Southwestern Stuffed Peppers, revisited

I've made these stuffed peppers in the past and this is a great dish that my husband and I always love to have for dinner. It's quick enough for a week night and easy enough to double if you're having some guests over. We love these as leftovers, too, since they keep well and reheat great. If you're in the mood for Mexican but don't want to spend an hour (or two) making a huge, fancy, complicated dish, then this is your recipe!

From this post forward, I've added a new tag on the right-hand side of the page: leftover-approved. This will be for any dinner (or meal-item) that is approved by myself and/or my husband to eat for leftovers. Some things really do not keep up well after being in the fridge and then the microwave. Hopefully this will help with week night meal selection!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from: Homemade by Holman
Yields: 4 servings

1/2 lb ground beef
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 can diced tomatoes (option w/chiles), undrained
1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked
4 bell peppers, any color
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
sour cream, (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook rice as directed and set aside. Meanwhile, brown ground beef in a large skillet on medium-high heat and crumble as it cooks. Add 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Mix well and add diced tomatoes, reducing heat to medium low. Add onions, black beans, corn and simmer until rice is cooked and softened.

Meanwhile, prepare peppers by cutting in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and removing stem, seeds, etc. Rinse and set in a large glass baking dish. Add 2 tbsp water to bottom of dish.

When rice has cooked thoroughly, add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp chili powder and mix well. Stir into the ground beef mixture and add half the cilantro, if using. Spoon filling into pepper halves. Squeeze lime juice on top of stuffed peppers. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Uncover (peppers should be softened) and sprinkle on cheese and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with remaining cilantro and sour cream if desired.

Mediterranean Meatball Skillet

I really wasn't a huge fan of this recipe, but it had lots of zucchini in it, so I wanted to try it before winter came along and zucchini's were out of season. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that I actually love meatballs (and veggies) without tomato sauce and pasta. This was a very easy dish to make and even the leftovers were amazing! My husband still wanted to see more of a tomato sauce base, so maybe next time I'll add a can of sauce as well. Try the original and see how you like it. The feta cheese really made this dish go from good to great, so don't skimp on it. The seasonings are great, too, and this is a perfect way to use up all of that extra zucchini!! Don't forget that you can also slice or grate it and freeze, too.

Mediterranean Meatball Skillet

Adapted from: Betty Crocker

Yields: 4-6 servings

2 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, cut into wedges

3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 green bell pepper, chopped

20 frozen, cooked meatballs (or try this recipe)

1-1.5 cups water

1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced

1 can diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Once heated, add the onion and cook until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice, bell pepper, meatballs, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and let simmer 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.

Stir in zucchini and tomatoes. Cover and cook an additional 8-10 minutes.or until zucchini is tender and water is absorbed (this is why I will use 1 cup next time). Top with feta cheese and remember that with feta, a little goes a long way.

Southwest Lasagna

I've never really been one to be that adventurous when eating out at a restaurant (of any kind). I find something I like and I get it. Every time. I'm starting to try new things as my tastes "mature" so to speak. For example, I have always hated disliked meatloaf and lasagna when my mom made it for us growing up. I'm not sure why but I think it was just because they looked so gross and messy. At any rate I've grown to love them both. Partly because they are very inexpensive meals and have lots of delicious leftovers. Also, I think they are very flavorful and the type of dish you can change almost any aspect of and it would still turn out wonderfully. Hence why I chose a lasagna theme.

I saw this recipe in an old magazine (yes, I've been digging up oldies here lately). I just had to try it because it sounded amazing. A combination of two amazing things: Mexican food and lasagna!! It turned out amazing and I even took it for leftovers my first day back to work since Camden came into our lives. It was just as tasty as when I pulled it out of the oven! You can top it with chopped lettuce, tomato and sour cream but it really doesn't need them if you don't have any on hand.

Southwest Lasagna

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Yields: 8 servings

9 uncooked lasagna noodles

1lb ground beef

1 package (1.25oz) taco seasoning mix

3/4 cup water

1 jar tomato pasta sauce (28oz)

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

9 oz frozen corn, at room temperature

2 tsp ground cumin

1 container ricotta cheese (15oz)

1 can chopped green chiles (4.5oz)

2 eggs

3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F and place a large, rimmed cookie sheet on the rack below middle oven rack. Spray a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray (use a deep dish if you have one). Cook and drain lasagna noodles per package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until brown. Drain and return to pan. Stir in taco seasoning mix and water. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce, beans, corn, and cumin. Cook about 5 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until heated throughout.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta, chiles and eggs.

To assemble lasagna, arrange 3 cooked and cooled lasagna noodles along the bottom of the greased casserole dish. Spoon and spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over noodles. Top with 1/3 of the meat mixture and then 1/3 cheese. Repeat layers topping with the cheese. Place dish on middle oven rack and bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Beef Melts

I don't know why I really have never thought to make a mexican type of calzone. I guess I'm not much of a risk taker in the kitchen when it comes to making up new dishes. I did, however, stumble upon this recipe in a booklet that was 6 years old and thought it would be a great week night dinner. With just a few ingredients and easy directions, I was determined to make this (even if I do have an 11-week-old). They turned out great even though I was somewhat skeptical of the lack of ingredients inside of the melts; or calzones. I think I might add some peppers to the meat mixture to give it a little more kick. They are still fabulous as-is and make for a quick dinner!

Mexican Beef Melts

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Yields: 4 servings

1 lb ground beef

1 package (or 3-4 Tbsp) taco seasoning mix

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 cups chunky salsa

1 can homestyle biscuits (16.3 oz)

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup sour cream, optional

Heat oven to 375°F and lightly spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray (or use silicone mat). In a large skillet, brown the meat. Drain and return meat to warm skillet on medium-low heat. Add water, salsa and seasoning. Mix well to combine and continue to cook until thickened, about 4-5 minutes.

Separate dough into 8 biscuits and roll out to a 6-inch diameter circle. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into biscuit rounds on cookie sheet. Top with a tablespoon of cheese and close by folding over. Press the edges with a fork to ensure a good seal. Bake 10-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly and serve by topping with salsa and cheese. Serve with sour cream if desired.

Meatball Subs

Summer reminds me of cookouts, baseball and amazing food (can we say, Apple Pie)! This isn't typically something I would make, or eat, but my husband is a HUGE meatball lover. He saw this recipe in the cookbook I received a while back from a giveaway and requested this be one of the first to make from it. Boy was I glad he wanted this! It was so incredibly delicious; much better than I was anticipating. Given the choice, I'd never choose a meatball sub .. over anything really. This however was different. It had substance. It didn't need a bunch of toppings to mask the taste. These would be great for a summer gathering or even a cookout at your house, just cut the buns in half and voila!

Meatball Subs

Adapted from: Simply Suppers

Yields: 4 subs

For meatballs:

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk

3/4 lb ground beef

1/4 lb Italian sausage

2 Tbsp finely diced shallots (or onion)

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

kosher salt

finely ground black pepper

For sandwiches:

2 cups tomato sauce

4 crusty sandwich rolls/buns

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

To prepare the meatballs, preheat oven to 395 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk until mixed well. Add the remaining ingredients for the meatballs and mix well with hands. Season with salt and pepper as desired. When well combined, shape into 16-20 meatballs.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until a few droplets of water sizzle when sprinkled onto the skillet. Working in batches, cook the meatballs until well-browned on each side, about 4-5 minutes total time. Transfer the browned meatballs to a rimmed baking sheet and continue this process until all meatballs are browned.

Cook meatballs in preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the center is no longer pink. DO NOT turn the oven off.

To assemble a sandwich, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the tomato sauce. Add the meatballs and toss until well coated and warmed. Place meatballs on sandwich buns and place on a clean baking sheet. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly amongst the four sandwiches and bake in oven until the cheese has melted, about 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Hearty Beef Ragu

When I look at this picture, it reminds me of Chef Boyardee’s Beefaroni. Trust me, it tastes nothing like that! Wait, is that a good thing? ;) This beef ragu was really delicious. I don’t think I cooked the veggies enough because they were still crunchy so I would suggest cooking them a bit longer. Other than that, my husband approved. He likes meat, meat and more meat. This was perfect for him to come home to one day after work. I also think this would go really well with some homemade garlic bread. Although it does take a little bit of time to simmer, I know that it is worth it.

Hearty Beef Ragu
Adapted from: Confections of a Foodie Bride, originally Williams-Sonoma
Serves: 6-8

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 tsp rosemary
1 lb ground beef
2/3 cup cranberry juice (or red wine)
3 Tbsp tomato paste
2 ½ cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 lb pasta shapes (penne, rotini, etc)
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and rosemary. Cook until veggies are softened, about 10-12 minutes. Add 1-2 Tbsp water, if needed, to keep the pan from drying out and vegetables from browning. Add the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spatula, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Add cranberry juice (or wine) and tomato paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover partially and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick, about 30-40 minutes. Add the parmesan cheese for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.

Before the sauce is finished, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta and add to the stock pot with the sauce. Mix well to combine and season with salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm.

Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joe dinners are usually my I don’t feel like cooking and nothing sounds good dinners. Lucky for us, we both love sloppy joes anyways. I have never even attempted to make it homemade because the can is so good and so inexpensive that it would be much more cost effective (even with health reasons) to just use the can. When I saw this recipe in my google reader, however, I had to try it at least once. It came out tasting good, it was just less salty. I liked that part of it even though it took longer because with a can you just plop it in there and heat. Don’t worry though, it didn’t take that much longer. I also think the cost effectiveness outweighs the taste benefits. Don’t misunderstand me: it’s good, but just not quite the same taste as the can. It’s definitely worth trying though!

Sloppy Joes
Adapted from: The Cooks Next Door
Yields: 6-8 servings

1 lb ground beef
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup green pepper, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (8 oz)
3 Tbsp quick-cooking oats
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp seasoned salt
Dash cayenne pepper

Brown ground beef until halfway cooked throughout. Add onion and green pepper and cook until meat is no longer pink. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns immediately.

Traditional Lasagna

I posted this in the early Kelly's Kitch days and the picture was very, well, drab. It wasn't very enticing and you really couldn't see anything but the cheese on top. Since then I have gotten much better at using my point-and-shoot camera to compete with the "professional" bloggers that use a dSLR camera. They just make it look so incredibly easy! Well given my camera, I'm quite proud.

When all else fails for dinner and I really can't think of anything to cook, I always reach for this recipe that my mom handed down to me. It is a no-fail and delicious dinner .. no matter what. I just am getting lazier with my cooking (in my eyes anyways) and don't want to make sides. However, this would go very well with traditional garlic bread, breadsticks, or even cheesy garlic bread.

Traditional Lasagana
Kelly's Kitch original
Serves: 6-8

1 pound ground beef
1 can tomatoes
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
1/3 cup water
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/4 lb lasagna noodles, cooked
8 ounces mozzarella cheese
1/2 tub ricotta cheese (4 oz)
parmesan cheese

Boil and drain the lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente. Set aside.
Meanwhile, brown meat in large skillet. Add the onion and cook until tender (about 4-5 minutes). Stir in tomatoes, paste, water, garlic and seasonings. Cover and simmer on low 25 minutes. In a 12x8 greased baking dish, layer the lasagna in this order: noodles, meat sauce, racotta cheese, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers. Bake uncovered in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

This recipe makes two layers. Double it for a deep-dish three layered lasagna for a large party!

Meatloaf

Meatloaf. Every child's nightmare. As it is with most children, it was with me. I hated my mom's meatloaf and wouldn't even try it. Once I did, I was hooked. She lured me into it by tricking me and making me think that the process to make it is fun. She was right, it actually is pretty fun. Mixing everything in a bowl and being able to smash and squeeze the life out of it is really fun and a good stress reliever for a long, hard day (not that I know about those anymore being unemployed). This meatloaf is a basic, delicious and easy recipe for any family. My husband tends to devour it leaving no slice behind. It goes really well with a teeny tiny bit of ketchup, too. For my husband's benefit, I also only put a ton of onion on one side so he doesn't have to eat them as he doesn't like them.

Meatloaf

Kelly's Kitch original

Serves: 3-4

1lb ground beef

½ cup onion (more or less for preference)
1/3 cup ketchup
2 pieces of bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
1 egg
2 pieces of bread, for baking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl by hand, except the two bread pieces for baking. Grease a glass baking dish and place the two bread pieces on the bottom of the pan. Place the meatloaf mixture on top in the shape of a loaf of bread and bake, uncovered. Make sure the meatloaf is not touching the sides of the glass baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is no longer pink.

Mom's Skillet Goulash

Although this doesn't look as tasty as you might think, goulash very much is! Goulash always looks like mush and other things I won't mention on here, but it actually doesn't taste all that bad. It's not one of my favorite dishes, but I'll work on tweaking it to perfect the recipe. For now, it's a pretty easy weeknight dinner if you have little time and energy after a long day at work.

Mom's Skillet Goulash

Adapted from: Pillsbury

Serves: 4

8 oz uncooked pasta (rotini or mini shells)

1 lb ground beef

1 cup chopped celery (about 3 stalks)

1 cup chopped onion

2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained (15 oz each)

1 can condensed tomato soup (11 oz)

1 tsp dried basil leaves

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in large skillet or dutch oven, cook the beef, celery and onion on medium-high heat until meat is no longer red. Drain and return to skillet. Add the cooked (and drained) pasta and all remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, covered. Stir occasionally. Serve warm.

Hamburger Pie

At first glance, this looks kinda gross and overwhelmingly high in fat and calories. Don't judge a food by it's look. Trust me! This recipe has: 376 calories, 8 g saturated fat and so forth (per 1/2 cup potatoes and 1 cup meat mixture). It's really not as bad as you think it might be. I made it for my husband who is on this new kinda-health-kick with me and he said that it doesn't sound or look healthy but there are vegetables hiding in there. He did find some andput them aside, but at least I tried, right!? This was a huge dish and I would only suggest making it for more than 3-4 people. Otherwise, halve the recipe for just you and your spouse. It was delicious and next time I will make homemade mashed potatoes instead of the boxed stuff (no judging .. I had some leftover and needed to get rid of it). ;)

Hamburger Pie

Adapted from: New Cookbook, Bridal Edition

Serves: 6-8

24-ounces mashed potatoes

1 1/4 lb lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 tsp salt

dash black pepper

2 1/2 cups frozed cut green beans, thawed

1 can condensed tomato soup (10.75 oz)

1/2 cup shredded American cheese

Prepare mashed potatoes as desired and set aside. In a large skillet, cook the meat about halfway and then add in onions. Cook until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain off fat and rinse with water. Add salt and pepper. Stir in green beans and soup. Mix well. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish or casserole.

Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds on top of the beef mixture. Using an ice cream scoop helped. Don't smear it around too much or the mixture will mix with the meat. Sprinkle cheese on top and bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown slightly.

The Perfect Hamburger

We all have our super-secret hamburger recipes for grilling in the summer time. Well, this is my personal (and continuously changing/improving) hamburger recipe! I used to just grill plain ol' burgers but that just didn't have enough flavor. It's no wonder I slathered on the mayo like it was going out of style. At any rate I have heard of other people putting things into the burger recipe so I gave it a whirl this past week. I had a leftover jalapeno pepper so I threw some of that in, a dash of BBQ sauce, onions and voila! Perfection! The only thing I think I will do next time is slice more jalapeno's to be able to top the burger with.

The Perfect Hamburger

Adapted from: Kelly's Kitch original

1 lb ground beef

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped

4 pair hamburger buns

toppings (mayo, tomato, etc)

Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with hands. Form 4 thick (and large-diameter) patties and place on the grill, low heat, until cooked. The patties will shrink a little bit so make them bigger than you want. Place on hamburger buns and top with desired toppings!

Quick Skillet Lasagna

It's really not often that I venture away from my traditional lasagna that is so delicious and has wonderful layers of pasta, cheese and beef. This week, however I had asked my husband to find recipes and cook them for me. It was somewhat out of frustration of my always cooking (and he rarely does the dishes to help out) and partially because I wanted to see what he would come up with. I need more ideas of things he might like. On a side note, I very much love my husband and even though he might not do the dishes, he does a lot around the house in terms of fixing it up/construction and what I like to call 'manly duties'.

This was one of the recipes that he had picked out for the week. I knew he liked lasagna but this was a quick and easy recipe with only a few ingredients. I'm sure he thought to himself, "Why doesn't Kelly make this lasagna recipe instead of the one she slaves for hours over?" Well .. the traditional lasagna is an impressive culinary dish for large get-togethers of our friends and family. This dish is something I can whip together in 30 minutes or less just for the two of us and there isn't too many leftovers that will get wasted. PERFECT for us!

Quick Skillet Lasagna

Adapted from: Biggest Book of 30-Minute Meals

6 oz dried mafalda noodles (mini lasagna)

1.5 lb ground beef

1 jar marinara/pasta sauce (24-26 ounces)

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large 10-inch deep-dish skillet cook ground beef until browned. Strain the ground beef and wipe skillet out with paper towel.

Layer half of the cooked pasta in the skillet. Cover with half the pasta sauce and meat. Cover with cheese. Repeat layer with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until cheese on top has melted. Remove from skillet and let stand for 3 minutes and serve.

Beef and Vegetable Linguine

I can't remember what magazine I got this from but it has been a huge family favorite in our house for a while. I just cut out the recipe and put it on an index card a while ago before blogging. I think it may have come from a Kraft magazine but I could be wrong. At any rate, this pasta dish has everything you could ever want: beef, veggies and not too much sauce. When cooking the suace it seems like it won't be enough to coat all the linguine but it will be. It comes out to be the perfect amount. I also am a HUGE fan of broccoli and carrots so this is a fantastic, easy, quick weeknight meal for just my husband and myself. Plus as an added bonus I rarely ever make steak so he really loves anything I cook with that in it.

Beef and Vegetable Linguine

Adapted from: source unknown (possibly a Kraft Food Magazine)

8 oz linguine

3 cups broccoli florets

2 cups carrot slices

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 lb beef sirloin steak, cut into strips

1/4 cup Italian dressing

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

Cook pasta according to package directions in large pot. Add broccoli and carrots during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain pasta mixture and return to serving bowl. Meanwhile heat oil in large skillet. Add the meat and cook until browned, sitrring occasionally. Stir in dressing, teriyaki sauce and ginger. Cook until sauce thickens, about 5 additional minutes. Pour meat and sauce mixture on top of noodle mixture in serving bowl and toss to combine.

Taco Soup

If you are as sick of this snow as I am, you will love this recipe. It will give you plenty of time to snuggle up on the couch after eating it with very few dishes to do afterwards. My kind of recipe. I have an all-crock pot recipe book that I absolutely love and it was so inexpensive but it has produced some tasty results over these months that I have had it. This was one of them. Especially in the winter I love dinners that I don't have to slave over the stove for hours making. At least if I end up not liking a crock pot recipe, we still have time to order some take-out. ;) This week's theme seems to be thick, hearty soups for winter. Old man winter .. I love you, but can only stand you for a certain period of time. Your departure is long overdue. If you like Mexican (as we do in this household) and easy recipes, then you must try this!

Taco Soup

Adapted from: Easy Slow Cooker Cookbook

1-1.5 lb ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning (1 oz)

2 cans mexi-stewed tomatoes (28 oz)

1 can chili beans, with liquid

1 can whole kernel corn, frozen (I just used a leftover can from beans and measure the corn in that)

For topping:

crushed tortilla chips

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

In a medium skillet, brown the ground beef on medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain and add to crock pot. Add seasoning, tomatoes, beans, corn and 1 can of water. Mix well. Cover and cook on low 4 hours or high 1-2 hours. I put this in at lunch time and came out perfectly for dinner.

Serve over crushed tortilla chips and sprinkle cheddar cheese and sour cream if desired on top.

Mexican Lasagna

This was the perfect combination for me and my husband: he loves Mexican food and I love lasagna. Perfecto! My dad and step-mom were up in our area and ate this too and had absolutely no complaints from anyone. I also had ZERO leftovers because my dad liked it so much he wanted to take the rest home with him! This was the last littl piece and I am surprised I remembered to snap a picture of it! If you are a fan of Mexican food then this is definitely something worth trying. It was very different from the usual enchilada's, burrito's, etc. I liked it but would have loved it even more if I could have figured out how to make the corn tortillas more soft and easier to cut through. Maybe next time I will cook them a little?? I dunno.

Mexican Lasagna

Adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

10-12 corn tortillas

1 lb ground beef (or chorizo if you are feeling spicy)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 tbsp taco seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

2 cans refried pinto beans (28 oz)

1 tub ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups mexican shredded cheese blend

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

1 jar salsa (16 oz)

sliced gree onions, for garnishing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan on medium-high heat, brown your meat. Once cooked through add the garlic and onion. Stir and cook until softened. Add salt, pepper and taco seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking dish. Place a layer of 4 corn tortillas on the bottom (the edges may overlap which is fine). Then layer as follows: 1/2 refried beans, 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 beef mixture, 1/2 shredded mexican cheese, 1 can diced tomatoes. Add another layer of 6 corn tortillas. Then repeat next layer topping with salsa instead of diced tomatoes and extra cheese on top of that.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to cool about 5-10 minutes out of the oven. Garnish with green onion and serve warm.

White and Green Chili

This chili was a very warm and refreshing difference from our usual chili. I have tried pumpkin chili but it's really not fall anymore so it just seemed that this was more winter-friendly. Since most of the country is getting snow dumped on them and we are no exception here in Indiana, I thought this was a perfect, easy week night dinner to warm any family up! And did I mention it came from my big recipe book for THIRTY MINUTE MEALS? How's that for quick and easy!? My menu this week is mainly just that: crock pot and quick meals. I'm a little worn out from moving and unpacking. I'm not wonder woman. I can't do everything.

Although at times I wish I could.

White and Green Chili

Adapted from: Biggest Book of 30-Minute Meals (Better Homes and Gardens)

1 lb ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

1 can navy beans, rinsed and drained

1 jar salsa (16 oz)

1 can chicken broth (14 oz)

1.5 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

sour cream, for topping

In large skillet, brown ground beef and onions. Once onions are soft and ground beef is cooked through drain off fat and return to pan. Add beans, salsa, chicken broth and cumin. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Mix in tbsp cilantro before serving and sprinkle any additional desired on top with sour cream.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

This was the very first recipe in our new home! My husband and I both put this on our to-make-often list of recipes. It was a huge hit and we almost couldn't stop eating them. Moving has been really hard on both of us but this was a very simple and rewarding recipe. He loves mexican food and could eat it daily if I made it every day. 

I cut two peppers lengthwise and two just with the tops off and ended up halving them because it was much easier to stuff them that way. Whenever my mom makes stuffed peppers she doesn't make them like this .. I don't think. This is the first stuffed pepper recipe I have eaten or made. Next time I might double the recipe and make it for some guests we have over. I know it will be a huge hit!

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Adapted from: Homemade by Holman 

1/2 lb ground beef

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 cup black beans

1 cup corn

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1 can diced tomatoes (option w/chiles)

1/2 cup brown rice, uncooked

4 bell peppers, any color

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)

sour cream, (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook rice as directed and set aside. Meanwhile brown ground beef in large skillet on medium-high heat and crumble as it cooks. Add 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Mix well and add diced tomatoes, reducing heat to medium low. Add onions, black beans, corn and simmer until rice is cooked and softened.

Meanwhile prepare peppers by cutting in half lengthwise (top to bottom) and removing stem, seeds, etc. Rinse and set in a large glass baking dish. Add 2 tsp water to bottom of dish. 

When rice has cooked thoroughly, add 1/2 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp chili powder and mix well. Stir into the ground beef mixture and add half the cilantro. Note: I didn't use cilantro because per the norm I didn't have one of the ingredients on hand. They still turned out WONDERFUL without it. Spoon filling into pepper halves. Cover pan with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Uncover (peppers should be softened) and sprinkle on cheese and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Top with remaining cilantro and sour cream if desired.

Baked Ziti

I originally was going to make this for my husband's friends that were going to help us move a few weeks ago since it's such a huge dish. Well, our closing was delayed indefinitely and I still had all the ingredients. I knew we would eat the leftovers anyways so went ahead and made it. Plus I fully took advantage of having Brad pre-test it for when we do finally move.

My husband loved it and so did I. What a winner! I might even cut this recipe in half and make in a smaller dish just for us from now on. Now that I have a fabulous new garlic bread recipe I think it will go very well with this. The boys are gonna love this!

Oh and just to give you a visual, here is a picture of my very full 9x13 inch glass dish. I followed the recipe from the website as-is. If you have a deep dish pan, I highly suggest using that.

Baked Ziti

Adapted from: Annie's Eats , originally Cook's Illustrated, March & April 2009

1 lb cottage cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1.5 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 lb ziti

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

20 oz turkey Italian sausage (1 pkg)

1/2 cup chopped onion

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 large can tomato sauce (28 oz)

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp basil (dried or fresh)

1 tsp sugar

salt and ground black pepper, to taste

3/4 tsp cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream (or whole milk)

8 oz low-moisture mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup parmesan together in medium bowl and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until it begins to soften but not completely cooked, about 5-7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat and crumble sausage cooking until nearly brown. Add onion and garlic and continue to cook until sausage is completely browned. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup basil, sugar, salt and pepper.

In small bowl, combine cornstarch and heavy cream. Transfer mixture to now-empty stock pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove the pot from heat adding the cottage cheese mixture, 1.5 cups of tomato sauce mixture and 3/4 cup mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add pasta and toss to coat evenly.

Transfer pasta mixture to 9x13 dish and spread remaining tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top. Cover with foil and cook 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove foil and continue cooking another 20-30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and sprinkle with basil to garnish.

Meaty Rigatoni

This is originally named Pasta alla Marlboro Man. I decided to give it a name that was recognizable. This dish is very meaty and the rigatoni goes well with it. I am more of a saucy-type of gal but it had enough spices in it to satisfy. My husband really loved this recipe. He is a big meat lover so I'm sure that had a little to do with it.

I split the recipe in half and had a ton of rigatoni leftover (I used one pound) so I think that I might use that for my fettucini later this week. I'm all about not wasting leftovers. We even bought a second set of tupperware to match our current set. At the beginning of the week it's hard to find tupperware for leftovers when all my prepped, cut and chopped veggies are in all of them.

Here is the delicious garlic bread recipe!

Meaty Rigatoni

Adapted from: Pioneer Woman

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb ground beef

salt & pepper, to taste

1 tsp ground thyme

1 can diced tomatoes (14 oz)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 lb rigatoni

Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking 1 minute. Make sure garlic doesn't brown. Add ground beef and cook until brown. Drain as much excess fast as possible and add salt, pepper, thyme and canned tomatoes (with juice). Stir, reduce heat to low and cover pot. Cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove lid and cook an additional 20 minutes.

During second 20 minutes of cooking meat mixture, cook rigatoni according to package directions. Place in serving bowls and keep warm. Add meat mixture on top of rigatoni and sprinkle parmesan on top. This goes fantastic with garlic bread!