Beefy Nacky-Cheese

I started with Paula Deen's recipe, but tweaked it. Its super flexible, so you can leave out/substitute whatever you want. I snuck in 7 different vegetables, and everyone loved it. The Slap Chop made it really easy, and the veggies were small enough that even Dean couldn't pick them out! Haha PS this makes a TON, like an 11 x 15 pan.



Beefy Mac and Cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 bag frozen zucchini and summer squash (or use fresh), chopped
2 tsp garlic, diced
3 cans diced tomatoes (you could use Rotel, if you want it a little zestier)
salt & pepper
dash of Italian seasoning
1/3 packet Taco Seasoning
1 lb cheddar cheese, shredded

Cook macaroni to al dente, like 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Start browning the meat, and then halfway through, add all the veggies (except the tomatoes). Cook til meat is all browned, and veggies are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste, Italian seasonings, and part of the taco packet, and the tomatoes. Simmer for a few minutes. Pour macaroni into baking dish, and then pour meat mixture on top. Carefully stir together. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top, and carefully mix it into the pasta/meat. The top it with the remaining cheese.

Cook at 350 for 30 mins or until bubbly and melty.

Beefish Inchy-Ladas

So on Monday night, we decided to make enchiladas and we kinda morphed two recipes together. They turned out DELISH, although they were kinda time consuming to make!



We used a recipe from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine, and Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas. Her post has lots of pictures and step by step instructions if you want it. My tweakings are in bold.

TIP: A Slap Chop makes the whole thing faster. Its awesome for dicing things up super small (Perfect for onion-phobes)

BEEFY INCHY-LADAS

FOR THE SAUCE:
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon All-purpose Flour
1 can (28 Ounce) Enchilada Or Red Sauce
2 cups Chicken Broth (used bouillon, of course)
½ teaspoons Salt
½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Cilantro
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FOR THE MEAT:
1-½ pound Ground Beef (we used less than a pound, and we used ground turkey of course)
1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
2 cans (4 Ounce) Diced Green Chilies (we used one can)
½ teaspoons Salt
1 can of black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed (the bottom of a cup works great)
1 cup of sauce (above)
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FOR THE TORTILLAS:
10 whole (to 14) Corn Tortillas
½ cups Canola Oil
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TO ASSEMBLE:
3 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese (we used mild-it's less greasy)
½ cups Chopped Black Olives
1 cup Chopped Green Onions
½ cups Chopped Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Step #1 – The Sauce
In a large saucepan over medium heat, add oil and flour and whisk together to make a paste, cooking for one minute. Pour in the red sauce, chicken broth, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes.

Step #2 – The Meat
Brown the meat with onions in a skillet. Drain off fat. Stir in 2 cans diced green chilies and seasoned salt. Add beans and 1 c of sauce. Set aside.

Step #3 – Tortillas
Heat canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat. One by one, using tongs, fry tortillas in oil until soft, not crisp – about 30 seconds per side. Remove to a paper—towel lined plate. Repeat until all tortillas have been fried.

Step #4 – Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour ½ cup red sauce in bottom of baking pan. Spread to even out. Dip each tortilla into red sauce, then remove to work surface. Spoon meat, a little grated cheese, a little black olives, and green onions in the center of tortilla. Roll up and place, seam down, in baking pan. Repeat until pan is filled. Pour extra red sauce over enchiladas. Top with remaining cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle cilantro over enchiladas before serving.