Cheeseburger Chili Mac and Cheese

Like I said earlier, my camera is not working properly right now and is making it difficult to take pictures of the meals we've been eating lately. This recipe I got from Rachael!
My kids LOVED THIS! I was a little sceptical at first, but they asked to have it for lunch the next day! I'd say that's a success!

the goods:

2 T. EVOO

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground sirloin

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 T. chili powder

salt and ground black pepper

1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. yellow mustard

1-2 c. beef stock (depending on how liquid-y you want it)

1 lb. whole wheat elbow macaroni

1 1/2 c. shredded sharp yellow cheddar (sharper the better!)

1. Preheat broiler. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
2. Place a medium pot over medium-high heat with 2 turns of teh pan of EVOO, about 2 T. Add the meat to the pan and cook until golden brown, 5-6 minutes.
3. Add the onion and chili powder to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the onion is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add the ketchup, mustard and beef stock to the pot, bring up to a bubble and simmer until sightly thickened, 4-5 minutes.
4. While the chili is working, salt the boiling water and drop the pasta in. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Then drain thoroughly and return it to the pot.
5. Add chili to the pot with the pasta and give everything a good toss. Transfer to a casserole dish and top with the shredded cheese. Place the casserole under teh broiler to melt and brown the cheese. Serve with a simple salad alongside.

Hearty Beef Stew

This is a FANTASTIC stew to make in the winter. I woke up this morning and there was only a sinch of snow on the ground, but it was freezing outside. I thought to myself....what a perfect day to make my mom's beef stew. This really is fabulous

the goods:

2 lbs. beef stew chunks (I usually only use just over a pound and then cut them smaller because they are so big)

2 T. shortening (I use this when I feel like being naughty)

4 c. water

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

1 T. salt

1 T. lemon juice

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. paprika

2 bay leaves

Dash of allspice

4-6 carrots, sliced

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. water

1. In a soup pot, slowly brown beef cubes in shortening. Turn often to brown meat on all sides. This should take about 15 minutes. Then add water, onion, garlic (on a toothpick, so you can retrieve it) salt, lemon juice, sugar, Worchestershire sauce, black pepper, paprika, bay leaves, and allspice. Cover with lid and simmer on low (do not boil) for 2 hours.
2. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. When mixture is almost done, add carrots and potatoes and simmer for 30 more minutes.
4. Discard bay leaves and garlic.
5. Pour 1/2 c. water and 1/4 c. flour in a shaker; shake to blend. Stir flour mixture into stew. Cook and stir until gravy thickens and boils. Serve.

Taco Salad

I know that this one is self explanatory, but the whole idea of this blog was to give us more meal ideas to fix for our families, right? So here is another idea. I LOVE mexican food! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! I actually think I'm 1/2 mexican....seriously, I could live off of it. One of our favorite (and easy) things to eat is taco salad. I know everyone does something different but this is ours.

the goods:

1 lb. hamburger

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning (you can buy in the spice section at most grocery stores)

Cook hamburger over the stove. Add kidney beans. Cook until beans are warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and Tony Chachere's.

Layer the following:

Handful of doritos, slightly crushed

Shredded lettuce

Cooked hamburger and bean mixture

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomatoes, diced

Onions, chopped

Avocado, chopped

Ranch dressing

Salsa

Sour cream

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Salad and Breadsticks

If I'm having a hard time thinking of things to fix for dinner, then sometimes I'll ask the girls to tell me something they would like to have. Rylee REALLY wanted spaghetti with a breadstick, plus she knows it's Papa's favorite food and she loves her Papa. Plus Chad has scouts on Wednesday nights, so I'll usually try to do an easier meal those nights. There's no secret to this one! =)

the goods:

Whole wheat spaghetti noodles

1 lb. lean, ground beef

1 jar Classico Four Cheese marinara sauce

Romaine lettuce

Carrots, sliced

Tomatoes, diced

Red onion, diced

Avocado, diced

Cucumber, sliced

Ranch dressing, or whatever you enjoy

Texas Toast Breadsticks, found in the frozen section

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

the goods:

1 pound LEAN ground sirloin
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
3/4-1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

For the salad:
1/2 pound salami, chopped
1/4 pound provolone cheese, chopped
1 small jar pepperoncini (I don't really love these)
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 bunch arugula
2 tablespoons EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

In large skillet over medium-high heat add LEAN ground sirloin and brown, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and toast under broiler, keep your eye on them so they don't burn!

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

In a salad bowl, toss the salami, cheese, pepperoncini, Bibb lettuce and arugula with the EVOO and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll. Serve the salad alongside.