Waikiki Meatballs

Meatballs:
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
2/3 cup cracker crumbs
1/3 cup minced onion
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 cup milk
Sauce:
3 T cornstarch
1 (13oz) can pineapple tidbits, save syrup for sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/3 cup chopped green peppers
3/4 cup sliced carrots/parboiled
1/2 cup sliced celery parboiled

Mix meatball ingredients throughly.  Shape mixture by rounded tablespoons into balls.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes
Mix cornstarch and sugar.  Stir in reserved pineapple syrup, vinegar, and soy sauce until smooth.  Pour into skillet.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute with chopped green pepper.  Add meatballs, pineablle tidbits and parboiled carrots and celery heat through.  Serve over cooked rice.

Stuffed Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Extra Lean Ground Beef
1 Cup Onion, diced
14 1/2 oz can Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)
2 cups Green and/or Red Bell Peppers
15 oz can Tomato Sauce
3 cups Beef Broth
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup cooked rice

Directions:
Brown the beef with your onion in a skillet over medium heat.  Drain the beef and onions and place in your slow cooker.    Add the Rotel (juice and all) and the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Beef Pot Pie

Ingredients:
1 leftover pot roast, chopped up into bite size pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 potatoes, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
2 carrots, sliced
3/4 cup frozen peas
2 packages brown gravy mix
2 cups water
1/2 tsp marjorum
1/2 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 9 inch pie crusts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Place chopped up vegetables (onion, celery, potatoes, carrots) into frying pan with oil. Cook until onion is translucent. Add 2 brown gravy mixes, 2 cups of water, and frozen peas. Cover and let simmer until potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Add the chopped up pot roast. Add marjorum, thyme, salt and pepper and mix through. Let simmer until everything is heated through (won't take long). Place pie crust in pie pan. Add in the pot pie filling and top with pie crust. Follow directions for pie crust but I cooked this for 20 minutes at 425

Meatballs

My next door neighbor is in incredible shape. I could only dream of looking like her. So when she tells me something I listen. For instance when I found out she eats the egg rolls Wal-mart sells, you better bet I went out and bought them for myself. So when I ran a half marathon recently she gave me advice on what to eat to prepare for the race. She gave me a bean salad to eat 2 days before and these meatballs to eat the afternoon before the race. She said they would both give me so much energy--and I think they did. I got the recipe from her so I can make them for myself. It may be my new ritual for long distance races.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs lean (93/7) ground beef
3-4 stalks celery chopped up fine
1 small yellow onion, chopped up fine
bundle of parsley chopped up
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1.5 cups wheat germ

Directions:
Put the first 4 ingredients in a big bowl. Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and wheat germ and mash it all together. Place water in a big pot and bring to a boil. Make meatballs and add them to the water to boil. Boil for about 40 minutes until done. Boiling the meatballs draws all of the fat away from the meatball so they are healthier.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
3 cups Mashed potatoes
1 14oz can green beans or frozen green beans
1 chopped onion
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp thyme
1 clove garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet. Drain the grease. Add the can of mushroom soup, thyme and garlic. Pour into 9 inch casserole dish. Place drained green beans on top of the meat mixture. Place the mashed potatoes on top of the green beans. Bake in the oven at 350 for 30 minutes.

Meal in a Pumpkin

My mother-in-law introduced me to this recipe many years ago. It is a fun one to make for Halloween. We have had this every year since the kiddoes were very small. I personally love it.

Ingredients:

1 10" pumpkin

1 onion, chopped

2 T oil

1 1/2-2lbs ground beef

2 T soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8oz can water chestnuts, drained

1 4 oz can mushrooms, drained (I like fresh)

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

Directions:

Saute onion in oil, add meat and brown. Drain and add all ingredients but the rice, water chesnuts and mushrooms. Simmer 10 minutes. Add rice, water chestnuts and mushrooms. PUt in cleaned out pumpkin. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours with lid on. You'll know it's done when the pumpkin is soft.

Sour Cream Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (you could use chicken too)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small can chopped green chiles

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1 pint sour cream

shredded cheese

corn tortillas

1 T oil

Directions:

Brown ground beef. I cooked my onions with the beef but I think my mother in law just uses raw onion. Place chicken soup, chopped chiles, and sour cream in a saucepan and heat to boiling point. Meanwhile, place tortilla one at a time in hot oil, let fry just until hot, place on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. On tortilla add sauce, cheese, onions, and meat. Roll tortillas and place in 9x13 baking pan. Pour leftover sauce over rolled tortillas, sprinkle with cheese. Place in 350 oven to heat through and cheese to melt.

Italian Saute

This is a recipe I've had for a long time. I used to make it quite frequently but Shane started complaining about all of my spinach recipes. I'm a big fan of spinach, the rest of my family--not so much. It was nice pulling this recipe out of retirement. I liked it as much as I remembered and no one complained about the spinach.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (I put in a lot more than that)
1 0z can tomato sauce
2 T parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 10oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:
In large skillet cook ground beef and drain off extra fat. Add onion and mushrooms and continue to cook until moisture is absorbed. Add tomato sauce, parsley flakes, garlic powder, basil, oregano, and seasoned salt. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine spinach and cottage cheese. Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese over meat mixture. Spoon cottage cheese mixture evenly over meat. Spread remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Cover skillet and simmer 15 min. Serve.

Easy Taco Soup

Ingredients:
1lb hamburger (or shredded chicken)
1 small onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
4 cups water
4 cups spaghetti sauce
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp salt
shredded cheese
sour cream
tortilla chips

Directions:
Brown the hamburger. Place hamburger in crock pot. Add onion, water, spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir. Cook on ow 3-4 hours. Serve in individual bowls, top with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream. This could also easily just be made on the stovetop and let it simmer for a little while with all the ingredients.

"MY" kind of potatoes

Today is my dad's birthday. In honor of him I'm posting his original recipe (I think?) for potatoes. When my mom wasn't home to make dinner, this is what my dad would make. Very possibly the only thing he really cooked. Actually, his looked a lot better than mine do. I'm thinking I should have cooked the corned beef longer, I remember his being more browned. My son absolutely loved them, I think he ate half of them himself. They are super easy to make too.

Ingredients:
5 potatoes, sliced
1 can corned beef
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Add potatoes and onions to skillet. Cook until onions are translucent and potatoes nearly done about 10 minutes. Add corned beef and chop up into small pieces. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 lb sweet italian turkey sausage
3/4 lb lean ground beef
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6oz) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5oz) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (I like oven ready)
16 oz ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Directions:
In saucepan cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Drain out the fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, pepper, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Simmer for an hour 1/2.
If you don't use oven ready noodles this would be where you would boil the noodles until al dente and set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese (or substitute cottage cheese) with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt.
Preheat oven to 375.
To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange noodles lengthwise. over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 25 min. Remove foil and bake and additional 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Spaghetti Pie

Ingredients:
1 lb spaghetti
1 lb lean ground beef (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 bag fresh spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
3/4 cup sour cream ( or substitute cottage cheese)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 pkg cream cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (or cheddar)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente; drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
In skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, drain and crumble. Add in the next ingredients or if you make it vegetarian start with these ingredients: In a small amount of olive oil saute green bell pepper, garlic, and spinach, chopped onion.Add in the spaghetti sauce. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until ready to use.
In a small bowl combine sour cream (or cottage cheese) green onions and cream cheese; set aside. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and add the cooked spaghetti. Spread the cream cheese mixture over it and add the spaghetti sauce on top. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1 can roast beef
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
~1/2 cup Yoshida's marinade and cooking sauce (Costco)
Veggies of your choice--red pepper, green pepper, onions, carrots, etc
Raman Noodles (without spice packet)

Directions:
Heat saucepan of water for Raman noodles. Chop of vegetables of choice and saute with sesame oil. Add in drained can of roast beef (I'm sure chicken would be good too---it's also good without meat). Pour in 1/2 cup of Yoshida's cooking sauce. Cook the raman noodles for 3 minutes in pan of water. Add noodles to stir fry mixture. Add more Yoshida's sauce to taste.

Shredded Beef Tacos

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Ingredients:
1 beef roast
1 small onion, diced
1 cup salsa
1 pkg taco seasoning

Directions:
Place roast in crock pot. Top it with salsa and taco seasoning. Let cook on low for 6-8 hrs or until it shreds easily. Shred the meat and then serve with all the taco fixings.

Tamale Bake

This recipe comes from my mom. This was a regular item on our menu when I was a kid. It was also one of my favorite meals. My family can't eat an entire recipe of this and since they don't eat leftovers I make two smaller ones in 8x8 square pans and freeze one for a future meal. I love having an extra casserole in my freezer for those days I don't feel like cooking and this is a painless way to make that happen.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 cup onions, chopped
1/4 tsp powdered garlic (or a clove of fresh garlic)
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cup tomatoes (1 can diced tomatoes)
1 can whole kernel corn
1 tsp salt
1/2 Tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup corn meal
1 cup water
1 can pitted ripe olives, drained
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 T butter
1/2 cup corn meal
1 cup cheese, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:
Brown ground beef; add onions, garlic, and green peppers; cook stirring until onions are golden. Stir in tomatoes, corn, 1 tsp salt, chili powder and pepper; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup corn meal mixed with water, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add olives; turn into 3 qt casserole (or 2 8x8 pans)
Meanwhile, heat milk with 1 tsp salt and butter; slowly stir in 1/2 cup corn meal; cook stirring until thickened. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and eggs; pour over meat mixture. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.

Pot Roast

I love this pot roast. I love the flavors and it is so easy to make. I always cut up potatoes and carrots to put around the roast and cook them at the same time in the crock pot.

Ingredients:

1 beef roast, any kind

1 pkg dried brown gravy mix

1 pkg dried italian dressing mix

1 pkg dried ranch dressing mix

1/2 cup water

Directions:

Place beef roast in crock pot. Mix the dried mixes together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast. Pour the water around the roast. Cook on low for 7-9 hours. To make gravy: take the juices from the crock pot and put them in a saucepan. Add Tbsp of cornstarch mixed with a Tbsp of water and add the the juices. Bring to a boil in the saucepan until it has thickened.

Mini Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (the less fatty the better)
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cooking oats
1 tsp salt
BBQ sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl combine egg, milk, oats, and salt. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add cheese and ground beef. Grease a cupcake pan and fill each cup with meat mixture. Meat shrinks in size so fill to the top, if not overfilled a little. Top each with a dollop of BBQ sauce. Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

Directions:
1.Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until evenly browned, stirring to crumble. I like to use a potato masher to even out the lumps. Add onion and celery, cover the pan, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Drain off any grease.
2.Stir the tomato soup (undiluted), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce into the beef mixture. Season with salt and garlic powder. Heat to a simmer over low heat, and cook until thoroughly heated, stirring frequently to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
3.Spoon the hot beef mixture onto buns, which may be toasted first, and serve.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

I got this recipe from my friend Suzanne Bleazard many years ago. It is so simple and easy (especially when you use prepared meatballs--which I usually do because I just really hate to touch raw meat). And my entire family (until Kayli became a vegetarian) will eat them.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 egg

1 cup dry bread crumbs

OR prepared meatballs

24 oz ketchup

3 Tbsp vinegar

3 Tbsp brown sugar, packed

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup onion, chopped

Directions:

Make meatballs by combining beef, egg, and bread crumbs. Roll into meatballs about 1-1 1/2 inch diameter and brown in a skillet. Or use pre-made meatballs. Place meatballs in a crock-pot. Mix together the ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and onions. Pour it over the meatballs in the crock-pot. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Serve over rice.

California Steak

This was my favorite meal that my mom made when I was growing up. One major difference is that my mom made hers in a pressure cooker. Hers always turns out better---even when she makes it in a crock pot which she did once for me.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lb round steak, cut into 6 serving pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 can condensed beef broth
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
Combine 1/4 cup flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge meat in flour mixture, brown it on a skillet. Place in a crock pot and add onion, broth, and water. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. Remove steak and onion. Put juices into a saucepan. Blend sour cream and 2 Tbsp flour into broth stirring constantly, until gravy thickens.