced

4 cups beef broth

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. ground mustard

2 bay leaves

1 bag frozen peas

1 bag frozen lima beans

3 tablespoons flour

Turn the instant pot to Saute and allow it to get hot.  Add the olive oil and the chuck roast chunks.  Season with salt and pepper and allow the meat the brown on all sides.

Once the meat is browned, add the thyme, oregano, ground mustard, and worcestershire sauce, mix well.

Add the garlic, carrots and onions and saute for a few minutes until the onions begin to sweat.

Once the onions are sweating, add the tomato sauce, beef broth, frozen peas, frozen lima beans and bay leaves.  Mix well.

Put the lid on your instant pot, set it to manual, high pressure and cook for 20 minutes.  Allow it to natural release for 15 minutes, then release the pressure completely.

Put 3 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl and ladle 1 cup of the soup liquid into the flour.  Whisk well until all the lumps are dissolved and you have a thick slurry. 

Add the slurry to the soup and mix well.  Serve with homemade bread and saltines.

Dumpling Soup

 

You may have seen this recipe floating around Facebook and I gotta tell ya, it's become one of my family's absolute favorite meals.  I've tweaked it to fit our family's preferences and it's definitely a winner.  The broth is to die for.  And what I really love about it is that I've found that you can throw pretty much any veggies you have in it and it will turn out beautifully.  I make a HUGE stock pot full of this soup so that we can eat on it for lunches thoroughout the week so if you want to make a smaller batch, feel free to decrease the ingredient amounts.

1 bag frozen Bibigo dumplings (I use the whole Costco size bag)

chicken broth (as much as your family will eat)

sesame oil

garlic powder

dried or fresh chives, chopped

soy sauce

fresh veggies of your choosing, I use a head of sliced cabbage, several chopped zucchini and/or yellow squash, chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, sometimes some shredded carrots, fresh sliced garlic

Start with as much chicken broth as you'd like in a large stock pot and bring to a boil.  

Meanwhile chop/slice all of the veggies you'd like to use.

Once the broth is boiling season with garlic powder, ginger powder, sesame oil, and soy sauce.  For a huge stock pot I use a couple teaspoons of garlic powder, about half a cup of soy sauce, and just a small drizzle of sesame oil.  Sesame oil is very potent so a small amount does the trick.

Add the veggies and frozen dumplings.

Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked through.

Taste your broth and adjust the seasonings as necessary.  I usually end up adding a bit more soy sauce.

Serve with fresh or dried chives.

Mushroom Rice

 

This mushroom rice is a huge hit in our house and it's the perfect side dish to go with so many things.  You can also easily double the recipe and bake in a 9x13 baking dish if you need to feed more than 5-6 people.

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice (I like Jasmine)

1 can condensed French Onion soup

1 can beef consommé

8oz. fresh baby bell mushrooms, sliced thin

1/4 cup butter cut into several slices

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, optional

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.  Coat an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a large mixing bowl combine the rice, French onion soup, beef consommé, mushrooms, and worcestershire sauce.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the foil and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.  Place back into the oven, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Once finished, remove from oven and let stand 2-3 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and enjoy.

Taco Seasoning Packet

 

Taco Salad night and Nacho Night are two of my family's favorite nights.  We seem to go through a lot of taco seasoning!  There are so many unnecessary ingredients in commercial taco seasoning, I decided to play around and found that we LOVE this recipe.  It's super simple and you probably have everything you need.  I also love that it's for one pound of ground meat so I can make it fresh.  If you're making more than one pound of meat, just double or triple all of the ingredients.

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. salt

Brown and crumble your meat in a skillet.  Combine all seasonings in a small bowl. 

Once the meat has cooked through, sprinkle the seasonings over the meat.  Add one cup of water per pound of meat.  Simmer 5-10 minutes or until the sauce is the consistency you like.

Aunt Norma's Cheese Ball

 

Thanksgiving is NEXT WEEK and I finally got my hands on my Aunt Norma's cheese ball recipe.  This cheese ball is so good my baby sister HAD to have it for her wedding reception.  We made so many cheese balls that week I dreamt of them for a very long time.  I love to eat this with just a good 'ol Ritz cracker.  

2 pkgs. cream cheese, softened

2 Tablespoons butter, softened

2 jars dried beef, minced

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried onion flakes

1 tsp. horseradish

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, butter, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, onion flakes, and one jar of the minced dried beef.  Form the mixture into a ball.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the remaining minced dried beef and pecans.  Spread the beef and pecan mixture evenly over a flat surface.  Roll the ball around the mixture until the entire surface is covered.  Place the cheese ball on your serving plate, cover, and refrigerate until chilled.  If you're not ready to place it on your serving plate, wrap the ball in plastic wrap and place in the fridge until you're ready to serve.  Serve with your favorite crackers.

Homemade Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper

 

Who doesn't love the Cheeseburger version of Hamburger Helper?  It's hands down my favorite one but one look at the ingredient list and that's a hard no for us.  

This homemade version is so much healthier.  You can control the salt, the quality of the ingredients and still have all of the gooey, cheesy, comfort food you're looking for.

1 pound ground beef

1 white onion, diced

1 heaping tsp. onion powder

5 cloves garlic, minced (or however much your heart tells you to use)

2 Tablespoons flour

4 cups beef broth

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

1 heaping tsp. Italian seasoning

1 heaping tsp. seasoned salt

1/2 heaping tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 heaping tsp. garlic powder

17.6oz penne pasta (weird amount...it's just what Costco carries)

1/2 cup heavy cream or half n half

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot with a lid, brown the ground beef over medium heat.  Add a generous sprinkle of salt and the onion powder.  When the meat is nearly done, add the onion and cook until the onion has softened.  Add the minced garlic for the last minute or so of cooking.

Once the beef is cooked and the onion is soft, add the flour and stir to cook for about 1 minute.  

Add the beef broth, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.  Bring to a boil.

Once the mixture has started to boil, add the penna pasta (or whatever cut pasta you prefer) and stir to combine.  

Cover with the lid and reduce the heat to Low.  Simmer for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the pasta is cooked, add the cream and the shredded cheddar.  Stir and warm through until the cheese is all melted and gooey.

Give it a little taste test and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Enjoy!

Taco Flatbread

These are a lot of fun to make and your kiddos can join in on the fun to!  You can personalize them as much as you want but my husband and I love them like this!

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 Poblano peppers, cored, seeded, and diced

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

1 jalapeño, sliced into thin rings

1lb ground beef

2 tablespoons Southwest Seasoning (I use the Simply Organic brand), divided

4 flat breads

1 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese

1/2 cup Monterey Jack shredded cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

hot sauce to taste, optional

Preheat oven 450 degrees and place an aluminum foil lined baking sheet inside.  

Heat a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil in a medium skillet over med-high heat.  Add the poblano peppers and cook 3-4 minutes, tossing until lightly charred.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove the cooked poblano peppers from the pan and set aside.

Add another drizzle of olive oil and add the ground beef.  Season generously with salt and pepper and crumble until cooked through.  Add the charred poblano, diced tomato, and 2tsp. of the Southwest seasoning.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Now let's toast the flatbreads.  Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and place 4 flatbreads onto the baking sheet.  (If you can only fit 2, you'll have to toast them in batches or use 2 baking sheets.)  Drizzle each flatbread with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toast them in the oven until golden brown and slightly crispy, 2-4 minutes.  Watch them closely!

Remove the flatbreads from the oven and divide the beef mixture evenly between the 4 flatbreads.  Sprinkle both cheeses over each flatbread.  Return the flatbreads to the oven and bake until the cheeses melt, about 2 minutes.  

In a small bowl stir together the sour cream, remaining Southwest Seasoning, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle the mixture (crema!) over the flatbreads.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and if you want a little kick, as many jalapeño rings and hot sauce as you like.  Cut the flatbread into 4's and serve!

Garlic-Herb Butter (Compound Butter)

Garlic-Herb Butter, sometimes called Compound Butter, is something you should *always* have in your fridge or freezer.  It's the best way to add quick flavor to almost anything.  

Some things we use it for are:

Topping our medium-rare steak

Cooking our steak in a cast iron skillet

Melting it into some sautéed veggies (zucchini!)

Add it to any and all seafood

Spread it on freshly baked bread

Use it as a spread for garlic bread

2 sticks grass fed butter (I use a brick of Kerrygold)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp. fresh minced Rosemary

1 tsp. fresh minced Thyme

2 tablespoons fresh minced Parsley

In a medium sized bowl cream the butter with a fork until smooth.

Add the crushed garlic and herbs and mix well.

Tear off two 12" sheets of wax paper.

Divide the butter mixture in two equal halves.

Place one half on each sheet of wax paper and begin shaping it into a log, as best you can.

Roll the ends of the wax paper like a tootsie roll until tight, continuing to shape it into a log as you go.

Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to use.

Use it on anything you think it sounds good on!  It will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.

Haines Family Chili

That's right.  I put my name on a chili.  I've been working on this chili recipe for a few months now and it's finally exactly how I want it.  It's not too spicy, though you could make it that way if you prefer yours spicier, by adding some sliced jalepeno rings or a spicer version of Rotel.  My husband prefers his a little spicier and adds a few dashes of Tabasco sauce into his bowl.  But I love it just how it is.  It's hearty, salty with a little sweet, and amazing with some thick cut, farmhouse style shredded cheddar on top.

1lb. organic grass-fed beef

1/2 cup dehydrated chopped onion

2tsp. onion powder

1pkg. McCormick Chili Seasoning (I use gluten-free but original works great too.)

1pkg. Ranch Dressing Seasoning

2 cans organic black beans, drained

2 cans organic red kidney beans, drained

1 can mild Rotel

1/2 jar Jacks Medium Cantina Style Salsa (The Costco jar.  It's fresh and in the fridge section.)

1/3-1/2 cup Swerve granulated sweetener

2-3 cans of water (Just use a bean can.)

Salt

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Your favorite chili toppings.

Turn your Instant Pot on the Sauté setting.  Add a generous amount of olive oil, enough to cover the bottom of the pot.  Add your ground beef and cook until browned, leaving it in dime sized chunks.  

Season the beef with salt (I use about a teaspoon of Pink Himalayan), onion powder, and dehydrated chopped onion.  Cook until the chopped onion becomes soft and the beef is cooked through.

Add chili and ranch seasonings and mix well.  

Add the Rotel and Salsa and mix well.

Add 2-3 cans of water; however much you like to make your chili the consistency you prefer.

Add all of the beans and stir well.

Add 1/3 cup of Swerve.  You can add more once it's finished cooking if you want it sweeter.

Give it a good stir to make sure everything is incorporated evenly.  

Place the lid on your Instant Pot, set the valve to Sealing, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.  

Once it's finished, allow the pressure to naturally release completely.  (There's room to fudge that if you don't have time for a full natural release...just let it release naturally as long as you can.  Always make sure you move the valve to Venting to release all remaining pressure before attempting to remove the lid.)

Taste and add salt if needed.  Also, add more Swerve at this time until it's to your liking.

My family all tops their bowl a bit different.

One of my kids likes tortilla chips, sour cream, and shredded cheddar.

Another one likes Tabasco, plain greek yogurt, and shredded cheddar.

My husband likes Tabasco, sour cream, and shredded cheddar.

I like mine with thick, farmhouse style shredded, cheddar. 

Enjoy!

Instant Pot Roast

Every year at Thanksgiving time, our church hosts a Thanksgiving and Praise dinner.  It's always the Sunday before Thanksgiving and we boycott all turkey dishes so we're not tired of it on actual Thanksgiving day.  Instead, we make massive amounts of Pot Roast.  Huge, tender, fall apart roasts.  And they are delish.  That is where I got this recipe and it's eeeeeverything.  I choose to make mine in the Instant Pot because it literally melts in your mouth but if you don't have one you can easily make it in the oven or crock pot using the same recipe.  You would just need to adjust cooking times accordingly.  But seriously, just go getcha an Instant Pot.  You won't be sad.

1 (3-5lb) roast

1 packet of dry ranch dressing mix

1 packet of dry brown gravy mix

1 packet of dry Italian dressing mix

1 cup of beef broth (or water)

Olive oil

First, take our roast out of the fridge and let it get the chill off.  You want the meat to be a little chillier than room temp but not strait out of the fridge cold.

Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and let it get screaming hot.

While it's heating up, mix together all three packets of mixes until well combined.  

Rub the meat down with the spice mixture until it's well coated.  Really press it in there.  Try to use as much of it as you can.

When your Instant Pot is hot, drizzle a generous amount of olive oil in the bottom of the pot, making sure the bottom is completely coated (it will smoke...this is Ok).

Place the meat in the hot pot and sear the entire surface of the roast.  Top, bottom, sides...the whole thing.  Sear each side 3-5 minutes so you get a nice crust.

Once the meat has been seared, remove it from the pot and let it rest on a plate.  

Now take your cup of beef broth and carefully pour it into the hot pot and deglaze the pot, making sure you scrape all of the brown bits off of the bottom.  This will give you some incredible flavor but it will also let the Instant Pot come to pressure.  If you leave the brown bits on the bottom, your pot will never pressurize. 

Add the roast back into pot and if you have any leftover seasoning mix from when you coated the roast, dump it in there on top of the roast.  Don't waste a bit of it...it's so good!  Secure the lid, and place the valve to the Sealing position.  

Process on Manual, High pressure for 40 minutes.  Once the 40 minutes is complete, allow it to Natural Pressure Release for at least 20 minutes but you can let it go until it's completely released if needed.  (Avoid Quick Releasing at all costs.)

Remove the roast from the pot and allow it to rest for a few minutes before serving.  If you would like to make a gravy from the drippings (which you should) simply mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of water or milk and whisk it into the pot juices.  Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté feature again and allow it to simmer until thickened.  I love serving this with a mixture of roasted potatoes, carrots, and onions.  Serve the gravy over the meat and veggies.

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

So, so good, you guys.  It's a bacon cheeseburger without any carb guilt.  And it's Keto friendly!

1lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

2lbs. ground beef

1/4 cup dried minced onion

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 stick of butter

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. black pepper

6 cups beef broth

4 tsp. spicy brown mustard (or whatever you have)

1 block cream cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

salt to taste

In a large stock pot, add the ground beef, minced onion, garlic powder and onion powder.  Cook and crumble the ground beef until there's no pink left.  

Push the cooked meat to the sides of the pot.

Add the butter, cumin, and black pepper to the pot.  

Add the broth, mustard, and the cream cheese to the pot and let it cook for a few minutes until the cream cheese has melted.  

Cover the pot and turn the heat to Low.

Cook for 20-30 minutes.

Turn the stove off and finish by slowly adding the heavy whipping cream and cheddar cheese.  

Taste and add salt if needed.

Serve topped with cooked, crumbled bacon.  

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I know, I know!  Who needs a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs?  And you're really going to think that I've lost my mind once you read the ingredient list.  This is one of those dishes that everyone, and I mean e-very-one makes.  From the tired working mom to the single dude, spaghetti and meatballs is an easy staple.  I'm sure you have at least most of the ingredients in your pantry right now.  When my in-laws came down for their last visit, my MIL insisted that she make dinner a night or two while they were here.  This recipe is SO good and SOOOOOO easy that I couldn't believe it.  And there's like NO work that goes along with it.  Everything is store bought (don't judge!) and I make a fresh veggie to go along with it (steamed broccoli, green beans...or a garden salad) so that there's a green veggie on our plates. I also grab a box of that frozen three-cheese Texas toast...in the words of my 15 month old daughter, "Mmmmmmmmmm!"

2 jars Ragu Traditional Spaghetti Sauce

1 Family Size box of frozen Banquet Meatballs w/Marinara Sauce; at least partially thawed

1/3 cup sugar

1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (I keep a jar in the fridge instead of mincing my own.)

2 boxes spaghetti, angel hair, thin spaghetti...whatever; I prefer regular 'ol spaghetti.

In a medium sauce pot mix together the Ragu, meatballs w/sauce, sugar, and garlic.  Turn the heat to Med/Low and allow the sauce to come to a light simmer; stirring occasionally throughout the day.  I like to start the sauce around 3:30 in the afternoon so it has a good, long time to simmer before dinner which is usually around 6:00 for us.  If you don't have that kind of time, just get it heated up and let it simmer as long as you can.  And if you're going to be gone all day, throw it all in a 3qt. crock pot and let it go on Low all day.  This is VERY versatile.

Anyway, let those flavors get nice and happy together.

When you're ready for dinner cook the pasta as directed on the package.

Let everyone get as much pasta as they want and generously ladle the sauce and meatballs over top.  Serve with the veggies and/or salad and bread. 

Mom's Meatloaf

I know I already have a meatloaf recipe on this blog...but this one is too good not to share.  THIS one is my mom's recipe.  (My other recipe is delicious as well.  It's like one big cheeseburger...Mmmm!)  But this recipe is more your traditional, saucy meatloaf and it is divine!  Not dry, not chunky...just homemade deliciousness.  And it's enough to feed a family!  I mean a meat-and-potatoes-man-lives-here kind of family.  Enjoy!

Meatloaf:
1 (13oz.) can evaporated milk

3lbs. ground beef

2 cups instant oats

2 eggs

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. salt

Sauce:
2 cups ketchup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly incorporate all of the meatloaf ingredients.  Take the meat mixture from the bowl and divide it in half.  Shape each half into a loaf shape and place each loaf side-by-side in a 9x13 baking dish.  (Don't allow them to touch though.)

In a medium size bowl combine the sauce ingredients. 

Pour enough of the sauce over the top of the raw meatloaf until the entire surface is covered.

Take the remaining sauce and place it in a small-medium size baking dish or oven safe bowl. (If there isn't much remaining sauce, make another batch of it.  Trust me!)

Place the meatloaf AND the extra pan of sauce in the oven and bake for 1 hour.  Once it's finished, take them out and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing.  Use the extra baked sauce for spreading on each person's meatloaf slice to their little heart's desire.  (And when leftover day comes...a slice of meatloaf on a bun with a healthy slather of sauce....ahhhhh-mazing!)

And for yummy side dishes, visit the Side Dishes portion of my blog.  There are tons of yummy veggie recipes that are the PERFECT companion to this meatloaf.  Enjoy!

Lasagna

I just recently realized that lasagna was missing from my life.  My mom makes a KILLER lasagna and for some reason I didn't have the recipe until last month!  I am complete now. 

1 lb. ground beef; browned, crumbled, drained

Prego with Mushroom spaghetti sauce; 1 jumbo jar or 2 regular sized jars

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (16oz.) container cottage cheese

1 package pepperoni

6 lasagna noodles; oven ready or regular just do NOT boil them

Torn, fresh basil leaves (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Brown, crumble, and drain your ground beef and add the jar(s) of Prego w/Mushrooms to the meat.  In a 9x13 baking dish, add a few spoonfuls of the meat sauce to the bottom of the dish.  Spread it around to create a thin layer of sauce.

Next, add 3 uncooked lasagna noodles to the bottom of the pan.  If you have to break them to fit, go ahead.

Add a layer of sauce on top of the noodles.

Spoon half of the container of cottage cheese on top of that.

On top of the cottage cheese, put a layer of pepperoni all over.

Then on top of the pepperoni, sprinkle a handful of mozzarella.

Start over again with the lasagna noodles until you've created a second layer of everything. 

Once you have a second layer, finish it off with extra sauce and cheese on top.

Bake in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes.  If you feel the cheese is getting too dark, lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top for the remaining time. 
Before serving, sprinkle each piece with a bit of fresh, torn basil leaves...if you're into that kind of thing.  It's yummy!

Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Vidalia Topped Caesar Burgers

These burgers are our go-to burgers for the week.  They're packed with flavor and really easy!  You can always add your favorite toppings to it.  Seth likes them just how they are but he also adds bacon and sometimes cheese.  Sometimes you're just in the mood for a cheeseburger, ya' know!  So pile on whatever toppings you're in the mood for...but ya' gotta try the onions!  As a side, I also take zucchini and yellow squash, slice them in half long ways, drizzle evoo, salt, pepper, and garlic powder on the tops and grill them right along with the burgers.  So yummy!!

1 lb. ground beef

2 tablespoons dried parsley

1/2 cup Caesar dressing

1/2 tsp. seasoning salt

pepper to taste

1 Vidalia onion, cut into thick slices

1-2 heads of romaine lettuce, shredded

1/4-1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (powdered or freshly shredded)

4 burger buns

Heat coals or gas grill to medium-high heat.  Mix the ground beef, parsley, dressing, seasoning salt, and pepper.  Shape the mixture into 4 equal patties.  I like to take my thumb and make a thumb print in the middle of each one.  That keeps them nice and flat instead of turning into a meatball.

Place the burgers on the grill.  At the same time, place the onions (and any other veggies) along the outer edge of the burgers (just away from the main heat).  Cover and grill 12-15 minutes, turning everything once, until the veggies are tender, yet crisp, and the juice of the beef runs clear.

Toss the shredded romaine lettuce with additional Caesar dressing and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Layer romaine salad, burger, and onion on each bun.

Rosemary-Dijon Steaks

I LOVE rosemary.  I don't know exactly what it is that I like about it so much...but I like it.  A lot.  And I like steak, so this is perfect!  Serve with grilled corn on the cob and baked potatoes with sour cream and butter!

1/4 cup Dijon mustard (I use spicy brown.)

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crumbled

1 tsp. pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 beef boneless top loin steaks

Heat coals or gas grill to medium-high heat.  Mix the mustard, rosemary, pepper and garlic; spread the mixture on both sides of the steaks.

Place the steaks on the grill, and cook uncovered for 1 minute on each side to seal in the juices.  Cover the grill and cook 8-9 minutes longer for medium doneness, turning once half way through.

Brown Sugar Kielbasa

Picture this:  It's Saturday night.  The kids have been bathed and are getting ready for bed.  You've got everyone's clothes picked out, ironed, and laying out for church tomorrow morning.  Everyone is getting to bed at a reasonable hour.  You've got your life together.  You might just win woman of the year.  At least in your own mind.  And then...things start to come crashing down all around you.  Your husband is casually walking through the living room on his way to bed and in all of his innocence goes, "Hey...it'll be nice to not come home and have to cook something!  There's lunch after church tomorrow!  Sweet!!!".  You panic.  All week long, you've forgotten all about this potluck event.  There is nothing in this house that is suitable to make for company!  I was going to have cereal for lunch!!!!  What do I do?!?!?!?  I'll tell you what you do.  You get on Pinterest and pray.  Pray that some poor soul has recently pinned something that's easy.  And that you miraculously have all of the ingredients for. 
This is a true story.  All of this recently happened to me.  And this is the beauty that was born out of that night.  It's 2 ingredients and literally the easiest recipe in my entire collection.
*Disclaimer...I apologize for the photo.  Google has nothing that was even close to what the finished product looks like.  Therefore, we have a random image, but it at least shows you what size to cut the kielbasa into.

3 pks. Kielbasa (roughly 3lbs...a little more is fine too)

1 lb. box dark brown sugar (I can never find the 1 lb. box, so I use half of a 2lb. bag.)

Cut the kielbasa into 1/2 inch chunks (refer to the picture).  Place the chunks into a 5qt. crock pot.  

 Dump the dark brown sugar over top.  Stir the kielbasa and sugar in a somewhat rapid fashion until it's combined and there is sugar sticking to every piece.

Cook on High for 2.5 hours or on Low for 5 hours.  I usually stir it 2 or 3 times throughout the cooking time to make sure they all get browned evenly.  Enjoy!

Taco Braid

This is another Pinterest recipe and I absolutely love it!  It looks complicated, which translates into "impressive" if you serve it to guests.  But I promise, it's not complicated at all.

1 lb. ground meat (chicken, beef, turkey...whatever)

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 small onion, diced

1 (15oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can Rotel or salsa

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 roll of crescent dough

Your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, taco sauce, sour cream, black olives, avocado or guacamole, diced tomatoes...etc.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large skillet brown the meat and onion together.  Add the taco seasoning according to package instructions.  To the meat add the can of black beans and the can of Rotel.  Stir until heated through.  Set aside.

 

 

On the parchment lined cookie sheet, spread out the entire can of crescent dough and pinch together the perforated seams to make one long piece of dough.  Using a pizza cutter, slice the dough into strips 1 inch apart and only a couple of inches long.  You don't want to cut the dough completely across, just a little bit.

Place the meat mixture down the middle of the dough (like in the top picture).  Top the meat mixture with cheese.  Lots of glorious cheese.  And then, like in the picture, begin to fold the crescent strips over the meat mixture; pinching the ends together to seal the braid.

Place the taco braid in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow the taco braid to "rest" for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

It should look something like this when you're done.  I like to serve it with all of our favorite taco toppings.

Chili

I know...if you've read my White Chicken Chili post and now you're reading this post you're most definitely calling me a liar.  But once you see the ingredient list and notice the lack of "chunky stuff", you'll understand.  In my white chili post I vehemently express my feelings about red, chunky, traditional chili.  This recipe comes from my mother-in-law and she and I have the same feelings about chili.  If you are in the same boat we are, give this one a shot.  

*Here is my "warning" for this recipe though...my MIL and I both eyeball everything about this recipe except for the tomato juice. We add all of the ingredients until it tastes good.  I will put my guestimate as to how much of each ingredient, but use your own judgement and taste as you go.  You might like more or less of something.

2 quarts tomato juice

2 lbs. ground beef, browned

1/2 cup dehydrated onions

1 can refried beans

2 cans great northern beans

1-2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 a bottle of chili powder (yep...you heard right; but the grocery store size, not Costco size)

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and the dehydrated onions together.  I usually add some salt and garlic powder to the meat too.  Why not?
In a 5-quart crock pot, add all ingredients.  Add spices and seasonings but taste as you go until the strong tomato taste is gone and is replaced with a more "chili" type flavor.  (See...this is why I'm not a traditional chili expert.  Just throw everything in there until it tastes good. K?) Cook on High for 3-4 hours or on Low all day long.  You've already browned the beef, so you just want it nice and hot and the refried beans to be melted into the soup.  Once the soup is nice and hot, taste it again and adjust the seasonings according to your liking.

This pairs wonderfully with cornbread!  

Top with your favorite toppings.  We like to use frito's, sour cream, cheese, and saltine crackers.  OH, AND, if you want something REALLY yummy, dip a peanut butter sandwich in it.  We didn't know this was weird until we moved to Virginia and got funny looks.  But trust me, everybody in Ohio does it.