Unstuffed Pepper Skillet

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup green peppers (I used red), chopped
1 med tomato, seeded and chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp italian season
salt & pepper to taste
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup instant rice
1 cup water
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

In a large skillet brown ground beef; drain excess fat. Add onion, green pepper, tomato, and spices; cook until onion is translucent. Add tomato sauce and water; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; cover with tight fitting lid and remove from heat; let sit 3 minutes. Top with cheddar; replace lid and let sit additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and liquid is absorbed.

Serves 4.

I like to serve this with a salad and garlic toast. Yumm!

For a "Taco Skillet" meal, omit garlic powder and italian seasoning; add 1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning.

Meatball Sub Casserole

3/4 lb ground beef
1/3 cup bread crumbs 
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 egg
1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch thick slices*
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (28 oz) jar pasta sauce

Meatballs:
Combine first five ingredients; mix well. Form meat mixture into 1 1/2 in balls. Saute in skillet until cooked through.

Casserole: Arrange bread slices in a single layer in an ungreased baking pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp pepper; spread over bread slices. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; set aside. Mix together meatballs and spaghetti sauce; spoon over cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 4.

* You probably won't need the entire loaf. I had a few slices left over but I just used them for garlic bread.

Deep Dish Dinner Pizza

1 can refrigerated biscuits (the larger ones ie. Grands)
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2 lb ground beef, cooked & crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
parmesan cheese
pepperoni
onion, green peppers, other pizza toppings of your choice
garlic powder
italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press biscuit dough into bottom of 9 x 13 baking pan. Spread pizza sauce evenly over biscuits. Add ground beef, pepperoni, and other pizza toppings over sauce spreading each layer evenly. Sprinkle evenly with parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella cheeses. Sprinkle with garlic powder and italian seasoning to taste.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bottom of crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serves 4

Chili

I've made several pots of chili this winter and have been tweaking my other recipes to come up with just the right proportions. This is my latest, and best, revision. Hope you enjoy. :)

2 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 green pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
1 large (28 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
2 (15 ounce) cans red beans
3 T chili powder
1 T ground cumin
1/2 T beef crystals (bullion)
1 quart water
salt & pepper to taste

Brown ground beef in 4-5 quart dutch oven. Drain. Add chopped vegetables and saute with meat until they are softened and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer all day (at least 8 hours).

Cyndi's Chili Meatballs

Cyndi came up with this recipe a while back. They are meatballs simmered in tomato sauce with a hint of chili flavoring. Very yummy!

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
44 oz tomato sauce (one 29 oz, and one 15 oz can)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp each salt & tsp pepper (or to taste)

In large bowl blend ground beef, green pepper, and onion. Form meat mixture into 1 1/2 inch meatballs. Heat olive oil in large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add meatballs to skillet and saute until lightly browned. Drain off any excess fat.

Pour tomato sauce over meatballs. Sprinkle with spices. Cover and simmer over medium heat 1 1/2 hours.

Serving suggestions:
Serve over cooked white rice for an "un-stuffed pepper" dish
Serve with cooked elbow noodles mixed in to make a "chili-mac"

Makes 8 servings.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

This one's a classic from the Bisquick box. We like it for a winter "Warm Me Up" lunch.

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned. Remove from heat and drain. Stir in salt. Spread in bottom of prepared pie plate. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

In a small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour over meat mixture. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

SERVINGS: 6-8

TIME: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 45 min. + standing

1 lb uncooked ziti or small tube pasta
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large jar (45 ounces) spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
7.5 ounces (1/2 of a 15 oz container) ricotta cheese
2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in skillet cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. In large bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.

Add pasta to cheese mixture; toss to coat. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce.

Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Crockpot Chili

Crockpot Chili

2 1/2 pounds Ground beef
1 can (29) oz of tomato sauce
1 can (29) oz of kidney beans w/liquid
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (I use one 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes)
1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons chili powder (you can use up to 3 T depending on how spicy you like it)
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
olive oil

Saute onion and green bell pepper in olive oil until onions are translucent; transfer to 5 quart crockpot. In same skillet, brown ground beef and crumble into bite size pieces, drain; transfer to crockpot. Add all remaining ingredients to crockpot. Cook on high for 8 to 10 hours.

Simple Oven Baked Ziti

Simple Oven Baked Ziti

1 (12 oz) pkg ziti, (or your favorite shaped pasta)
1 jar (28 ounces) spaghetti sauce (I use Prego)
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, or to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Mix spaghetti sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ziti. Spoon ziti mixture into 2-quart shallow baking dish, top with parmesan and remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is bubbly. Serves: 4

Cold Taco Salad

Cold Taco Salad

1 lb ground beef
1 head lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
2 med tomatoes, diced
1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16oz) bottle Kraft Thousand Island Dressing
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
1 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 bag Doritos, taco flavor (this flavor is not made anymore, you can sub with your preference)**
** Edit: They brought the taco flavored Doritos back, they are even in the retro style packaging!

In a large bowl combine 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and the thousand island dressing. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, kidney beans, and cheese. Refrigerate.

In a medium skillet, crumble the ground beef and cook until no longer pink; drain well; add water and remaining taco seasoning. Continue to cook meat mixture following instructions on seasoning packet. Allow to cool.

Add meat mixture to salad ingredients. Chill. Just before serving, crush Doritos and mix into salad, or sprinkle them on top.

This can be kept in refrigerator for up to a day.

Pop Pop's Chili

Pop Pop's Best Chili

2 lbs ground beef
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 med onion, chopped
2 15 oz. cans red beans (or light red kidney beans)
1 15 oz. can petite diced or crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 t cumin
2 T chili powder
2 cups water

Brown ground beef in 4-5 quart dutch oven. Drain. Add chopped vegetables and saute with meat until they are softened and onions are translucent. Add remaining ingredients and simmer all day (at least 6-8 hours). Serve with saltines, cheese, chopped green onion, sour cream, or any other favorite chili toppings.

Of course chili always tastes better the second day. I usually sneak one bowl for myself then let it cool and then reheat it for the next night's family dinner. :)

Grandma Kathy's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Grandma Kathy's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1 pkg frozen meatballs*
1 (12 oz) bottle Kraft BBQ Sauce (you want a tangy sauce, not sweet)
3/4 cup grape jelly

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours.

Variations:
Replace the BBQ sauce with a 12 oz bottle of chili sauce.
Add 1 T dijon mustard to the sauce and cook as directed.

Grandma Kathy was an even lazier cook than me! If you prefer homemade meatballs as I do, you can use the meat mixture from Mom's Favorite Meatloaf recipe. Just form the mixture into 1 or 1 1/2 inch balls and saute in a lage skillet until cooked through. Use them in the meatball recipe in place of the frozen meatballs. The smaller size makes a great party appetizer.

Hamburger Pizza

Hamburger Pizza

1 pound ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) pizza sauce
1 tube Grands refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (or 2 tubes of the smaller biscuits)
8 oz. pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. pkg shredded cheddar cheese
OPTIONAL:small package pepperoni and/or other pizza toppings of your choice
Awesome Breadstick Seasoning

Preheat oven to 400º. In large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain. In the mean time, press biscuits onto a large cookie sheet making sure to push edges together so sauce doesn't seep through to the bottom, spread desired amount of sauce over crust, top with the cooked and crumbled ground beef, sprinkle generously with cheeses, top with any other pizza toppings you like. If desired, add some Awesome Breadstick Seasoning to taste. Bake at 400º for 13-18 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and crust is lightly browned.

BBQ Beef Bake

BBQ Beef Bake

2 lbs Ground Beef
8 oz pkg frozen or
1 (15 oz) can mixed vegetables, drained
2 cans refrigerated biscuit dough
1 bottle (12 oz) Bullseye BBQ sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Crumble ground beef into skillet and cook until no longer pink. Drain fat from beef and discard. In a 9x13x2 pan, combine cooked beef, mixed vegetables, and BBQ Sauce. Top with refrigerated biscuit dough. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes or until biscuits are done.

*Some variations on this might include using left-over shredded roast beef in place of the ground beef, gravy in place of the BBQ Sauce, or Bisquick or mashed potatoes in place of the refrigerated biscuit dough.

Taco Noodle Casserole

Taco Noodle Casserole

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg. (7-1/4 oz.) KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese Dinner (the kind with the powdered cheese)
1/4 cup milk
1 (15 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 pkg Low Sodium Taco Seanoning mix
1/2 cup Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Style Cheese (sometimes I just use plain cheddar-or whatever I have on hand. I'm also generous with the cheese and probably use more like a cup or more)
1 green onion, chopped (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Cook the macaroni noodles until just underdone,(approximately 5 minutes); drain well. Meanwhile, brown meat in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add tomatoes, milk, taco seasoning, and cheese packet to skillet; mix well. (If mixture is too dry or pasty just add a little extra milk) Bring to boil. Add noodles to meat mixture. Reduce heat. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, cover with lid and simmer until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onion and a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Variations: Sometimes I mix a few slices of Kraft Singles into the mixture after I add the noodles to make it extra cheesey.

Mom's Favorite Meatloaf

Mom's Favorite Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 egg
8 ounce can tomato sauce, divided
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup water

Mix together meat, onion, green pepper, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, egg, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form into a loaf; place in a baking pan. Mix together remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard and sugar; pour over meat loaf; pour water into pan (do not stir water into sauce mixture.) Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 1 hour, or until done.

Italian Noodle Casserole

Italian Noodle Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
1 box Kraft macaroni & cheese dinner
1 can Delmonte-italian style-stewed tomatoes
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon oregano or basil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon-or more to taste-garlic powder (optional)
1 8 ounce package shredded cheddar cheese (divided)

Crumble and cook the ground beef until it is browned and no longer
pink. Drain if necessary. Add the tomatoes, milk, spices, and cheese
packet from the macaroni & cheese dinner, making sure to stir well so
there are no clumps of cheese powder. You can use a fork or potato
masher to break up the tomatoes if desired. Allow to simmer until
slightly thickened (approximately 5 minutes.)
Meanwhile, cook the macaroni noodles until just underdone,
(approximately 5 minutes) and drain. Add the noodles and half the
shredded cheese to the beef mixture and stir. Top with the remaining
cheese and simmer approximately 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened.
*The extra spices are optional, but I think it's bland without them,
even with the seasoned tomatoes.