Dinner in a Pumpkin

Here is an easy casserole for Halloween night. You can scrape out a little pumpkin and bake it inside the pumpkin, or just bake it in a casserole dish for ease. Either way, you'll get a nice savory dinner you can eat in a hurry (before the trick-or-treaters arrive, of course).

1 cup rice
1 lb ground beef
1 t salt
3/4 c celery, chopped
3/4 c onion, chopped
1/4 c soy
2 T brown sugar
1 (10 oz) can of cream of chicken
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts, chopped

Cook rice; set aside. In a skillet, brown ground beef with salt, celery, and onion. Drain off any fat. Add remaining ingredients.
For a casserole, pour in a greased casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
For Dinner in a Pumpkin, pour into a small, scraped out pumpkin. Place pumpkin on a foil-lined pan and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

My mom makes a mean spaghetti sauce. And lucky for you? It's super easy, too.

Now that my littlest sister is the only one left at home with my parents, I LOVE when my mom makes spaghetti. Why? Leftovers, of course! My mom is wonderful, and she often comes with a bag full of goodies when she pops in for a visit. (Bag full of goodies means a super random sack of things only she can give me- books to borrow, clearance socks for my boys, a little treat, or a container of leftovers.) The best news about leftover spaghetti sauce is that it freezes really well for a night when you need a quick meal. Just put it in a quart jar and don't forget to leave a little space at the top for expansion.

You can get fancy with this recipe if you want. Do you prefer Italian sausage to ground beef? Well then go ahead and swap it out. Do you have a ton of garden veggies you're dying to use? Feel free to grate in extra carrot or even some zucchini or squash. Add extra onion if you prefer. It's pretty hard to mess this up.

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
from my mom :)

16 oz spaghetti

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 lb ground beef (preferably 93% lean)
1 carrot, peeled
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 T dry basil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
2 T butter

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain.

In a large pan, saute onion in a little cooking spray until translucent. Add beef and cook until brown and crumbly. Grate in carrot and cook for a minute. Add tomato sauce, basil, salt, and nutmeg. Simmer sauce on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and remove from heat.

Pass Parmesan cheese with pasta and sauce at the table, if desired.

Korean-Spiced Beef and Cabbage Sandwiches

I was very intrigued by this recipe when I saw it in Cooking Light. It was printed as an appetizer, but we found these sandwiches made a very satisfying dinner with even a few leftover. It is not a quick-fix meal, however, so I'd suggest only attempting this recipe on one of those rainy fall days when you feel like staying in to bake!

My only change to the recipe would be to roll the dough thinner before wrapping it around the filling. My husband thought he'd like these served French-dip style, with some delicious broth. We didn't happen to make a dipping sauce, so please let me know if you come up with a good idea!

Korean-Spiced Beef and Cabbage Sandwiches
from Cooking Light
Filling
1/2 c chopped green onions
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1 T sesame seeds
1 T sesame oil
2 t sugar
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/4 t bottled ground fresh ginger
1/4 t bottled minced garlic
1/8 t ground red pepper
1/2 lb ground sirloin (lean ground beef)
cooking spray
2 c thinly sliced green cabbage

Dough
4 c flour
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/3 c water
1/4 c honey
1 T water
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 T sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375.

To prepare filling, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add beef mixture to pan; cook 8 minutes or until done; stirring occasionally. Stir in cabbage; cook 4 minutes until cabbage is tender. Remove from heat; cool completely.

To prepare dough, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1 1/3 c water, honey, and canola oil in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add water mixture to flour mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); cover and let stand 5 minutes.

Roll dough into a 16x12-inch rectangle (although I would probably roll it out thinner next time). Cut dough into 12 squares. Working with 1 square at a time, spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into center of each square. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring 2 opposite corners to center, pinching points to seal. Bring up remaining 2 corners and pinch tight. Pinch edges to seal. Place rolls, seam side down, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Combine 1 Tablespoons water and egg white in a small bowl. Lightly brush tops of dough with egg white mixture; sprinkle each with 1/4 tsp sesame seeds. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until rolls are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire racks.

Chili Pasta

Yet another Cooking Light recipe I've wanted to try for a long time. . .and now I'm finally doing it! Hooray for one-pan meals!


Chili Pasta
1 T canola oil
3/4 c chopped onion
3/4 lb ground sirloin (lean ground beef)
4 t chili powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
2 c water
3/4 t salt
6 oz uncooked pasta (such as wagon-wheel shaped pasta)
1 (15 oz) can no-salt-added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1 (8 oz) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced green onions

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and beef to pan; cook 4 minutes or until onion is tender and beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, and oregano; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 c water and next 5 ingredients (through tomato sauce); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until pasta is done. Top with cheese and green onions as desired.

Alison's Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Rice, Veggie Stirfry

This sweet and sour meatball recipe comes from Let Me Plan Dinner reader Alison. She says it was a family favorite growing up. . . you know, the kind where the kids fight over who gets the last meatball. :) I'm going to stirfry up some veggies using a little of this and a little of that (mostly using extra veggies I chopped for the Minestrone soup). Then I'll serve the meatballs over brown rice.


Here is Alison's recipe.


Meatballs:
1 1/2 lb hamburger
1/2 c. oatmeal
1/4 c. milk
2 T chopped onion
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce

Mix all. Form into meatballs. Cook in skillet. Remove from skillet and drain fat.

Sauce:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 big can pineapple tidbits (not as good with crushed)
1 T soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1/3 c. vinegar
1 small green pepper (I like to use an onion instead because I'm not a huge fan of cooked green peppers, but that's just my personal preference.)

Mix brown sugar, cornstarch, pineapple (and syrup), vinegar, and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Reduce heat. Add meatballs. Cover, simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Stir in green pepper (and/or onion). Cover, simmer until crisp-tender, 5 minutes. Sometimes it turns out a little thick, but if you just stir in water, it turns out delicious :) I hope you like it!

*We enjoyed making this meal! I would probably omit the pineapple juice or decrease the brown sugar, just because I prefer a little less sweet in my sweet and sour. Using onion instead of green pepper was an amazing idea! I thought the onion turned out perfect. If you still like green peppers, add them just a little later to the cooking time. Mmmm. Now I'm craving Asian.

Roast beef, Roasted Potatoes, Steamed Carrots

I'm not terribly in love with roast beef, but it's one of Grandpa's favorites. So, we end up having it almost every time it goes on sale (which is every few weeks, if you haven't noticed).

2.5 lbs beef pot roast

7-10 red potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
1 pkg Lipton onion soup

1/2 lb baby carrots


In the morning, place beef in greased crock pot. Season generously with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Cook on low 7-10 hours. Remove roast and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Place sliced roast beef back into crock pot for at least 10 minutes to warm.

Preheat oven to 425. Chop potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. On the baking sheet, toss potatoes, oil, and soup mix. Stir until all potatoes are well coated. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Place carrots in a microwave safe bowl. Cover halfway with water. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes more. Test for doneness with a fork. Continue microwaving at 1 minute intervals until tender. Drain water. Toss carrots with salt, pepper, 1 t butter, and a pinch of sugar.

If you'd like, make a gravy for the roast beef. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add about a tablespoon of flour; stir to combine well. Whisk in about 1 cup of beef broth from the crock pot. Increase to high heat, stirring well until it comes to a bubble. Stir and cook on high for one more minute. Reduce heat to low and season with salt, pepper, and a little squirt of Dijon mustard.

Sloppy Joes, Green Beans, Sauteed Zucchini

This sloppy joe recipe is from my great-grandma. Seriously.

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c ketchup
2 T vinegar
3 T mustard
1 (11.5 oz) can tomato juice
4 T brown sugar
1 T Worcester sauce
4-8 rolls or hamburger

1 zucchini
Italian seasoning
optional: shredded cheese

1 can green beans


In a large frying pan, brown ground beef with onion. Drain off fat. Add next 6 ingredients (ketchup through Worcester sauce). Simmer on low for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every half hour, until thick. (Or cook on medium-high for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until thick.) Serve on buns.

Chop zucchini into thin circles. Heat a frying pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray. Sautee zucchini until tender. Season generously with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle lightly with cheese, if desired.

Microwave green beans. Season with salt and pepper.

Marinated Steak, Homemade Rolls, Broccoli, Cauliflower

This steak recipe is adapted from AllRecipes. The roll recipe is from my grandma; these rolls are a favorite family tradition among my entire extended family.

1 1/2 lbs steak
unseasoned meat tenderizer
1/3 c oil
2 t lemon juice
1 t seasoning salt
1/4 t lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t parsley flakes
2 t vinegar

broccoli florets
cauliflower florets

1 recipe Grandma's homemade rolls


Score top and bottom of meat with a 1 1/2 inch square pattern. Sprinkle meat liberally with meat tenderizer. Refrigerate for an hour. In a small bowl, mix together salt, lemon juice, seasoning salt, lemon pepper, garlic, parsley, and vinegar. Reserve a small amount of sauce in a separate container. Pour remaining marinade over meat and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat grill (or broiler) for high heat. Lightly oil grate. Discard marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes. Turn meat over, brush with reserved sauce, and cook another 5 minutes.

Steam broccoli and cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper.

Jalapeno Burgers, Round Fries, Celery Sticks

1 lb ground beef
1/4 c bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 T minced onion
1/8 t cayenne pepper
pinch of dried oregano
1 t soy sauce
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 (4 oz) can jalapenos (add more if you want spicier burgers)*

4-6 buns
4-6 slices of cheese

burger toppings, such as:
onion slices
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
guacamole


1 large potato, cut into thin circles
steak seasoning or salt and pepper

celery sticks
salad dressing


Put all burger ingredients in a bowl (first 9 ingredients). Mix well with your hands. Divide the meat mixture and form 4-6 patties. Grill or broil until cooked through. Immediately place cheese slices on the burgers and allow to melt. Assemble burgers with desired toppings.

Preheat oven to 400. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place potato slices in a single layer. Spray with more cooking spray. Season with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until desired crispiness.

*I added just over half a can of jalapenos, and BOY! these were nice and spicy. Obviously, we didn't feed these burgers to our toddler, and they might have been just a tad too spicy for me. The best bet is to start with a small amount of jalapeno, then just cook up a miniature patty (on your grill or in a frying pan). If you think you need more heat, go ahead and add more peppers!

Roast Beef, Twice Baked Potatoes, Peas

Ah, roast beef. It's one of Grandpa's favorites, so it makes it in the rotation more often than other things. I personally think it's a bit boring of a dish, but we don't mind it. Sometimes we use the leftovers for sandwiches.

3 lbs beef pot roast

2 large potatoes
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 c milk
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 c grated cheddar cheese, divided
4 green onions, sliced, divided

frozen peas

optional:
2 t butter
1 T flour


In the morning, place beef in greased crock pot. Season generously with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Cook on low 7-10 hours. Remove roast and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Place sliced roast beef back into crock pot for at least 10 minutes to warm.

Pierce potato skins with a fork several times. Bake potatoes at 350 for 1 hour. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. To the bowl add sour cream, milk, salt, pepper, 1/4 c cheese and 2 sliced green onions. Mix with a hand mixer or potato masher until well mixed. Divide mixture among potato skins and top with remaining cheese and green onions. Bake 15 minutes more.

Microwave frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper.

If desired, make a quick gravy for the roast beef. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add about a tablespoon of flour; stir to combine well. Whisk in about 1 cup of beef broth from the crock pot. Increase to high heat, stirring well until it comes to a bubble. Stir and cook on high for one more minute. Reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper. For extra fun, add a tiny squirt of Dijon mustard and a generous dollop of sour cream.

Tacos, Corn, Green Salad

1 lb ground beef
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Ranch style beans, not rinsed
or 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
taco shells or tortillas
shredded lettuce
grated cheese
salsa
sour cream
any other taco toppings

green salad

frozen corn


Brown ground beef. Pour off fat. Add taco seasoning according to package directions. Add beans and heat through.

Prepare green salad. Microwave corn; season with salt and pepper.

Allow individuals at the table to fill their tortillas or taco shells with meat filling and top with cheese, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream as desired.

Easy Lasagna, Peas, Green Beans

I got this lasagna recipe from my mom, but she got it from someone in her family years ago (maybe an aunt?).

Easy Lasagna
1/2 lb ground beef
1 bottle spaghetti sauce
1 (16 oz) carton cottage cheese
3/4 c water
dried basil
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 (8 oz) bag shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)

Brown ground beef and drain. In a large bowl, mix together meat, sauce, cottage cheese and water. Add basil, Italian seasoning, and garlic to taste (I probably use about 1/2 tsp each). In a greased 9x13, pour 1 cup sauce to cover the pan. Then, start the layers: arrange 3 noodles, then about 1 1/2 c sauce, and top with about 1/2 c cheese. Repeat two more times, using all the remaining cheese on the top. Bake, covered with foil, at 375 for one hour. Remove from oven and let sit for 15-25 minutes before serving.


Sides
frozen peas
1 can green beans

Microwave frozen peas. Microwave green beans. Season both with salt and pepper to taste.

Corned Beef, Sauteed Cabbage, Boiled Potatoes

I wasn't too excited by the boiled corned beef and cabbage recipes that I saw, so I started looking for something baked in the oven. I've adapted the recipes for corned beef and cabbage from this website. I'm hoping this meal will be a fun twist on the St. Patrick's Day favorite.

3 lbs corned beef (with spice packet)

2 T Dijon mustard

1 T brown sugar

1 T olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 head cabbage, sliced into 3/8 inch slices

salt

6 small potatoes, cut into fourths.
1 T butter
parsley flakes

Preheat oven to 350. Drain corned beef from package. In a small bowl, mix mustard and brown sugar. Lay corned beef, fat side up, on a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the top with the mustard mixture. Sprinkle evenly with spice packet. Wrap the corned beef in foil in a way that will allow a little space at the top and catch the juices. Place foil-wrapped corned beef in a shallow roasting pan. Bake for 2 hours. Open foil wrapping. Broil for 2-3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes, then cut at a diagonal, across the grain, into 1/2 inch thick slices. (I will leave about half the meat unsliced for Sunday's Reuben sandwiches.)

Heat olive oil on medium high in a large pot. Add onions and garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add a third of the cabbage to the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and stir to coat with oil and mix with onions. Spread out cabbage evenly over the bottom and do not stir until it starts to brown. Then flip the cabbage, scraping browned bits as you go. Once the cabbage has browned on a couple flips, add another third of the cabbage. Mix well, then spread out and repeat. Once this batch is cooked down a bit and browned, add the remaining third of the cabbage and repeat.

Add potatoes to a large pot. Fill with water to cover. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling over medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain water. Toss potatoes with butter and salt, pepper, and parsley flakes.

*Now I finally understand what corned beef is! Corned beef is to beef what ham is to pork. The meat is cured in some sort of salty brine just like ham, so it is pink, salty, and somewhat rubbery. (It might be important to note that corned beef is even saltier than ham, making the potatoes and cabbage very complimentary side dishes.) I've never been a big fan of large slices of ham, and I definitely feel the same way about corned beef. It was fun to try for St. Patrick's Day, and I'm excited to try Reubens later in the week, but I doubt we'll be eating plain corned beef very often in our lives.

I hope you found a fun way to celebrate St. Patrick's day, corned beef or not.

Meatball Sandwiches, Carrots, Seasoned Fries

Meatball sandwich recipe is from my sister-in-law Melissa. I have always loved it, and I especially craved it when I was pregnant! The seasoned fry recipe is adapted from AllRecipes; we think they taste like Arby's curly fries.

1 packet brown gravy
1/2 pkg Lipton onion soup
30 frozen, fully cooked meatballs (or if you have a ton of ground beef, look up a recipe and make your own)
6 buns (I'll use a loaf of French bread)
6 slices Provolone cheese

2 large potatoes
2 T olive oil
1 t paprika
1 t garlic powder
1 t chili powder
1 t onion powder

1/2 lb baby carrots


Make gravy according to package directions. Stir in onion soup mix. In a greased crockpot, combine gravy mixture and meatballs. Cook until meatballs are heated through, 4 hours on low or 2 hours on high. Toast buns with cheese. Fill with meatballs. (Since French bread is on sale, I'm going to use that instead of buns. I'll cut the loaf in half horizontally, toast with cheese, then put the loaf back together and slice into six portions. I'll let people fill their portion with meatballs.)

Preheat oven to 425. Cut potatoes into thin fry shapes. Mix olive oil, paprika, and garlic, chili, and onion powders in a large resealable plastic bag. Add potatoes and toss to coat. Place potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning fries halfway through.

Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Asparagus

3 lbs beef pot roast

3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/4 c milk
1 T butter
salt and pepper

1/2 bunch asparagus

2 t butter
1 T flour
1/4 t Dijon mustard (optional)

In the morning, place beef in greased crock pot. Season generously with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Cook on low 7-10 hours. Remove roast and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Place sliced roast beef back into crock pot for at least 10 minutes to warm.

Place potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20-30 minutes until tender. Drain. Mix in milk and butter. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper.

Trim woody ends from the asparagus. Steam until fork tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Now make the gravy. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add about a tablespoon of flour; stir to combine well. Whisk in about 1 cup of beef broth from the crock pot. Increase to high heat, stirring well until it comes to a bubble. Stir and cook on high for one more minute. Reduce heat to low and season with salt, pepper, and a tiny squirt of Dijon mustard, if desired.

Beef Stroganoff, Steamed Carrots, Peas

1 lb ground beef
1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
1/2 c water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c sour cream

1 bag egg noodles

1/2 lb baby carrots

frozen peas


Brown ground beef. Stir in water and onion soup mix. Simmer 7 minutes. Stir in mushroom soup. Simmer 5 minutes more. Add sour cream and warm through. Remove from heat.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Steam carrots until tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Microwave peas. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve beef stroganoff over hot noodles.

Just as we were setting the table, my parents dropped by for an unexpected visit. We happily invited them to stay to dinner and set two more places. We had plenty of stroganoff for our guests, but unfortunately we had not cooked enough noodles. With a little quick thinking, we had a slice of toast ready for each person by the time we sat down to eat. I've found that most gravy kinds of sauces can be served over toast just as easily as noodles.

Tacos with Homemade Salsa, Onion Rice, Corn

Onion Rice recipe is from my Aunt Cathy. Growing up, we always had onion rice with tacos, and since I didn't like ground beef at the time (or pretty much anything; I was picky) I would make my tacos with tortilla, onion rice, cheese, and Ranch dressing. I've become a little more traditional since then, but I still love the flavors of onion rice and tacos all in one meal.

1 c rice
1 can Campbell's French Onion soup
1 c water
1 T butter

3 tomatoes, cored
1/2 onion
1/2 jalapeno, seeded
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
salt

1 lb ground beef (We will be saving 1/2 lb for Monday's dinner. Cook more meat if your family would prefer more.)
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can Ranch style beans, not rinsed
or 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
taco shells or tortillas
shredded lettuce
grated cheese
any other taco toppings

frozen corn


In a greased baking dish, combine rice, water, onion soup, and butter. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. (You can also cook this in the rice cooker instead.)

In a blender, combine tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime juice, and a few shakes of salt. Blend until smooth. Taste with a tortilla chip and add more jalapeno, lime juice, and salt to taste. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Brown ground beef. Pour off fat. Add taco seasoning according to package directions. Add beans.

Microwave corn. Season with salt and pepper.

Top tacos with homemade salsa, lettuce, cheese, and other toppings. Serve with onion rice and corn.

Save about 1/2 lb. of the meat and most of the salsa for Monday's taco soup.

Marinated London Broil, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Steak and potato recipes both adapted from AllRecipes.

London Broil
1 1/2 lbs London broil
unseasoned meat tenderizer
1/3 c oil
2 t lemon juice
2 t seasoning salt
1/4 t lemon pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t parsley flakes
2 t vinegar

Score top and bottom of meat with a 1 1/2 inch square pattern. Sprinkle meat liberally with meat tenderizer. Refrigerate for an hour. In a small bowl, mix together salt, lemon juice, seasoning salt, lemon pepper, garlic, parsley, and vinegar. Reserve a small amount of sauce in a separate container. Pour remaining marinade over meat and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Preheat grill (or broiler) for high heat. Lightly oil grate. Discard marinade. Grill meat for 5 minutes. Turn meat over, brush with reserved sauce, and cook another 5 minutes.


Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
3-4 potatoes, quartered
2 T butter
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1 t dried oregano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Stir in butter, cheese, garlic, salt, and oregano. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer.


Broccoli
1/2 bunch broccoli, chopped into florets

Steam broccoli. Season with salt and pepper.

Roast Beef, Roasted Potatoes, Asparagus

3 lbs beef pot roast

7-10 red potatoes
1/4 c olive oil
1 pkg Lipton onion soup

1 bunch asparagus

In the morning, place beef in greased crock pot. Season generously with steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Cook on low 7-10 hours. Remove roast and let rest at least 10 minutes. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Place sliced roast beef back into crock pot for at least 10 minutes to warm.

Preheat oven to 425. Chop potatoes into 1 1/2 inch cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. On the baking sheet, toss potatoes, oil, and soup mix. Stir until all potatoes are well coated. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Trim woody ends from the asparagus. Steam until fork tender. Season with salt and pepper.

If you'd like, make a gravy for the roast beef. Melt a couple teaspoons of butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add about a tablespoon of flour; stir to combine well. Whisk in about 1 cup of beef broth from the crock pot. Increase to high heat, stirring well until it comes to a bubble. Stir and cook on high for one more minute. Reduce heat to low and season with salt, pepper, and a little squirt of Dijon mustard.

Mexican Haystacks, Green Salad, Corn

1 c white rice
1/2 lb ground beef
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce (8 oz?)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 - 1 pkg taco seasoning
garlic powder, cumin, chili powder to taste
toppings (green onions, bell peppers, shredded cheese, salsa, tortilla chips, chopped tomatoes, avocado, etc)

green salad

frozen corn


Cook rice according to package directions.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans, and taco seasonings (start with 1/2 pkg taco seasoning, slowly add more to taste). Simmer on low for 10 minutes, adding dashes of garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder to taste.

Meanwhile, prepare all the desired toppings.

Microwave the corn in a serving bowl.

Serve tomato sauce over rice and top with toppings. Serve with green salad and corn on the side.



*The Mexican haystacks idea came from some friends we met in college. I can't actually remember who it was, though! If it was you, let me know.