Meatballs

So I basically took this recipe, tossed in a few root vegetables, but shaped them into meatballs. Then I dipped them in marinara sauce, slapped 'em on a hoagie, and threw on some mozzarella cheese. It was fan-freakin-tastic. But then again, it doesn't take much to get me excited about food.

1 lb ground beef
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion (1 Tbsp dehydrated)
2 Tbsp snipped parsley (1 tsp dried)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
2-3 Tbsp powdered milk (You can use 3/4 cup milk, but I was lazy and just threw in the powder)

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into meatballs and place on lightly greased sheet. Bake at 350 for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size. Mine were slightly larger than golf balls and baked in about 35 minutes.

Cabbage Rolls

Medium head of cabbage
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup uncooked rice
1 Tbsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 small onion, chopped
15 oz tomato sauce, divided
15 oz diced tomatoes

Boil head of cabbage for 3-4 minutes, until leaves start to fall off. Peal off 10-12 leaves and cut the thick vein from the bottom. Set remaining cabbage aside.

Combine beef, pork, rice, parsley, salt, chili powder, onion, and 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Place about 1/4 cup meat mixture on each cabbage leaf, fold the sides in and roll completely.

Chop remaining cabbage. Place in the bottom of a 9x13 greased pan. Arrange cabbage rolls in pan seam side down.

Combine remainder of the tomato sauce & diced tomatoes. Pour over cabbage rolls.

Bake at 350 for 1.5 hours.

Sloppy Joe Casserole

8 oz. shell macaroni
1 envelope sloppy joe mix
1 1/2 lb. lean hamburger
8 oz. can tomato paste
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/4 cup water
8 oz. cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni, drain. Brown hamburger. Add seasoning mix, tomato paste, tomato paste and water to hamburger. In 3 quart dish layer 1/2 macaroni, 1/2 cottage cheese and 1/2 meat sauce. Repeat. Top with cheddar cheese. Freeze at this point or bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If frozen, either thaw before cooking or increase cooking time to 50-60 minutes.

Tater-Tot Casserole

I kind of made this up playing off of hamburger gravy my Grandma makes and a tater-tot/meatloaf a friends mom makes. It's not very healthy... but one of those "comfort food" meals. I think it has freezer meal potential... but I've never actually frozen one to see how it turns out after. It's pretty quick to make so I've never felt the need to throw an extra one in the freezer.

1-1.5 lbs ground beef
1/2 white onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 can cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese
1 bag tater-tots

Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until beef is done; drain of fat.

Add cream of mushroom soup and sour cream.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Pour in hamburger mixture. Top with shredded cheese and tater tots. Cook according to tater-tot package directions... or at 450 for 18-20 minutes.

*I usually add a little more flavor to the beef by adding some Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin... whatever I'm in the mood for. You can change it up a million ways by adding what your family likes while your cooking the meat. Sometimes I also add a bag of frozen vegetables...

Meatloaf

I was not a fan of meatloaf until I tasted this recipe. My sister brought it to us on our first day home from the hospital with our daughter. It was right in the middle of one of the hottest summers ever and our swamp cooler had broken while we were in the hospital. All of us were hot, hungry, overwhelmed and in tears. This was the best dinner we could have ever had. It was also so nice that she helped with the baby while we took a minute to get back on our feet. This recipe has also become my go-to recipe when I'm out of meal ideas.

2 eggs
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs, plain or italian style
1/4 c. finely chopped onion or about 1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion
2 Tbsp. snipped fresh parsley or about 1 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground beef, uncooked
ground pepper to taste
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce (or more to taste)

Mix all ingredients together and pour in a standard 8x4x2 bread pan. You could also mince some vegis and throw in there too. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes.

Cheesy Mostaccioli

1 package (16 oz) mostaccioli pasta, cooked
1 1/2 lbs ground beef, browned & drained
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (11 oz) cheddar cheese soup
3 cups (12 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Brown and drain meat.

Add seasonings to meat. Stir in spaghetti sauce and soup. Combine pasta, sauce mixture, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in casserole dish. Mix to combine. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Quick & Easy Chili

1 lb ground hamburger 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped onion 8 oz tomato sauce
1 tsp salt 6 oz tomato paste
1 Tbsp chili powder 1 can French onion soup
1 Tbsp ground cumin 1 can pinto beans, drained

Ground hamburger meat, drain off any grease. Add remainder of ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Chili

This is just a basic chili recipe, and I hope to hear of some good variations too.

Chili

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (Italian style is good too--it adds just the hint of italian seasoning that is really yummy)
1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans
1 med yellow onion (or 1/4 c. dried onion flakes, or 1/4 tsp. onion powder)
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
1/2 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 lb mushrooms (washed and sliced)
garlic salt to taste
1 lb. ground beef

Brown beef in large pan. Drain fat. Empty contents of tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes in large pot. Drain and rinse kidney beans and add to pot. Mince onion and add to pot. Add garlic salt and taste. It's very important you do this now before adding any other spices because it's much harder to season after this point. Add chili powder and cumin. Cook on low until simmering. Add browned beef and sliced mushrooms. Simmer 1 hour, stirring about every 10 minutes. Don't boil.

This is also a great recipe to freeze.

Judy's Stew

This is a common stew we had in our house growing up. The ingredients are mostly staples I have in the house anyway, so it's nice to throw this together. And the name has kind of a silly story. When my sister had a baby her neighbor brought dinner over to her. She had just thrown stuff in a pot and it turned out really yummy. Her name was Judy, so that's what my mom and I always refered to it as.

5 potatoes-peeled & diced
5 carrots-peeled & diced
1 15 oz. can of green beans
chopped onion or onion flakes (I don't usually put this in, so you decide on how much you want to put in)
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown the ground beef, adding a dash of salt and pepper. Cut up your vegis and place in a large, oven safe pot, or use a crock pot. Add about one tsp. salt to begin with. (You may need to add more later when it's fully cooked.) Add the green beans and the liquid in the can. Add the ground beef when it's browned. Add both cans of soup, plus 1/2 soup can of water. (Note: you can use either 2 of the same kind of soup, or one of each. I like the flavor of one of each.) Mix all the ingredients together. Place a large piece of aluminum foil over the pot or crock pot, and place the lid on top. Cook for about an 60-90 minutes in the oven, or for about 3-4 hours on med or low in the crockpot until the vegis are tender. (The time in the crockpot depends on your crockpot. Just stir occasionally and check the vegis.)

Enjoy!