Taco Bake

When I had surgery Patrick made us a Taco Bake for dinner. It was very yummy and I decided to recreate it tonight. I ended up calling him for the recipe, but didn't have all the ingredients so I made a few substitutions. I would not say this is his recipe anymore, but inspired by him :)

1 bag Nacho Cheese Doritos (didn't use quite the whole bag)
1/2 lb. hamburger
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg taco seasoning
1/2 cup water
3 green onions diced
handful sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Pour about 2/3 bag of Doritos into 13" x 9" pan. Brown hamburger, drain fat. Add kidney beans, water and taco seasoning. Cook for 5 minutes. Pour hamburger and beans over Doritos. Sprinkle with green onions, sliced olives and cheddar cheese. Put some more Doritos over the top. Bake 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tamale Pie

1 lb hamburger
1/2 c onion, diced
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 c water
1 (14.5 oz) can corn, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (2-1/4 oz) can sliced black olives, drained
2 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c egg substitute
water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and rinse fat. Add taco seasoning, water, corn, kidney beans, olives and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Mix cornmeal, egg substitute and enough water to make a thick batter. Pour over hamburger mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes until cornmeal is set.

Stuffed Shells

1 lb. container Ricotta cheese
1 lb. shredded Mozzarella cheese
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb. spinach, cooked and drained (squeeze out as much water as possible)
1/2 cup egg substitute
Black pepper to taste
1 tsp. sweet basil
1 lb. Italian sausage,
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 onion, diced
salt and pepper added
1 box cooked jumbo pasta shells (about 32 shells)
5 c. of your favorite spaghetti sauce


Brown sausage, hamburger, onions. Drain fat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix Ricotta cheese, spinach, Mozzarella (save some for topping) cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg substitute, pepper and basil. Mix with hands until the mixture is consistent, uniform, and no lumps exist. Add cooled ground beef and sausage, and mix again. (The ingredients are supposed to be cool so that the cheese doesn't melt.) Fill each pasta shell with mixture. Fill casserole dishes 1/4 of the way with spaghetti sauce (individual serving casseroles, or 2-3 large ones). Place stuffed shells in sauce and top with Mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little sauce over shells. Bake in 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until done (about 20 to 25 minute if mixture has been refrigerated at 425 degrees)

Adapted from a recipe from K. McKoy.

Cheeseburger Macaroni

3/4 lb hamburger
1/2 onion, diced
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups water
8-12 oz pasta (macaroni or other shaped pasta)
2-3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and rinse fat. Add tomatoes, garlic, bouillon, pepper and water. Bring to a boil and stir in pasta. Cook 8-10 minutes until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Grandpa Al's Cincinnati Chili

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4-5 cups water
2-3 beef bouillon cubes
1/2 to 3/4 tsp black pepper
12 oz shaped pasta or several handfuls of spaghetti broken into halves*

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain fat. Add tomatoes, kidney beans, water (I usually use one of the cans to measure the water), bouillon and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and reduce head to medium-low. Cook until pasta is al dente, usually 8-10 minutes depending on style of pasta used.

Serve warm with bread and salad for a wonderful dinner.


* My grandfather always used spaghetti, but I have found that smaller shaped pastas are easier to deal with, particularly with a preschooler in the house.