Meatballs (shhh...the secret ingredient is smoked paprika)

Why stick with your tried-and-true when you can do it this way? It's spaghetti night. Enjoy.

Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 lb hot Italian sausage
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tbsp dried parsley
• 2 tsp Morton's Nature's Seasons seasoning blend
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried minced onion
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
3. Roll meatballs to about the size of a golf ball and place on greased baking sheet.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through
5. Drop into large pot of your favorite sauce and simmer for about 2 hours.
6. Serve over pasta with lots of yummy cheese!

Bill's Most Secure, Award-Winning Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Winner of two 2013 chili cook-off awards: Most Secure (shout-out to the nerdy engineers) and Best Overall

Bill's Most Secure, Award-Winning Chipotle Black Bean Chili

(Not for the faint of tongue)

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground sirloin
• 1 pound ground bison
• 1 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, drained
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (use diced if you prefer chunky)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 large onion
• 3 stalks celery
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 3 tablespoons crumbled bacon
• 4 tsp beef base (I used Better Than Bouillon; or use 4 bouillon cubes)
• 1 cup beer (I used Sam Adams OctoberFest)
• 3 tbsp Chipotle chili powder
• 1 tbsp regular chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons salsa picante or hot sauce (I used Tapatío salsa picante)
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used Morton's Nature's Seasons blend)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• optional: 1 diced jalapeño 

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground meats together. Drain.
2. Pour meat into large slow cooker.
3. Cut veggies (green pepper, red pepper, celery, and onion) into chunks and puree in a food processor (in batches, if necessary). Add to slow cooker.
4. Add all other ingredients.
5. Mix well and cook in slow cooker on high for 3 hours (or low for 6 hours), stirring occasionally.
6. Serve with your favorite toppings!

Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas

Here is a delicious enchilada recipe we love from SkinnyTaste.com. It is healthier than your typical enhiladas, and super spicy, too! We've made a few changes from the original.

Photo from SkinnyTaste.com

Slow-Cooker Meatloaf

I attempted meatloaf a couple years ago and it, well, wasn't great.  I got up the nerve to try it again today and I give this version an A+!  It is adapted from this allrecipes.com recipe (I added a lot more seasoning, as reflected below).

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (I used Italian Panko)
  
• 2 tsp minced onion
• 1 tsp salt or seasoning salt
  
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 1 1/2 lb ground sirloin or turkey
  
• 1/2 cup ketchup (I used organic)
  
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground mustard powder
  
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) 
2. Shape into a round loaf and place in a 5-qt. slow cooker.
   
   
3. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours (I cooked on high for 3 hours) or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
5. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. 
   
   
   
   

Baked Taco Dip

I wanted to try something new to munch on while watching the PSU-Illinois game today.  My original plan was to make a baked chili dip...alas, I ran out of chili powder.  So I decided to make a baked taco dip, instead.  And because I use natural or organic ingredients whenever possible, it's not TOO unhealthy :-)

I didn't have a recipe to follow, so I just kind of made it up as I went.  I hope it's good!
**This can be served cold without baking, too.**



Ingredients

• 1 lb ground turkey (all-natural; you could use ground beef instead, of course)
• 6 tbsp taco seasoning (recipe here; or 1 packet store-bought)
• 3/4 cup water
  
• 8 oz cream cheese (I used Nature's Promise organic), softened
• 4 oz sour cream (also organic)
  
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried cilantro
• 2 green onions, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
  
• 2 cups shredded Mexican Blend cheese (used Kraft all-natural)
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F
   
2. Brown ground meat in a skillet; drain when done.
3. Add taco seasoning and water to pan; mix and simmer 3-5 minutes.
   
   
4. Mix cream cheese, sour cream, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, cilantro,  and green onions until blended (I use an electric hand-mixer to get all of the lumps out).
   
   
5. Spread cream cheese mixture into bottom of an 8x8" glass casserole dish.
   
   
6. Layer seasoned meat on top of cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly.
   
   
7. Layer shredded cheese on top.
8. Sprinkle with extra green onion as garnish.
   
   
9. Bake 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
   
   
10. Serve hot with crackers, Tostitos Scoops, or cornchips.

*Optional add-ins (add as layers): Salsa, fresh tomatoes, black beans, refried beans, corn, olives....whatever you like!

Back at it...Stuffed Peppers and Cornbread

Ingredients

• 4 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 1-1/2 cup water
• 15 oz spaghetti sauce (I used Organic Ragu Traditional)
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar (I used a cheddar-jack mix)
  
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
  
• 1/2 tsp ground corriander
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• salt & pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400-degrees F
2. Mix rice, water, and garlic in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, brown the meat in a skillet; drain; remove from heat.
   
4. Mix spices, sauce, cheese, and cooked rice in with the meat.
5. Spoon mixture into pepper halves and line them in a baking dish (I coated my dish with oil first).
   
   
6. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
7. Remove foil and top the peppers with shredded cheddar. Return to oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
   
   

Note: We like the peppers on the crisp side. If you prefer them softer, blanch the peppers first or increase the baking time until they are the desired consistency.


I served these with a side of cornbread (recipe here).

Cheeseburger!

This Friday was cheeseburgers-and-fries night! Only I tried to make it all as low-fat as possible.

I had planned on making turkey burgers, but I read in the latest Glamour that ground sirloin is actually lower in fat and calories. Wahoo - beefy burgers! I served them on toasted whole-wheat buns, but don't worry, I combated all of that with some thick slices of cheddar :)

Even though I had a bag of Ore-Ida seasoned fries, I decided to make my own fries. I found a recipe for Cajun roasted potatoes and I'm not sure I'll ever make frozen fries again!


Wow, looking at this picture makes me realize how HUGE the servings are at restaurants! This is a quarter-pounder burger and it barely takes up any room.......a burger from Ruby Tuesday or Friday's would be half the size of this plate! :)

Ground Sirloin Burgers
(adapted from "Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers" on allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground sirloin (I used 83% fat-free)
  
• 2 tablespoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper (I actually did 1/2 tsp seasoning salt instead of the salt + pepper).

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix ground sirloin, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg white, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Put cheese on top a few minutes before removing from heat.

**I used my electric griddle and cooked them about 10-12 minutes on each side. I'm not exactly sure how long they cooked on the 2nd side after I put the cheese on top, but I cut into the center of a couple to check doneness. I'm paranoid about uncooked meat**

I toasted Pepperidge Farm whole-wheat hamburger buns and put out some sliced tomatoes, lettuce leaves, pickles, ketchup, and mustard.

I served a side of Roasted Cajun Potatoes instead of fries. Yummy!

Aunt Pearl's Taco Salad

So I was at the store and saw ground chicken in the meat department. I was very intrigued. I had no idea what in the world to do with ground chicken, but for some reason I had to have it.

I decided to try it out in a taco salad. It was pretty good! Nothing can beat good ol' fashioned ground beef (we use ground turkey for everything, so it's a rare treat to have ground beef), but this was pretty darn good. Ground chicken has a different texture than beef - much softer. But it didn't taste all that different after seasoned up.

Taco salad has been a favorite of mine since I was a little girl. I remember my Aunt Pearl making taco salad every summer for the party we had after my piano recital! When I got a little older, my mom would make the salad for all of our post-cheerleading-competition sleep overs!! It was always a hit at a party -- I might go so far as calling it the Buffalo Chicken Dip of the 90s!

It's very simple to make - and even though I made a few alterations tonight based on what was in the pantry, I'll post Aunt Pearl's "original".



Aunt Pearl's Taco Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 head iceberg lettuce
• shredded carrots
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup shredded cheddar (or a Mexican blend)
• 1 cup slightly crushed Doritos (per the original - any nacho or tostito chip will do)
• 1 lb ground beef, browned (or ground chicken or turkey!)
  
• 1 packet Old El Paso taco seasoning (or homemade taco seasoning - see recipe below)
• 4 oz Catalina dressing (I use fat-free)
• 4 oz mild or medium taco sauce (smooth, not chunky)

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef well; drain.
2. Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water; simmer on medium for 3-5 minutes.
3. In a small canister or jar, mix the Catalina dressing with the taco sauce. Shake or stir until well blended (mixture should be half and half). Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, carrots, cheese, and tomato. **I only mix the carrots and lettuce - I keep everything else in separate bowls for serving**
5. Mix in cooked/seasoned meat, if desired (I usually leave it in a separate bowl because the warm meat makes the lettuce wilty if left together too long).
6. Serve with dressing mix and top with crushed chips.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
("Taco Seasoning I" on allrecipes.com)

Mix together the following and store in an airtight container. Two heaping scoops of this stuff is probably equal to one pre-made packet.

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Cold-Day Chili

I'm bumping this post up because I made it again tonight and remembered to take pictures this time :)
Changes from last time: Today I used a mixture of Italian sausage, ground sirloin, and ground turkey. I also used our new Cuisinart 6.5-qt slow cooker (a gift from my mother-in-law)!

I will be serving this with homemade corn bread - check back for recipe and pictures!



My First Attempt at Chili: Success!
Originally posted on 10/30/2007

I have to admit that I was intimidated by the endless list of ingredients in this recipe. But I tackled it and I would say that the result was spectacular!!

Note: If you taste as you cook, you'll notice that this mixture is quite spicy until it cooks the full 3 hours. It still has a kick when it's ready to serve, not to worry!

The original recipe is on AllRecipes.com but I have posted it here with my alterations:

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 (15.5 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
• 2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes with juice (diced or whole)
  
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 large yellow onion
  
• 3 stalks celery
  
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded
• 2 green chile peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 tablespoons bacon bits (crumbled real bacon - not the fake stuff)
  
• 4 cubes beef bouillon
• 1 cup beer
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon white sugar

Directions

1. In a large skillet, brown the ground sirloin and Italian sausage together. Drain.
2. Pour meat into 5-qt slow cooker.
3. Cut veggies (green pepper, red pepper, celery, canned tomatoes, and onion) into chunks and chop them to a pulp in a food processor (in batches, if necessary). Add to slow cooker.
4. Add beans.
   
5. Add beer and tomato paste.
   
6. Add the bacon, bouillon, and spices.
7. Add the diced chili peppers.
   
8. Mix well and cook in slow cooker on high for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
9. Either continue to simmer on low or serve.
   

Top with cheddar, corn chips, sour cream; serve on corn bread - whatever you're into.

Tip: If you have time, prepare this well in advance and let it simmer all day. I think it definitely got better the longer it cooked.

BEFORE - adding freshly pureed peppers and onions to the meat and tomatoes:




AFTER - This looks MUCH better!