Porcupine Meatballs

I am a sucker for comfort food. When I was growing up, my Aunt Bev made these meatballs every time I spent the night over at her house. They were my favorite and she knew that and made them for me with love every time. I remember watching her make them so many times. When I was a young mom and wife I started making these meatballs for my own family. Never had a recipe, but made it by memory. A few times I had to call her to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything, but now I can make them in my sleep. I usually serve these meatballs with mashed potatoes, but have used noodles and rice as well.

Porcupine Meatballs

Ingredients
1.5 lbs ground beef
2 T butter
1 (6.8oz) box Beef Rice A Roni
1 egg
1 1/4c water

Directions
1.Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl and set aside
2. in a skillet on medium heat, add the butter. When it melts, add the rice a roni. NOT the seasoning packet just yet. Just the rice. Stir the rice and the butter for about 2 minutes, until the rice is coated and begins to darken a bit. Remove the rice from the skillet into a bowl to cool.
3. When the rice has cooled, add it to the ground beef, along with the egg. Using our hands, mix it all well. Make meatballs ( I usually have around 23-25 meatballs) and place them in the skillet that you browned the rice in. 
4. Om med high heat, brown the tops and then turn and brown the other side of the meatballs.
5. In a mixing cup, add the water and the reserved seasonings packet. Stir very well , making sure there are no lumps. Pour the water mixture in the skillet with the meatballs. 
6. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer and cover ( I use a piece of aluminum foil)  for about 15 minutes, until the rice is soft and the meat is cooked through. You may need to add a bit of water if the meatballs are soaking up the moisture, just check it every few minutes and add as needed. 
7. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles.

Easy Weeknight Korean Beef

This is a tried and true recipe that everyone in my household loves. Korean Beef. This is not authentic korean beef. But the flavors are close , even with it being Americanized. Sweet, spicy carmelized ground beef over steamed rice. So good. And it is so quick to put together and inexpensive to make. You can always add steamed veggies to the meat to make it more substantial. If I have fresh broccoli or cauliflower , I will usually serve it on the side. But it is just as good without the veggies. 1/4 c of brown sugar is enough for us ( and a scant one at that) , but you can add up to 1/2 c if you like the meat a bit sweeter. You can sub  the Sriracha sauce for crushed red pepper. I usually use the crushed red pepper, but my husband prefers the Sriracha. There are never any leftovers with this one.



Weeknight Korean Beef
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 T vegetable oil
3 T brown sugar
1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or Sriracha sauce,to taste)
1 bunch green onions

Directions
1.Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and garlic. Brown an drain off the fat.
2.Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger, black pepper and crushed red pepper ( or sriracha sauce). Simmer for a few minutes to heat through, stirring well.
3. Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes

In my opinion,you can't get more kid friendly than sloppy joes. My husband and sons love these things.I have a few recipes that I use,but this one gets the most compliments from them.The perfect tangy ,tomato-y sandwich. This recipe used sweet relish,which I love in my sloppy joes. I double the recipe and there is enough for lunches the next day. ** The longer it simmers to meld the flavors,the better.

Old Fashioned Sloppy Joes

• 2 lbs ground chuck
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup ketchup
• 6 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• 2 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 6 hamburger buns, toasted

1. Brown ground chuck and onion in a large nonstick skillet, stirring until meat crumbles; drain.
2. Stir in ketchup and next 5 ingredients.
3. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Spoon meat mixture over bottom halves of buns; top with remaining halves.

Nana's Spaghetti Sauce

This recipe is my nana's ground beef spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti sauce is a  food that everyone seems to have their versions of. This is the best spaghetti sauce that I have ever tasted. Everyone that has tasted it has enjoyed it and gone back for seconds. I do  make a double batch and freeze the leftovers for busy weeknights. Serve with a salad and big, crusty bread and you have a complete meal. This recipe calls for ground beef but you can certainly lighten it up with ground turkey.And please don't leave out the Heinz 57 sauce. It is crucial to the outcome. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

                               Homestyle Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

3 lbs ground beef

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon onion powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Heinz 57 steak sauce

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

Directions

Brown onion and green pepper in a large skillet in a small amount of oil.

Add ground beef to the onion and green peppers; cook until brown.

Carefully drain the hamburger mixture and return to the skillet.

Add the tomato sauce, onion salt, salt, garlic salt, oregano, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Heinz 57 and Italian seasoning.

Stir well and simmer on low heat for 2-3 hours.

Serve over your favorite pasta with garlic bread and a salad.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

I am forever  looking for creative recipes using ground beef. Especially when it is on sale . Usually, ground beef recipes are a life saver for me on busy weeknights. It doesn't take long to cook and you can add so many different sauces to make pasta, casseroles or sloppy joes. My kids love sloppy joes. I make them often, knowing they will be eaten with happy faces around the dinner table . You can also check out my Homemade Sloppy Joes recipe  and Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes  . These sloppy joes are reminiscent of Philly cheesesteaks, although I do not use provolone cheese . I know, I know. Everyone knows philly cheesesteaks use provolone. But after making these for many years and trial and error. I like the combo of mozzarella and gouda. And I even used mozzarella and parmesan once when that was all I had and it worked beautifully. Basically,  use any cheese that you  want. This recipe makes a bunch. But I have a houseful of teenage boys, so I make huge amounts of food anyway. So cut the recipe in half if you have a smaller family to feed. 

Philly Cheesecake Sloppy Joes

Ingredients 
2 lbs ground beef
4 T butter
1 yellow onion, diced small
1 green pepper, diced small
4 oz white mushrooms, minced
4 T ketchup
2 T worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 T plus 1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 c beef broth
2 slices gouda cheese, diced small
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
8-12 buns

Directions
1. In a medium to large skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through. Remove beef to a bowl and keep warm.
2.In the same skillet, add the butter, onions, green peppers and mushrooms. Cook on medium heat until the vegetables are soft, about 2 minutes.
3. Add beef back to the skillet. Stir.
4. In a measuring cup add the beef broth and cornstarch and stir until you have a light brown slurry.
5. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and beef broth/cornstarch mixture.
6. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until the liquid is reduced and the sloppy joes thicken up a bit.
7. Turn off the heat and add the gouda and mozzarella cheese. Stir well until all of the cheese is melted .
8. Serve hot on buns.

Beef & Cabbage Soup

My husband has dinner duty every once in awhile and I love not having to come up with dinner. I get burned out more often than I care to admit trying to feed everyone day in and day out and keep it interesting. So when he offers to make dinner, I happily agree.  He is a great cook in his own right, and this soup was awesome. Homey and satisfying on a cold  night.

Beef & Cabbage Soup

1 pound ground beef 1/2 large onion, chopped 5 cups chopped cabbage 2 c cauliflower florets 1 /2 c diced carrot 3 cups water 1 can rotel tomatoes, undrained 4 beef bouillon cubes 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper

	Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium high heat. Add ground beef and onion, and cook until beef is well browned and crumbled. Drain fat, and transfer beef to a slow cooker. Add cabbage, cannelini beans, water, tomatoes, beef bouillon, cumin,garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to dissolve bouillon, and cover.
	Simmer over medium high heat for about an hour and a half. Stir occasionally.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

This is one of those recipes that take a short amount of time to make, yet it has the flavors that most everyone enjoys. Especially kids. Think taco pasta cups. The thing I love about this particular recipe is that I can make the individual toppings that make both kids and parents happy. Usually my kids load their shells with lots of cheese and sour cream. But I always dice a red onion and let it sit in lime juice for about 15 minutes, chop up a small bunch of cilantro and avocado for the adults. I served these shells with a cumin spiced black bean and corn salad, which I added to my shells before adding the sour cream. Super yummy meal to make on a weeknight.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients
1 box jumbo pasta shells
1-2 T butter
1.5 lbs lean ground beef, turkey or chicken
2T taco seasoning ( I use Penzey's)
3 oz  cream cheese ( I use reduced fat)
1 c salsa
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 c shredded hot pepper jack cheese
1.5 cups tortilla chips, crushed ( I use tortilla strips)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*. Cook the pasta shells according to the package directions.Drain shells, gently toss in butter and set aside.

In a large skillet, brown the meat, turkey  or chicken. Season with the 2T taco seasoning. Stir in the cream cheese until well blended. Let the meat mixture simmer on low for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Fill each shell with meat mixture and set in a lightly greased casserole dish. (9 x 13 ). Spoon the salsa over the shells and top with the cheese and tortilla chips. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and the meat is warmed through. Serve with sour cream, onions, lettuce;or any other taco toppings you prefer.

Rainy Day Chili

This weekend was a cool, rainy one. We stayed close to home. We watched movies, baked bread and read books and magazines. Perfect weather for chili ! Easy, no frills , stick to your ribs chili ! I make this in the fall and winter and it is always welcomed, especially with squares of homemade cornbread.

Rainy Day Chili

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 (29 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (29 ounce) cans kidney beans ( with liquid)
• 1 (29 ounce) cans pinto beans ( with liquid)
• 1 cup diced onion ( , 1 medium onion)
• 1/2 cup diced green chili pepper ( , 2 chilies)
• 1/4 cup diced celery ( , 1 stalk)
• 3 medium Tomatoes, chopped
• 3 teaspoons cumin powder
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 cups water

Directions

1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Drain off the fat.
3. In a large pot, combine the beef plus all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat.
4. Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, for 2 to 3 hours.

Baked Beef Enchiladas

I buy ground beef  in  bulk and cook it all at once and freeze it into individual portions. That way I can pull out what I need to add to soups, sloppy joes, tacos and enchiladas. My kids seem  to gravitate towards mexican food,  so I try to put something on the menu every week that will satisfy their craving for tacos! These enchiladas are so good. But I warn you, they are a it time consuming, so you might want to take that into consideration when you make these. Definitely not a throw and go recipe.Serve with mexican rice and black beans and you have a meal that will make your family very happy!

Baked Beef Enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce

    * 1/4 cup shortening
    * 1/4 cup  flour
    * 2 tablespoons chili powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon  oregano
    * 1/2 teaspoon  cumin
    * 1/2 teaspoon  garlic powder
    * 1/2 teaspoon  salt
    * 2 cups water
    * 2 (8 ounce) cans  tomato sauce
    * 3 teaspoons beef boullion granules


Enchiladas

    * 1 1/2 lbs  ground beef
    * 1 onion, chopped
    * salt
    * pepper
    * 1/2 cup oil
    * 1 dozen corn tortilla
    * 3 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:


   1. In skillet put in shortening and melt, add flour and cook just until lightly browned.
   2. Add seasonings making a paste.
   3. Add water gradually then add tomato sauce and add beef granules.
   4. Cook until thick stirring constantly.
   5. In separate skillet, cook ground beef and onions until done; drain.
   6. Salt and pepper to taste.
   7. Place 1/2 cup oil in pan and heat.
   8. Heat the tortillas in oil, one by one.
   9. Dip the tortillas in the sauce.
  10. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons ground beef mixture to each tortilla and a little sprinkle of cheese.
  11. In a 9x13 pan spread a thin layer of sauce on bottom.
  12. Roll up enchiladas and place in pan.
  13. Cover enchiladas with remaining sauce and cheese
  14. Bake in oven at 350°F degrees for 30 minutes.

Meatloaf Muffins

These little meatloaf muffins are a cinch to make. Kids and husbands alike love them. I usually double the batch and freeze the leftovers for quick lunches. You can use beef or turkey.I always use ground turkey, and they come out moist and flavorful.And I use Herb Stuffing. I buy it in bulk and I think the herb has the best flavor.

Meatloaf Muffins
1 (6 ounce) box Stove Top stuffing mix
2 eggs
1 cup water
2 lbs ground beef or turkey
ketchup (optional)

1.Mix all ingredients except ketchup.
2.Spray muffin tins with cooking spray
3.Fill muffins tins to top.
4.Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes