"Family:Where life begins and love never ends."
As some of you may already know, we recently buried my dear dad, Bob King. He had lived in an awesome assisted living facility in Michigan for the last 5 years and was so loved there, because he gave away so much love. I'm honored and blessed that God allowed me to be holding his hand when he took his last breath here on earth. I spent a few days with my family recalling wonderful memories left by our special parents. We had a wonderful celebration of dad's life as we laughed through our tears. We are comforted knowing know we'll see him again. I have no doubt, that even at 89, dad would say life was short.
The process I'm sharing is more of a technique than a recipe, but by keeping pre-cooked meat in the freezer, you'll save time,and money as it will save you from running through the drive-through to pick up dinner on your way home. All you have to do is thaw and you're ready to prepare a quick meal. While I prepared my own burger, I did laundry and dishes, so this is a real time saver too.
You'll be all set to make spaghetti, tacos, sloppy joes, or some of the favorite recipes I'm sharing here.
BROWNING BURGER IN THE CROCKPOT
Place as much (lean) burger as you want to brown, in crockpot.(I used about 4# in my 3-qt.crockpot.) Stir it around to break up any lumps. Place the lid on the crock and cook on high for about 2 hours, depending on your crockpot.Stir a few times while it cooks. When done(no pink remaining), drain the grease into a bowl, then rinse with hot water to remove more grease. After it cools, bag it into freezer bags - whatever size suits your family's needs - and there you have it! Label it, date it and you're ready to rumble.
I've been making this great meal since my kids were very young. It's still a favorite.
FARMHOUSE BBQ CUPS
1 can (10 count) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 lb. (lean) ground beef
1/2 c. ketchup
3 Tb. brown sugar
1 Tb. cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. chili powder, optional
1 c. (4 ozs) shredded cheddar cheese
(I use strips of Velveeta and criss cross them over the top)
Preheat oven to 375. Grease 10 (regular size) muffin cups. Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten into 5"circles. Press each into the bottom and up the sides of prepared pan;set aside. In a skillet, brown ground beef; drain. Add ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and chili powder to beef; stir until blended well. Divide meat mixture evenly among biscuit-lined muffin cups, using about 1/4 c.for each. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 4 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 10 cups
EASY TACO PIE
1-8 ozs. can crescent rolls
1 lb. (lean) ground beef
1-1 oz. package taco seasoning
3 c. Doritos, crushed, divided
1 c. sour cream
1-1/2 c. shredded Mexican cheese (we love 2% fiesta blend)
Preheat oven to 375. Set out crescent rolls to warm - (so they'll spread out easier). Brown hamburger on the stove with taco seasoning. Cook over medium high heat until the meat is browned. Drain any grease. Spread crescent rolls in a pie plate to form a crust, covering the bottom of the dish and going up the sides with the dough. (place roll points in middle and flat edges toward the outside). Place a layer of crushed Doritos as the bottom layer, adding them until the crescent dough is nicely covered (make sure to reserve some for the top layer). Add all of the meat, then layer on sour cream and cheese. Top with more crushed Doritos. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden and cheese is melted. Let set for 5 minutes before cutting. Serves 8. Reheats best in the oven on a stone or in the pie plate.
CROCKPOT FAMILY-FAVORITE CHILI
2# lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (28 ozs) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (16 ozs) can chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 (8 ozs) can zesty tomato sauce
1 c. favorite salsa
(Or use 15 ozs. tomato sauce and no salsa)
2 Tb. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper, each
(If preferred, use a chili seasoning packet and eliminate spices)
In large skillet, brown beef and onion; drain. In 3-4 qt.slow cooker, mix beef, onion and remaining ingredients. Set your slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich for a perfect meal.
This tasty goulash makes enough for a family of 8.
NOT YOUR LUNCH LADY'S GOULASH
2# ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped,optional
8 ozs. sliced fresh mushrooms
(I use a lg. can, drained)
6 garlic cloves
3 c. water
1-29 ozs. tomato sauce
1-28 ozs. diced tomatoes,undrained
1 TB. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. smokey paprika
1 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes,optional
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
3 Tb. worcestershire sauce
3 c. uncooked elbow macaroni (or your favorite kind)
In large stock pot, cook beef over medium high heat, until no longer pink. Add onion, pepper and mushrooms. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.Add garlic, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, sugar, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat.
Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Add macaroni, stirring well. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer, or until macaroni is done. (Check while they cook to see if you need to add more water). If there's already too much, just allow to simmer until it thickens. Allow to set covered for 10 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings
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