Sloppy Joes - NOT from a can!

(from Eat Up, Slim Down)

1 pound extra lean ground beef or sirloin (or 1/2 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound ground turkey)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Brown ground beef, onion, and bell pepper over medium heat in large skillet; drain if necessary. Stir in ketchup, water, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic powder; mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer, cover, and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper and stir.

Alabama Stew (beef & veggie stew)

Growing up, my friends and I called this Alabama Stew because the recipe came from my Nanny - who lived in Alabama. Made perfect sense to us! :)

1 pound ground beef
diced onion
large can petite diced tomatoes
can of green (sweet) peas
can of cream style corn
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
can of tomato sauce (8 oz., I think)
salt and pepper to taste

Note: You can use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead of the peas and carrots. You will still need the cream corn for thickness.

Brown ground beef with onion; drain. Add all ingredients to slow cooker. Cook on low all day (6-7 hours). Serve with cornbread (homemade, of course).

This can be done on the stove top - just cook slowly and stir often so it doesn't stick. The slow cooker is just so much easier.

Chili

This recipe comes from Moveable Feasts cookbook. I cook it in the slow cooker; it can be cooked on stovetop for about an hour - but that requires frequent stirring so it doesn't scorch.

1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
2 (15 oz) cans red kidney beans, undrained (use hot chili beans if you like it hot)
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I omit because hubby doesn't like green peppers)
3 cloves minced garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon red pepper (more if you want some kick)
3 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cumin

In slow cooker or large stockpot, mix together all ingredients. Cover and cook on low in slow cooker 5-6 hours; in stockpot, cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring frequently.

Serve topped with shredded cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Smothered Enchiladas

1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope mild taco seasoning mix
1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles, divided
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz) container sour cream
2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
12 (6 in) flour tortillas

Cook ground beef in a large skillet, stirring until it crumbles and is no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning and half of the green chiles; set aside.

Stir together remaining green chiles, soup, and sour cream. Pour half of mixture into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish.

Spoon beef mixture evenly down center of tortillas, sprinkling with cheese. Roll up tortillas; place seam side down over soup mixture in baking dish. Top evenly with remaining soup mixture and cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Garnish with salsa and/or sour cream, if desired.

Baked Ziti

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 oz) jar tomato & basil pasta sauce
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1 (16 oz) box ziti pasta
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add beef and cook, stirring until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions in large Dutch oven. Drain and return to Dutch oven.

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minue. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in Parmesan cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, the remaining salt, and the pepper. Pour sauce over pasta in Dutch oven, stirring until pasta is evenly coated.

Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Top evenly with beef mixture; sprinkle evenly with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Servings: 8-10

Taco Lasagna

Prep. 20 min.; Bake 25 min.

1 pound ground beef
1/4-1/2 cup chopped onion
2/3 cup water
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed & drained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes (plain or Mexican style), undrained
1 can (16 oz) refried beans
3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
6 (8-in) flour tortillas

In a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add water and taco seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in black beans, corn, and tomatoes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Place two tortillas in a greased 13-in by 9-in by 2-in baking dish. Spread with HALF of the refried beans (beans will spread more easily if they have been heated) and HALF of the beef mixture; sprinkle with one cup cheese. Top with two more tortillas; spread remaining beans and beef mixture over top and sprinkle with one cup cheese. Top with remaining two tortillas and remaining cup of cheese.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until heating through and the cheese is melted.

Yield: 9 servings

Hamburger Steak & Mushroom Gravy

1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground beef, depending on how many patties you need
1 egg
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs (plain or seasoned)
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 envelope brown gravy mix
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 sm. can sliced mushrooms (4 oz.), drained
enough olive or canola oil to brown the patties

Mix together the ground beef, egg, and a tablespoon of breadcrumbs. Shape into patties; salt and pepper to taste. Mix bread crumbs and parsley together and pour into shallow dish. Dip patties in bread crumb mixture until lightly coated all around. Cook patties in heated oil until browned on both sides. Remove to a paper towel and drain; wipe oil out of skillet. Mix together brown gravy mix and 2 cups water; whisk in the soup and the mushrooms. (If this seems too thick for your liking, whisk in another 1/2 cup water.) Pour into skillet; return patties to skillet. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until patties are done through, turning a couple of times.

Serve over rice or egg noodles or with mashed potatoes.