Taco Enchiladas

I got this recipe from my daughter. She has some great recipes. Thanks, Kristen. These are easy and make a tasty dinner. I usually have ingredients on hand for these, so don't have to make a special trip to the store. If you like enchiladas and/or tacos, I think you'll like these.

This recipe makes 12 enchiladas.

1 pound hamburger
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese (I usually use 1/2 cheddar and 1/2 mozzarella)
1 package flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown and drain the hamburger. Add the taco seasoning with 2 teaspoons of water. Mix well.

In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, and shredded cheese.

Place two tablespoons of the cheese mixture on a tortilla. Top with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the seasoned hamburger and roll up enchilada style. Repeat with all of the tortillas.

Place the tortillas in a 9x13 inch pan.

Spread the remaining cheese mixture over the top of the tortillas in the pan.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Serve as is or top with tomatoes, lettuce, more shredded cheese, cilantro, olives, sour cream, salsa, and any other toppings you like.

Mini Cheddar Meat Loaves

I like these a lot. I make them and freeze them unbaked. Then I have an easy dinner when I want them. I just thaw in the microwave or fridge, then bake as instructed. The secret is in the sauce.

 Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound lean ground beef
2/3 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard
Directions:
1. In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats,
onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish.
2. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves.
3. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until
the meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.
Makes 8 little meat loaves

I was in a hurry, so I just formed the meatloaf into a patty and cooked it in a skillet.  Yum!

Lasagne

I will have to say that I'm a little bit picky about my lasagne.   Really I'm a LOT picky about my lasagne.  So this is THE recipe that I use.  I've been making this lasagne for many many years.  So many years that I had to update some of the ingredients because some of the original ingredients are just no longer available.  As lasagnes go it's pretty easy to make.  So if you're a little bit picky about lasagne try this one.  This also freezes well if you have leftovers.

 This is ABSOLUTELY my favorite dish.

Lasagna

1 pound ground beef

1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce

1/2 pound lasagna noodles

2 cups small curd cottage cheese

1 egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown ground beef in skillet.  Remove from heat.  (If you’re not using extra lean ground beef, drain and rinse with hot water.)  Add pasta sauce to the meat.  (I use meat flavored, marinara, or traditional.)  Mix well.

Boil lasagna noodles in salt water until al dente.  Drain.

In a medium bowl stir together cottage cheese, beaten egg, pepper, and parsley flakes.

Place half of noodles in 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.  Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles. This will be a thin layer.  Then layer half of the meat mixture.  Top with half of the mozzarella.  Repeat the layers.  Ending with mozzarella on top.

Bake at 375° for 30 min.

Makes 8 servings.

          (I actually use more mozzarella than this.  I like a nice thick layer of cheese on top.)

Lasagna Rolls Make-Ahead and Freeze

I love having these in the freezer for when I don't have time or energy to cook a meal. Add a salad and your meal is complete. They are delicious also. Easy, quick, and delicious...that's a combination that can't be beat.
This recipe makes 8 Lasagne Rolls. Each one is a single serving.
Note to my kids:  You know how I am about lasagne.  I really like these and have made them several times.

INGREDIENTS:
8 uncooked lasagna noodles (I used 1/2 pound. Some of them always break, so I wanted extras.)
1 (12-oz.) container low-fat cottage cheese
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used fresh. You could use the green canister.)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 (14 to 15-oz.) jar (2 cups) pasta sauce*
Additional Chopped parsley for garnish

DIRECTIONS:
Cook lasagna noodles to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except pasta sauce and additional chopped parsley; mix well.
Spread each cooked lasagna noodle with a generous 1/4 cup cheese mixture to within 1 inch of one short end. Just spread it along the length of the noodle. Roll up firmly toward unfilled end, like a sleeping bag. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

Repeat with remaining noodles and cheese mixture. Place the wrapped rolls in a zipper freezer bag. Refrigerate or freeze lasagna rolls.

Place 1/4 cup pasta sauce in each of 8 freezer bags and freeze.

To cook one serving, unwrap lasagna roll and place seam side down in microwave-safe bowl; cover with microwave-safe waxed paper. If refrigerated, microwave on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese begins to melt at ends of roll. Spoon 1/4 cup pasta sauce over roll; cover. Microwave on HIGH for 20 to 30 seconds or until thoroughly heated. (If frozen, microwave on LOW for 1 to 2 minutes or until thawed before heating as directed above.) Top with chopped parsley.

(If desired add 1/2 pound cooked ground beef to pasta sauce.  I actually added the ground beef to the cheese mixture and rolled it into the noodles.)*

Hamburger Soup

I love this soup! It's delicious and very filling. I've been making it for so many years, I can't remember how I came up with the recipe. I've given it to other people who also like it a lot. I make it in my pressure cooker. Very fast that way. It's kind of my "go to" recipe since I always have the ingredients and it's quick and easy.

1 lb hamburger
¼ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder, divided
¼ tsp lemon pepper
½ tsp seasoned salt
2 medium potatoes, diced
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 quart tomato juice
¼ tsp sweet basil
½ tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
Put hamburger in dutch oven. Sprinkle with onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, lemon pepper, and seasoned salt. Stir and fry until browned.
Add potatoes, carrots, and celery. Cover with water and cook until vegetables are tender.
Drain the water off. Add the tomato juice, sweet basil, oregano, the rest of the garlic powder, and the salt and pepper. Heat through.
Serve. You can garnish with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, or fresh Basil leaves.

(You could cook it in the crockpot all day in the water. Then drain the water, add the tomato juice and heat through after the vegetables get cooked.) 1 point for a 1 cup serving.

BEAN TACO SOUP

1 lb. chopped chicken, roast beef or ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can white beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can whole kernal corn, with liquid
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes with chilies and liquid
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

Saute ground beef & onion; drain. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Top with sour cream, tortilla chips and grated cheese. If using chopped and cooked chicken or roast beef, saute onions in a little oil and then add meat. Could be heated in a crockpot until well blended.

Calzones

This is one of my family's very favorite meals. Because you make the dough for the crust in the bread machine, it is so easy. You can put the crust on the timer before work and have the dough ready when you get home. You can also brown the sausage the day before and refrigerate it until you get ready to make the calzone. My grandkids often request this for dinner. You can make the dough for the crust by hand if you don't have a bread machine.

Makes 1 - 1 pound calzone (I split it and make two smaller ones.)

Ingredients:
Crust
1 1/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon powdered dry milk
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Filling
3/4 cup pizza sauce
3/4 cup cooked sausage
1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Directions:
1. Place water, salt, bread flour, dry milk, sugar, and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle and start. (We’ve doubled it and done it by hand many times.)
2. After cycle ends, roll out dough on a lightly floured surface; shape into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle. Transfer to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Spoon pizza sauce down center of dough; add sausage and cheese for filling. Make diagonal cuts 1 1/2 inches apart down each side, cutting to within 1/2 inch of the filling. Criss cross strips over filling, sealing with water. Brush top with melted butter. (I add pepperoni, green peppers, onions, browned ground beef and anything else I have and want to add.)
3. Bake at 350 degrees F. For 35 to 45 minutes.

Meatloaf Burgers

My mom taught me how to make these. I'm not much of a hamburger eater. It has to be very good for me to enjoy it. I rarely cook hamburger patties. But I like these and eat them fairly often. Very easy and quick. They freeze well after mixed and then you can thaw and cook for a quick meal. I serve with roasted potatoes or hashbrowns and whatever veggie I'm in the mood for.

1 pound extra lean hamburger
1/2 cup chili sauce (You can use catsup, but it's not quite as good)
2 Tablespoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal
pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients until well combined. Shape into 4 patties; and grill 7 minutes on each side until done. Serve with catsup or barbeque sauce.
(I sometimes use half catsup and half chili sauce.)

Barbecue Meatballs

This is really Kori's recipe, but I know some of you want to try them. They are so easy since they're done in the crock pot. They are also delicious. Serve them over rice or noodles. I also love that I can vary the amount however I want. I can make a whole bunch or only a single serving just for me. Only 3 ingredients. What could be simpler?! They could also be used as appetizers with tiny forks or toothpicks.

Meatballs -- make your own and freeze them or buy a bag already made and frozen
Grape jelly
Barbecue sauce

Put the meatballs into the crock pot. No need to thaw, just dump them in. Add equal amounts of grape jelly and barbecue sauce. Stir a bit.
Then cook on high for about 2 hours. If you're going to be gone, cook on low and cook for about 4 hours. Since the meatballs are already cooked, you only need to heat it through.

Nachos

This was a favorite when my kids were teenagers. It's quick and easy and very tasty. Serve with some extra salsa if you like.

1. Brown 1 pound hamburger, mix in 1 can refried beans
2. Layer on cookie sheet:
Tortilla chips
Hamburger/bean mixture
Grated cheddar and/or mozzarella cheese
Salsa
3. Bake in 300 degree oven until the cheese melts

Porcupine Meatballs

I got this recipe from a good friend many years ago. I've been making them ever since. It's kind of a meal in one pot. There's meat, vegetable juice, and rice. Add a salad and you're good to go.

1 egg
1/2 cup water
1 envelope onion soup mix, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup uncooked regular rice, divided
1 can (46 oz.) tomato juice
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
1. Beat egg slightly with water and 2 Tablespoons of the soup mix. Mix lightly with ground beef and 1/4 cup of the rice. Shape into 12 balls. Roll in remaining rice.
2. Heat tomato juice to boiling. Stir in remaining onion soup mix and sugar. Place meatballs into tomato juice. Cover.
3. Simmer 50 minutes or until rice puffs out around meat and is tender.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER LASAGNA

I made this for dinner the other night. It was really good. I put 1/2 tsp each of chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and onion powder. I would leave the top layer of noodles off next time I make it. The noodles hardened when it was cooking to reduce the amount of liquid. I couldn't find the Taco Bell refried beans or salsa, so I used a store brand. I also used the store brand of cheese. It was cheaper. I don't know if the flavor would be different with the name brand. We really liked it the way it was.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

uncooked lasagna noodles
1 (16 oz) can Taco Bell Refried Beans
seasoning to taste: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, etc
1 lb uncooked hamburger
2 1/2 cups Taco Bell Medium Salsa
2 1/2 cups water
1 (8 oz) pkg Kraft 4 cheese Mexican blend
2 green onions, chopped

In large bowl mix refried beans, seasonings and uncooked hamburger together; set aside. In separate bowl stir together salsa and water. In a 9 by 13 inch pan, pour 1/2 cup salsa and layer as follows: Uncooked lasagna noodles (3 lengthwise and a short piece across the end--do not overlap) * 1/3 cup meat/bean mixture * 1/3 of the remaining salsa mixture. Repeat twice more, ending with a final layer of lasagna noodles on top. Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes. Uncover and let bake another 15 minutes or until water has finished evaporating. Sprinkle cheese and chopped onions on top and return to oven until cheese melts. About 5-10 minutes. Serve with sour cream.

Easy Chili

This chili takes a while to simmer, but doesn't take a lot of hands on time. It's easy since you use canned beans. You could let it simmer in the crockpot for 4 or 5 hours instead, if you like. I got this recipe from a friend many years ago. I've made a few changes. Now it's one of my favorites.

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 green pepper, sliced
1 habanero pepper, diced
2 cans tomatoes
2 Tbsp chili powder
3 Tbsp cold water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
5 cans beans, drained
(I use 3 kidney and 1 each of pinto and white beans. I leave one of the cans of kidney beans undrained for extra liquid.)

Brown ground beef in Dutch oven. Add onions, celery, garlic, and peppers. Continue stirring and frying until onions are just translucent (about 10 minutes). Add tomatoes, chili powder (which has been mixed with the cold water), salt, sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer about 1 hour. Add beans. Heat through.

Delicioso Pasta

This pasta is yummy - one of my favorites. It can be done in half and hour or less. It tastes great left over and heated up. Be sure not to put too much allspice. You want just a hint. It's a family favorite.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
1/4 pound pancetta, thick cut, chopped into small bits (Italian cured pork, ask at deli counter)
½ pound bulk hot Italian sausage
1 pound ground beef
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry red wine (or substitute apple or peach juice)
1 cup prepared beef stock, paper container or canned
2 (32 ounce) cans chunky style crushed tomatoes
A handful chopped flat leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon (a couple of pinches) allspice or cinnamon
Coarse salt and black pepper
2 pounds penne rigate, cooked to al dente
Grated Pecorino Romano, as an accompaniment
Fresh, crusty bread, for mopping

Heat a deep pot over medium high heat. Add oil, garlic, bay leaf, and pancetta bits and brown for 1 minute. Add meats and brown and crumble them for 5 minutes.
Chop carrot, celery, and onions near the stove and add to the pot as you work. Cook vegetables with meat 5 minutes and add wine. Cook for 1 minute; add stock and tomatoes to the pot.
Stir in parsley, allspice, or cinnamon and season sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and cook 10 to 15 minutes minimum before serving. Reheated sauce only improves.
Toss pasta with a couple of ladles of sauce to coat, then top bowl with extra sauce. Top pasta with lots of cheese and pass bread at the table.

Chili Pasta Soup

This is excellent. Very easy to make and very yummy. It's a filling soup and is only 3 points for a 1 and 1/2 cup serving.


1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 can Stewed tomatoes, 15 oz.
1 can Beef broth
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon Parsley
1 cup Spiral pasta, uncooked

in large sauce pan, brown ground beef, garlic, and onion. Add water, stewed tomatoes, beef broth, chili powder, and parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add pasta and simmer until pasta is tender.

Meat Loaf

2 egg whites
1/4 cup 1% milk
5 saltine crackers, crushed
3 Tbsp chopped onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp rubbed sage
dash pepper
1/2 pound extra lean ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar (Sugar Twin)
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, beat the egg. Add milk, crackers, onion, salt, sage and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into two loaves, place in a shallow baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, spoon over meat loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees; drain.

I used 2 Tbsp Sugar Twin Brown sugar with 2 Tbsp sugar free maple pancake syrup instead of the brown sugar.

Makes 2 servings for 6 points each.