Goulash

did that name just turn you right off? well don't let it! a couple years ago, i called nicki from the grocery store asking for dinner ideas with which i could use hamburger; i had some, but I wasn't in the mood for the typical tacos or spaghetti. she suggested cheeseburger pasta. to put it lightly, i was grossed out leery, but i took her word for it and tried it out. let me say...yum-mo! we loved it! it's hearty and filling and super quick and easy. also, it's a kid-pleaser. my little guy eats it right up. it's probably not the dinner you want to make for guests or fancy occasions, but for a quick, week night, throw-it-together-and-eat kind of meal? yes sir. it does the job.

 picture from here

They obviously used large shell noodles. I use small, but really any pasta will work.

What you need:

Adapted from Campbell's Cheeseburger Macaroni

 1 lb. hamburger

1 can tomato soup

1 can cheddar cheese soup

12 oz. small shell noodles

1-3 C. water

brown hamburger (i always add s&p and some minced onion) and drain. add both soups, noodles, and 1 cup of water. let simmer until noodles are cooked. and that's it! the water cooks off pretty quickly, so i watch it and stir and add more water as i see fit. i said 1-3 cups of water because i truly don't measure. i start with about a cup and then add more as i go. top with grated cheddar cheese and serve with any kind of bread! easy peasy!

Unstuffed Pepper Bake

This is a yummy casserole (if you are a pepper lover) that can be thrown together in just minutes. It tastes like a stuffed pepper but doesn't require as much work as actually stuffing them. It also requires less peppers, which is especially great in my opinion. Have you see the price on peppers lately? They have gotten just outrageous, especially the colored varieties. So here is a delicious, more pocket friendly version

You will need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 C. chopped onions
1 1/2 C. diced peppers (I used one green and one red for some color)
2. garlic cloves minced or 1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 C. minute rice

(I used sticky rice and baked it a few more minutes)
1 t. worcestershire sauce
1 t. italian seasoning
8 oz. cheddar cheese
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

*Saute ground beef, onions, peppers, and garlic for 10 minutes
or until meat is cooked and peppers are soft.
*Drain any fat and add salt and pepper
*Stir in the tomatoes, rice, worcestershire, and italian seasoning.
*Remove from heat and stir in 1 C. of the cheese.
*Pour into a 9X13 baking dish
*Pour the tomato sauce over the top and sprinkle the remaining cheese.
*Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted.

Quick Beef and Noodles

In case you didn't know, the oldest Howe sister(that's me) lives on a cattle ranch and therefore has a plethora of beef in her freezer! You can only imagine the various ways I have found to use all that beef and am always looking for new ideas. This is a quick and easy recipe I recently found. It is really good and my kids devour it! It's also nice since I usually have all these ingredients in the house!

(Picture found here.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 12-oz. package egg noodles
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can corn, drained
1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray

Cook noodles according to package directions. In the meantime, brown ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in cooked noodles, sour cream, soups, corn, and cheese. Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly. I added a little more cheese to the top the last 5 minutes, but that's just because I have a house full of people whose theory on life is "You can never have enough cheese!"

BBQ Pineapple Bacon Burgers

Oh. MY! Who doesn't love a good burger? Especially when it comes from a BBQ? Ah..one of my favorite things about summer is definitely the endless BBQs. Yesterday, warm weather and all, my husband fired up the grill and we had ourselves some beyond delicious burgers. The best part? We kind of invented the idea. I mean, I'm sure it's not 100% original or anything, but let's pretend it is, alrighty? Okay, so I just googled it and it is definitely NOT original. Dangit! Soo you can pretend it is or isn't. But either way, here's our version.

No picture. Sorry. I'm working on it...

What you'll need for this deliciousness we call a burger:

1 lb. ground beef

1/4--1/2 C. BBQ sauce (our fave is Sweet Baby Ray's)

1/8--1/4 C. bread crumbs

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 can pineapple slices (the rings)

1/2 pkg. bacon

In a bowl, combine meat, BBQ sauce, bread crumbs, egg, and S&P and squish together. This part is pretty gross. I personally hate the feel of raw meat squishing through my fingers, so I put Ziploc baggies over each hand to avoid the gag reflex. Once everything is nicely mixed together, grab a handful of meat and form it into a patty. As disgusting as "grab a handful of meat" sounds, I don't really know how else to say it. You can make them as thick or thin, big or small as you'd like. I made 6 patties and had a tiny bit of meat left over.

Next, BBQ those babies! Low and slow is how we like to do it. Hmm. Did that sound inappropriate? Shoot. My in-laws read this blog!

While your meat is grilling, cook the bacon in a frying pan to the crispiness of your choice. When your meat is almost cooked (we go with well-done at our house), add a slice or two of cheddar cheese (Tillamook is best! We are cheese snobs and swear by Tillamook!) and set your pineapple rings on the grill next to the meat. Only grill the pineapple on each side for a minute or two--just long enough to warm them up!

imag e found here

Finally, assemble! We added mayo, more BBQ sauce, tomato, and avocado because really...what's a burger without avocado? Nothing, I say.

And now, enjoy! Man. I am drooling thinking about how good these were! We may or may not have these again this weekend. Don't judge us! Go ahead and have your o wn BBQ this weekend. Yum!!

Mexican Lasagna

I've heard this called lots of things but I call it Mexican Lasagna. This is a super-easy recipe I got from my sis-in-law. It is so hearty that you can only eat one piece.

image from here

You'll need:
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (I brown it with a little diced onion)
1 packet taco seasoning
Let this simmer for a few minutes.

10 flour tortillas
1 c. sour cream
2 c. salsa
2 cans corn, drained
2 c. shredded mozzarella
2 c. shredded cheddar

You will use half of everything to make two layers (just like lasagna, hence the name!). Start with 5 tortillas. I cut them in half and stack them up, then cut them in 1 inch strips. Pam a 9x13 and cover the bottom with the tortillas. I just sort of throw them in randomly. I'm wild like that. Spread 1/2 of the sour cream and salsa over the tortillas. Spread one can of corn and half the ground beef. Cover with 1 c. cheddar and 1 c. mozzarella. Now repeat it all again. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you cut it into pieces.

You can use medium or hot salsa if you like it a little spicy, but I am super boring and I use mild for my fam. I hope you will try it for dinner and let us know what you think!! Enjoy!

P.S. I was being a lame-o and forgot the last half of the meat and that's why my pic looks so strange. Please excuse that!