Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tamale Pie
The other day I was trying to decide what to make for supper and in the back of my mind I kept hearing Jackie from Syrup and Biscuits say "use what you got." So I started looking around in the pantry and the fridge and saw I had some taco seasoned ground turkey, enchilada sauce and cheese, but no tortillas. Then I remembered my mother-in-law telling me about a tamale pie she had made from the recipe on the side of a cornmeal bag. Well, I then remembered I had used up the last of my cornmeal making fried okra a few weeks ago, but I did have a box of Jiffy cornbread mix. So I decided I would just have to invent my own and that's what I did.
1 pound Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey
1 can Enchilada Sauce
1 can Cream Corn
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 Egg
1/3 cup Milk
1 cup cheese
I browned the ground turkey in a skillet. If you've been reading my blog, then you know I'm a fan of the seasoned ground turkey. It'll still work out about the same if use ground beef or ground turkey and a packet of taco seasoning. Once the turkey was brown I drained it and put it back in the skillet and added the can of enchilada sauce and half the can of cream corn.
Once that was all stirred together I poured it in a square casserole dish and sprinkled it with about a 1/2 cup of cheese. I went ahead and turned the oven on 350 degrees so it could be heating up while I finished getting it all together.
Next, I poured the cornbread mix, egg and milk in a bowl and mixed it together.
I kind of poured and spooned the cornbread batter on top of the meat, making sure it all got covered.
It baked for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the top wasn't spongy and the edges were starting to brown.
Hubby said the only thing he would've done different was more meat and less cornbread. Personally, I think a pound of meat was plenty, but next time I think I'll add a can of regular or mexi-corn to the meat mixture to make it stretch a little further.
Needless to say, he really liked it because there weren't any leftovers. He gave this a three-helping rating! It generously serves 2 to 3 and if you added the additional can of corn, would definitely generously serve 4.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Angela's Baked Beans
Angela is my sister-in-law. When my husband and I got married, his brother was deployed in Iraq and his family lived in New Jersey. They recently moved back here to Arkansas, so I'm still getting to know her. My mother-in-law emailed me the recipe for Angela's baked beans and let me tell ya, she's got it going on!
This recipe is so easy, yet so dang good! Here's what you need to make her awesome baked beans:
Next, drain the meat and put it back in the skillet and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
Pour into a baking pan and bake on 350 degrees for about an hour.
That's it! Can you believe it? I took these to a potluck and there wasn't even one bean left in the pan!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Skillet Burgers or Really Sloppy Joe's
My husband loves Sloppy Joe's, Manwiches or whatever you want to call them. So earlier I knew I was going grocery shopping and made a mental note to pick up the ingredients and then sat down to flip through my cookbook for something new to try. I'm just about burgered-out from our vacation, so when I came across the recipe for skillet burgers I thought eh, no more burgers, wait a sec, these are kind of like sloppy joes...hmmmm. By the way, this recipe was in my 1968 New Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book. Of course, I made a few changes, but you knew that was bound to happen!
Okay, I know nothing can be simpler than a can of "the sauce" and meat, but if it tasted better and was better for you, wouldn't you be willing to put in a little extra love and effort into making it? Seriously, it really didn't take that much longer to make. The smell was amazing. The taste was even more amazing! Are you ready for it?
Here's what you need:
1 pound of Ground Meat (turkey or beef)
3 or 4 stalks of Celery
1 small Onion
2 8-ounce cans of Tomato Sauce (or 1 can and 1 can of Tomato Soup)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch (omit if using tomato soup)
2 tablespoons Sugar (omit if using tomato soup)
1 teaspoon Salt (only use 1/2 teaspoon if using tomato soup)
1/4 teaspoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire
You know I normally use ground turkey, but I found a pound of hamburger meat marked down to $2.00 at the store so I grabbed it. If you know me, you know I eat ground turkey because it's cheaper, not just because it's healthier. Anyways, put your meat in a skillet and add a little water to it. You don't want to drown the meat. Just cover the bottom of the skillet with it. Turn the burner on medium-high and let the meat brown.
While it's browning, chop up the celery and the onion. By this time, the meat should be brown. Don't drain it. Add the celery and onion to the meat and let it cook on medium-high until the water evaporates.
If you're using tomato soup, you can skip to the next paragraph, unless of course you want to know how to save yourself a little money next time. The substitute for condensed tomato soup in any recipe is 1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. So, if you're not using tomato soup, mix that up in a small bowl and add in the other can of tomato sauce and the chili powder.
By this time the liquid should have evaporated and the vegetables should be tender. You'll want to turn the burner down to low. If the vegetables aren't quite tender let them simmer a little longer on low and put the lid on the skillet.
Add the sauce. If you're using tomato soup, add it, the tomato sauce, the chili powder and the salt. Stir it in and let it simmer on low for about 10 or 15 minutes or as long as you can stand it.
Spoon the skillet burgers on some buns and top with a slice of cheese.
Hubby gave this a three helping rating! He said they were better than whatever that other stuff is called. It made enough for about 8 to 10 burgers. You know the leftovers are going to be even better!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Southern Barbecue Hoppin' John
I sat there for about 15 minutes debating if barbecue sauce and black-eyed peas would taste good together. Finally, I convinced myself that it couldn't be that bad. Well, it wasn't bad...it was AMAZING! The best part was that it was so quick and easy.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Meatball Stew With Egg Dumplings
I know it's been a little while since my last post. With summer being here, it makes it really hard to decide between cooking and riding. So, it looks like I'm going to have to change up my routine a little for the summer! Of course, there are other factors that play a part, but cooking is an important part of my life so bear with me while I figure out how to adjust my schedule.
Now, I did cook something new to share with you! One of our "regulars" at work brought me a cookbook. It's
Betty Crocker's Bisquick Cookbook from the 1970's. His mother had sent them a recipe and they sent her this cookbook and a check for $275.00. He's convinced that this is what I should do based on the things I've told him I've made. Well, we'll see. Anyway, I decided it would be neat to try out his mother's recipe. The section it's listed in is called Strictly Thrifty Menus, which we all know is right up my alley!
First, the recipe called for 1 can (15 oz) potatoes, drained and sliced. I had potatoes in the pantry so instead of buying some, I just peeled and sliced up four medium-sized potatoes and boiled them while I made the meatballs.
For the meatballs:
1 pound Ground Beef (I used Ground Turkey)
3 tablespoons Sour Cream
1/4 cup chopped Onion
1 tablespoon Parsley Flakes
1 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Pepper
I put all this in a bowl and mixed it up with my hands. You could use a spoon, but you're going to end up getting your hands messy anyway when you make it into meatballs, so you might as well save yourself from having to wash a dirty spoon and just use your hands!
Once it was all mixed up, I made the mixture into golf ball sized balls, put them in a skillet and turned the burner on medium. By this time (about 15 minutes later), my potatoes were done and I drained the water off.
Once they browned on one side, I flipped them over and browned them on the other side. The recipe didn't say anything about draining, but while I was looking at the recipe to see if it did, the liquid had absorbed or evaporated. Regardless, it wasn't there anymore. I'm not sure if you would have the same result if you use ground beef, but if it was me and there is liquid, I would drain it.
While the meatballs were cooking I added the following to the pan of potatoes:
1 can Condensed Cream of Celery Soup
3 tablespoons Sour Cream
1 can of green peas (juice and all)
I mixed all of it up and then poured it in the skillet with the meatballs. I turned the burner on medium and let the mixture come to a boil while I stirred it frequently. Once it came to a boil I turned the burner down on low.
While I was waiting for it to come to a boil, I mixed up the following:
2 cups Bisquick (I used the generic brand)
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Milk (I actually used 3)
I started out using a spoon to mix the dough up, but after adding the third tablespoon of milk, I decided it would just be easier to mix it with my hands. Once it was mixed, I pinched off "spoonfuls" of dough and dropped it into the hot mixture (remember to turn your burner down to low).
I let it cook for 10 minutes and then put the lid on the skillet and let it cook for another 10 minutes. See how big the dumplings got!
This was really good and my husband asked for half of a second helping. So I guess you could say this got a helping and a half rating from the hubby. He probably would have taken a full second helping, but it was very, very filling. He wasn't just raving about it, but I definitely think there are probably a few things I could try differently to make this to where he will rave about it, so be prepared to revisit this recipe in the next few weeks! Until then, make it yourself and let me know what you think. It's definitely a good dish for a meat and potatoes kind of guy.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Hamburger Pie
This is another recipe from my 1968 New Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook. It's called Hamburger Pie, but I think somewhere in the 30 years since it was called that, somebody thought it would sound better called Shepherd's Pie. Actually, it's not really what I would call a pie at all. There's no crust, but I guess not all pies have a crust. Truth be told, I didn't even put "hamburger" in mine. I used turkey, but it would just sound funny calling it Turkey Pie.
One of the main reasons I use ground turkey is not because I'm trying to make it healthier, it's because it is more economical. Also, it's because it tastes a lot less greasy than ground beef. A pound of ground turkey here costs about $2.00 compared to ground beef which costs about $3.50 a pound. The healthy part is just a fringe benefit. Just because I use ground turkey doesn't mean you have to. Use ground beef if you want, but just make sure you try this recipe. If your man is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, he's going to love this!
About 5 medium-sized potatoes
1 small onion (about 1/2 cup or so)
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
1 can green beans
1 can tomato soup (or 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon corn starch, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1 egg
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese
First, I put a pan of water on the stove to boil while I peeled and quartered the potatoes. I used Russet potatoes, another economical option. Yukon Gold are my favorite, then red potatoes and then russets, but put a 10 pound bag of russets on sale for $2.00 and they quickly make it into my food buggy!
To quarter potatoes, just cut them in half and cut the halves in half so you have 4 pieces.
Once this was done, I carefully dropped the potatoes into the hot water. If you're making this right now, you'll understand why I say carefully. The water is good and hot and will splash you if you're not careful.
Next, I chopped up a small onion and put it in the skillet with the ground turkey.
I cooked it until the turkey was brown and the onion was clear. While that was cooking, I greased an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish with a little bit of shortening.
 |
| This was before it was drained, just thought you might want to see it browned and the onions clear :) |
I added the "tomato soup" to the skillet. Then I opened a can of green beans and drained them and added them too.
Well, by the picture it looks like I added the green beans and then the tomato soup. Next I added the salt and took my pepper shaker and shook it all over the mixture. Who knows how to measure a dash? I stirred it all together and then poured it in the baking dish.
By this time my potatoes were done so I drained them and put them back in the pan. Using a potato masher, I mashed them up.
I warmed up the milk in the microwave for about 20 seconds before I poured it in the potatoes. Then I added a beaten egg and mixed it all together.
Using a big spoon, I scooped up potatoes and mounded them on top of the meat mixture.
Now it's time for the cheese! I was tempted to use more because I love cheese, but I settled for the half cup and actually, it was just enough.
Did I mention you need to turn the oven on 350 degrees? In my opinion, there's really no need to preheat the oven if you're baking a casserole. Now cookies and cakes, that's a little bit of a different story. So, I turned the oven on 350 degrees and put the hamburger pie in to bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Twenty-five minutes later the sauce was bubbling, the cheese was melted and the tips of the potatoes were browned. I scooped it out on a plate and took it to my hubby.
It was a "second helping please and send me some for lunch" and he hardly ever specifically requests leftovers for lunch!
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Hamburger Vegetable Soup
There are two things my mom actually taught me how to cook, hamburger vegetable soup and what I call "Cup of Cobbler" which I'm sure I'll share how to make later. My mother is not a great cook, nor does she proclaim to be. However, she makes a great hamburger vegetable soup. Anytime there's a chill in the air it makes me crave the taste of it and a piece of cornbread.
Yesterday we went for a ride on the motorcycles with some friends and on the way home we weren't quite soaked to the bone, but all I could think about was having a steaming hot bowl of Hamburger Vegetable Soup and cornbread muffins for supper. The cup of cobbler for dessert would have been like icing on a cake, but since we still have leftover cake I didn't make it.
If you've been reading my posts, then you'll probably be surprised that I actually used ground beef and not turkey for this! Actually, I probably would have used turkey, but all I had was the seasoned kind in the freezer and the corner market doesn't carry it.
I put the ground beef in a skillet with a little bit of water so that when it cooked it would break up in to finer pieces. While it was browning I chopped up 1/2 of a medium sized onion and added it and about 2 teaspoons of minced garlic to the skillet.
Once the onions were clear, I drained the ground beef in a colander and then poured it in a Dutch oven. You know, that big pot that comes with a set of pans.
I added a tablespoon of KC Masterpiece Steak Seasoning to the meat. I don't think my mom does this, but I had some and thought it would taste good added to it. I was right!
Then I added a big can of tomato juice. Of course, I still haven't found my can opener, the one that makes the triangle holes in the side of the can, so I resorted to making a slit on each side of the can with a regular can opener and using a butter knife to make the holes in the sides.
I poured the tomato juice in the pot with the meat.
Then I added two cans of veg-all, juice and all.
I turned the burner on low and stirred it every five minutes or so until it started bubbling. Just because I like things "steaming" hot, I let it simmer a few more minutes before ladling it into a bowl, topping it with some shredded cheese and serving it with cornbread muffins.
Perfect rainy day supper!
