TACO SALAD

TACO SALAD
Probably kinda silly to post a recipe for this, but made it tonight and my family loved it!  Decided to add to blog so I remember to make it more.  Would be a great summer meal.  The recipe calls for fritos.  Instead of adding chips to salad I had a bag of Fritos and Doritos and let each person decide.  I also didn't add the dressing because some wanted Ranch instead.  I added black beans.  I think corn would be good too.  I had turkey on hand so that is what I used.  Didn't use a whole packet of taco.  Tasted great!

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Mom's Taco Salad

Ingredients

• approx 8 c. of romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped
• 1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned
• package of taco seasoning or less
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 1/2 c shredded cheese (more if you want it extra cheesy)
• 2 cups of Fritos, Dritos, tortilla chips
• 1 small can sliced olives (optional)
• 1 small bottle Catalina Dressing
• can of beans, optional

Instructions

• In a skillet, brown beef or turkey and drain. Set aside and cool while preparing the other ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine lettuce, grated cheese, and olives.
• Prior to serving, add cooked ground beef /turkey and corn chips.
• Combine with other ingredients.
• Drizzle salad dressing over salad mix and toss salad until the desired amount of dressing is used.

Notes

Optional add ins - avocado, sour cream, corn, black beans

MEAT LOAF

BEST MEAT LOAF
Taste of Home pg. 79
Yum! Yum! Uses bacon and has a relish on top. Tasted similar to the one I got off the food network.  It is fast and easy. Has ingredients I normally have on hand.


DAD'S MEATLOAF WITH TOMATO RELISH

This came from the Food Network - Tyler's Ultimate. This takes awhile to prepare, but is so worth it. If Scott sees me making meatloaf he always asks if this is the one I am making. It it isn't he is disappointed.

Tomato Relish:

olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced

2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 (12 oz) bottle ketchup

1 T Worcestershire sauce

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

MEATLOAF:

3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand

1/4 cup whole milk

1 1/2# ground beef

1# ground pork

2 eggs

leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 bacon slices

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic and bay leaves for a few minutes to create a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

This is where you get your hands dirty! In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture. To test, fry a small "hamburger" patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9" long and about 4" wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon brown evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve the remaining tomato relish on the side. Unbelievably moist!!

ZUCCHINI MEAT LOAF

Everyone loved this meat loaf including Jenna who was over for dinner. Got this recipe from Fabulessly Frugal.

MEAT LOAF:

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2-3 cups shredded zucchini (1-2 small)

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves

1/4 tsp. pepper

1-2# ground beef

TOPPING: (I doubled the below ingredients and thought it was just right)

1 T brown sugar

2 T ketchup

1/2 tsp. yellow mustard

-Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl (used big silver), mix all the meat loaf ingredients until well blended. Press mixture into ungreased 9 1/2" deep dish glass pie plate (used 8x8 pyrex). Bake 35 minutes.

-Meanwhile, mix topping ingredients in a small bowl.

-Remove meat loaf from oven; pour off drippings. Spread on topping and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cooked in center and thermometer reads 160.

-Drain off dripping again.

-Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Miranda Lambert's Mama’s Meatloaf

This was really good. I added 2 cups of shredded zucchini. I doubled the ketchup/brown sugar mixture.  Baked on a cookie sheet on top of tin foil.

MAY 28, 2014 – 5:00 AM – 0 COMMENTS

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By PARADE @parademagazine

The new book Country Music’s Greatest Eats, from Southern Living and CMT, features delectable dishes from musicians’ kitchens. Here’s one of Miranda Lambert’s favorites.

Mama's Meatloaf

• MAKES

  10 servings

• ACTIVE TIME

  25 min.

• TOTAL TIME

  2 hr.

• SAVE RECIPE
• PRINT

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork sausage
• 18 saltine crackers, crushed
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp yellow mustard
• ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
• ½ cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine first 8 ingredients and ¼ cup brown sugar in a medium bowl just until blended.
2. Place mixture in a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish, and shape mixture into a 10- x 5-inch loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour.
3. Remove from oven and drain. Stir together ketchup and remaining ¼ cup brown sugar; pour over meatloaf. Bake 15 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 160°F.
4. Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes. Remove from baking dish before slicing.

CHILI

STEVE’S CHILE
Got this recipe from Candace (Pacific Yurts). We love it!
UPDATE: Won 2nd place at Chile Cookoff contest October 2016 at church before trunk or treat.

Brown together until done;
1 - 1 ½ # hamburger
1 chopped onion

Add:
1 lg can crushed tomatoes
1 T chili powder
½ cup salsa
1 lg squirt ketchup
cayenne pepper to taste

Add enough water to cover.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour (or put in crock pot).  Un-cover and simmer for another hour.

Add 1 can of beans (kidney is what we like best but anything works).


Heat until beans are hot.  Serve with grated cheese, raw onion or sour cream.

CAMPBELL'S 2-BEAN CHILI

This is so easy to make and everyone likes it. For leftovers, I like to bake potatoes and have it as a topping for another meal.

1# ground beef or turkey

1 large green pepper, chopped (I have never had on hand, so never added)

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. pepper

---

3 cups Campbell's Tomato Juice

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can great Northern beans (or white beans), drained and rinsed

---

options to put on top:

Sour cream

grated cheese

sliced green onions

chopped tomatoes

bacon, cooked and broken into small pieces

Cook beef/turkey, green pepper, onion, chili powder and black pepper in a skillet.

Stir in tomato juice and beans into skillet (I transfered to a pot). Reduce heat to low and cook until hot and bubbling. Top with any of the desired toppings.

"HEALTHIFIED" SALSA-BEEF CHILI

We all really liked this. Made it with the cornbread Taste of Home Contest Winning pg 156 (Creole Corn Bread).

1# extra-lean beef or turkey

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped - I used minced

2 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 jar (16 oz) salsa

1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup water

1-2 T chili powder

2 tsp. sugar (I think you wouldn't need to add)

2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano leaves

Top with cheese, sour cream and green onions.

Cook meat and onion. After draining grease add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

CHIPOTLE TURKEY CHILI

This recipe came from a EAT BETTER AMERICA 2011 calendar. Scott and I both really liked it, but it was a little too hot for the kids. I don't normally like cilantro, but I really liked it in this recipe. It really added to the flavor. We had it with cranberry cornbread - yum!

3/4# lean ground turkey

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

1 T finely chopped garlic (I used minced)

---

1 cup whole kernel corn, thawed

1 can (15 oz) cannellini beans, undrained (I would drain and soak for 5 minutes and rinse)

1/2 cup chicken broth (I used a 2 cup can)

1/4 tsp salt (didn't add)

1 chipotle chile in adobo sacue* (from 7 oz can) finely chopped (freeze rest)

*found by enchilada sauce or green chilies

---

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

---

shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

In a 4-quart saucepan, cook turkey, onion and garlic over medium-high heat 4-6 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink; drain and blot with paper towels.

Stir in corn, beans, broth, salt and chile. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium; cover and simmer 10-15 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup of the cilantro (I added it all at once). If didn't already add, serve rest of sour cream and cilantro to go on top along with the cheese.