Meatloaf Skillet

Typically when I make meatloaf I do baked potatoes as well, so everything is baked in the oven and it's not much work to get dinner on the table. This is what I do if we have leftovers:

Meatloaf Skillet
Coconut oil
Baked potatoes
Meatloaf
(it all varies on how much is left over)

Heat 3-6 TB coconut oil in a frying pan/skillet on Med-high heat, chop or dice the baked potato and add it to the oil. Let the potatoes get golden brown on one side before stirring them and adding cut up meatloaf. I throw in about 1 tsp. sea salt, but depending on how salty your meatloaf is, you might want to add more or less.
Stir every 3-5 minutes till the potatoes are crispy in parts and meatloaf is heated through.

Sloppy Joes

This is one of those things I rarely make. Most likely because I don't like cooking with ketchup... don't get me wrong, I love ketchup, but I really don't believe it's healthy. But these are really easy and everyone in the family enjoys them.

Sloppy Joes
2-3 lbs ground meat
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/8 c. yellow mustard
1/4 c. ketchup
1/4 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. tabasco
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Brown meat, then mix in the rest of the ingredients and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Spoon onto hamburger buns and serve.

I've also added shredded carrots, an easy way to "sneak" in veggies... I say "sneak" because everyone in our family knows about it. :-)

Gyros

I am finding that I don't have as much time as I used to... well, I do have time, but my hands seem to be full of a big baby! It happens that when Naomi goes down for a quiet time in the morning, when I used to blog, Titus wakes up to eat and then by the time he goes down Naomi is ready to get up. And as for the afternoon... It happens much the same way, though if there is any free time in there I try to nap or clean or start dinner, and the time I am on the computer- I'm checking email or playing a quick game on facebook. There's my whole day. :-) I have been cooking and taking pictures- just not alot of time to post it to the blog.
Anyway...
I love gyros, though I don't make them often. I just had a craving for them a couple weeks ago, so I made them.
If you have a recipe for the meat that is different than this, please share! This one is good, but I think it could be better. The tzatziki sauce is really delicious- and I like alot on mine. You can't tell that by the bottom picture here... because it was leftovers the next day and this is all the sauce I had left. But normally, I would have put alot more sauce on it.

Gyros Meat
1 lb ground meat
2 TB water
1 TB lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
Shape into thin patties and fry until cooked through.

Tzatziki Sauce
1 c. plain yogurt
1/4 cucumber diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. pepper
Mix together

Pita bread
Chopped tomatoes
Chopped onion
Feta Cheese (optional)

To make a gyro, traditionally, lay the pita bread down and layer everything on the side of it- meat, sauce, feta, tomatoes and onion. Fold it like a taco.
Or you can open the pita and stuff it all in the pocket- a little easier for little kids that way.

Mexican Lasagna

I know alot of you are fans of The Pioneer Woman Cooks. She has a guest poster on there some times, Pastor Ryan and he made a Mexican Lasagna.
This was more complicated than I normally do- I like as little dishes as possible, but it looked tasty and I had everything except the Salsa Verde- so I got some at the store last week determined to try it.
It did not smell like I wanted it to while I was cooking... but that might be more because of my overly sensitive pregnancy nose. It was very tasty though.
His recipe was pretty flexible and it was a huge amount and not super easy to try to break it down to the size I needed, but here's my version:

Mexican Lasagna
2 c. uncooked brown rice
4 c. water with 2 heaping T. chicken bouillon
salt to taste
~Cook like usual~

4 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 to 3 T. Taco seasoning
1 c. dried black beans, cooked (about 1 1/2 to 2 c. cooked)
~Saute and mix into cooked rice~

1 lb ground meat, browned
2 to 3 T. taco seasoning
~brown meat, mix in seasoning, set aside~

1 jar Salsa Verde
I jar enchilada sauce (I made my own... recipe to post later)
2 c. frozen corn, heated and drained
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese
flour tortillas (I used 3- because I happened to have the huge ones)

Layer into a 9"x13" baking dish:
1/2 jar salsa verde
flour tortillas (I used 1 1/2, because they were so big)
1/2 of the rice mixture
1/2 of the cheese
flour tortillas
enchilada sauce (about 1 c.)
Browned meat mixture
Corn
The rest of the rice
The rest of the salsa verde
The rest of the cheese

Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes.
Top with fresh cilantro and sour cream.

Everyone in our house enjoyed it- Naomi especially. This still made quite alot of food and we ate it for 2 dinners- with still 1 dish of leftovers, enough for someone's lunch.

Fried Rice

This is so fast and easy- and you can make most things ahead- like cooking the rice, browning the meat, etc- then heat it together.

I don't have a set recipe- so you'll have to guess a little yourself.

Fried Rice
6 c. cooked rice (2 c. uncooked)
1 lb. ground meat, browned and crumbled
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 c. bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c. onion, chopped
1/4 c. carrots, chopped
3 eggs, scrambled

Mix veggies, meat and eggs and season with:
soy sauce
sesame oil
garlic salt
Mix rice in and heat through.


Cost:
Ground Meat: $2.
Rice: $.40
Veggies: $.50
Eggs: $.45
Meal total: $3.35
(or with venison: $2.17)

Grandma's Casserole

This week the boys are on Spring Break. I had this scheduled for dinner earlier, but a friend of our asked if they could bring us dinner (woo hoo!) so I made this for lunch the next day- and yes, it's sitting next to our week-long Monopoly game (in which Luke is winning... must be why he likes to play... hm).
Anyway, this is really tasty.


Grandma's Casserole

1 lb. ground meat
1/4 c onion, chopped
1/4 c. green pepper chopped
6 oz can tomato paste
10 oz can italian tomatoes
15 oz can creamed corn
12 oz. pasta, cooked
1 to 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
Brown meat, onion and green pepper in oven proof skillet, over medium heat. Add tomato paste, tomatoes and corn, mix well. Stir in cooked pasta, mix thoroughly. Top w/ cheese and bake at 350 until cheese is melted.

Cost:
Ground Meat: $1 (ground turkey on sale)
Tomato Paste: $.35
Creamed corn: $.45
Italian tomatoes: $.89
Rotini Pasta: $1.04
Cheese: $.92
Meal total: $4.65

Mexican Hamburger Rice Bake

Another one of the sites I've been looking through lately is The Family Homestead.

I haven't been able to look at all of it, she has alot of info on there, but I did find some good sounding recipes- this is one of them. And it was good! The boys said it was a "little spicy", but I thought it was great- and Naomi ate it too and didn't seem to mind the spiciness.


Mexican Hamburger Rice

Cost:
Ground meat: $2.
Rice: $.40
"Rotel" $.62
Tomato sauce $.30
Cheese: $.92
Meal Total: $4.24
(or with venison: $3.08)

Noodle Chili Bake

This is a definate kid pleaser. As an adult, I would say it's "ok", but the kids love it.


Noodle Chili Bake
1 lb. ground meat, browned
15 oz can chili
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
14-1/2 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can corn, drained
12 oz pkg egg noodles, cooked
mix beef, chili 3/4 c cheese, tomatoes, corn and noodles together in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees until heated through about 20 minutes.


Cost:
Meat: $2
Can of chili: $.92
Cheese: $.92
Tomatoes: $.40
Corn: $.45
Egg noodles: $1.42
Meal total: $6.11
(or with venison: $4.95)

Hamburger Roll Ups

My mom used to make these when we were growing up. I have a thing for gravy, if you haven't noticed. :-D

Biscuits:
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 T. oil
3/4 c. milk

Mix together, roll out on floured surface. Sprinkle browned meat, roll up and cut like cinnamon rolls. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, should be golden brown on tops.

Gravy
Brown and crumble one 1 lb ground meat
Remove most of the browned meat, use on biscuit dough.
Whisk 3 c. milk and 1 c. flour, add to grease.
Stir with whisk until thickened on a med to med-hi heat.
Salt and pepper to taste


Cost
Ground meat: $2
6 c. milk: $1.10
3 c. four: $.27
Meal Total: $3.37
(With venison: $2.22)

Skillet Rice

This is a stand by for me-- it's so easy and most of the time I have something I can throw into it.


Skillet Rice
6 c. cooked rice (2 uncooked)
1 lb polish sausage, quartered & diced (or browned ground meat)
1-2 c. chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, bell pepper, onion, broccoli, etc)

In skillet heat sausage, then add the veggies and rice on top, let cook for about 5 minutes- so they can "steam" a little. "Stir-fry" until the veggies are done to your liking.
Serve.


Cost:
Rice $.40
Sausage $1.25 (I buy a 3lb pkg, that has about 16 "dogs" in it and use 4)
Veggies: $1.25 (I used broccoli, 1/4 of a bell pepper and 5 mini carrots, chopped)
Meal Total: $2.90

Taco in a Bowl

I got this recipe from my mom- my little brothers and sisters love it, so she made it for us when we were up there. Much easier than tacos, when you have little one that would require more help. I didn't budget for extra thing in it though-- it would be great with sour cream, avocado and some fresh tomatoes!

Taco in a Bowl
1 lb ground meat, browned
1 large can chopped tomatoes
1 pkg. Taco seasoning
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can kidney beans, drained (opt)

Mix all together and let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.


Cost:
1 lb meat $2.
1 can tomatoes $.98
1 pkg Taco seasoning $.50
1 can corn $.45
Kidney beans (didn't use)
1 bag chips $1.
Meal total: $5.38
(w/ venison: $4.22)

Shepherd's Pie

This is comfort food for us. Everyone likes it and it's nice and easy. Yesterday I wasn't feeling well- but this was easy enough to make-- I just pulled some meat from the freezer that I had already browned and mixed up some instant potatoes. I'm really trying to get away from instant/boxed anything, but I had stocked up on potato flakes, so I will use them up.

Shepherd's Pie
1 lb ground meat, browned with garlic salt
1 can whole kernal corn, drained
6 to 8 cups mashed potatoes
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Spread the meat in a 9 x 13 baking dish, sprinkle on the corn, top with mashed potatoes and spread evenly over all. Sprinkle on some shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Tacos

I'm not much of a leftover person. But I make these just to have leftovers!!






Filling:
2 large cans refried beans (or 1 lb cooked pinto beans, mashed)
1 lb ground meat, browned
1 1/2 pk. taco seasoning
1 c. water

Mix and let simmer for about an hour

Taco Shells
Small corn tortilla shells
oil

Put about an inch of oil in a small frying pan and turn it on medium heat. When oil is hot, put in one tortilla, the oil should bubble around the edges of the tortilla, let it fry until the tortilla domes up, then flip and let it fry on the other side until it domes up as well. Remove and set on plate lined with paper towel. Repeat.
To reheat tortillas:
Set in frying pan and turn on to medium heat, fry on each side until warm and flexible.

Serve with:
Shredded cheddar cheese
Chopped tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Chopped onions
Sour cream
Green Taco sauce

Baked Spaghetti

Some people don't like spaghetti-- and I had 3 of them in my house until they grew out of it. It has something to do with the slippery spaghetti noodles, because served any other way, they liked it.

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb ground meat, browned
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. water
16 oz spaghetti pasta, cooked
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cottage cheese
1/4 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Mix the cheeses, eggs and pasta. Spread into 9x13" baking dish, top with browned meat and then spaghetti sauced thinned with water. May top with more cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tavern Burgers

This is a new recipe for me-- it was really good, tasted like a drive through burger, which was nice to have a 'junk food' taste without it being so junky. But I have to say these were messier than sloppy joes-- the filling kept falling out! I think next time I will use pita pockets.

Tavern Burgers
Oil for frying
1 lb. ground meat
1 c. chicken broth
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Brown and crumble meat. Add chicken broth, paprika, Worcestershire. sauce, salt and pepper; bring to a oil. Reduce heat to med-low; simmer for 15 min., stirring occasionally. Spread the buns with mustard on top half; set aside. Spoon ground meat mixture evenly among 4 buns, top w/ onion, dill pickle and top half of bun.

Bierrocks

My mom made these while we were growing up- I have always loved them. This dough makes alot, so you can use the leftover dough for cinnamon rolls or dinner rolls for another time.

Bierrocks
Filling
1 lb. ground meat
1 small cabbage, chopped
1 TB garlic salt

Brown meat, add chopped cabbage and garlic salt. Add a little water so that the cabbage steams a bit.

Dough
4 c. warm water
2 TB honey
2 TB. yeast
Mix and let set for 10 min.
Then add:
1 TB salt
5 c. whole wheat flour
5-8 c. white flour

As the mixer is going add the flour one cup at a time until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixer. Let it knead (mix) for 10 minutes. Pour some oil on the counter where you plan to shape the dough. Split dough into 2 sections, roll out to 1/4 inch thick, in a square shape. Use a pizza cutter to cut into squares, typically about 3" x 3", spoon some filling onto small squares and pull over a corner, so it takes on the shape of a triangle. Press the dough together with fingers to make a seam around the edges. Place on greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. The bottoms should be a golden brown. Butter the tops- eat like a sandwich.

Meatloaf

I got the basic recipe for this from my mom- she has the only meatloaf I like- well, until I made this one! And yes, that is ketchup on my meatloaf- because I love ketchup! (Even if it is unhealthy!)

Meatloaf
2 lbs ground meat
1/2 med onion, diced
4 eggs
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 to 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
3 TB Worcestershire sauce

Mix well- either with heavy duty mixer or your hands.
Press into 9x13 baking dish, bake at 350 degrees for 60 min to 1 1/2 hours

Dinner for a crowd

I come from a family of 10. My parents adopted 6 kids after I had already been out of the house about 7 years. My siblings are from Ethiopia and Haiti and there are still 5 at home. They live 90 miles away in a small town, so my mom likes to come here to shop and they spend the night so she can shop longer. :-) So there were 10 hungry eaters at our table tonight. Here's what I made:


Taco Rice

2 lbs ground meat (brown and drained if necessary)
26 oz jar of salsa
16 oz can tomato sauce
salt to taste
5-6 c. cooked brown rice (2 cups uncooked)

Mix together, serve topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips on the side.

And thankfully there was enough left over for Brian's lunch tomorrow... barely! :-)