Philly Cheesesteak

One of the eating options at our undergraduate college was set-up fast-food style. It wasn't a big name restaurant that you see at some of the big student unions, but a smaller operation ran by the same people that ran the cafeteria. You would walk up and literally write your name and order on a little slip of paper and hand it to whomever was cooking. They had you standard fast-food fare - burgers, chicken strips, mini pizzas, and Philly cheesesteaks. Those cheesesteaks were SO good. Horrible for you, I know, because they would drip grease, but how much do you care about that at 19?

To make a long story short, I haven't had a Philly Cheesesteak in a long time because I know that it is definitely more of a splurge. You can imagine that I was really excited to find a makeover recipe in the March issue of Cooking Light!

As I mentioned, it has been awhile since I've had a "real" cheesesteak, but these were pretty good in my book. The recipe came together really well. I did not include the mushrooms as they are not my cup of tea. My only note would be to be sure to make the cheese sauce just before you are ready to eat. I made mine too early, and ended up needing to reheat it. This did not go well as the sauce got really thick, but could be fixed easily enough. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Philly Cheesesteak
Adapted from Cooking Light March 2012

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) flank steak, trimmed 
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced green bell pepper
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
1 ounce provolone cheese, torn into small pieces
2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
4 (3-inch) hoagie rolls, toasted  

Place beef in the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut beef across the grain into thin slices. Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. 

Heat a large nonstick skillet over 2 minutes or until beef just loses its pink color, stirring constantly (mine took about 3-4 minutes). Remove beef from pan. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan. Add onion; saute 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, and garlic; saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Return beef to pan; saute 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Stir in Worcestershire and soy sauce; keep warm.

Hollow out top and bottom halves of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch thick shell. Divide the beef mixture evenly amongst the bottom halves of the hoagies.  

Just before ready to eat, place flour in a small saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook 1 minute or until just slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Drizzle sauce evenly over beef mixture; replace top halves.

Runzas

Anyone else know what a runza is? If you aren't from the Midwest (Nebraska-Kansas-Iowa), you may not, but if you've ever had one (either homemade or from the restaurant), I'm sure you'll understand that these are amongst the things that I miss from back home! 

Runzas have been on my list of things to make since we've been married. It took me almost 5 years to tackle them, largely because I thought they would be a big production. I guess moving away from easy access to them must have been the push I needed, and it turns out they really were not that hard to make :)   

So I haven't answered the question yet... What is a runza? It is ground beef, onions, cabbage and seasoning wrapped up in homemade bread that comes from a German heritage. There are several variations you can make including adding cheddar cheese inside the dough and a swiss-mushroom combination that was a favorite with my parents. Nonetheless, for my first attempt, I went with the simpliest version shown below. I used red cabbage because that is what I had leftover from another recipe, but they are traditionally made with green cabbage. I guess the biggest question is how did they taste? Spot on. Exactly like the runzas I remember. Now that I know they are this easy, I have a feeling we'll be having runzas more often. Enjoy

(Printable Recipe)

Runzas
Adapted from The Test Nest

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-1/2 tsp. yeast (2 pkg)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 lb.93% lean ground beef
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 large onion, chopped
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
salt and pepper to taste
ketchup, for serving 

For the dough, measure the white whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix in the sugar, salt, and yeast with a spoon. Heat water, milk, and butter in the microwave until just warm and pour over flour mixture. Add the eggs. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds and on high for 3 minutes. Add remaining flour in 1/2 cup increments. You may need to add additional flour if the dough feels really wet. Four cups was perfect for me, but we live in the desert. If extra flour is needed, add 1/4 cup at a time. Change to the hook attachment and knead on low using the mixer until the dough is smooth.

Cover the dough and let rise for 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the ground beef, onion, and cabbage together until the ground beef is cooked through and the onion and cabbage have softened. Stir in the crushed beef bouillon and add salt and pepper to taste. 

Divide the dough into about 10 approximately equal balls. Flatten into a disk and distribute the filling mixture between the pieces of dough. Fold in the ends of the dough and roll up tortilla style, pinching the dough together at the seam. Place seam-side down on a baking dish and allow to rest for 15-30 minutes. 

While the runzas are resting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the runzas for approximately 15 minutes, or until the dough turns golden brown on top. Serve with ketchup. Runzas freeze well to make great meals for busy nights!

Cheeseburger Salad

By far, the most popular day at our work cafeteria is taco Thursdays. They make both normal tacos and taco salads served in those big, fried taco bowls. I typically bring my lunch to work, so I have yet to participate in taco Thursdays. Nevertheless, if you would sit outside the cafeteria, I would bet almost every single person walking out of that cafeteria has one of those big bowls. While those taco salads may be delicious, part of the reason that I have not yet indulged is just that. With all the meat (which I doubt is lean), cheese, and the fried bowl, I'm sure those salads are far from health food. 

From tacos to cheeseburgers, doesn't seem like too far of a leap up the "healthy meter" but hear me out. Lean ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, whole wheat homemade croutons with no heavy dressing. May be a little higher in sodium due to the condiments and pickles, but not so bad after all. 

This salad is actually adapted from recipe that I saw on Ree's site The Pioneer Woman. In the two weeks since I first noticed the recipe online, we have already made it twice. The second time requested specifically by my husband. It is that good. Almost better when I reassembled the leftovers for my Thursday cheeseburger salad lunch :) Enough said. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Cheeseburger Salad
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 large whole wheat rolls, cut into 1-inch pieces
Butter-flavored non-stick spray
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1 lb. lean ground beef (93 or 96%)
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. barbecue sauce
1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and torn
1/4 - 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced
4 whole dill pickles, cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray the pieces of bread with the non-stick spray and toss. Sprinkle with the garlic salt and parsley and mix. Spread the cubes on a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake for 15 minutes. Stir and bake for 15 more minutes or until brown and crispy.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat. When cooked through, drain any fat from the pan. Add ketchup, mustards, and barbecue sauce and stir to combine. Keep warm.

To assemble each salad, divide the lettuce between plates. Layer on the meat, onions, tomatoes, pickles, cheese, and croutons. Serve immediately. The salad can be saved for lunch by storing the vegetables, croutons, and meat separately. Warm the meat up in the microwave just before eating, then assemble the ingredients.

Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos

Ever have those random ingredients hanging around your kitchen. I seemed to end up with several types of random ingredients after all the different meals we made over the holidays - a half box of cornflakes here, half block of fontina cheese there, frozen roasted veggies, and a random (and HUGE) extra sweet potato. 

Thankfully, I discovered a use for my rogue sweet potato while perusing Pinterest one day. Enter these taco packets by Natalie from Perry's Plate. Cubed sweet potatoes and some of your typical taco toppings are loaded up and baked right in a foil packet. They earn bonus points right away there - almost no clean up!

As for how they turned out, I'll just say my husband beat me out for taking the leftovers for lunch :) Enjoy!  

(Printable Recipe)

Sweet Potato Foil Packet Tacos
From Perry's Plate

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef or turkey
2-3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 cup (4oz) tomato sauce
1 can (14oz)  black, pinto, or kidney beans
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 6 cups total)
2 Tbsp. butter
salt
1-1/2 cups fresh spinach, torn
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole for garnish
6, 12-inch long pieces of aluminum foil

Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and beans. Set aside.

To assemble the packets, spray the foil with non-stick spray. Place 1 cup of sweet potato cubes in the center of each piece. Top with a small piece of butter (1 teaspoon) and a pinch or two of salt. Sprinkle some torn spinach over the sweet potatoes, followed by about 1/3 cup of taco meat and a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the sides in, then bring the top and bottom ends of the foil together in the center and fold, sealing the packet. 

Repeat with the remaining ingredients, placing the packets on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. Serve with sour cream, salsa, and/or guacamole.

Flank Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Marinade

His mom has a tatoo that says, "Son"... When in Rome, they do as he does... If he says, it's not you, it's me. He's lying... Anyone else always cracked up by the Dos XX most interesting man in the world commercials? I love them... 

Anyway, one thing those commercials always make think of is Mexican food. We love it in any form. Everything from simple ground beef tacos to the most elaborate enchiladas you can make. The recipe for these beauties comes from Laurie at Simply Scratch. She makes a great pico too! The tacos really require no more work that your average taco recipe. Only a little more time so that the meat has a chance to marinate. The result? Delicious, simple taco perfection. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Flank Steak Tacos with Cilantro Lime Marinade
From Simply Scratch 

Ingredients:
2 lbs. flank or skirt steak
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lime, juiced 
1 garlic clove, smashed 
2 tsp. honey
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly removed from the stems
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. Ancho-Chili powder (I just used regular)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper, to taste
aluminum foil
10-12 soft flour tortillas
lettuce, shredded or chopped
Monterey Jack cheese, freshly grated 

Pico de gallo:
4 roma tomatoes, seeds removed, diced small
1 small red onion, diced small
1 jalapeno pepper, diced finely
1 clove garlic, smashed, peeled and minced
3 green onions, white and green parts sliced
1 handful cilantro, chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
pinch of Kosher salt
few grinds of black pepper 

For the marinade, in a mini food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, and lime juice and pulse quickly until chopped. Toss the remaining ingredients up to the tortillas into the food processor and pulse until combined. Place the steak and marinade in a ziplock bag and marinate on the countertop for 30 minutes. Be sure the meat is at room temperature before grilling. 

While the meat is marinating, combine all the ingredients for the pico de gallo. Toss to mix. Cover and place in the refrigerator while you finish the tacos. 

After 30 minutes, grill the steak for 6-10 minutes on each side over medium-high heat. Remove from the grill and cover with aluminum foil. Let the meat rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing so the juices in the meat can redistribute. Slice across the grain at a slight angle. Warm some flour tortillas, top with desired toppings, and serve with the pico de gallo.

Beef Taco Pizza

Just in time for the weekend, I have your next pizza recipe!

We actually first got the idea for a taco-type pizza after having a similar one from a pizza chain in Nebraska (Godfather's anyone?) and have made several variations on that idea since then. It is a really simple idea. You just take your taco toppings and add them to a pizza crust instead of a taco shell. It may be even better than tacos because the bake time melts the cheese on the pizza :)

We went all out on our toppings including taco-seasoned ground beef, onion, bell peppers, chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives, and cheddar cheese, but you could use any combination of ingredients here that you would add to your taco. Just swap the pizza sauce for taco sauce and remember to add the shredded lettuce after the bake time so that it doesn't wilt. Adding the lettuce is a little different, but we love the texture and temperature difference that the colder lettuce adds to the hot pizza. Try it. I promise it's good. Enjoy

(Printable Recipe) 

Beef Taco Pizza
Cookin' Chemist original

Ingredients:
1 pkg pre-made or portion of homemade pizza dough
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. homemade taco seasoning
1 small can sliced black olives
1/2 bell pepper, any color, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1-1/2 cups shredded Mexican-blend cheese
1/2 head Romaine lettuce, shredded 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven while the oven warms up. 

Cut a piece of parchment paper large enough for a 12-14-inch pizza. Lightly flour the paper. Roll out or stretch out (using your hands) the pizza dough to your desired size. If it seems to shrink back after you stretch it, let it sit for a few minutes and try again. Set the crust aside. Brown the ground beef in a medium-sized skillet. Drain any fat, if necessary. Add the taco seasoning and mix well. Set aside. 

Spread the taco sauce over the dough. Top with ground beef, olives, pepper, onion, and tomatoes. Finish with the cheese. Transfer the pizza and the parchment paper to the hot pizza stone or other pizza pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the crust begins to brown and the cheese is melted. Cut and serve immediately. Top each individual slice with lettuce upon serving (If you have leftovers, the lettuce will not keep well on top of the slices. This is why we add it to each piece as we eat them).

SRC: Beef Empanadas with Black Bean Dipping Sauce

There have been some big changes to the Secret Recipe Club this month. In the 5 months of it's existence, the blog group has grown enough that we are now divided into 3 segments - one managed by Amanda of Amanda's Cooking, one by Tina of Mom's Crazy Cooking, and one by Angela of Big Bear's Wife. The group is really fun. Who doesn't love getting to check out a new blog, new recipes, and having some air time for their own blog :) Not only that, but Amanda has rolled out a great blog page for the group featuring recipes from each of the members. Sweet!

My blog assignment for this month was A Bountiful Kitchen. One of the things that I loved about her blog was the surplus of Mexican-themed recipes on her blog. We love Mexican and Southwest flavors here, so I had a really hard time choosing amongst her recipes. I kid you not, I have no less than 3 more enchilada recipes and a salsa recipe bookmarked to make at a future date. Of course, Mexican foods aren't all you'll find... I have frosted sugar cookie bars and a great lasagna bookmarked too :)

In the end, I choose these empanadas because they are something different from what we normally make. While they were new to me, I found the recipe quite easy. It is basically cooking the meat filling and folding it into purchased puff pastry (I suppose you could make your own, but I'm not quite that confident). I followed her recipe almost to a 'T' except that I added about a teaspoon of adobe sauce and a de-seeded chipotle pepper to the sour cream mixture to give it a little bit more kick. 

So how were they? Pretty awesome! I wouldn't change a thing. We ate them for dinner, but I am sure they'd make a great addition to an appetizer spread for a party too. We also made the fresh, but I am thinking they would freeze pretty well to make a quick meal. Maybe freeze them just after assembly, but before baking? Then you could probably bake them right out of the freezer, just adding a couple of minutes. Either way, be sure to stop by A Bountiful Kitchen. I know I'll be making more recipes from there!

(Printable Recipe)

Beef Empanadas with Black Bean Dipping Sauce
From A Bountiful Kitchen (Originally adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:
Empanadas:
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (17.3 oz) pkg. frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
2 large egg yolks, beaten for glaze

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 can (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded
1 tsp. adobo sauce
1 Roma tomato, seeded, chopped, divided
1 large green onion, sliced, divided
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, chopped onion, and garlic; cook, stirring often and breaking into pieces with a wooden spoon until beef is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste, cumin, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring often, to let flavors meld, about 4 minutes. Add cilantro; season to taste with salt and pepper. Let filling cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper (optional - I have baking stones, so I skipped this step). Cut each pastry sheet into 4 equal squares for a total of 8 squares. Lightly brush the edges of each square with the yolk glaze. Spoon filling into the center of each, dividing equally. Fold edges over, forming triangles. Dip the tines of a fork into flour and crimp the edges of each triangle to seal. Divide triangles between baking sheets. Brush the tops with glaze. (Assembled empanadas can be prepared up to 6 hours prior. Cover and chill.) Bake until tops are puffed and golden, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree the beans, sour cream, pepper, and adobo sauce in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in half the tomato and half the green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining tomato and green onion over the top. Serve with the baked empanadas.

Taco Ring

This might be the recipe that won me my husband. See, being from Nebraska, we both were (and are) huge Nebraska football fans since as far back as I remember. My husband and I actually met while we were both in high school, and it was at one of these Nebraska football parties where our relationship really began. Guess what dish my girlfriend and I had made to bring to the party :)

Story aside, we had both sadly forgotten about this recipe until my husband brought it up during my menu plan a couple months ago. While football season is still a few months out, it worked quite well as our main dish for the college basketball finals several weeks ago. One of the things I love about this dish is that it looks really impressive while still being really easy to make. If you can brown hamburger and chop vegetables, you can master this recipe. Besides game day, this recipe would also work great for backyard barbecues and graduation parties. The other thing I love. The taste. It really is all the taste of tacos in a more portable vehicle. What's not to love? We certainly won't be waiting as long to make this again. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Taco Ring
Recipe from the Dobbes

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pkg. taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning
1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 Tbsp. water
2 pkg. crescent rolls
1 medium green bell pepper (any color will work)
1/2 head lettuce, shredded
1 small onion, chopped
1 can sliced black olives
1 cup salsa
light sour cream

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine cooked meat, seasoning mix, cheese and water in a large bowl. Arrange crescent triangles in a circle on a 13" round baking stone or other baking dish with bases overlapping in the center and points to the outside (there should be a 5" diameter in the center). Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the meat mixture over the rolls. Fold the points of the triangles over the filling and pinch dough together at the center (filling will not be completely covered). Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 

Using a v-shaped cutter or regular knife, but off the top of the bell pepper. Remove seeds. Shred lettuce and cube tomato. Chop onion. Place bell pepper in the center of the ring; fill with salsa. Mound lettuce, onion, tomato, and olives around the pepper. Garnish with sour cream. Slice with pizza cutter and enjoy.

Crispy Baked Taco Bowls

This one isn't so much a recipe as it is a fun dinner idea to put a spin on a dinnertime staple. I saw saw these adorable shells over on Annie's Eats several weeks ago and immediately bookmarked it because in college, one of the things I always liked about our Mexican buffet at the cafeteria (yes, I actually liked this cafeteria meal) was the taco bowls. I'm not going to lie. They're cute. Better yet you can use the bowls to pile on all the toppings you want because let's face it, I am one of those people that fills their taco shells too full and ends up needing a fork anyway.

We actually ended up making these on a night where we needed supper on the table NOW. They're great because they require almost no preparation, are done in the time that it takes to make the taco meat/filling, and can also serve as chips if you discover that you're out - this may or may not be from experience =)

Since it's such a simple recipe and definitely not my idea, I am not going to repost the instructions. So, dig out that favorite taco recipe and head over to Annie's eats to get started making those taco bowls. I'm sure your family will love them!

Jack-o-lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

I hope you are all having a great Halloween! I know these are a little late for anyone to really enjoy this year, but I thought they were way too cute to wait a whole year to post! The family I'm staying with in Nebraska has a 6-year old boy, so we enjoyed these for our Halloween feast tonight before he left to go trick-or-treating. The only thing that I'm a little disappointed about was the lack of orange bell peppers at the store today. Nevertheless, it's kind of fun to have a child around as a reason to be festive =)

I didn't really follow a recipe in making these. The basic idea for a jack-o-lantern came from a recipe I saw yesterday on allrecipes.com. However, I modified it because the filling in this recipe called for bread crumbs, and I was really looking for a rice-based filling. In the end, I ended up using pieces of recipes from Betty Crocker's Cookbook, epicurious, and Delicious Living. My end recipe isn't close to any of them, so I'm just going to call it my own. That's one thing I love about stuffed peppers. You can really change them up however you want, and you'll still end up with something delicious!

Keep these bookmarked for next year! I know that we had tons of fun with them tonight, and I'm definitely going to keep these in mind for future Halloween's at our house!

(Printable Recipe)

Jack-o-lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers
The Cookin' Chemist original

Ingredients:
6 bell peppers, orange or other colors (that will stand on their own)
2 tsp. olive oil
1-1/2 c. chopped red onion
6 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. cooked rice, cooled
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. allspice
2-1/2 c. canned tomato sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cook the rice according to package directions. Set aside. 

Cut of the top 1/2-inch of each bell pepper. Scoop the seeds from the cavities. Cut around the stem to save the edible top of the pepper. Discard the stems and chop the pepper tops. Using a small knife, cut jack-o-lantern faces into one side of each pepper. Add enough water to a large stockpot to cover all of the peppers; bring the water to a boil. Add the peppers and let simmer for 5 minutes to pre-cook the peppers. Carefully drain so as not to disturb the faces on the peppers and set the peppers in an 8x8-inch baking dish.

Heat the oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chopped bell pepper pieces, onion, garlic, and parsley for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is cooked through. 

While the meat is cooking, add the Worcestershire sauce to the tomato sauce and mix well. After the meat is cooked through, mix in 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce, the paprika, the allspice, the salt and pepper, and the rice. Fill pepper cavities with the beef mixture. Pour remaining tomato sauce around the bottom of the peppers in the pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of each of the peppers and return to the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve over the tomato sauce to make it look like it is coming out of the jack-o-lantern's mouth. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Pie

I seem to have quite the streak of main dishes going here. Don't worry. I've still been doing my fair share of baking :-)

The ingredients in this recipe remind of of a mix between spaghetti and lasagna. The noodles are cooked on the stove and then mixed with a little butter, Parmesan cheese, and an egg to form a "crust" on the bottom of the pie. This is actually the second time we've tried to make a spaghetti pie. The first time (with a different recipe) the spaghetti-crust didn't hold together at all. It ended up more like a baked spaghetti dish. I'm not quite sure what was different this time around because the idea of this recipe was the same, but it worked out a lot better for us.

One thing that I did like about the other recipe was the use of turkey sausage rather than ground beef. The sausage just gives the dish a little more flavor, and I would swap it in for the ground beef next time. Overall, we really enjoyed this spin on spaghetti, and it's definitely something we will make again.

(Printable Recipe)

Spaghetti Pie
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 
6 oz. whole wheat spaghetti 
2 Tbsp. butter 
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 lb. lean ground beef (or 1 lb. ground turkey sausage)
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped bell pepper, any color
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp. white sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain. Stir in margarine, Parmesan cheese, and eggs while spaghetti is hot. Press spaghetti mixture into a greased 10-inch pie plate to form a crust.

In a skillet, cook the beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Drain any fat and stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and oregano. Heat through. 

Spread the cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust then pour in the beef and tomato mixture. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover with mozzarella cheese and bake for 5 minutes longer, until the cheese melts.

Servings: 6 per original recipe

Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes

Happy first day of summer - doesn't that sound great! :-)

I don't know about you, but in my mind, summer is synonymous with grilling. There's just nothing like a great burger cooked on the grill. Add a beach into that equation, and you're getting pretty close to perfection in my book!  To quote my father, "There's nothing quite like a beach burger."

So to celebrate summer, I'm sharing this burger recipe from the June 2010 issue of Cooking Light. This is actually another recipe that I made while I was in Arizona moving into our home. It's a really simple recipe, and the garlic-thyme additions really kicks these burgers up a notch. I love it when you can find simple things that take a good recipe up another level.

On a side note, this was definitely my first experience grilling tomatoes. We've grilled asparagus, all kinds of meat, and even pizza, but I don't think I ever would have thought of grilling tomatoes on my own. Now that I've tried it, I don't think we'll be making burgers again without grilled tomatoes. They were that good. The recipe calls for a beefsteak tomato, but I couldn't find any beefsteak tomatoes at the store. I subbed a standard, full-sized tomato, and it worked just fine. I think you'd just want to avoid any real watery varieties. 

Sweet summertime wishes your way! Enjoy the burgers!  

(Printable Recipe)

Garlic-Thyme Burgers with Grilled Tomatoes
From Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 (1-1/2-inch) slices beefsteak tomato
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 whole-wheat buns
4 baby romaine lettuce leaves

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide mixture into 4 portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch thick patty (I have a patty press for burgers that I use). Place patties on the grill; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

After flipping the burgers for the first time, add the tomato slices to the grill. Continue cooking until burgers are finished, flipping as necessary. The tomatoes will start to look "soft" when they are done.


Spread about 3/4 teaspoon of mustard over the bottom half of each bun. Top with a lettuce leaf, 1 patty, 1 slice of tomato, and the top part of the bun. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 burgers

Mexican Lasagna Rollups

I haven't talked much about it on my blog, but lately, we've been prepping for a big move next week! With that in mind, I've been trying to go through my pantry to use up all the partial containers and boxes in there. It's been a couple weeks since we made these rollups, but they worked out perfect to use up my partial box of lasagna noodles as well as a pound of hamburger from the freezer!

I originally found this recipe here on www.allrecipes.com. We made a couple of changes to make it our own, but nothing too out of the ordinary. My husband was actually the chef behind the recipe in this case, as he made them while I was at work one evening. I did get a call at work because we didn't have any taco seasoning. I think he ended up using this recipe to make our own. On that note, I may be making our own taco seasoning from now on. We always have all the spices for it, and the flavor was so much better!

Overall, it's a pretty decent recipe. Simple and good. I bet you might even have everything you need in your kitchen already :-)

(Printable Recipe)

Mexican Lasagna Rollups
Adapted from www.allrecipes.com 

Ingredients:
10 uncooked whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 recipe of taco seasoning
1 (26 oz) jar of corn and black bean salsa
1 (16 oz) package of fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Stir in the lasagna noodles, about 3-4 at a time, and return to a boil. Cook the noodles uncovered according to package directions or until the pasta is still a little firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain well and set the noodles on a flat surface while preparing the filling.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spread half the salsa evenly over the bottom of the dish.

Place the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; sprinkle with the taco seasoning. Cook and stir the meat, breaking it up as it cooks until the meat is brown and cooked through. Drain any fat and place in a large bowl.

Mix cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese into the meat. Lay out a cooked lasagna noodle. Spread about 1/3 cup of the meat-cheese mixture down the length of the noodle. Roll up the noodle lengthwise and place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat for the remaining noodles. Spoon the rest of the salsa over the noodles. Cover the dish baking dish with aluminum foil.

Bake until the sauce is hot and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Uncover and spread the shredded cheese over the top of the rollups. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, an additional 8-10 minutes.

Nacho Pizza

In the middle of a cold, bitter Nebraska winter, there is nothing better than a warm, spicy, southwestern style pizza. Speaking of the southwest, Derek has an interview in Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow and is leaving the below zero wind chills for a mild high of 67! This weather has been brutal on allowing us to do any of the many outdoor activities we love! But, the cold and snow has given us more inside time to find and try new recipes to warm us up!

This recipe was in the January/February 2010 issue of Simple & Delicious where they had a pizza contest! (Sounds right up our alley) There were many pizza recipes we want to try from that issue, but this one stuck out for us. It was entered by Laura Stonesifer of Luck, Wisconsin. In her entry, she states " I love Mexican food, and I love pizza." Wow! You had me at hello!

The unique thing about this pizza is the sauce. They use a combination of salsa and sour cream. This gives the pizza a unique taste that when combined with the crushed tortilla chips on the top, reminds you of a mexican dish! We used our own recipe for the pizza crust, which can be found here. One thing is for certain, this pizza will be made again at the Deyle household. It's not surprising though, it won 2nd place in the pizza competition and won 300 dollars!

(Printable Recipe)

Nacho Pizza
From Laura Stonesifer, Simple & Delicious
Ingredients:
1 pizza crust
1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped ripe black olives
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a small skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the chili powder, salt and pepper.

Combine salsa and sour cream; spread over crust to within 1 inch of edges. Top with beef mixture, tomatoes, olives and cheese. Bake for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with crushed chips; bake 5-6 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown.

Quick Cheeseburger Pie

Here in Nebraska, we have not seen the sun in like a month. Between snowstorms, fog, and freezing rain, this winter has been harsh. We found this recipe on Allrecipes.com on one of those dreary nights when we were hungry for something different. It turned out so well, that I think it will be made all year round from now on!

As its name eludes, it is very quick and easy to make. It is even quicker and easier when you use a frozen pie crust instead of making your own like the recipe calls for. It tastes great as is, but I envision that this recipe is another one where you can put your own touch on it by substituting in some of your favorite fillings and flavors. So, if you live in an area like Nebraska and are looking for a tasty recipe to warm you up tonight, try this new take on a quick and easy pie!

(Printable Recipe)

Quick Cheeseburger Pie
Adapted from: allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
1 frozen pie crust
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup dill pickle juice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped dill pickles
2 cups shredded swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

To make filling, crumble ground beef into a large skillet and saute over medium hear for 1 minute. Add onion and garlic. Continue to saute until onion is browned, about 10 minutes. Drain grease from mixture.

Sprinkle beef mixture with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup flour. Stir in pickle liquid, milk, pickles, and 1 cup shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into pastry shell.

Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and cheese is bubbly.

Mongolian Beef

Brrr!!! It's barely winter, and I'm already ready for spring. We're expecting more snow tonight/tomorrow, and I don't think anyone is ready for it. There's enough on the ground as is!!

Anyway, here's a quick, delicious, and healthy recipe to help warm you up! Right before the holidays my mom brought me all her Cooking Light magazines that she was finished reading. While I haven't gotten to make too many things from them, this recipe was definitely one that stood out. You do need quite a few "Asian" ingredients to make it, but we like Asian flavors around here and end up using them quite often. If this is a recipe that you are making once and will not use the rest of the bottle/jar, it may not be worth the money. That said, we both REALLY enjoyed it.

I swapped brown rice for the rice noodles. Nothing against the noodles. I just already had rice on hand and didn't want to buy more ingredients than necessary.  As written, the recipe is for 4 servings. The two of us ate it with just a little bit leftover for lunch, so if you're feeding more, you may want to double it. Enjoy!

(Printable Recipe)

Mongolian Beef - Adapted from Cooking Light December 2009

2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. dry sherry

2 tsp. hoisin sauce

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. chile paste with garlic

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 Tbsp. minced, peeled fresh ginger

1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1 lb. sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain

16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

brown rice (or rice noodles)

Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; saute for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. Add green onion pieces; saute 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened stirring constantly.

Baked Penne

Well... my camera has gone missing. I used it last week before work to take some pictures of my Christmas cookies in natural light, and the next morning we couldn't find it. It should be in this apartment somewhere, but I've ran out of places to look. Unfortunately, I need those cookie picture for a baking group. Rats... looks like I'll have to make them again :-)

Anyway, all of that was a lead in to the fact that we got a new camera. I had been wanting one anyway as my old one often took fuzzy pictures of my recipes, so we just jumped in and did it. I haven't gotten to use it yet for any food pictures, but I'm excited to try it out!

I found this baked ziti recipe on blogchef.  My experience with baked pasta does not go much beyond lasagna, so I thought this would be nice for a change.

In this case, the change definitely was good. Both the hubby and I really enjoyed this dish. It also helps that it is pretty easy. My only complaint is that my husband bought spaghetti sauce with mushrooms :-( 

My only change was the type of pasta. I used penne pasta instead of ziti because I wanted to use whole wheat pasta. As far as I'm concerned, the shape of the pasta is trivial, but I know that it matters to some. Different strokes for different folks... If you're looking for a good, easy recipe, try this out!

(Printable Recipe)

Baked Whole Wheat Penne

Adapted from blogchef.net

Ingredients:

1 lb. 93% lean ground beef

1 c. onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) jar meatless spaghetti sauce (or homemade)

1 c. reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tsp. oregano

1 (16oz) pkg. whole-wheat penne, cooked and drained

2 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 c. grated Parmesean cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, add ground beef, onions, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until the beef is browned. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, broth, and oregano. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir 1 cup of sauce into the cooked penne noodles. Spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 13x9" baking dish. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 c. mozzarella cheese and 1/2 c. Parmesean cheese. Top with 2 cups of sauce. Add remaining pasta mixture and top with the remaining sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and sprinkle the top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesean cheeses. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted.