Crock Pot Chili

Mmm mmm mmm!  I have tried a new chili recipe every year and there is always something wrong with it.  Well, I finally found one I can't complain about.  Not too spicy, but spicy enough, plenty of meat and generally what you expect from your chili.  Did I mention I made this in the crock pot?  So it was practically effortless.  Follow along and I'll show you how to make it:

Beef, Bean, And Cornbread Casserole

If I were to give this a new name it would be Chili Cornbread Casserole, cause that's what it tastes like.  The seasonings gave this dish the perfect amount of kick and it was a hit with the family.  Oh, and it's rather easy too!  Here's all you need for this dish:

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

When you announce that you are making meatloaf, does your family sigh, shrug their shoulders and pout their way out of the room?  My family (especially my kids) gets really excited when I tell them I'm making meatloaf.  Plus they get to dip it in ketchup, and what kid wouldn't like that?  The caramelized brown sugar and ketchup glaze is the star of this meatloaf.  It's delish!

Chinese Hamburger Hash

If you're looking to use up some ground beef, and perhaps want an easy to make casserole, this dish is for you.  The casserole goes together quickly but allow for the long baking time.  This takes a total of 1 hour and 15 minutes to bake.  The kids and husband gobbled it up and I thought it tasted great for a fall night with a crisp cool air outside.  

Taco Bar

I know just about everyone knows how to make a taco, and there's nothing fancy or special about mine, so I'm not going to attempt to teach "how to make tacos".  I am, however, going to calculate the cost for you since I know you are all just dying to know how much it costs to make 12 tacos!  I sure do love an easy dinner, and knowing that it didn't cost much is always a plus.  So here it is:

1 lb ground beef ($2.50)

I packet taco seasoning ($1.00)

1 can (16oz) refried beans ($1.25)

1/3 head of lettuce, chopped ($0.29)

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded ($1.60)

1/2 cup picante sauce ($0.50)

1 large tomato ($0.36)

1/2 cup sour cream ($0.40)

12 Taco Shells ($1.50)

*Plus tortillas if you like double deckers, or in exchange for the taco shells

Total Cost to Make $9.40, for 12 tacos.  That's $0.78 per taco!

Texas Tater Casserole

About a year ago this time I was telling my Grandmother over the phone that I wanted more crock pot and casserole recipes for the colder season and that I was going to start looking around the internet for ideas.  About a week later I got a package in the mail with 10 small Betty Crocker Casserole and Crock Pot recipe books.  My Grandma got them on e-bay and they were all older cookbooks, which are the best kind.  This casserole recipe comes from a 1999 issue of Betty Crocker's Favorite Casseroles. I will be trying many more recipes from these books as the seasons get cooler.  This one is definitely a keeper.  It's like a tex-mex spin on a classic tater tot casserole.

Classic Baked Ziti

Tonight's dinner is Baked Ziti.  I got this recipe from food.com.  Here is the link, http://www.food.com/recipe/classic-baked-ziti-22176, and here is what you need to make it :

Easy Pasta Night!

So, tonight is the kind of night where cooking something new just sounds like too much work.  It's been the kind of day where my daughter has lost her art supplies, Nintendo DS, and lava lamp (due to attitude) and still tells me "no I won't do it" when I ask her to clean her room.  Not my favorite words.  So, being busy with that and having not made my list of meals for the next week, nor have I gone grocery shopping, I decided to make something easy that I already have ingredients for.  Spaghetti!!  Lets just say that Prego is my best friend tonight!

Rice and Meatballs

This recipe is easy peazy lemon squeezy, and tastes great!  The recipe came from my mother-in-law and my husband always requests it since he grew up eating it.  My husband has many siblings and they always fought over the meatballs, because everyone wanted extra!  This dinner takes just minutes to put together and is made with ingredients usually already in the house. 

For The Meatballs

1lb ground beef, or ground turkey

1/2 lb sausage

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp Johny's Seasoning

2/3 cup bread crumbs

2 tablespoons ketchup

 Put all the ingredients in a large bowl.

 Mix well with your hands until well incorporated.

 Roll meat mixture into about 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a microwave safe plate.

 Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

For the Sauce:

3 cups water

1 can tomato paste

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

3 beef bouillion cubes

2 Tablespoons minced onions, fresh

1/4 cup bbq sauce

1 Tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

*plus 3 Tablespoons cornstarch and 1 cup water

 Add all the sauce ingredients to a saucepan EXCEPT for the cornstarch and 1 cup of water.

 Mix well and bring to a simmer.

 Add the microwaved meatballs to the mixture and simmer 20 minutes.

 Before serving mix the water and cornstarch in a small bowl until well combined, then stir into the sauce mixture.  Simmer an additional minute to thicken the sauce.

 Serve over rice and enjoy!