Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

This is a delicious, filling casserole that's low in carbs and high in fiber. My whole family really liked it! I found this recipe at skinnytaste.com (originally adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen). Makes 10 servings.

2 cups cooked brown rice 

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese (such as Sargento)

Cook brown rice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it's browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp. olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine.

Spray a 10 x 13" glass casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges.

Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown. Serve hot.

Freezer friendly if you have leftovers. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then either microwave until hot or heat in the oven in a glass dish covered with foil.

Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1/10th  • Weight Watchers Points+: 7 pts Calories: 250.9 • Fat: 11.3 g • Protein: 16.9 g • Carb: 23.8 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Sugar: 2 g  • Sodium: 459 mg (without salt)  

Crockpot Bolognese Sauce

One of my husbands favorite foods is Spaghetti with meat sauce, therefore over the years I have experimented with various recipes to find our favorite one. Here it is. Great flavor and what I like to call "hidden" veggies for the kids.  I love it even more that it's in the crockpot. Throw it in in the morning and by dinner time you have a fabulous meal ready. 

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. virgin olive oil
1 white onion, diced
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 c. water
1 (28 oz) can diced tomato
1 (15 oz) can tomato puree
1 c. carrots, grated
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 Tbs dried italian herbs
1 bay leaf

Directions:
Heat olive oil in saute pan. Add onions and saute for about 4 minutes. Add meat and 1 tsp salt and cook for 5 more minutes, breaking up meat as it cooks. Put meat mixture in crockpot. Whisk 2 Tbs tomato paste into 1 c water. Add to pot along with remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve over your favorite pasta (I use low carb spaghetti).

recipe found at weelicious 

Hearty Spaghetti Sauce

We moved this summer and the second night in our new home, our neighbor brought this Turkey Spaghetti sauce for dinner and a fabulous dessert (Marshmallow Krispie Brownies) to introduce herself. Now THAT's the way to make friends, people! We still had boxes to the ceiling and I hadn't made a home-cooked meal in days. Needless to say, I called her to ask for the recipes because we all loved them. This can be made with ground turkey or beef. 

Also, she brought me Dreamfields Pasta, which is my new favorite pasta. It has a low glycemic index, which for those non-diabetics, it means that it doesn't cause such a speedy rise in your blood sugar when you eat it. In fact, out of the 41 grams of carbohydrate in each serving, only 5 grams "count." As a Diabetic, I am always looking for ways to cut carbs, so I am a big fan! I can find it at 2 of my local grocery stores and I seriously can't taste any difference between Dreamfields and regular pasta.  The Turkey Spaghetti Sauce itself is low-carb, but with this new pasta, it's a legitimate "low-carb pasta meal." Hooray for that!

Anyway, I digress... Here's the recipe, from my neighbor Sharon:)  Serves about 8.

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon (or less) cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown meat with onion and green pepper and set aside.

Mix tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and spices in a large pot. Add browned meat and vegetables and stir well. Cover and let simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over cooked pasta. 

Crowd-Pleasing Taco Salad

This is an easy and delicious salad that's great for feeding a crowd. I made it again recently for my family of 5 and cut this recipe in half. There was no need to simmer the beef, ketchup and spices with the smaller recipe. Recipe from Taste of Home.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, torn
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup taco sauce
1 package (10-1/2 ounces) corn chips (I used Fritos)

Cook beef in a large saucepan over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, oregano, chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, olives and beef mixture. Combine mayonnaise and taco sauce; pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with corn chips. Serve immediately. Yield: 14-16 servings.

Skinny Beef Enchiladas

With swimsuit season in full swing I know many of us are trying to eat a little lighter. These enchiladas are great because they taste amazing yet aren't too damaging to your waist line. Recipe from Recipe Diaries. 

*Sorry about the awful phone pic. I will try to take a better pic next time I make them 

1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
1/2 a small onion
1 small zucchini
1 cup of tomato sauce
2 cloves of garlic
2 cans of enchilada sauce
10 6 in flour tortillas
8 oz of low fat Mexican cheese blend (ok I maybe used a little more, don't tell)
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.

Brown ground beef in a pan until it’s no longer pink. Drain any extra fat. Add in
zucchini, onion, garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add in 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1 cup of
enchilada sauce.

Place about 1/2 cup of beef mix onto a flour tortilla and roll up like a burrito and lay seem
side down in a 9 X 13 baking dish. When all flour tortillas are done spray with cooking spray.
and top with enchilada sauce and cheese . Cook enchiladas for 20 minutes.

Mexican Lasagna

Mmmmm! I love this meal! I'm not sure where I originally got the recipe, but I submitted to our cousin's cookbook over 10 years ago. I hadn't made it in a while, but I'll definitely be making it again soon. It's easy and makes enough for 2 meals. 

Brown in a skillet:

• 1 to 1 and a half pounds lean ground beef

Add the following to the ground beef. Cook until boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes:

• 1 pkg. taco seasoning (about 3-4 Tbs.)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (well-drained)
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained

Mix ricotta and eggs until well combined in a small bowl:

• 8 ounces skim or part-skim ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs

• 9 flour tortillas, torn into large pieces
• 2 1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread half of the meat mixture on the bottom of the pan. Top with half of the tortillas. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over tortillas and top with half of the shredded cheese. Repeat once more. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 10-12. 

Shepherd's Pie

Mashed potatoes:

        2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed

        2 Tbs. sour cream
        1 egg yolk
        1/2 cup chicken broth
        Salt and pepper, to taste

Filling:
        2 pounds lean ground beef
        1 carrot, peeled and chopped
        1 onion, chopped
        2 Tbs. butter
        2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
        1 cup beef broth
        2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
        1 cup frozen peas
        1 cup frozen corn
        1 teaspoon sweet paprika
        2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Boil potatoes in salted water until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes and pour them into a bowl. Combine sour cream, egg yolk and chicken broth. Add the mixture into potatoes and mash until potatoes are very smooth.

While potatoes boil, heat sauté pan to medium-high heat and add ground beef. Season meat with salt and pepper.  Brown and crumble meat for 3 or 4 minutes. Add chopped carrot and onion to the meat. Cook veggies with meat 5 minutes, stirring frequently. In a saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and flour together for 2 minutes. Whisk in broth and Worcestershire sauce. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add gravy to meat and vegetables. Stir in peas & corn.

Preheat broiler to high. Fill a small rectangular casserole with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon potatoes over meat evenly. Sprinkle potatoes with paprika and black pepper and broil 6 to 8 inches from the heat until potatoes are evenly browned. Remove from oven and top with chopped parsley. Serves 8.

Notes: I used yukon gold potatoes and 1 yam for the topping and we loved it! I cooked and then mashed the yam right along with the potatoes. Yum!

French Beef Stew

Rejoice! It's almost Fall and with cooler weather, I want to make soup and homemade breads. This hearty stew has a little kick to it that we really liked. Pictured with Whole Wheat Dinner Muffins.  Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 (14.5 ounce) cans Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained 1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1-2 tablespoons Dijon-style prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Combine meat and flour in a large plastic food storage bag and toss to coat evenly. In a 6 quart saucepan brown meat in hot vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, carrots, potatoes and thyme. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover; and simmer for 60-90 minutes, or until beef is tender. Blend in mustard and serve. Serves 8.

Slow-Cooker Root Beer BBQ Beef Sandwiches

This is an easy and flavorful way to cook barbecue beef sandwiches with a fun secret ingredient (Root Beer!) It is best cooked on low, so plan on throwing this in the slow-cooker right after breakfast and your house will smell amazing by dinner! This recipe makes enough for more than 2 dinners for my family of 5, so I freeze half for later. Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker...

1 boneless beef rump roast (about 4 pounds)
2 cups barbecue sauce, divided
1 cup root beer
dash of salt and pepper
16 hamburger buns

Place beef in a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker. Line first with a Reynold's Slow Cooker liner for easy clean up. Mix 1 1/2 cups of barbecue sauce and the root beer in a small mixing bowl and pour over beef. Cover. Cook on low for 10-12 hours. (Can cook on high for 5-6 hours)

About 20 minutes before serving, remove beef from slow-cooker; place in a large bowl. Pour juices into a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until juices are thickened and reduced to about 3 cups. Meanwhile, shred beef with 2 forks; return to slow cooker.

Stir remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce into reduced juices in saucepan; pour over shredded beef in slow cooker. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Spoon about 1/2 cup shredded beef into each bun.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

I am having my second baby in 5 days (so excited) and have been getting over a nasty cold so this week I have been in need of some good old fashioned comfort food. This noodle bake is just that. 

recipe from the Pioneer Woman

Ingredients: 

1-1 1/4 lb ground beef

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

8-10 oz. egg noodles 

1/2 c. sour cream 

1 1/4 c. small curd cottage cheese

1/2 c. green onions, diced

1 c. grated cheddar cheese 

Directions:

In large skillet brown beef and drain fat. Add tomato sauce, salt & pepper. Stir and let simmer while you prepare the other ingredients. 

Cook noodles til al dente. Drain and set aside

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

German-Style Hamburgers

I went to look up this recipe yesterday here on this blog and was shocked to find that I'd never posted it. This is a recipe that I've made for nearly 10 years and my kids always request it for the 4th of July. It's a simple recipe, but distinctive enough to be special. Recipe from Taste of Home magazine. 

Happy 4th of July!!!

1/2 cup shredded hash brown potatoes (thawed, if frozen)*

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 pound ground beef

In a bowl, combine potatoes, onion, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. (I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment for less mess:) Shape into 4 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. In a skillet (or on a sheet of tin foil on the grill), cook patties over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, or until no longer pink, turning once. Serve on buns with your choice of condiments: Lettuce, tomato, sliced pickles, avocado, ketchup, or my favorite, honey mustard.

Serves 4.

*If you have extra hash browns to use, try this Zucchini Potato Pie.

Slow-Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Well, Summer is here and I try to turn on my oven as little as possible these days. If I'm planning on a hot meal, I usually grill outdoors or use my slow-cooker so I don't heat up my house any more than necessary! I found this recipe for delicious sandwiches over at Favorite Family Recipes and we loved it! 

1 (2-4 pound) beef roast, trimmed of fat

2 (16 oz.) cans beef broth (I subbed 4 cups water + 4 tsp. beef bouillon) 

2 pkgs. dry Lipton Onion Soup Mix

8 French hoagie or Sub Rolls

Cheese slices (we love Swiss)

Place the beef roast in the slow-cooker. I recommend using a Reynold's Slow Cooker Liner for easy cleanup. Mix the beef broth with the Onion Soup Mix and pour over the beef.  Cook on low heat for 7-8 hours. Shred roast with a fork, then return the meat to the crock to soak up those yummy juices while you prepare your rolls.

Split rolls in half and toast lightly. Pour meat through a fine mesh strainer and collect the juice in another bowl. Pile meat onto toasted rolls and top with a slice of cheese. (Can broil quickly to melt the cheese). Serve sandwiches with au jus on the side for dipping. Serves 8.

Marinated Tri-Tip Steak

This recipe is similar to my Mom's Flank Steak Marinade, but with a little kick from garlic, green onions and lemon pepper. Marinating the meat makes a juicy, flavorful steak...

1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbs. brown sugar
3 Tbs. soy sauce
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1 1/2 pounds beef loin tri-tip steak

Mix all ingredients except for beef in a large Ziploc bag. Add tri-tip steak and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, up to 2 days. Remove steak from marinade and grill over medium-high heat.

Beef Enchiladas

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion-chopped

1/2 c. diced green pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 Tbs. fresh parsley (or about 1 Tbs. dried)

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 can enchilada sauce- we like the green kind

6-8 flour or corn tortillas

Brown ground beef and drain off excess fat. In the same pan, saute onion and green pepper until tender. Add beef back to the pan and stir in sour cream, cheese, parsley, and pepper. Pour about 1/3-1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and spread out evenly. Place meat mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Then place into the pan with the seam side down. When all the enchiladas are assembled, pour remaining sauce over and top with additional grated cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Serve while hot and garnish with sour cream and fresh tomatoes.

Catherine's Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Our cute friends Brian and Catherine invited us over to their beautiful home for dinner last weekend. A few minutes into the meal my sweet 8 year old came over and whispered in my ear "Mom, I like Catherine's sloppy joes better than yours." You've gotta love brutal honesty! I knew right then that I had to have the recipe, and Catherine was sweet enough to share it with me. They are quite divine and obviously kid friendly. Hope you enjoy!

1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced celery

1 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. mustard

2 Tbs. vinegar

2 Tbs. worcestershire

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

6-8 hamburger buns

Combine all ingredients (except the buns, obviously!) in the crock pot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours. Serve on warm buns.

Homemade Hamburgers

1 pound lean hamburger

1 egg

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup crushed crackers (Ritz or Saltines work well)

1/4- 1/2 package onion soup mix

garlic salt

pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into patties. Grill on the barbeque and fix with all your favorite toppings.

* For a variation, omit the onion soup mix and substitute with about 1/4 cup chopped green onions and a can of sliced mushrooms. Yum!

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion- diced

1 small pkg. fresh mushrooms

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in about 1/3 c. hot water

salt and pepper to taste

egg noodles

In a large saute pan brown ground beef and drain. In the same pan, saute onion and mushrooms until tender. Add ground beef back to the pan and stir in soup, sour cream, and beef broth. Season to taste and simmer over low heat for 5-10 minutes (About the time that it takes your egg noodles to cook.) Serve over hot noodles.

* You can make this recipe a little more healthy by using lite or fat-free sour cream and the Campbells "Healthy Request" soups.

* The sweet potato fries in the picture are from Costco and are one of our very favorite easy side dishes!

Cowboy Spuds

This is an absolute favorite with my husband's family and is one of my most frequently requested meals at home. Also great for a crowd because everyone can fix their "spud" to their own liking.

Baked potatoes

Ground beef- seasoned, browned, and drained

grated cheese

lettuce

tomatoes

olives

Ranch dressing- we love the Hidden Valley Ranch kind that you buy in the packets and make at home. It is strangely better than the bottled kind!

Bake potatoes and cut open on a plate. Top with meat and cheese and then pile on the "fixins." So good and so very easy!

PB Teriyaki Beef Skewers

When we lived in California, my friend Bonnie made these beef skewers that were to-die-for! When I asked her for the recipe, she said that the sauce was just teriyaki sauce and peanut butter. I hadn't eaten them in 7 years, but they were just as delicious as I remembered!

Recipe inspired by Bonnie Nakamoto...

     1 cup teriyaki sauce

     1/3 cup peanut butter     

     About 2 pounds thinly cut steak, such as Round Tip Steak (about 1/4")

     Bamboo skewers 

1. In a small saucepan, heat teriyaki sauce and peanut butter, stirring often, until smooth and hot. 
2. Heat barbecue grill to a medium heat and line rack with a sheet of tin foil.
3. Cut the steak into long, thin strips (about and inch to 1 1/2" wide). Thread steak onto the skewers and brush both sides with teriyaki & peanut butter sauce. 
4. Place steak skewers on the tin foil on a preheated barbecue grill. Grill for about 5 minutes per side, turning to cook both sides. 

Serves 4-5.

Mexican Bubble Pizza

Recipe from my sister-in-law Kari Campbell. This is super kid-friendly...

          1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

          1 pkg. taco seasoning (about 3 Tbs.)

          3/4 cup water

          1 can condensed tomato soup, undiluted

          1 can refrigerated corn biscuits (I sub. Pillsbury Grands Reduced-fat biscuits)

Optional toppings:

        2 cups shredded lettuce

        1 cup salsa

        1 can olives, sliced

        sour cream

        green onions, sliced

        fresh tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook ground beef and drain, if necessary. Add taco seasoning, water and soup. Bring to a boil and simmer on low for 3 minutes.

Separate biscuits and cut into small pieces. Add to beef mixture. Spoon into a lightly greased 9 x 13" pan and bake for 18-23 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and top is golden brown. Cut into squares and top with selected toppings. Serves about 10.