Tater Tot Casserole

2 lb bag of frozen tater tots (will not use all)

1 c grated cheddar cheese

1 lb. ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/2 c milk

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cook hamburger; drain. Add soup and milk to meat.

3. Line a 9x9 baking dish with a layer of tater tots. Cover tots with meat mixture, then top that with cheese. Add another layer of tater tots.

4. Cook about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Serves 6

Comments:  This is one of the easiest dishes ever.  The original recipe called for 2 lbs. of tater tots and a 13 x 9 baking dish.  I used a 9 x 9 and only just over half of the tots.  The original called for ½ lb. of ground beef.  I used 1 lb.  It called for 2 cups of cheese but I only used 1 cup.  It also called for a layer of tots, layer of beef, layer of cheese and repeat the layers.  I did a layer of tots, all of the ground beef, all of the cheese over the beef, and one more layer of tots.  This is a dish even the kids will love.

Beef & Potato Casserole

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 small green pepper, trimmed and chopped

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 large potatoes, peeled and sliced (parboil in lightly salted boiling water for five minutes, then drain)

120g of grated cheddar cheese (1 cup)

For the sauce:

1 tin of condensed Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted

1 small onion, peeled and grated

125ml of single cream (1/2 cup)

1 heaped dessert spoon of sour cream (about 1/4 cup)

3 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.   Butter a large oblong glass casserole dish.   Set aside.

Whisk together the soup, onion, cream, sour cream, Parmesan Cheese, garlic powder, seasoning salt and black pepper.   Set aside.

Spray a large skillet with non stick cooking spray.  Crumble in the ground beef.  Scramble fry until it is no longer pink.  Add the onion, green papper, garlic, seasoning salt and black pepper and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the beef begins to brown and the vegetables have softened.

Begin to layer the ingredients into the prepared baking dish as follows.  One third of the potatoes, half of the meat, 1/3 of the soup, 1/3 of the cheese, one third potatoes, remaining half of meat, 1/3 of the soup, 1/3 of the cheese, remaining potatoes, then remaining soup and cheese.  Cover with a sheet of foil which has been buttered on one side, buttered side down.   Place on a baking sheet and bake for one hour in the preheated oven.  Uncover and bake for about 30 minutes longer until the potatoes are fork tender and everything is nicely bubbling and golden brown.

Note: If you want you can add an additional handful of cheddar cheese to the top for the last half hour of baking.  I often do and nobody complains at all!  Delicious!

Comment:  The pictures of this dish looked so good that I had to give it a try.  Surprise!  I made no changes, this time.  Next time I want to make this with a wild rice blend instead of the potatoes.  I have no doubt that I'll love it.  As it is with the potatoes, I as well as my food testers that were lucky enough to try this dish, all loved it.  It even makes the 'Meat and Potato Eater' happy.  Go to the site The English Kitchen for more really beautiful dishes, many of which I can't wait to try.  Oh yeah, I did add the cheddar cheese to the top and I also had no complains.

Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper (green or red), chopped
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. water
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic
1/4 cup ketchup
6 rolls or buns


In a large skillet cook ground beef, onion and peppers until meat is brown and vegetables are tender.  Drain.  Stir in tomato sauce, water, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and ketchup.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 5 minutes.  Serves 6


Comments:  When wanted a recipe for a healthy Sloppy Joes and ran across one in one of my Better Homes & Gardens Cookbooks.  I made a couple of changes.  I made my own tomato sauce by running a can of tomatoes in sauce through the blender.  I used garlic instead of garlic salt and added the ketchup.  For my buns I used Bagel Thins with Everything.  This added to the flavor but also kept the dish healthy.  Taste wise - this is delicious!  I never once noticed the elimination of salt.

Taco Pie

Taco Pie

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup chopped, mixed onions & bell peppers
6 oz. cream cheese, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. dry Taco seasoning mix
1 large can (8) and 1 small can (4) crescent rolls
1/4 cup (1 small can, drained) sliced black olives
1 cup cheddar cheese
Salsa

Sour Cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a frying pan on med. high heat cook beef, onions and peppers until beef is done.  Drain.  Add cream cheese, sour cream and Taco seasoning.  Stir until smooth over med. heat.  Separate crescent rolls.  Place in deep dish pie pan, sprayed with non-stick spray, by laying them out like pie slices.  Press to seal seams.  Pour meat mixture into the pie shell. Bake 30-40 minutes or until crust is done.  Remove from oven and add black olives and cheese.  Return to oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve with salsa and sour cream.  Serves 6.

Comment:  This idea came from a recipe I found for Hamburger Pie in one of my older cookbooks.  I thought the concept would make a great Taco Pie.  The original recipe called for 1 can of crescent but that wasn't quite enough for my pan so I used 3 from the small can to make my full crust.  The Taco seasoning I used was the mild McCormick brand and I added until I had the flavor strength that I personally wanted.  You might want to add more or less, depending on your own taste.  The black olives were a last minute decision and they not only made the dish look good but also added a delicious taste.  And when I say mixed onions and bell peppers, I buy a frozen combination that is actually about 2/3 onion to 1/3 bell peppers.  This too is something you can adjust to your own taste buds.  I will say that the crust may not look as professional as a regular pie crust but the slight sweetness from the crescents are a great addition for the taste of this dish.

Comment from Food Tester Carol:  Imagine a flaky pie crust and a pie filling made up of the very filling you would make for tacos!  It's as simple as that and ten times more delicious than you can imagine.  This is the recipe that my family wants me to make every two weeks, a new family tradition!  Martha has simplified the recipe for us, starting with the crescent rolls used as the pie crust and the taco seasoning.  The taco flavors are all there form the ground beef and onions to the sour cream.  A truly delicious meal!

Taco Beef & Rice Casserole

1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 pkg (1.25) Taco seasoning
1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes in sauce
1 can (14 oz.) corn, undrained
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
2 cups rice, cooked
2 cups shredded cheese
1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In 3 qt. sauce pan, brown ground beef.  Drain and add back to pan.  Add Taco seasoning, tomatoes, corn, and cream cheese.  Mix well and heat over med. high heat until cream cheese has melted and mixture is smooth.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Mix rice and 1 cup of the cheese.  Spread evenly on the bottom of the baking dish.  Gently pour meat mixture over rice.  Cover with 1 cup of shredded cheese.  Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.  Sprinkle with crushed chips and bake another 5 minutes.  Serves 8.

Comments:  This recipe originally called for Philadelphia Santa Fe Blend Cooking Cream, which I couldn't find in my local grocery store so I made do by using the Taco seasoning and regular cream cheese.  It also used just part of the cream cheese in the meat sauce with the balance being added along with the shredded cheese.  I added all of my cream cheese and seasonings to the mixture.  I also increased the amount of cheese and tortilla chips.  The original called for 1 cup of each.  I eliminated the onions, only because I forgot them and changed from fire-roasted tomatoes to diced with sauce.  This recipe and my changes are the perfect example of Thinking With My Taste Buds.  And boy was this dish a hit with my food testers.

Dirty Rice Chorizo Patties

1 box Dirty Rice Mix (cooked according to package and cooled)
1 lb. Chorizo (remove casings)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cooled rice, chorizo and cheese blending well.  Place a cookie cooking rack on a baking dish with sides.  Cover the rack with parchment paper.  Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Press mixture into patties.  Brown on both sides being careful when turning.  Cook 3 - 4 patties at a time so you don't over crowd the pan.  Place browned patties on parchment paper covered rack.  Place patties in oven and cook 20-25 minutes.  Makes 8 - 10 patties depending upon size.

Comments - Chorizo is greasy so to remove some of the grease from the patty I used the cookie rack covered with parchment paper.  The rack allows the patties to drain as they finish cooking in the oven.  You can use just about any rice you like.  A good wild rice mix such as Zatarain's would be wonderful.  The cheddar cheese adds another flavor to this dish but you can use any flavor of cheese you might like.  The Mexican blend would be good.  This is a simple yet simply delicious dish to make. 

Now I'll tell you about the Chorizo that I used.  While attending a 'customer appreciation' event I had the honor of meeting Kathy Beam.  She and her husband Luke own Beam Family Farms.  They raise 100% grass-grown Gelbvieh beef using no hormone injections and no antibiotics.  Their cattle is raised the natural way as nature intended - in pastures.  I started buying their ground beef when I heard about the 'pink' stuff being added to the beef sold in the stores.  When I took my first bite of their beef Chorizo I was so impressed that I had to come up with a special recipe just for them.  And boy is it a winner.  My food testers that have had the preasure of eating one of the patties has had nothing but raving remarks.  Eventhough BEEF Beam Family Farms is located in North Carolina, you can still enjoy their product by ordering from their website and having it shipped.  Believe me, this beef is worth it.

Beefy Potato & Broccoli Casserole

1 lb. thin sliced beef, steak or small roast
4 med. red potatoes, evenly sliced into circles
1 med. onion, evenly sliced into circles
1 bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 Tbl. oi
l1/2 cup shredded chesse
1 cup fresh broccoli tops
salt and pepper to taste

Saute beef in 1 Tbl. until no longer red, remove from pan. Saute onions and peppers in 1 Tbl. oil until slightly tender. Layer potatoes in a 2 qt. baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are done. Evenly place meat on top of potatoes. Evenly place potatoes and peppers over meat. Place broccoli around edges of dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Place back into the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and broccoli is slightly tender. Serves 6

Changes - add some garlic to the onions and peppers. Use ground beef instead of sliced beef. Or give it a totally different flavor by using chicken. Cook the chicken until done and slice or chop.