Showing posts with label Ground beef. Show all posts

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers





I grew up with Mom making stuffed green peppers and thought it was one of the best meals in the summertime.  Then they became a “must eat” in my own house with Bill and I and both boys loving them. 

Stuffed peppers are filling, easy to make and I would go so far as to serve them to company.  It’s just a good home-made meal that most of us like ~ a great comfort food, for sure. 

Green bell peppers are pretty, colorful to look and if you prefer red bell peppers for the color, use them.  It’s a great thing ~ your whole meal in a stuffed pepper, veggies, carbs and protein!  And eating them makes a super supper!


Peppers after boiling

Meat with rice

Ready to bake

Time to eat!


Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

6 large green bell peppers
2½ cups rice, your choice
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5 ounce) can Hunts Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
16 ounces (4 cups) sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

Method:

For peppers:
Fill large pot almost half full with water and bring to a boil.
Cut peppers in half from stem on top to bottom.
Remove seeds and ribs.
Place peppers in boiling water.
Simmer for 4 minutes.
Remove and drain.  Set aside.

For rice:
Cook rice according to package directions.
Set aside.

For beef mixture:
In large skillet, brown the ground beef, onion and garlic.
Drain the meat well when done.
Add both cans of tomatoes to meat.
Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper.
Combine well and simmer for 10 minutes.
Check for seasonings.

When meat mixture is done, add cooked rice and combine well.
Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until most of the juice from the tomatoes is absorbed.

Place peppers in a 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish.
Stuff peppers.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 375 for about 30-40 minutes until heated through.
Remove foil.
Sprinkle cheese over top.
Bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
Serve



Pam’s note:  I must tell you:  Bill is not a fan of green bell peppers at all!   When I made them stuffed as a whole pepper standing up, he would take the meat out and leave the pepper.  Then, with this recipe, cutting the peppers in half, he loves the peppers and eats it all with relish!  Guess size makes a difference!



This is one great summer-time dish!


Kelly’s Calico Beans





I remember the time she was born, just like it was yesterday, when we received a letter a good week after her arrival in the world.  She was born a month and 4 days after Bill and I married, while we were living in Oberheid, Germany when Bill was serving in the Army.   We were used to letters with more than week old news and were thrilled to get them no matter. 

I’m talking about our dishy sweet niece, Kelly; the daughter of Bill’s brother.  Kelly’s charming and funny ~ spunky and feisty as a fox.  She’s a fast thinker with the right words to say and most important of all, she has a warm, caring heart.



Kelly, almost 4



Kelly and her husband, Jim,  are the proud parents of two boys ~ one in his second year at the University of Pittsburgh and their little guy is 7 years old; a second-grader this fall.  So Kelly knows her way around sports and the kitchen too.  And to prove it, among other things she cooks a mean bean dish.

I’m a great fan of baked beans, really any kind of beans and this recipe turns baked beans into an impressive full-flavored side dish.  Kelly adds more bacon, usually a pound and said that the easy way to cook them is in a slow cooker, so that’s what I did.  The recipe calls for 4 types of beans:  1 can each of Great Northern, butter and kidney beans, plus 2 cans of pork ‘n beans. 

Like she told me, about any type of bean can be used so I swapped Pinto beans and mayocoba beans for the butter beans and kidney beans because I know some people who swear they don’t like butter beans or kidney beans.  What they don’t know is that the medium-sized, ivory-yellow mayacoba beans are a meaty bean with a mild-flavored buttery taste.

What makes this dish unique is the addition of not only salty smoky bacon, but browned ground beef.  Then, when they’re combined with the beans and the tangy sweet sauce you have a delicious side dish for your family or a crowd.  They go quickly and that can be good but, bad too because they are just as delicious left-over!  Just ask Bill ~ he said they’re the best!



Calico Beans

Ingredients:

½-1 pound bacon
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cans (16 ounces) pork ‘n beans
1 can (16 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) mayocoba beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (16 ounces) Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
½ to ¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dry mustard

Method:

In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain well and crumble into large pieces.
In the same skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
Combine the beef mixture, bacon, beans, brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar and mustard.
Spoon into a greased 2-qt. baking dish or slow cooker.
Bake, uncovered, at 325° for 45-60 minutes or until the beans are as thick as desired.
Or, cook for 4-5 hours on low in slow cooker.
About 12 servings


There’s nothing like a big pot of doctored up beans! 

Thanks again for the recipe, Kelly!





Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes.  She’s having a Double Giveaway now!






Cheese Beef Sticks



Bubba has made another great thing! 


Many years ago, when man started eating meat, the only way to preserve it was to dry it.  Beef sticks are an excellent source of protein with most of the fat being removed.  It’s easy to make and by making it yourself, you know exactly what has been added to it; no chemicals and preservatives.  And besides that, it tastes so much better than store bought! 

Bubba likes to cook and experiment with the ingredients in recipes.  He has made this recipe with many different combinations and finally ended up with this great recipe.  It has a little heat with the jalapeños.  Then, Bubba flavored the beef with lots of garlic, cayenne, black pepper, liquid smoke and the star ingredient, sharp cheddar cheese.

He mixed together the ingredients and extruded it through a jerky gun.  I really have never seen one but it works on the same principal as a caulking gun or my cookie gun for shaping spritz cookies, etc. The final part of the process is dehydrating the sticks in a dehydrator per the manufacturer’s instructions.  It’s a wonderful thing for a snack!

CHEESE BEEF STICKS

Ingredients:

2 ¼ pounds, 90% ground beef
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
5 jalapeños
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Cure
1 tablespoons liquid smoke


Method:

Place jalapeños and garlic in food processor.
Purée, almost liquefy them.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix well then knead until all ingredients are well blended.
Place in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Using a jerky gun, extrude the mixture out into tubes about 3/8” diameter.
Dehydrate for 5½  hours.
Cool.
Refrigerate.


Thanks Bubba!

They’re the best!  Yum!!!



Stuffed Cucumbers





Unfortunately, I can’t take credit for this recipe as I had never heard of it before meeting Bill.  This is another recipe that belonged to his mother, Alice.  I do not remember how she arrived at it.  I’m guessing she had a plethora of cucumbers and tomatoes in the garden one summer and this is the result. 

I’ve adapted her recipe using instead of plain tomatoes, a couple of cans of diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano and then added garlic powder for more flavor.

Cut the ends off the cucumbers first; peel them.  Then scoop out the seeds.  I do this very carefully with a paring knife.  I indent with the knife in a circle around the seeds, insert the knife and sort of twirl it in my hand and pull the seeds out.  Do not cut through to the meat of the cucumber!  That will cause them to split when cooking.  Then let them soak in a bowl of salt water for at 30 minutes.

Make the tomato mixture in a large pan and let simmer for at least 10 minutes.  Prepare the ground beef however you like it.  I add chopped onions, garlic powder, a little basil and oregano and finish with salt and pepper.  Gently stuff the cucumbers with the meat and place in the tomato mixture.  Take whatever meat is left over after stuffing the cucumbers and make meatballs.  Drop them into the pan along with the cucumbers and tomato mixture.

Use a large pan or Dutch oven to allow enough room to turn them now and then as they simmer.  It takes close to an hour for the cucumbers to be fork tender ~ they will turn almost transparent.  You will see the difference in their appearance after simmering for about 45 minutes.

They are incredibly delicious!  



 Soaking in salt water 

 Stuffed and ready for the pot

 Simmering in tomatoes 



Stuffed Cucumbers

Ingredients:

3 or 4 cucumbers
2 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound ground round beef

Method:

Peel cucumbers and scoop out seeds carefully.
They can be cut in half if they are large cucumbers.
Place in a large bowl of salt water and soak for 30 minutes.

Place tomatoes in dutch oven or large pan.
Add sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Simmer at least 10 minutes.

Prepare ground beef:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Drain cumbers.
Stuff ground beef mixture into cucumbers carefully.
Do not force or it will break the cucumber.
Add the stuffed cucumbers to the tomato mixture.
Make remainder of meat into meatballs.
Drop into tomato mixture.

Cook cucumbers on medium-low heat, a slow simmer, for 45 minutes to one hour until they become almost transparent.

Stir the tomato mixture occasionally and rotate the cucumbers once or twice.

Serve in individual bowls with plenty of the tomato sauce and a meatball or 2.

ENJOY!!!


By the way ~

I will be joining Linda (“My Kind of Cooking”) on the radio, via telephone tomorrow morning, Friday, July 2nd, during her cooking segment, “Fast Food Friday.” 

You can listen over the internet by clicking this link:  Passion Radio.  Click on the Listen Live button in the upper left hand corner of the website to connect.  We will be on around 8:20 a.m. mountain time, 9:20 central time. 

I am so excited and hope you will be listening to Linda’s great show!



I Won Linda’s Cookbook ~ My Kind of Cooking!




Woo hoo!!!  I won, I won!

I am thrilled to say that I won Linda’s excellent cookbook, My Kind of Cooking!!!  The great thing with Linda’s cookbook is that ALL of the recipes are made with either 3-4-or 5 ingredients ~ they are hassle-free recipes.  It’s a wonderful thing! She has a drawing for it every month and you must check it all out at her interesting blog, My Kind of Cooking.   

See that delectable dessert on the cover of her cookbook?  It’s Butterscotch-Pecan Tart. You will be drooling at all the fantastic food photos, believe me!

The recipes are so easy, making it great for a no fuss home-cooked meal.   Just to name a few of her recipes:  On Vacation Dip (yum!), Better than Baked Potatoes (this is a must try ~ I’m wondering how it works), Cabbage Casserole with Alfredo sauce, Tam-Tam Chicken (can’t wait to try this), Southwest Crescents (black beans!) and Doughnut Sundaes (sounds sinful to me and is another one I can’t wait to try!)

You know how aggravating it is to read a recipe out of a cookbook while trying to assemble it and the page suddenly flips over?  Well, that is not the case with My Kind of Cooking.  Its spiral bound and lays flat for easy recipe reading! 

I made her tuna salad.  The mix of ingredients intrigued me and I was flat out amazed!  Oh my gosh!  I will be making it this way from now on! The olives give it zing, the cottage cheese makes it creamy and the Italian dressing ties it all together.  It is good and I mean, REALLY GOOD!  





Here it is:

Italian Tuna Salad

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 teaspoons Italian dressing
2 (3 ounce) cans tuna in water, drained
¼ cup cottage cheese
8 green olives, sliced

In medium bowl, combine mayonnaise and dressing.  Mix well.  Add remaining ingredients.  Mix well.
Makes 2 servings.



Bill looked at My Kind of Cooking also and “After Work Stroganoff” caught his attention.  It’s filled with browned ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and ketchup. It is easy ~ and fast also when you need a meal ready quickly.  It smelled so good when cooking and it was delicious.  Bill fell for it hook, line and sinker and so did I.  It will be on our dinner table again before too long!






After Work Stroganoff

1 pound ground beef, browned
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup ketchup

In medium saucepan, combine all ingredients.  Mix well. Cook over low heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Serve over noodles.
Makes 4 servings.



By the way, when you visit her blog, you will notice that Linda has a segment called “Fast Food Friday” on Passion Radio 95.7 FM every Friday between 8:15-8:30 a.m. MDT.  Click on “radio” and you will hear via the internet.  She has a terrific radio voice and a great sense of humor also. 

My Kind of Cooking is now my “go-to” cookbook for delicious easy unique dishes.

Linda thanks again for the cookbook!  I am honored to have it and will enjoy it immensely!

Now, all of you hop on over to Linda’s website and check out her cookbook!



Patty Melts

Stacked patty melts


We love food on the grill but it was a “no go” the other night due to pouring rain ~ who wants to stand out in the rain with an umbrella and grill?  Guess I could’ve gone out and held the umbrella over Bill but, that didn’t enter my mind then.  ;)  So, the perfect solution was patty melts for dinner.

I love burgers on the grill but a patty melt is not a burger.  Burgers can have all sorts of condiments on them plus mushrooms, bacon, pickles, lettuce; any way you want to dress it up.  A patty melt is just that, it stands by itself ~ it’s all about the caramelized onions cooking on the griddle, the meat and topping it with cheese ~ served on rye toast.

First of all, I caramelized the onions, then toasted the bread on the griddle, cooked the burgers, topped them with cheese, then assembled the sandwiches and finished with grilling them.  I made the burgers in an oval shape a little larger than our favorite rye bread. If you prefer Swiss cheese, use that.  And there you have a great sandwich. 





Patty melts are quintessential diner food!  And then are tuna melts…  Have you ever enjoyed them?

PATTY MELTS

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons butter
2 large Vidalia onions, sliced thinly
8 slices rye bread
1½ pounds chuck ground beef
8 slices American cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter on griddle or in skillet.
Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Remove onions, set aside.
Lay bread slices flat on a plate or waxed paper.
Butter each slice of bread on the top side, dividing 1 tablespoon of butter.
Flip bread and butter other side with 1 tablespoon of butter, divided.
Toast bread on both sides on the griddle until bread is a light golden color, about 1 minute per side.
Set bread aside.
Divide beef into 4 patties and season with salt and pepper.
Cook until beef is medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove patties from griddle.
Assemble sandwiches:
Lay 4 slices of toasted bread on griddle.
Top each with ¼ of onion mixture, one beef patty, one slice of cheese and another slice of toasted bread.
Melt remaining tablespoon of butter on griddle.
Grill sandwiches on both sides, for a short time until the cheese is melted and toast is a golden brown.
Serve

This is one of my favorite sandwiches, how about you?  What’s yours?



Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage



Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, Bubba has done it again!

I posted Alice’s (my MIL) summer sausage recipe back on February 16th and I just have to post the updated version of it now.

Bubba has been working on this recipe for a while now ~ he has tweaked it way up several notches into an amazingly delicious spicy sausage.  You may remember how he loves hot spicy food but, this one does not have as much heat as the others.  (See Bubba’s recipes on the right side-bar under “labels.”)  This summer sausage is pungent with all the garlic powder and mustard seed ~ it will keep those vampires at bay.



 Bubba, 1971, almost 3 years old


It looks like it might be a lot of work as it’s spread out over so many days but, it’s not!  It just requires a little mixing each day with a long oven time on the final day.  And then you have it, freshly made summer sausage from YOUR very own kitchen.  It’s a wonderful thing!

If you enjoy summer sausage and have never tried making it yourself, you must make this!  I guarantee you will not be buying it from a store again!  It’s that delicious!!!

Bubba’s Summer Sausage

Ingredients:

4.25 pounds ground beef ~ 80%
4 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Cure
1 tablespoon, mustard seed, mounded
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (hickory)
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder

Method:

Mix all ingredients with your hands thoroughly, even knead it like bread.
Cover and refrigerate.

For each of the next 4 days, prior to baking, knead until meat starts to warm up, about 10 minutes.

Day 2:  Knead and refrigerate.

Day 3:  Knead and refrigerate.

Day 4:  Knead again and refrigerate.

Day 5:  Divide into 4 logs and place on broiler pan.
Bake at 180 degrees for 9 hours, turning every couple of hours.
Meat will appear red when fully cooked.
Transfer sausages onto a wire rack over a pan to drain excess fat.
Place in refrigerator until cool.
Slice and serve.

Give this a try ~ it’s the best!



Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage, Perfected





You’re probably asking why would anyone bother to make their own summer sausage.  The reason is, because it is so very delicious!

It is much better than the store bought version, cheaper also and you know exactly what it consists of.  You control the ingredients ~ no added chemicals~ and flavor it as you like.  It reminds me of growing up on the farm with Dad making our own pork sausage, not similar to supermarket sausage at all.

Bubba has been refining his summer sausage recipe and has hit on the exact proportions for it.   It is easy, it just takes time with needing 5 days to cure.  There is no casing involved.  Do not use a grade of ground beef with very low fat content as the result will be dry and crumbly.  Do not substitute salt for the Morton Tender Quick Cure ~ it is not the same thing!
 

It’s a great summer sausage that you just slice and serve with cheese and crackers or by itself.  I love the great flavor and the texture also!





Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage

Ingredients:

4-1/4 pounds 75%-80% ground beef
4 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Cure
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed
3 tablespoons coarse black pepper
2-3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Method:

Knead all ingredients together, mixing completely.  
Cover with foil and put in fridge.
Knead, re-cover, and put back in fridge for days 2-4.  Repeat each day.
On the fifth day, knead and then roll into 4-5 loaves (I roll it out on a board and put some pressure into it so the meat packs together without air gaps).
Place on broiler pan, and put in oven at 170-180 degrees.  
For 80% beef I've been using 170 for ~8 hours.  
For the 75% stuff, I went 180 for ~9 hours.  Turn every two hours.
Remove from oven, place on wire rack, and let cool to room temperature.  
When it's at room temperature I put it rack and all into the fridge.  
Make sure to leave a plate under the rack while it's cooling to catch the drippings (in the fridge as well).  
Once it's cooled to fridge temperature, remove from rack and put in bags.  
Freeze or keep in fridge (especially due to lowering of the curing salt).


Good job, Bubba!  It’s the best!!!




Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!




Loose Savoy Cabbage Rolls




Don’t be wrinkling your nose at cabbage ~ it's one of the most misunderstood vegetables!  



Cabbage was popular with the ancient Romans and Greeks.  For medicinal purposes, early Romans blended lard with the ashes of burnt cabbage to make an ointment for disinfecting wounds.  It is rich in nutrition and fiber and an outstanding source of Vitamins A, C, E and B.   

Even more amazing is that cabbage is known for a specialized, naturally occurring, nitrogenous compound known as indoles.  Current research points out that indoles can lower the risk of various forms of cancer.  And it’s low in calories!






There are many types of cabbage and this time I took a walk on the wild side and used the yellowish-green ruffled, lacy leaves of pretty Savoy cabbage.  Bill and I are big fans of cabbage rolls and I make them occasionally but this recipe for loose cabbage rolls is quicker and just as delicious.  Instead of cooking the head of cabbage, pealing off and stuffing the leaves, the cabbage is sliced, combined with the remaining ingredients and baked in a casserole dish.



I hope you give this a try!





Loose Savoy Cabbage Rolls



Ingredients:



1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¾ cup long grain rice

1o ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 medium head Savoy or green cabbage, sliced



Salt and pepper to taste



Method:



Brown meat, onion, garlic and peppers in a large skillet until meat is cooked.

Blend in Worcestershire sauce, rice, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Layer sliced cabbage and meat mixture in a large baking dish.

Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender and tomato liquid is absorbed.

Serves 4



ENJOY!!!   IT’S DELICIOUS!!!











Visit my friend Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway! 

My Incredible Meatloaf



What can I say?  I make an incredible meatloaf!

Ummm, nothing makes me happier than a good meatloaf for the perfect comfort food!  Half ground beef, half ground pork, chopped fresh green pepper, Vidalia onion, cracker crumbs and seasonings bakes into the perfect entrée for a cold, snowy winter night here in the Midwest. 

The pork is a must, that’s what gives it its distinct savory flavor.  It works best with a few cracker crumbs, no bread crumbs, no oatmeal, and no cornflakes to make it mushy or grainy.  Bill is not a green pepper fan, but he says it is a must for meatloaf as it complements the meat and I wholeheartedly agree.  I’ve tried many toppings for my meatloaf and always end up just slathering ketchup over it, no fancy sauces. And it does not make it sweet.

I have been making it this way for many years and am always told I make a great meat loaf.   Be sure to make plenty in order to have leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches on good crusty bread, spread with a little mayonnaise!

Meatloaf is so tasty served with a crispy skinned baked potato and cole slaw; it makes me “darn near euphoric” just thinking about it!  Give my recipe a try and let me know how much you like it!

My Incredible Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 ½ pounds ground pork
6 saltine crackers, crushed
1 small Vidalia onion, chopped
1 egg
½ cup ketchup
½ green bell pepper, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon McCormick’s Seasoned Pepper Blend
2/3 cup milk
Ketchup, for topping

Combine all ingredients, mix very well with your hands.
Place into a baking dish sprayed with Pam, form into a loaf.
Spread ketchup over top.
Bake about 1 ½ hours at 350 degrees, till done.

Note:  About half-way through baking time, drain off drippings. 

When done, remove from oven, let sit for a minute, cut into perfect tasty slices. 


YUM, YUM, YUM !!!

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