Corned Beef and Cabbage

Sometimes, I'll get a question as to why our kids names are so Irish in origin, while our last name, is so clearly not!  Well, the answer is that I myself am a very proud American mutt (as my dad would call us).  Our ancestors hail from many places, but our name (my maiden name) just happens to be Irish.  Our kids names help to preserve some of this aspect of my own history, which is now also theirs.  While we don't have too many authentic Irish customs, my family will get together in some way for St. Patrick's Day for some good ol' corned beef and cabbage.  This is my Aunt Jan's recipe, as she is normally the preparer of the meal.  Once again, when I asked for this recipe from her, it was totally off the cuff.  It sounds a bit like my husband's family's boiled dinner (coming soon!).  No measuring involved and only approximate instructions.  If memory serves me, the last time I made it, it made enough to feed our neighborhood!  But oh so yummy!  I'm hoping to start this tradition in our own home, since our extended family is so far away.  So, along with this recipe, I'll be trying a few others.  If they work out, I'll be sure to post them!

• Corned Beef Round (this year, mine is 2 lbs--I'm guessing hers was at least 5?)
• whole cloves
• 3 bottles of beer (I will cut this back to 1 bottle, since that is all I have.  No specifics here.  Whatever you drink will do, though I'm fairly certain that she uses either Sam Adams or Guinness.)
• 2 cabbage heads (again, this makes a lot, I'm only using one this year)
• carrots
• small white potatoes

1. Push cloves into meat.
2. Fill deep pan with water and boil.  Add meat and 2 bottles of beer and simmer for about an hour (or 20-30 minutes/ lb).
3. Take half of liquid into another pan for vegetables (cabbage, carrots, potatoes).  If needed, add more water to cover vegetables.  (If your pot is big enough, I'm guessing you could cook it all in one pot.)
4. Add 1 bottle of beer and simmer for about an hour.  Keep it on simmer until you are ready to eat!

Mom's Meatloaf

Have you ever wondered why it is that when you cook meatloaf (or anything else for that matter) it never comes out like Mom's?  Well, besides all of the tender loving care that only Mom can put into your meals, I'm sure that the other reason is that she cooked some meals so often because everyone liked them that she no longer used a recipe.  This was true of my grandmother's cooking, and it's becoming true of my mother's cooking.  Whenever I ask for a recipe, it's off the top of her head, and everything is an estimate.  I can relate, as meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes to make, since there is very little you can do to mess it up.  But sometimes, I just want Mom's meatloaf.  And this is it!  (At least, it's how she remembered it the day I asked her!)

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C Parmesan Cheese
• 1/2 C Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 C Oatmeal
• 1/2 C Ketchup OR 1 small can tomato sauce OR some leftover spaghetti sauce (my addition!)
• Salt and Pepper (I skip the salt, as I think there is enough in the previous ingredient)
• Oregano (dried)
• Parsley (dried)

Mix all ingredients well. Place in an 8x8 or (9x9) square glass baking dish.  Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour.

Mom's Lasagna

I recently hosted my husband's colleagues. It was a big group, so I needed something that would feed a lot of people while not tying me up in the kitchen. I thought Italian would be the best option and Lasagna would be perfect. While everyone seems to have a favorite lasagna recipe, and I, myself, have made several variations in the past, my mom's lasagna always comes out perfectly. I wanted to share it and also keep it for posterity. I'm not sure where the recipe comes from, but this is what she uses:

1 lb ground beef
1 lb lasagna noodles (no need to cook!)
32 oz tomato sauce
1 lb ricotta (or cottage cheese)
1 egg (my addition for easier spreading ability)
1/2 lb shredded mozzarella
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. In a saucepan, brown meat. Drain fat and add sauce to the meat.
3. Mix 1 egg with ricotta cheese.
4. On the bottom of a 9x13 pan, pour 1 C of meat mixture, then layer:
1/2 noodles, 1/2 ricotta cheese/egg mixture, 1/2 mozzarella cheese, (1/2 parmesan cheese,) sauce, repeat.
5. Cook at 375 for about 30 minutes or until noodles are done, cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

It's perfect as it is, but there are so many ways to vary this recipe. My mom has made a half beef, half Italian sausage mixture which turns out well. I roasted some red and yellow peppers with 1/2 onion that I then mixed with the ricotta cheese mixture. It was yummy! To be a bit healthier, you could use whole wheat noodles, easily cut out the parmesan cheese, use the mozzarella cheese sparingly, and make sure you are using a lowfat ricotta. It's also a great recipe to sneak in vegetables. I've used fresh spinach in the past. If you make your own sauce, there is so much you can add and the kids won't even notice it! Enjoy!

Mad Hatter Meatballs

This is a recipe that comes from Aunt Donna.  She's a fantastic cook, as most of my family is!  I'm not sure where she found this recipe, but it is great comfort food.  It is also a great recipe to use if you have leftover mashed potatoes you want to re-purpose somehow.  I used to make it quite often, but my kids have grown tired of it.  Nevertheless, it needs to be preserved in my recipe bank!  Thanks Aunt Donna!  Because this one uses lots of soup, the sodium level is quite high.  I always used Healthy Request, or a low sodium option to help alleviate some of this.

• 1 T butter/margarine
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 (10 1/2 oz) can chicken with rice soup
• 1 (10 1/2 oz) can tomato soup
• 1 C water
• Mashed Potatoes

(For Meatballs)

• 1 egg
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 slices torn bread (small pieces)
• 1/4 C evaporated milk (or just plain milk)
• 1 t salt

1. Melt butter/margarine in a large saucepan.  Add and saute pepper and onion until tender.
2. Stir in both soups and the water.  Heat to boiling, then simmer, stirring occasionally as the rice will stick.
3. While the sauce is simmering beat the egg slightly in a bowl.  Add beef, torn bread pieces, milk, and salt.  Mix well.
4. Shape into small balls (ping pong size).  Drop into simmering sauce and cook slowly (uncovered) for about 1 hour or until sauce has thickened like gravy.
5. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Cheeseburger Bread

This recipe I made one day because I felt like making dough (which especially at the time, meant pizza dough), but I didn't feel like eating pizza.  This seemed like something the kids would really like to eat-- and I was right.  I don't make it often, but it is a nice treat once in a while.  I found it on Familyfun.com.  I'm not sure why it was rated so low.  I liked this recipe because it is simple enough to be able to make your own adjustments as you want.  You can add whatever you want to literally make it a burger bread.  (ex. pickles, spinach, tomatoes, onion, etc...)  So, I would have rated it much higher than the website has it rated.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 (16-ounce) box hot-roll mix (I used my pizza dough recipe)
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 10 slices American cheese (I used shredded cheddar, though the sliced may have been easier

 

1. Heat the oven to 375º F. Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drain off the fat and stir in the salt and pepper. Transfer the beef to a bowl and set it aside.
   
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the skillet and sauté the onion and garlic for about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the beef.
   
3. In a large bowl, combine the roll mix, water, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Stir until the dough is formed. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes. Line a 10- by 15-inch cookie sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Place the dough on the sheet, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
   
4. Press the dough out to the edges of the cookie sheet and slice it lengthwise to create two 5- by 15-inch rectangles. Sprinkle the beef mixture over the two doughs and top it with the slices of American cheese.
   
5. Fold over about 1 inch of the short ends, then roll up each rectangle the long way to create 2 loaves. Pinch the ends closed. Reposition the loaves so they're evenly spaced on the cookie sheet and brush the tops with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the loaves cool for about 7 minutes before slicing. Makes 24 servings.
   

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

I made two small loaves out of this recipe tonight, but I've been on my own, the kids are on vacation, and quite frankly, I'm out of my routine.  Trying to re-work the routine actually, but in the process I've made a mess!  So, long story short, I have a lovely meatloaf waiting for us for tomorrow in the frig and a second in the deep freezer.  YUM!  The kids love meatloaf.  I love meatloaf for all of the healthy additions I can stick in without anyone even noticing!  Ever tried pureed carrots or pumpkin or any other puree in the meatloaf for that matter?  This recipe is delicious!  I don't always have ground turkey on hand, so I use beef.  And, really I don't go completely by the recipe anyway, as I use whatever seasonings I like.  And, obviously, I like to make other additions not traditionally in a meatloaf per se.  But, I do follow the process with layering the sauce (or ketchup when short), spinach and cheese...mmm haven't tried pureed veggies in the layer.  I imagine that might work too.  For the life of me, I can't remember where I found this recipe, and since I've now already updated my family blog by deleting all of the links I had listed.  Guess I'll just have to thank the online cooking community in general for all of the yummy recipes I've been finding!  They are certainly keeping us well fed!

1 can mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
fresh baby spinach
spaghetti sauce, divided
shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 C Italian style bread crumbs
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/4 t salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, mix together turkey, beef, egg, bread crumbs, mushrooms, seasoning, and salt.
3. Spoon half of meat mixture onto a greased baking ban.  Flatten and smooth out.
4. Top with a layer of spaghetti sauce, spinach leaves, and shredded cheese.
5. Top with remaining meat, flatten again and then go around the edges and seal, pulling in the loaf away from sides of the pan.
6. Spread some more spaghetti sauce on top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
7. Bake for about an hour or until meat registers at 170 degrees.
8. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.  Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

Oh my was this so good.  This hails from The Pioneer Woman's blog, and I think I've referred to it on at least two different occasions, as the author of the recipe makes his own taco season concoction that I've found to be so tasty!  The amounts used in this recipe could possibly feed a small town.  I halved it and still ended up freezing half!  The kids weren't terribly gaga over this one, I'm not sure if it was the sauces I used.  They may have had a bit too much kick.  However, the rice mixture that is used on one of the layers smells so good it will make you just want to stop the rest of the recipe and eat that.  It made a ton, so we had it on the side and this is more of what the kids ended up eating.  Rice and beans...yum!  Incidentally, Pastor Ryan gives wonderful step by step instructions in the above link.  Each step has it's own picture, as well.  So, if you like pictures (I know I do), it might be worth checking out.  Without further ado, here is the recipe:

• 4 cups Unprepared Rice
• 6 cups (to 8 Cups) Low Sodium Chicken Broth/stock
• 4 whole (to 8) Tomatoes (up To You)
• 2 whole (to 3) Onions (up To You)
• 8 cloves (to 14 Cloves) Of Garlic (up To You)
• Taco Seasoning (or Chili Powder, Paprika, And Cumin) To Taste
• 1 can (to 2 Cans) Black Or Pinto Beans (up To You)
• 3 pounds Lean Ground Beef
• 2 jars (16 Ounce) Salsa Verde
• Flour Tortillas
• 3 packages (16 Ounces) Mexican Cheese Blend
• 1 jar (16 Ounce) Enchilada Sauce
• 3 cans Corn, Drained
• Sour Cream, to taste
• Cilantro, to taste
• Butter

1. Begin by preparing rice with chicken broth/stock. Once prepared, salt to taste. 
2. Chop up tomatoes, onions, and garlic as small as you prefer. Saute in pan with a tablespoon or so of butter. Add approximately 3 tablespoons chili powder, and 1 ½ tablespoon of both paprika and cumin. Stir until nicely combined. Feel free to add beans if you like them… no need to drain. Mix cooked rice together with tomato/onion/garlic mixture.
3. Brown the ground beef using about 3 tablespoons chili powder, 1 ½ tablespoon, paprika and 1 ½ tablespoon of cumin and salt to taste with about 4-6 ounces of water to create the taco beef.
4. Spread one container of salsa verde in the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Layer on tortillas covering salsa verde. Some overlapping is expected. Divide your rice mixture in half and spread it over the layer of tortillas. Divide cheese in half and layer it on top of the rice layer. Approximately 24 ounces of cheese per layer. Add another layer of tortillas on top of your cheese layer. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and spread it out evenly. Add layer of browned ground beef. Add 3 cans of corn (drained) on top of beef layer. Then the remaining amount of rice mixture on top of corn layer followed by the remaining jar of salsa verde, on top of which you will add the remaining cheese (approximately 24ounces) to the top…this is our final layer of ingredients. Sprinkle top with some taco seasoning or cayenne pepper.
5. Bake at 375º for 25-35 minutes until cheese has melted and begins to brown a bit.

Steak Fajita Chili

This is another great one from Aggieland Mommy Cooks.  I have adapted it a bit just to make it even more simpler for me, but otherwise, a great recipe that is company worthy, especially during football season!

1 lb flank steak (I use cubed stew meat and cook all of this in the crockpot)
2 T vegetable oil
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 c water
3 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15 oz) can ranch-style beans
1 (15 oz) can black beans
1 (14.5 oz) can petit diced tomatoes
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
3 t Ancho chili powder
2 t ground cumin
2 t fresh lime juice
1 t garlic salt
1 t ground black pepper
garnish: shredded sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream

Cut steak across grain into thin strips. Cut strips into 1" pieces.
2. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add steak; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add peppers and onions; cook 5 minutes. Stir in water through pepper.
4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.
5. Garnish with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Taco Casserole

Here is an easy recipe you can whip together and let it simmer all day in a crockpot!  Don't ya love it when dinner's already cooked?  This, once again, comes from Stephanie's blog and it is definitely a keeper.  I will give you the original recipe from her blog, and then add in my own modifications for it (because I just can't leave well enough alone!)

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned
• 14 1/2 oz can rotel
• 10 3/4 oz can cream of onion soup
• 1 pkg dry taco seasoning
• 1/4 c water
• 6 corn tortillas cut into 1/2" strips
• 1/2 c sour cream
• 1 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced

1. Combine beef, tomatoes (rotel), soup, seasoning, and water in slow cooker.
2. Stir in tortilla strips.
3. Cover. Cook on low 7-8 hours.
4. Spread sour cream over casserole. Sprinkle with cheese.
5. Cover. Let stand 5 minutes until cheese melts.

**My modifications:

• I added one diced onion to the beef while it was browning.
• I had to add vegetables to the mix, or I have no chance for the kids to eat any!  Add about 2C chopped fresh baby spinach (although frozen would likely work too), 1 1/2C frozen corn, 1 can Ranch style beans with liquid (or you could use any canned bean drained is preferable, this was just the only beans I had on hand, and what's ranch style beans without the liquid?)  
• I added an additional 2 corn tortillas-- maybe to soak up the additional liquid I had just put in?
• I can never find cream of onion soup, so I substituted cream of mushroom. (Also the reason for the added onion with the beef.)
• I didn't the last time I made this, but you could also substitute the taco seasoning for about for 1 lb of beef, you can try 1.5 Tbs chili powder and 2 tsp each of the paprika and cumin. (a little tip I learned from Pioneer Woman's blog)  It will significantly help at reducing the amount of sodium in this dish.

Green Chili Stew

I've made this recipe several times.  Each time it's been gobbled up with no chance for leftovers.  Thank you to Full Bellies Happy Kids for another successful recipe!  (See her site for pictures!)

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies
• 1 cup water
• 3 beef bouillon cubes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, optional

1. In a large skillet, brown beef and onions in oil; drain. 
2. Transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker.
3. Combine the beans, tomatoes, chilies, water, bouillon, garlic, sugar, salt if desired and pepper; pour over beef.
4. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until beef is tender. 
5. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. 
Yield: 8 servings.

Crockpot Enchilada Casserole

Ahhhh the crockpot.  Where would I be in this world without it?  At a restaurant, getting a last minute, very expensive (nutritiously and monetarily speaking) meal, that's where!  This is yet another favorite courtesy of Full Bellies Happy Kids, it calls for quite a bit of cayenne (especially for small children). Despite cutting the amount in half, the kids still squawked over the spice. Now if we go out to eat a Tex-Mex place, they could probably drink the salsa from the bowl.  But in my cooking, the more bland the better!  SO, if you don't like spice you may want to cut it out.  Otherwise, I thought half was a perfectly mild amount just to give it a little bite. Since it is a casserole, I would also add some beans and maybe some corn. Incidentally, I should mention that I bought the wrong tortillas for this recipe, and so ended up with half corn and half flour -- it didn't seem to matter. Though, the corn may add a bit more flavor to the mix.  Also, if you'd like to cut out some of the salt, you could try to substitute the taco seasoning mix for your own non-salt concoction of chili powder, paprika and cumin.  You can really make it to your liking, but as a frame of reference, for 1 lb of beef, you can try 1 Tbs chili powder and 1.5 tsp each of the paprika and cumin.  You may need to add a bit of water to the beef to be able to mix it well, especially when using a really lean beef.  Thank you Pastor Ryan and Pioneer Woman for the tip!

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 lb ground beef, browned
1 package taco seasoning mix
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
9 corn tortillas


1. Blend tomatoes with onion and garlic in blender.

2. Pour in medium saucepan.

3. Add pepper, salt and tomato paste.

4. Heat until boiling, then simmer 5 to10 minutes.

5. Place 3 tortillas in bottom of crock pot.

6. Layer on tortillas 1/3 of ground beef, 1/3 tomato sauce and 1/3 Cheddar cheese, then 3 more tortillas.

7. Repeat each layer 2 more times, ending with cheese.

8. Cover and cook on low 5 to 6 hours.

9. (I usually go 5 hours to keep beef from overcooking).