Tag Archives: ground beef

Quick and Easy Meal

Sometimes you just need something quick, easy and filling for a meal. On nights when I am in this position, this recipe is a good option. It’s also not an expensive option which given the economic climate is a point in its favor. This is of course a gluten free version. Ingredients 16 ounces ground beef 1 tablespoon Shiraz 1 onion 2 cloves garlic Half green bell pepper 1 teaspoon chili flakes 1 teaspoon Italian herbs 3 tablespoons tomato paste Half a 15 ounce tin of brown lentils 1 15 ounce tin mixed beans 6 gluten free corn tortillas. I … Continue reading →

Chili Corn Meatballs

When we’re cooking meals every day, it’s easy to get so stuck in the rut of using the same tried and proven recipes that we forget to venture out and try something new, or we simply can’t be bothered. I have a few books where I have written out some of my favorites over the years. The other day I was looking for another recipe, when I came across this one. ‘Oh, that used to be good and we haven’t had that in ages ‘I said to my husband who agreed. So I made it that week. One thing I … Continue reading →

On the Menu in My House: Five-Alarm Chili and Super Simple Sloppy Joes

There are some people in this world who simply refuse to eat leftovers. I happen to have grown up with one and presently live with another, so I know the frustration that comes with having to make a separate dish for these picky eaters. Tonight, I planned to reheat the Five-Alarm Chili leftover from Super Bowl Sunday, but I know that move would result in discontent among the diners. (Four days is a bit long for leftovers, but I examined it and it seems fine.) So, I’m going with Plan B. I’ll eat the chili and make my Super Simple … Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Weeknight Recipes

With Halloween just a few days away you might be looking for dinner recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. If you are like me, then you also want a recipe that contains more nutrients than a bag of Skittles, so your little ghosts and goblins have the energy they need to canvas the neighborhood. Growing up my parents wouldn’t allow us to begin trick-or-treating until we ate a nutritious dinner. Of course, getting squirmy, excited kids to chow down on a plate full of chicken and broccoli was never an easy task. These days parents have a bigger … Continue reading →

Autumn Recipes: G is for Ghoulish Goulash

By the looks of the racks at Wal-Mart, Target, and Toys R Us if you don’t already have your child’s Halloween costume you might be out of luck. Like it or not Halloween has turned into a season rather than a single day. Years back I tried to fight it. I resisted the temptation to give into the hype and start celebrating the holiday prior to the last week in October, but these days people start prepping for Halloween in late August. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, I guess. Hence, this next recipe. If you are looking for … Continue reading →

Autumn Recipes: E is for Easy Taco Soup

Now that the temperatures are cooling down our local McDonald’s has returned soup to its daily menu. (The McDonald’s here in Wisconsin takes soup off the menu during the summer months while the McDonald’s in my hometown in Hawaii keeps theirs on year-round—-go figure!) This in turn has me itching to make a batch of my favorite taco soup. If you read my food blogs on a regular basis you know that I am by no means a gourmet chef. While I love spending time in the kitchen and experimenting with new recipes and unique kitchen gadgets, I mainly cook … Continue reading →

Quick and Easy Back-to-School Dinners

With year round school back in session for kids across the country, weeknights just got that much busier for home cooks. This is the time of year when overworked moms and dads are looking for quick, easy and affordable dishes to make that the whole family will enjoy. The following recipes fit those requirements. Both can be made in less than 20 minutes. What’s more, they can easily be doubled so you’ll have enough leftovers for another night. I prepare both dishes with ground turkey but you could easily substitute with ground beef to fit your family’s taste. EASY TURKEY … Continue reading →

Super Easy Super Bowl Finger Foods

The NFL’s biggest game of the year is just a few days away and today my local grocery store was packed with shoppers loading up for Super Bowl parties. (At least according to the folks standing in front and back of me in line.) Frankly, I was a bit surprised that so many Wisconsinites planned to go all out for a game they were convinced they would be watching in person while cheering on the Green Bay Packers. Alas, it appears those same fans plan to replace the bitter taste in their mouths with chips and dip and other spicy … Continue reading →

My Family’s Favorite All-in-One Meal

Yesterday I told you about a rare event in my home—having extra ground beef in the refrigerator. It came in very handy in preparing a number of easy and affordable all-in-one meals. Not only did I have enough meat to make the Beef and Asparagus Pasta Toss and the Sloppy Joes on Wheels I also had a pound leftover to make one of my family’s favorite Sunday night dinners—-Easy Meatballs, Vegetables and Pasta. (Don’t let the name fool you—-they are more like meat squares than balls.) Only this week our favorite Sunday meal will be served on Monday, as we … Continue reading →

Simple and Tasty Ways to Use Extra Ground Beef

Ordinarily there is nothing remotely close to “extra” ground beef anywhere near my kitchen, but since I committed to making Spicy Sloppy Joes (among other dishes) to take to a football viewing party tomorrow I happened to have a few extra pounds of beef in my refrigerator. As such I was able to prepare two tasty and affordable one-dish meals to feed my family this weekend. (Both can be modified to feed more than four people.) Two other perks of these dishes are their simplicity (all of the ingredients are kid-friendly and take less than 30 minutes to prepare) and … Continue reading →