beef

Beef and Bean Tostadas

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

I was first introduced to tostadas by really good friends of ours. They invited us over one Mexican Monday and I have to say it was nice to not be the one preparing our weekly tradition. They served tostadas. I’d never had them before, in fact I’d never heard of them! I’m sure I’ve seen them on menus at Mexican restaurants before but they clearly didn’t make a lasting impression.

A tostada is essentially a flat taco. So if you’re looking to mix up your Taco Tuesday this is a great alternative. The ingredients are the same, but the vessel is different. I actually think tostadas are easier to eat than crunchy tacos. My beef with crunchy tacos (see what I did there?) is that after the first bite you’re no longer holding a taco, if you’re lucky you’re still holding something. You now have a taco salad on the plate that was hopefully below you, otherwise you have a taco salad on your floor. But with a tostada, everything is “glued down” with refried beans. The vessel is flat, so when it does break apart, you still have at least half a tostada in your hand and what fell is still mostly in tact. The tostada is my solution to crunchy taco night!

An Original Recipe

Beef and Bean Tostadas

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1/2 – 3/4 C water
  • crunchy yellow corn tostada shells
  • 1 can (16oz) refried beans
  • your favorite taco toppings: shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, tomato, scallion, etc

Steps:

  1. In a small bowl combine seasonings. (Alternately, you can use a 1 oz packet of taco seasoning.)
  2. In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat brown the beef. Drain any fat.
  3. Add the seasoning and water to the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook 5 minutes.
  4. Heat the refried beans.
  5. Assemble tostadas by spreading refried beans on a tostada shell, adding the meat, and any toppings you like!

Beef and Bean Tostadas

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments
Where it all began - this photo taken after graduation, 2010
Where it all began – this photo taken after graduation 2010

Stuart and I met working at Moe’s Southwest Grill in Auburn and whenever we go to a Moe’s we’re always silently critiquing the employee’s burrito rolling skill. On a full size burrito (not the baby ones in this recipe) we would always mix the filling ingredients by “shimmying” the tortilla around the filling. Not only does doing this ensure a perfect bite every time, but it also creates a nice shape to roll a mess-free burrito. Because the “shimmying” method isn’t often used, I don’t particularly like burritos. They’re usually too big for me and my bites have either only meat or only toppings. But when I saw this recipe for baked burritos I thought I’d give it a shot. I liked the idea of a crispy burrito. But when I went to make my grocery list I didn’t examine the tortillas I had on hand well enough – they weren’t burrito sized, they were taco sized. And let me tell you, these baby sized burritos were just perfect for me – every bite had everything!

It was a really long day at work and I was very tempted to forego Mexican Monday for something simpler but I am so glad I made these. Every meal the rest of the week failed to compare.

How to roll a Burrito

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1/2 large onion, diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 C corn kernels, drained/thawed
  • 1/2 C black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/4 C vegetable or beef broth
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 12 6″ flour tortillas
  • 1 C shredded Mexican blend cheese

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat saute onion and jalapeno in canola oil 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up. Once cooked drain excess fat, if needed.
  3. Stir in 1 tbsp tomato paste. Add corn, black beans, and broth. Stir and add cumin, oregano, chili powder, brown sugar, and salt. Simmer until all liquid is absorbed.
  4. Assemble burritos with cheese and beef filling. (See photos above) Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Spray burritos with cooking spray and bake 18-20 minutes.
  5. Serve with salsa, queso, sour cream, or guacamole if desired.

*This recipe is modified from http://karmelowy.pl/chrupiace-burrito-z-wolowinacrispy-beef-burritos/*

Baby Baked Beef Burritos

Updated July 2016: I have made these burritos multiple times, often doubling the recipe to bring to a potluck or for serving to my extended family. The last time I made these, a couple of weeks ago, we had some new friends over for dinner. They were in the process of moving to Alabama. Having just completed a cross country move ourselves I knew they’d appreciate a home cooked meal before they hit the road, so we invited them over the night their belongings were being boxed up. We served them with salsa, guacamole, and taco seasoning spiked Greek yogurt. These mini burritos are definitely one of my favorite recipes here on the blog! They’re easy to do with little ones underfoot, too, as I can make the filling ahead of time, roll them at a separate time, and simply bake them before we’re ready to eat. Bonus: my kids have enjoyed them every time – eating only the filling.

Baby Baked Beef Burritos Sew You Think You Can Cook

 

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Mexican Stuffed Shells

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Mexican Monday is back! And it’s back with a trusty favorite recipe. Stuffed shells. I know, stuffed shells are typically an Italian dish, but I much prefer this Mexican spin to the traditional spinach and ricotta.

I’ve been making these stuffed shells for a couple years now, and was not disapointed to find that previous photographs weren’t exactly blog worthy. I’ve done these with both ground beef and ground turkey. Honestly, the turkey just doesn’t yield that same mouth-watering, need-to-grab-another stuffed shell result. But if you’re trying to cut back on red meat this year you can absolutely substitute turkey or chicken for the beef.

Shells

Meat Filling

Stuffed Shells

Mexican Stuffed Shells

The following recipe is for two casserole dishes worth of stuffed shells, which will feed 6-8 people.

Mexican Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 4 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 box jumbo shells
  • 1 jar (16 oz) salsa
  • 1 jar (8 oz) taco sauce
  • 2 1/2 C shredded Mexican cheese
  • 3 scallions

Steps:

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. You don’t want them to be too soft so you can stuff them. Using a slotted spoon remove shells from water and place on wax paper. (You run the risk of breaking shells by straining like you would normal pasta.)
  2. Brown ground beef. Drain fat. Mix with taco seasoning and 2 C water. Cook until water is reduced. Mix in cream cheese until melted. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Divide salsa between two casserole dishes.
  4. Spoon about 1 tbsp of meat mixture into each shell. Place in casserole dishes.
  5. Top shells with taco sauce.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Top with cheese and bake another 10 minutes.
  7. Garnish with scallions. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or any other toppings you’d like.

*This recipe is adapted from Maeghan at http://www.thewaytohisheartblog.com/mexican-stuffed-shells/*

Mexican Stuffed Shells 1 Mexican Stuffed Shells 2 Mexican Stuffed Shells 3

Balsamic Glazed Beef Roast

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

When the weather is gloomy, grey, and cold sometimes all you need is a hearty meal to warm your insides.

This slow cooker beef is accompanied by a beautiful, deep balsamic glaze.

I opted to slice the beef (I felt like the Grinch when he cuts the roast beast!) and serve alongside mashed potatoes and fresh salad. Roasted root vegetables would be a wonderful side dish option as well.  Another alternative would be to shred the beef and serve it over a bowl of brown rice.

The leftovers would make for a fantastic sandwich the next day too. (If you have any leftovers!)

Balsamic Glazed Beef Roast

Ingredients:

  • 3-4 lb beef chuck roast
  • 1 C beef broth
  • 1/3 C + 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, divided
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/4 C brown sugar

Steps:

  1. Whisk together beef broth, 1/3 C balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, honey, red pepper flakes, garlic, and pepper. Pour over the roast placed in a slow cooker. Cook on LOW 8 hours.
  2. Remove roast from slow cooker, cover with tin foil to keep warm.
  3. Strain 1 1/2 C of liquid from the slow cooker. Over medium heat combine with remaining balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce.
  4. Create a slurry with the corn starch and 2 tbsp water. Pour into the glaze and stir to thicken. Continue to reduce to desired thickness.
  5. Shred or slice the beef and top with the balsamic glaze.

*This recipe is adapted from Danelle at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2013/12/balsamic-glazed-roast-beef-2.html*Balsamic Glazed Beef

Update May 2016: Shortly after settling into our new home in California I needed a simple dinner. I looked to my slow cooker recipes and was reminded of this recipe from my index. And then I scrolled down further and about wanted to die of embarrassment when I saw the photo! I knew I had to redo this roast. When you look below this paragraph you’ll notice how vastly different the pictures are! (I love my macro lens!) The only two differences I made were using agave instead of honey because of my less than one year old son who would be trying it, and a good quality of balsamic vinegar. I used a local, thicker balsamic. For a thick glaze, simply allow the mixture to reduce until you reach your desired consistency, if it gets too thick add a little bit of water to thin it out. Both of my boys loved having this beef for lunch the next day. (My husband and I did, too, for the record.)

War Eagle Game Day

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

A big part of Thanksgiving weekend is watching the Iron Bowl.

We gather around the TV, taking a break from Thanksgiving foods, to stuff our faces with game day dishes while watching the most stressful game of the season. This year I’m expecting a great game. The stakes our high this year – ESPN Game Day will be on The Plains, Alabama is ranked #1, Auburn is ranked #4, and a ticket to the SEC Championship Game is on the line.

Here are a few of the recipes that will be on the coffee table this year:

Iron Bowl Food

Football Game Day Dip

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Velveeta
  • 1 can Rotel
  • 1/2 lb ground beef

Steps:

  1. Brown ground beef, drain fat.
  2. Cube Velveeta and put in a microwavable dish. Stir in Rotel and beef.
  3. Microwave for 2 minutes at a time, stirring. Once cheese is melted serve with Tostitos!

Shake ‘n’ Bake Buffalo Bites

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkt Shake ‘n’ Bake
  • 3 lb chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 bottle Frank’s Red Hot buffalo sauce (not hot sauce)

Steps:

  1. Toss chicken in Shake ‘n’ Bake.
  2. Place chicken on baking sheet. Bake at 375deg for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
  3. Toss cooked chicken in buffalo sauce. Serve with ranch dressing!

This year we’re experimenting with chicken wings instead! Baking them on a metal rack on a baking sheet at 425deg for 30min.

Cranberry Barbecue Turkey Sliders

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 C cranberry sauce
  • 1/2 C orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • 1/8 C honey
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
  • left over turkey, shredded
  • slider buns

Steps:

  1. Bring ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced slightly, about 10 minutes.
  2. Pour sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender.
  3. Toss turkey in barbecue sauce. Assemble slider sandwiches.

*This recipe is adapted from John at http://www.patiodaddiobbq.com/2011/11/cranberry-orange-bbq-sauce.html*

WAR EAGLE!

cranberry turkey sliders

UPDATE: We had so much food that the sliders weren’t made this year. I will be making them for the SEC Championship Game next weekend instead!