Meatloaf Muffins

2 pounds hamburger

8 oz. tomato sauce

2 eggs

2 t. onion powder

2 t. garlic powder

1 t. oregano

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1 T. Chili Powder

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 c. Ketchup

2 T. yellow mustard

2 T. Brown sugar

Topping: Mix 1 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup mustard, and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Fill (sprayed) muffin tins 3/4 full and top with a spoon full of the topping. Bake at 350 for 20-30  min (or until insides are no longer pink) Allow to cool for at least 10 min. for the muffins to set a little more.

These can also be FROZEN! Just flash freeze them on a cookie sheet until hard, so they wont stick together! They to thaw, just pop in the microwave on defrost! I wrap mine in a damp paper towel for the first half so it doesnt get too dry!

Classic Lasagna

I LOVE lasagna! It took me 5 years to find the perfect recipe... and this is it. Can't beat a classic!

1 package no-boil lasagna noodle sheets

1 lb ground beef (or sausage, or a mix of the two)

2 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese

1 jar marinara sauce + 1/4 cup water

2 tsp italian seasoning

2 TBS parmesan cheese

3 cups mozzarella cheese

Cook ground beef until no longer pink. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, ground beef, italian seasoning, parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir well to combine.

Spoon a small amount of marinara onto the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish. Layer noodles, then cheese  & beef mixture, and then top with a little more marinara. Repeat until your dish is full, or your out of noodles. End with marinara on the very top of the last noodle layer, and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake according to your pasta directions. 

Spicy French Dip Sliders

French dips are a STAPLE in or house! They are SO easy and yummy! They are perfect for a cold winter day!

2 lb roast

1 tsp ground red pepper (GROUND... not crushed)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

4 cup beef broth

water

1 packet au jus mix + 1/2 tsp ground red pepper + 1/4 tsp garlic powder

French rolls

spicy brown mustard

 

put the roast, seasoning and broth in the crockpot, set onto low, and walk away for about 8-10 hours. Shred the roast and place back into the broth until you're ready to eat. Prepare the au jus according to the package directions, adding the red pepper and garlic powder.

Assemble sandwiches and add the spicy brown mustard.

Dip into au jus and ENJOY!

 

Green Bean and Ground Beef Casserole

Now that fall is on the horizon, my brain is brimming with new casseroles ideas! I really love casseroles! They remind me so much of home. Which, technically, is only 14 minutes away... but that's not the point! ;) The point is, that this casserole is the perfect dish for a cool autumn evening. Or anytime for that matter! Anytime is casserole time! ;)

2 cups uncooked rice (with water to cook)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (feel free to make your own, I used the canned stuff)

1 can of cream of celery soup

1 can cut green beans

1/2 lb ground beef

1 small onion

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp seasoned salt

Cook your rice according to package directions.

In a pan, cook your onion and ground beef until done.

In a LARGE bowl, mix rice and ground beef together. Then add your cream soups and seasonings. Transfer to a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Sunday Meatloaf

We LOOOVE meatloaf at our house. It's always been one of my very favorite meals, and my husband requests it pretty much every single week. So much so, that I usually don't even follow a recipe anymore! But here's mine anyways!

2 pounds lean hamburger

2 eggs

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 c. milk

2 t. onion powder

2 t. garlic powder

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1-2 cups Italian breadcrumbs

Mix all the ingredients together (I use my kitchenaid) and shape into 2 loaves on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for about 1/2 an hour.

THEN...

mix the following in a bowl...

1/4 c. Ketchup

1 T. yellow mustard

2 T. Brown sugar

and spoon over par-cooked meatloaf.
Continue to cook for about another 1/2 an hour, depending on how well done you like your meatloaf.
Serve with potatoes, and salad (or at least, I do!)

Jalapeno Chili Melts :: 2 minute meal

To be quite honest, I'm not even sure if I should be calling this a recipe!? It's really more of a really quick meal idea, and by quick, I mean... QUICK! I have this a lot when it's just me at home and I really don't feel like cooking. And it only ha 3 ingredients! Can't beat that!

 

Hamburger buns -- the cheap, squishy kind.

Nalley Jalapeno Chili

Shredded cheese

 

Layer and heat in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.

Smothered Beef and Bean Burritos

We are all home sick today. Boo. I seriously hate it when my family doesn't feel good! Anyways, I needed something fast, and filling for lunch, and burritos sounded absolutely amazing! So I raided he freezer and pantry, and these babies came to be! It's a combination of a few recipes I've come across on pinterest, but I didn't follow a recipe at all... so you don't have to either! Just take this as an idea and run with it!

1/2 yellow onion

1 lb. ground beef

1 can pinto beans

2-3 TBS taco seasoning

1 can enchilada sauce

4 large burrito size tortillas

shredded cheese

sour cream

In a skillet, sauté onions until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain pinto beans of about 1/2 of the canning liquid, and then in a shallow dish, mash beans and liquid until almost completely mashed, leaving a few chunks of beans. Once the meat is done, add taco seasoning, stir, and then add beans. Heat through. 

 

No too glamorous... but OH SO yummy!

Microwave your tortillas for 20 seconds to soften, and fill with about 2/3 cups of filling. Add cheese and roll. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese, microwave to melt cheese and top with sour cream.

Tot's & Gravy

Since, I started this blog, I've noticed I to a lot of " ______ & gravy" recipes! Like my buckeye biscuits and gravy and Chicken Pot Pie Biscuits and gravy. Well, I do have a reason! I can't stand soggy/doughy food. I am not a fan of regular chicken pot pie, because the topping always seems doughy, chicken and dumplings make me gag... and don't even get me started on under-cooked pizza! So when it came to Tater Tot Casserole, (which I love) I knew there had to be a way to keep those tot's crisp all around! And... Whalla! Here's your answer! the tot's stay crisp and crunchy, while you are free to add as much or as little 'gravy' as you like! It's really the perfect scenario!

 

1 lb ground beef- seasoned to your liking and cooked

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 can short cut green beans

1 T worsh. sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

3/4 cup (give or take) milk

1 bag tater tots

 

Preheat your oven, and begin to cook your tater tots.

In a large sauce pan, add you mushroom soup, worsh. sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add in your cooked ground beef and green beans. Slowly add milk until your reach the consistency you like. I used about 3/4 cup. Heat through and pour over hot tots. Top with cheese (optional)

Mexican Lasagna

Lately, for every meal I've had family favorites on my mind! This pregnancy is making me nostalgic ;)

This is a meal that I remember having often at home, it was how my family actually did enchiladas! No stuffing and rolling for us! My mom stacked ours! So, I had never really heard it called Mexican Lasagna until I joined the blog world! But it really is the best description! This is a great family style dish, and you can make a TON depending on how high you stack it!  

This amount of ingredients feeds 4-5 people

Corn tortillas-start with 10, but you may need more

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can corn

1 can black or kidney beans

2 cups ground beef- precooked and seasoned with taco seasoning

2 cups shredded cheese

In a bowl, mix your ground beef, beans, corn and 1 cup of the cheese.

In the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish, spread 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and layer tortillas until mostly covered. Spread about 1 cup of meat/bean mixture, and the repeat... enchilada sauce, meat/beans, tortillas. Once you have as many layers as you want, or have enough food for, (I usually do 3) top with any remaining enchilada sauce, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Remove and top with cheese, return to oven and continue to bake until cheese is melted.

Top with sour cream.



Hamburger Casserole

This dish reminds me of home. I absolutely love having this meal for dinner, its a hearty 'stick-to-your-ribs' casserole that is perfect for a quick busy night meal, but yummy enough to take to neighbors for dinner. And bonus, it takes only about 30 minutes to whip up!

 

2 cups rice uncooked

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup cooked ground beef

1 tsp worshteshire sauce

2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Optional toppings: Soy sauce, mustard, Chinese noodles (ok the noodles are a must;))

 

 Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375.

 In a bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, worsh sauce, soy, and garlic powder.

Once the rice is done, add the ground beef and soup mixture and mix very well. Spread evenly in a small carrseole dish (8x8 or so) and bake for 10-15 minutes until the whole thing is hot and the edges are golden brown. 

Asian Marinated Steak {Guest Post by Durfee Family Recipes}

Hi! I'm Kim from Durfee Family Recipes and I'm so excited to be guest posting over at Lovely Little Snippets! I've been reading Stefanie's blog for a while now and she always has the tastiest ideas! Durfee Family Recipes is our online collection of recipes that we've made and loved in our own kitchens. Some come from Durfee girls and some from those of us who have married into the family. Come visit us if you get the chance, and I hope you find something you would enjoy eating, or that you get some good inspiration for all those family dinners!

I love Asian food and my husband Nate loves steak and so this was a hit with both of us! It is definitely still warm enough to grill and we're taking full advantage! Everything tastes better on the grill. This marinade recipe is a combination of a lot of our favorite Asian flavors. We marinated the steaks for an hour and the flavor was just right. I also think this would taste great on some nice thick cut pork chops.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. steak
1/2 cup low-sodium soy
1/2 cup pear juice (I just simply buy one little 4 oz. bottle from the baby section of the store)
1 heaping tsp. sriracha hot sauce (more if you like lots of heat, you can find this in the Asian section of most any grocery store)
1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. granulated ginger
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. pepper (we love Lawry's seasoned pepper)
1/2 tsp. dried onion
2 cloves minced garlic

Preparation:
Whisk together all the marinade ingredients, making sure they are well combined. Pour over steaks. I like to use a gallon sized ziploc bag for my marinades. Fill 'em up and then set them in a dish or bowl in case of leaks, and you're set! Let marinate in the fridge for 1 hour and then grill to your desired doneness. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes then serve and enjoy! These would be great served with some fried rice and spicy broccoli, or sliced and serve over a salad. Enjoy!

Momma's Taco Casserole

First of all, I want to say THANK YOU to all your sweet comments and emails! We are so excited for this new sweet addition to our family! I have been feeling slightly more human over the past few days and I thought I'd share a recipe with you!

I adore my mom's cooking. I know everyone says that. But it's so true. Every year for my birhthay, instead of going out to eat, I ask my mom to cook dinner. Seriously, I love it that much. This is one of my very favorite recipe's from her. I'm not sure if she got it from someone, or made it up herself, because she was SO good at doing that! She was one of those mom's who could go in the pantry, grab 10 random things, and make the best dinner ever!

Anyways, back to the recipe!...

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 packet taco seasoning

1 can light red Kidney Beans

1 can of olives- sliced

1 can yellow corn

**1 can of tomato soup (10 oz) plus a little water OR 2 small cans of tomato sauce (8 oz)

1 cup slightly crushed tortilla chips

1 cup shredded cheese

 

In a pan, brown ground beef and drain fat (if any). Add the cans of beans, tomato sauce or soup, olives, corn, and the seasonings. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add chips and simmer for a few more minutes until chips are slightly softened. Top with cheese, melt and serve.

 

** If you use the tomato soup, you need to add a little water to make up for the extra moisture you would get from the extra tomato sauce. Just a 1/4 cup or so. The tomato soup (my favorite to use) will make the casserole sweeter. The tomato sauce will give it a more tomato-ey taste. Both are way good, but I like the soup better.

Mexican Brisket Burritos

We have mexican food at our house a lot! I mean, a whole lot. If you were to ask my husband, tacos/burritos would probably be the most eaten thing in our home. I can't help it though! I love mexican food! And it's cheap and easy! Can't beat that!

Mexican Brisket Burritos

makes 4 burritos

4 large flour tortillas

3 cups shredded beef brisket (I used some leftovers)

2 TBS taco seasoning

1/2 cup chunky salsa

1/4 cup water

Burrito toppings (I used corn, lettuce, cheese and hot sauce)

In a skillet, add your beef, taco seasoning, salsa and water. Simmer on med-low until liquid is dissolved, about 7-10 minutes.

Warm your tortillas inbetween damp paper towels in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds.

Add the meat and any other toppings you want. Roll & enjoy!

Freezer Taco Filling

I've been spending the past week filling my freezer with premade meals to make my summer a little easier, and help my kitchen stay nice and cool! This is a really simple freezer recipe, and it's very versitile, you can use it for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, salads, chimichangas, basically anything mexican!

I made a huge batch, but you can scale it down if you don't want tons of exrtas for the freezer!

6 lbs ground beef (I used elk because my husband provides us with a freezer full every year)

1 TBS minced garlic

2 tsp canola oil

1 cup picante sauce

2 TBS taco seasoning

2 tsp cumin

1 TBS onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 cups frozen corn

2 cans black beans

In a LAGRE pan (or 2, like I used) saute your garlic in the oil for just a few second (make sure it doesn't burn!) Add as much beef as you can get into the pan and break it up, cook thouraghly. Add picante sauce and spices. Repreat with more beef if you didnt fit it all in 1 pan (which is likely you didn't) dont add more spices, just 1/4 cup more picante sauce to each batch.

Once all the beef is cooked, transfer to a large mixing bowl and add corn and beans. mix well.

Once cooled enough to handle, transfer in 2 cup portions to freezer bags, press out all the air and seal. Lay flat to freeze.

To thaw, microwave for 1 minute intervals until heated.

Simple Stuffed Shells

I LOVE Italian food. My first date with my husband was to the Pasta Factory, so I have a soft spot for oosey, cheesy, saucy pasta. I have to say, that Lasagna is probably by favorite dinner, however, that takes time, lots of time. These stuffed shells have all that yummy, cheese lasagna flavor, but with like 1/2 the work!

Simple Stuffed Shells

10-12 jumbo pasta shells

1 cup ground beef

2 cups cottage cheese

1/2 cup + 1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 egg

1 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups Pasta sauce (I'll post my homemade recipe later, but you can use Ragu or Prego)

Cook pasta shells in boiling water according to package directions, and brown ground beef in a pan until no longer pink.

In a bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, egg, ground beef and seasonings.

Spoon the mixture into the cooled shells and place them facing up in a baking dish. Cover with pasta sauce and the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 20 minutes. remove the foil, and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Steak and Asparagus Rotini

I am always looking for new ways to cook steak at our house. Every year my dear husband kills an elk (or 2) and a deer (or 2), so some years, that leaves us with HUNDREDS of pounds of meat! There are a lot of Steak and Potato dinners going on at our house. This was a great DIFFERENT way to use elk at our house! But you could certainly use beef!

Steak and Asparagus Rotini

1 lb. steak pounded to 1/2 inch thick

1 lb. rotini pasta

1 lb. asparagus

2 TBS butter

1 tsp  Lemon pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBS Parmesan cheese

garlic powder, salt and pepper

In a large skillet, melt butter. Season both sides of the steak with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in the skillet (on high) with the butter. Sear both sides of the steak and then turn to med-low and cover. Continue cooking for about 10 min, or until steak is done to your liking. While the steak is cooking, cook your rotini. As your pasta cooks, trim the tough ends off of the asparagus, cut them unto 1 inch pieces, and put them into a colander. At the end of your pasta cooking time, carefully dip the colander into the boiling water until the asparagus is covered. Hold for about a minute so the asparagus gets par-cooked, then remove. place the colander in the sink and pour the hot pasta over the asparagus to drain. Toss together. Slice the steak into strips and toss with the pasta. Add olive oil, lemon pepper, some S&P and parmesan cheese. Toss well, and serve.

Sloppy Joe Grilled Cheese

Saying that I love grilled cheese is like the understatment of the year. I love grilled cheese. love. So when I saw this on pinterest I knew I had to try it. SO good. You'll make it for luch again and again! I promise you!

makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices bread

1/2 cup sloppy joe meat (I used this from the freezer)

4 slices cheese

butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side, spead 1/4 cup of the sloppy joe meat and top with the cheese and the other slice of bread. Put in a hot grill pan until browned nicely. Flip and repeat on the other side.

Easy Peasy Meatballs

These are the easiest yummiest meatballs you'll ever make! They are great on spaghetti, subs, or even as appetizers!

Easy Peasy Meatballs

2 lbs ground beef

2 eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1 Tbs milk

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup ketchup

In a large bowl, add all ingredients and mix well. I used my kitchen aid and it mixed it all really well, and quickly! roll into ping pong sized balls and bake at 400 for 30 minutes!

Freezer Sloppy Joes

Sloppy joes are a great quick meal to have on hand! They are my go to for a stressful night when I am not up to cooking! It's super easy to throw together a huge batch and have it ready!

Freezer Sloppy Joes

3 lbs ground beef

2 1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup yellow mustard

3 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS onion flakes

1 TBS chili powder

1 large carrot-grated

Brown ground beef until fully cooked, and drain off all excess fat.

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir and simmer for 30 minutes.

Scoop 2 cup portions (for 4 sloppy joes) into freezer bags and lay flat to freeze.

To thaw, microwave in 30 second intervals, turning inbetween until heated through.

Cheesy Beef Taquitos

Have you ever been to Taco Time? I love that place. I love it so much I worked there for 3 years. Okay so I didn't work there for that reason.

 But I never ever got sick of the food! We still go there now! In fact, we went there for lunch 2 days ago. :)

So at Taco Time they have these crisp meat burritos. You know what I'm talking about. Deep fried, yummy, hot, meaty goodness. Well these are a LOT like them! I switched up a few things, and I honestly think they are better! Not healthier however, oh well, ya gotta live a little sometimes! ;) These are SOO yummy!

Cheesy Beef Taquitos

makes about 8-10

1 1/2 cups cooked ground beef (warmed)

3 TBS low fat cream cheese

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp taco seasoning

2 TBS picante sauce (or thick salsa)

8-10 corn tortillas

vegetable oil (for frying)

Mix your pre-cooked ground beef, cheeses, salsa and seasonings in a bowl until well combined.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil over med/high heat until it sizzles when you dip a tortilla in it. Quickly dip each tortilla (about 2 seconds) into the oil to soften for easier rolling.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the filling into the tortilla, roll and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all tortillas are filled.

Place taquitos seam side down in frying oil. allow to fry until golden brown, flip and repeat on the other side.

Repeat with all taquitos, and allow to cool slightly on paper towels.

Dip in salsa or sour cream.