Mulligan

Okay, let's talk for a minute. The topic of discussion: life.

Now wait! Don't run away just yet.

I know it's not the most fun of conversation topics and it's really easy to get all Debby Downer on the subject. But here, I'll make it better - let's talk about my life.

Not better?

Okay, never mind.

Wait. Not never mind. Ah, what a quandary this post seems to be. You see, I want to tell you how busy I've been. I want to tell you about how I just don't ever feel like cooking in the summer. I want to show you pictures and brag about everything that's been accomplished this summer. That, my friends, is life. And sometimes, life starts a sprint race and forgets to tell you about it.

Life hasn't ever done that to you?

Oh.

Well, that's what it feels like has happened to me this summer. Never in my life have I had a busier summer. I am still trying to figure out what everyone means when they talk about summer being the perfect time to get all that reading in. I haven't hardly picked up a book in a couple months! {Okay, so this isn't entirely true. I have actually finished a few books in the last couple months. However, it feels like it's not much because it's less than normal. I'm a read-aholic. :D As if that's a real thing.}

Anywho, as I've been busy catching up to the life that took off without me, this little 'ole blog has taken the back, back burner. The one that isn't even on. It's cold and lifeless. I'm sure glad Tierra has been around to keep it going the last couple weeks. But now I'm back {hopefully!} - and with a recipe that will surely help with your "I don't feel like cooking in this hot summer weather" attitude.

Huh? That's just me, too? Okay, never mind again. Maybe I should just shut up now.

Or not! Tricked ya! Can't hush up until I've posted the recipe. And then the next time I'm back, I'll try to make sure I make sense. Thanks for sticking it out with me! I hope you've all been having a great summer!

Mulligan
Recipe from Mary Bingham

1/2 lb ground beef or turkey {I like a mix}
1 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp oil
1 can sweet kernel corn, drained or 1 cup frozen sweet corn
Salt and pepper to taste {I actually really like seasoned salt with this}

Directions:
In a large skillet on medium heat, brown the ground beef; drain and transfer to a bowl or plate. Add the onion and garlic powder and mix well. In the same skillet you used to brown the burger, add the potatoes and oil; cook on medium low heat until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Once potatoes are done, add the ground beef and the corn. Cook on low for 5 minutes, or until corn in warmed through. Salt and pepper to your liking. Enjoy!

Dinner in the Swiss Alps

Raise your hand if you ever need a quick, tasty recipe. {*raising hand*} Raise your hand if you ever get caught up in other more important things - you know, like crafting, blogging, playing - that you forget about dinner. {*Raising hand!*} Raise your hand if you ever have those days where you just don't feel like cooking. {*Raising Hand!!!*} Now, I love to cook. I'm a lover of good food and I especially enjoy my time creating in the kitchen. But even I have days when I just don't feel like cooking. I'd rather spend my time doing something else. This is the recipe I cook up on days like that.
It's so easy it barely counts as a "recipe". In fact, I'm sure my handsome hubby wouldn't call it a recipe. I personally like to call it a "cheater head recipe". So named because it is so delicious that people could be tricked into thinking you spent hours in the kitchen. When it was really only minutes. *sigh* Lovely.
I'll be the first to tell you that I have absolutely no idea why this is called "dinner in the Swiss alps". I haven't figured out the connection to the Swiss yet. Maybe they are uber-amazing cooks who work magic tricks in the kitchen and create amazing delicacies such as this recipe {if you could call it a "delicacy"}. Or maybe they just like delicious, easy dinners, too. :) Or maybe this has nothing to do with Switzerland. Maybe someday I'll figure out this mystery of mysteries. For now, I think I'll just eat it.

Dinner in the Swiss Alps
Recipe from Jessica Smith
Time to cook: approx. 20 minutes

Ingredients:
4 hamburger patties
1 can diced tomatoes with your desired flavor {I'm a big fan of the garlic and onion flavors myself . . . the Italian flavors are pretty darn awesome, too . . . the Mexican flavor gives it a nice kick - if you like getting kicked - which I don't - which is why I prefer the garlic and onion flavors myself}

Directions:
Fry your hamburger patties in a frying pan. Cook just until they are done.
Add can of diced tomatoes. Turn down the heat to medium low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until you just can't wait any longer and you must eat it.
Serve with a vegetable or salad and mashed potatoes. Or something else. Anything you eat with these will be amazing.

Variations: if you didn't want to use a can of diced tomatoes that has seasonings already in it, use a regular can of diced tomatoes and add your own seasonings. Or dice up two cups of fresh tomatoes and still use your own seasonings. You know, if you're feeling ambitious.
Seasonings that would be tasty: basil, oregano, cilantro, garlic, onions

Hamburger and Garlic Stroganoff

 This stroganoff recipe is my all-time favorite. There is no better recipe. Really. The combination of garlic, onion, and mushrooms with the creamy sauce is amazing! When I was in college, this was the recipe I used to make for my friends and roommates to impress them. And it worked like a charm every single time.

Hamburger and Garlic Stroganoff
Recipe from Robyn Brewer
Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
½ cup onion
1 clove garlic
¼ cup butter
1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. flour
¼ tsp. pepper
1 can mushrooms {I use stems and pieces and cut them into tiny chunks so people don't get grossed out by the mushrooms}
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a frying pan, saute onion in butter over medium heat for a couple of minutes or until almost soft. Add garlic and saute for another couple of minutes. Add meat and brown. Add flour, salt and pepper and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes. Add soup; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in sour cream, heat through. Serve over rice or noodles.

Mmm, yummy!

Homemade Burritos

My hubby and I are big burrito fans. We really love them around here. I've worked and worked on a recipe until I finally came up with what we think is the perfect burrito recipe. Now, I once mentioned to my dad that I had come up with this great recipe and he said to me, in effect, "The real way to do it is to put lard in it." And I basically went, "Um, yuck." I mean in no way for that to offend anyone. Just for some reason the idea of lard kind of grosses me out. There is no lard in this recipe. None. Zilch. Nada. So I guess that makes this recipe about as non-authentic as you can get. However, I still think it tastes good. :)

Yes, I know. It looks like I have large ugly man hands.

Homemade Burritos

Recipe created by Cucina di Harwood

1/2 lb ground hamburger

1 can Refried Beans

2 1/2 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp dried cilantro or 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp  Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup low fat sour cream

2 Tbsp. Salsa Verde

1/2 cup shredded cheese

Dash of pepper

Tortillas

Desired toppings - I really like spinach, tomatoes, green peppers, green onions, and extra cheese 'cuz I love cheese. Mozzarella is my favorite. Other good toppings are ranch, salsa or taco sauce.

Directions:

Brown the hamburger over medium heat until cooked; drain. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cook until heated through. Put a scoop on your tortilla and add any toppings you so desire. 

This is also be yummy with a scoop of rice on the tortilla as well.

Yum!

Beef Steamer

I have no idea where I originally found the idea for this recipe. It's something that a lot of people probably figure has been around forever, I just hadn't made anything similar before this. Anyway, as I said, I don't remember where I found the original inspiration. But I took the idea and ran with it and this is what I came up with. 

This recipe is pretty much perfect for kids. I can't think of a kid I know who wouldn't like this stuff. It's a very simple, no-nonsense kind of recipe. Really, just meaning that it isn't complex with the flavors. The simplicity makes it a quick lunch or kid's meal, and since you put lots of veggies in it, I would feel okay feeding it to my daughter - at least, as soon as she is old enough to eat food like this, that is!.

Beef Steamer

Recipe from Cucina di Harwood

1 can chili

1 can tomoato soup

1/2 Tbsp. Chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/3 tsp salt

1 lb. ground beef

1 cup dry macaroni or other pasta, cooked

1 onion, chopped

2-3 large carrots, grated

2-3 large florets of broccoli, chopped in small pieces {optional}

1/2-1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown hamburger with onion; add green pepper just before the burger is completely cooked. If the hamburger is very greasy, add some flour to help soak up the grease. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until warmed through.

If you would like the steamer a little more like soup, you could add some water. The macaroni and the cheese can be substituted for leftover macaroni and cheese.

DK Wraps

My brother-in-law came up with this recipe while he was on his mission in the South. He needed recipes that were easy and relatively inexpensive. These fit the bill pretty well. He and my sister made them for us when we were down visiting for Christmas. For being so simple, they are deceptively delicious. Actually, I'm kind of craving one right now. 

I also love the versatility. There are so many different ways you could cook them up, they could pretty much fit any taste.

DK Wraps

Recipe from Dakotah Gordon

Ingredients:

Flour or whole wheat tortilla wraps

Ground beef, cooked

Creole Seasoning

Bacon, cooked and chopped

Cheese, shredded

Directions:

Spread ground beef onto bottom half of tortilla wrap. Sprinkle desired amount of Creole seasoning onto meat - the more seasoning you use, the spicier it will be. Add some bacon and shredded cheese to the top. Fold the tortilla so that there are no open ends; grill on a George Foreman, in a saucepan, or on a barbecue grill. Serve it up! Mmm!

Variations:

Cooked, shredded chicken

Cajun or Italian seasonings

Add some BBQ sauce or ranch dressing

Use grilled fish, chopped shrimp or crab for the meat

Swiss cheese instead of cheddar

Karen's Sloppy Joes

I tend to think that if you are going to make something, homemade is generally better. A few months ago my younger siblings came to visit us and they had lunch. They volunteered to bring sloppy joe mix, but I told them not to worry about it because I had something better than those store bought mixes. When I made up lunch and my sibs finally got to try this recipe, they all agreed that these were the best sloppy joes. It is perhaps the best sloppy joe recipe I've ever had. I have three different recipes for sloppy joes, but this one is probably my favorite. It's also really easy. Ah, you can't beat delicious and easy!

Karen's Sloppy Joes

Recipe from Sister's Cafe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef (still tastes great with turkey)

1 onion

3/4 c. ketchup

2 T. brown sugar

1.5 T. mustard

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Chop onion and assemble ingredients. Brown ground turkey/beef in a large frying pan. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well. Serve on hamburger bun or whatever you would like. Voila!

Easy Pleasing Meatloaves

This meatloaf recipe is pretty good. It’s very simple and quick which is a plus right away. It also has a pretty good flavor thanks to the stuffing mix. I’m not a huge fan of the straight BBQ sauce as the glaze {I’m not a huge fan of BBQ sauce period – it seems like the more I have it the less I like it} but for simplicities sake, it works well {and most people would like it just fine}. I already posted my favorite meatloaf recipe but if you'd like, this is a pretty tasty and easy substitute.

Easy Pleasing Meatloaves
Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 8 servings, one half meat loaf each


Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
1 pkg (6 oz) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Pork
1 cup water
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce, divided

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce.
Shape meat mixture into four oval loaves {You can see that I made mine "mini" by shaping them into a muffin tin}. Place, side-by-side, in foil-lined shallow baking pan. Top with the remaining ¼ cup barbecue sauce.
Bake 30 min or until cooked through (160°F). Cut each meat loaf in half to serve.


Note
For best results, prepare using lean varieties of ground beef, such as ground round or ground sirloin.

Glazed Mini Meatloaves

This is really yummy recipe. I’ll be honest I’m actually a big fan of meatloaf, as long as it’s got some great flavor - and this recipe does!. I love the addition of the Worcestershire sauce and parsley. It gives the meatloaf a wonderful flavor! I wish I would have had the Dijon mustard because it would have really added some awesome kick! The glaze was also fabulous. Just the perfect touch of sweetness and the vinegar adds just a bit of tang, which I think is fabulous. To date, this is my favorite meatloaf recipe!

Glazed Mini Meatloaves
adapted from The Best 30-Minute Recipe

Makes 4-5 mini meatloaves.

Meatloaves:
17-20 saltine crackers, crushed fine (about 2/3 cup)
1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground meat (I used a combination of lean ground chuck and lean ground pork)
2 teaspoons oil (I used canola oil)

Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir cracker crumbs, milk, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, egg, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a large bowl. Add ground meat and combine until uniform. Shape mixture into oval loaves (I doubled the recipe and got 10 mini loaves, so when I make the recipe without doubling it, I plan to shape into at least 5 loaves - they were definitely big enough to be perfectly filling!).

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until the oil is rippling. Add meatloaves (without letting them touch sides) and brown well on one side, 3-5 minutes. Carefully flip loaves over and tidy up edges using a spatula (I didn't need to do this - my meatloaves managed to hold their shape really well). Brown on this side for another 2-3 minutes.


Meanwhile, mix glaze ingredients together until smooth. Transfer mini meatloaves to a foil-lined baking pan and spoon the glaze over the top of each meatloaf.



Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the center of the loaf registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer (or do like I do and cut one of the little babies open and if it looks done - pull 'em out of the oven!).

Country Pie

This is a very easy meal and one that just about anyone would love {I know some moms that might appreciate that!}. I did think ours was a bit too dry, so I would use more sauce/less rice the next time I made it. Also, this is easily made with long- or short-grain rice instead of minute if you wanted. I would just make up the rice to my liking beforehand and then mix everything together, sprinkle on the cheese and cook it just until the cheese is melted and it’s warm inside. Voila! Still a quick and yummy dinner!

{please do not judge the tastiness of the meal based on the poor picture ... it really is a lot better than this picture makes it look!}

Country Pie
Prep: 10 minutes – Total: 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 lb. extra lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 jar spaghetti sauce, divided
1-1/2 cups minute white rice, uncooked
6 oz. graded cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350oF. Combine meat and ½ cup spaghetti sauce; spread evenly into greased deep 9” pie plate. Mix remaining sauce with rice; spoon over meat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking, uncovered, 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Carefully drain off any fat and cut into 6 wedges to serve.

Crumbelievable! Chili

I really love a good chili. When the right flavors are combined just so and cooked to perfection, chili is a wonderful food. This is the easiest chili recipe I’ve ever made in my life. And it tastes good. Certainly can’t beat that!

Crumbelievable! Chili

Prep: 10 min. Total time: 54 min.
Makes: 6 servings, 1 cup each
1 lb. extra lean ground beef {I like to use ground turkey or chicken}
½ cup chopped onions (about 1 small)
½ cup chopped green peppers
1 can (15oz) kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (14-1/2oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (12oz) tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. crushed red pepper {I never use this because I don’t like my chili to be too spicy}
¾ cup cheddar cheese crumbles {I also never use these – it’s so much cheaper to buy cheese in a brick and just shred it. Plus I like the flavor of the cheese melted into the chili better than eating large chunks of cheese with the beans. If you would be in favor of that combo, you could just buy the brick of cheese and cut it into cubes instead of shredding it.}



Directions:
Brown meat in large skillet on medium heat; drain. Add onions and green peppers; cook 5-6 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; stirring occasionally.
Add all remaining ingredients except cheese; mix well. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spoon evenly into six serving bowls. Top each with 2 Tbsp. cheese.

Taco Ring

I got this recipe from my wonderful sister-in-law and we love it around here. We could probably have it a few times a month and not get tired of it!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (we used ground turkey the last time we made this and it turned out really yummy!)
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 TBl. water
• 2 pkg. refridgerated crescent roll dough
• green pepper
• lettuce
• tomato
• onion
• black olives
• salsa
• sour cream
• Any other topping you like (I really like ranch dressing and taco sauce on mine)
  

Directions:
Combine cooked meat, seasoning, cheese and water. Arrange crescent triangles into a circle with points outward on your pan (Works best on a cooking stone, but you can use on a baking sheet).

Scoop meat into crescent rolls, then fold points over the meat and tuck under base.


I like to put cheese on top of mine before I bake it because I really like cheese.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 375. Then use toppings.