Cheeseburger casserole

This was a delicious casserole.  I do it my way again but might use sharp cheese instead of mild but it really was fabulous my way.  I couldn’t stop eating it. lol

***New recipe that I cut in half. I eliminated the Italian seasoning because I didn’t think a cheeseburger would be seasoned with that ingredient.  

I used one 15 oz. Petite tomatoes plus added enough water from drained tomatoes to equal 2 cups.  1 onion sliced, 1 garlic minced, 1 small yellow pepper and used 1/2 tsp.Of salt and one (1)cup

Of elbow macaroni .I didn’t see salt in recipe so do as you please.

I halved the rest of the seasonings.  I only had mild cheddar and I was generous layering the casserole with it. Enjoy!

Aso NOTE: adjust cooking time.  Once I covered the casserole and baked for 30 minutes the pasta was cooked so I didn’t have to bake it any longer.

Here is the recipe as it was posted.

• cooking spray

• ½ pound ground beef

• 2 medium onions, chopped

• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with herbs, undrained

• ½ cup water, or as needed (Optional)

• 2 cups elbow macaroni

• 1 cup frozen corn

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon chili powder

  1/2 tsp. Salt

  Lots of pepper 

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (I eliminated)

• ground black pepper to taste

• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Generously grease a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef and onions in the hot pan until beef is browned and crumbly and onions are translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off fat.

2. Drain liquid from canned tomatoes into a 4-cup liquid measure; add water if needed, to make 2 1/2 cups liquid. Add juice, tomatoes, macaroni, corn, bell pepper, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper to the beef mixture; bring to a boil.

3. Pour 1/2 of the beef mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle 1 cup cheese over top. Repeat beef and cheese layers once more. Cover the dish and place it onto a cookie sheet.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

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Eye round roast

 

 

I have been making my roast beef this way forever! It is perfection, IF you heed these basic tips: No other cut of meat will produce a REAL roast beef, but the eye roast!...Every oven is different, so know your ovens well. A three pound roast will cook faster in a new oven than it would in a twenty year old oven...

INVEST IN A MEAT THERMOMETER, this is the best thing you can have when roasting a beef...Be mindful that when a roast comes out of the oven it will cook in its own heat and the temp will rise. Not everyone likes a bloody roast. WE Don't.  I take mine out at 130, let it stand and it is about 135-140 when time to cut...If it is still too rare place back in oven until desired color of roast is medium well. Slight pink no red.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT TIP: BEFORE COOKING LET YOUR ROAST SIT OUT ON THE COUNTER UNTIL IT REACHES ROOM TEMP. IT WILL MAKE FOR EVEN COOKING. So, there you have it, my advice to all of you bad reviewers. Roasting a beef is not an exact science nor are the cooking times exact...keep trying! This is the best roast beef!

Good Luck!

Broiled London Broil plus marinade

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  This is a first for me. I will make this again! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  

  ½ cup olive oil

• ⅓ cup soy sauce

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

• 3 tablespoons dried basil

• 1 ½ tablespoons garlic powder (1 large garlic clove minced)

• 1 ½ tablespoons dried parsley flakes

• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper

• ¼ teaspoon hot pepper sauce (Optional)

  
  

  MARINADE AT LEAST 6 hours covered in refrigerator to bring out the flavor.

  
  

  Tender, flavorful and easy to make.  Enjoy!

  
  

  1 1/4 lb. London broil ( round steak)

  Score on each side (I went a little too deep with my scoring).  Pour marinade over roast and turn over making sure to get the marinade into all areas. Place in refrigerator covered and turn occasionally over several hours to marinate well for the ultimate juices to blend.

  Broiled on lower rack on HIGH 7 minutes then turn over for another 7 minutes.

    Personally Al enjoyed it medium well but I put mine back in oven for 5 minutes more.

Rest for 2 minutes and slice at an angle very thin.

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Beef and Broccoli, my way

Using approximately 3/4 ground beef/chuck browned in 1 teaspoon vegetable oil with 1/2 teaspoons salt)

 1 cup fresh broccoli florets (steamed)

Sauce :  all ingredients are approximate

1 teaspoon in 1cup hot water(Better than bouillon beef)

1/2 teaspoon ginger granules

1/4 cup soy sauce 

1 teaspoon onion powder

I teaspoon garlic granules

2 tablespoons cornstarch 

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar 

Sesame seeds optional 

Whisk above and pour over browned  beef. Cook slowly until the mixture starts to thicken.  Add steamed broccoli and stir.  Add over jasmine rice.

Note: use rice of your choice. 

I used 90 second microwave jasmine rice.

Easy to make and hubby loved it.

From my kitchen to yours,

 

 

 

Swiss steak

Swiss steak in gravy with onions.

Dinner tonight! Mashed potatoes  and Cucumber salad as our sides.

• About 1 lb. pound tenderized Round Steak or Cube Steak ( I used 2 large cube steaks)
• 1 /2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour salted slightly ( reserve about 2 tsp. To be used later).
• 1/2 of a stick of Butter(cut in 2 pieces)
• 1 medium Sweet Onion sliced
• 8 ounces White Button Mushrooms cleaned and sliced optional 
• 1 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon and 1 cup hot water.  Mix until bouillon dissolves.
• fresh ground black pepper to your taste

Melt butter in large skillet. Cut steak in medium size pieces. Sprinkle with salt.

 Place steak into slightly salted flour and dredge on both sides.  

When butter is sizzling put steaks into melted butter and fry until crispy on both sides about 3 minutes each side . Remove  steak from pan and set aside.

Add the other 1/4  piece  of butter. Add onions and fry slowly. After onions are tender add bouillon mixed with water and cook another several minutes.

Add steak and sprinkle flour over steak. Turn steak over and cook until thickened. If too thick add a few tablespoons of beef or chicken broth or water.

Enjoy!

Taco Tuesday casserole

My recipe!

1 lb, ground beef

1/2 tsp. Onion powder

I pkg. dry taco seasoning mix 

2/3 cup water 

1/2 can diced tomatoes with chiles(drain juice)

1can red enchilada sauce

4 large soft tacos

1 package taco cheese with jalapeños

Cook on medium heat ground beef until browned. Drain.

Add onion powder , seasoning mix and water. Add 1/2 drained diced tomatoes and 1/2 red enchilada sauce. Cook for a few more minutes. It should thicken slightly.  Mix the other half of the enchilada sauced with diced tomatoes and mix. This will be for topping.

In a 9 x 9 baking dish place half of red sauce. 

Place large tablespoons of beef mixture in center of soft taco, add cheese. Roll and place taco filled side down. Cover with sauce and any leftover cooked beef mixture and cheese.

Bake 350° for 20 or 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Cappelletti Filling:

 Cappeletti's!  Little dough hats filled with Mom's special Cappeletti filling. Mom's record was making 2,000 cappeletti's and I doubt I'd beat that but I'll at least try.  My kids love them and so do my grandchildren.  

Some Italians fill them with finely minced chicken with a touch of lemon but not Mom..Her filling was a little spicy but oh so good..She'd make chicken soup and that's where the Cappelletti's come in..She boil some and add to the soup..Great taste and we'd have them usually at Thanksgiving and maybe Christmas too..

Here is her recipe:

2 lb. ground lean beef 
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tablespoon cinnamon( I use 1 tsp.)
1 tsp. nutmeg( I use 1/2 tsp.)
1- 6 oz can tomato paste
1-can water
1 egg slightly beaten
2 cups Italian cheese
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons oil



Fry meat in oil until all red disappears, add salt, pepper and tomato paste plus 1 can of water. Add cinnamon and nutmeg and continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes..Take off stove add cheese, egg  and breadcrumbs.  This recipe should make at least 8- 1 cup portions which she would bag and put in freezer..Take out as many bags as needed..Each bag should make 100 caps.. Note:  Her caps were on the small side..

I will post photos as I make them.

Homemade pasta dough recipe in separate post.

Buon Appetite from my kitchen to yours,

 11/16/2013 original 

Cappelletti: Our Family Tradition/ updated video

 I decided that today was the day I was starting to make the Cappelletti for our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.. 

Today’s Cappelletti 12/8/2024 sampling a few.  Yummy!

Growing up they were a wonderful addition to our Turkey dinner.  Mom spent hours making them and usually made anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 of those little pasta filled caps..

 I remember my grandmother making them and how it was expected that this tradition would be continued on Thanksgiving.

Fortunately Mom, until recently, she's 88, had kept it up.. 

She had learned that making them and freezing them would be the answer to the exhaustion that was felt trying to make enough to make everyone happy.. 

Today I am happily carrying on the tradition with my daughter (Susan)at my side helping.. 

We serve them in homemade chicken soup and I  make that ahead of time as well to ease the stress of the day so I can enjoy the holiday as well..  

I Hope you enjoy this recipe.. I know I had promised it and I hold true to a promise made... Happy Cooking!

My Italian handy Food Companion explains them as:

Cappelletti:  small pasta hats (ka-pel-ett-ee) similar to tortellini( stuffed with a variety of fillings)

We chose the below recipe:  Some use cooked chicken chopped in place of ground meat

Filling:

1 ½ lb. Ground chuck(or beef and pork)

1 can tomato paste (optional)it was in grandma’s traditional recipe)

1 can water

¼ tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

salt and pepper

1 ½ cups breadcrumbs

½ cup Pecorino cheese grated

1 egg beaten

By adding the tomato paste it gives your filling a slight red color

In a medium pan sauté chuck (beef) in small amount of oil..

 Season with salt and pepper. 

Add 1 can tomato paste, cinnamon, nutmeg and 1 can water while cooking slowly..

 Remove from heat, add breadcrumbs, cheese and egg.  Mix thoroughly..

Cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pasta Dough ( double or triple recipe)

2 ½ cups flour

3 eggs @ room temperature

dash salt

shot glass water or less

shot glass oil or less

In your upright stand mixer add eggs, pinch of salt and water.  Mix.  Using dough hook slowly add flour until a ball forms.  Remove place on a slightly floured cutting board and work dough with hands until a soft ball is formed.

Cut dough in sections and press down to be able to slide into your pasta Machine.  Set on 2 than 3 then 4..

After dough is mixed take from mixer and put on floured cutting board. (I use an acrylic board)

Mix together with hands into it forms into a ball

Slice in sections and press slightly so it will go into pasta machine easily

I start with #2 and proceed to 3(my pasta machine reading) on side of machine

Easily goes through

Cut into small sections.  I had doubled the recipe and I made 300 cappelletti's.. I bagged the rest of the filling in small bags and froze..(approx 5 bags)I will make them between now and Thanksgiving..

Fold in half and then , twist the pasta between index and forefinger, crossing hands and pressing pasta ends together..

I place cappelletti on cookie sheet and freeze until set .

Place cappelletti after frozen in bag and put in freezer until ready to use..Bon appetite!

Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours,


M.j.

10/26/11

Crockpot Pineapple beef

Tonight’s early dinner. 

I didn’t feel like making a brown gravy with this roast so I improvised and we enjoyed this crockpot  meal.

Small top round roast, ( about 1 lb. 4 oz.) salt and pepper and seared in oil

and added to my crockpot with one jar pineapple salsa. Slow cooked for about 5 hours. 

Removed roast allow to rest for 5 minutes and slice.  Add sliced roast to liquid salsa drippings.

Our side tonight.

Sautéed thin slices of zucchini with onions, salt and pepper.  Served with brown rice.  Easy summer meal. Slight bite to the salsa. Enjoy!!