Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Quinoa

This recipe makes a big batch of stuffed peppers. I threw it together when I accidentally bought more bell peppers, not realizing I already had some, so I wanted to use them up. You can halve the recipe if you want to make less, or freeze half of the filling for a quick dinner another day. My daughter likes the filling by itself so I regularly keep filling in the freezer for her.

Stuffed Peppers

6-8 Bell Peppers, prepped for stuffing. Remove the tops, rinse out the seeds, and remove the white bits from the inside. Arrange them in a baking dish so they will stand up.

1 1/4 cups Quinoa

2 cups Water

1/2 tsp Salt

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Onion, diced

3-4 Carrots, shredded or diced

2 14oz cans Tomato Sauce (or 1 28oz can)

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 tsp Oregano

2 tsp Basil

1 cup Cheese, shredded - you can use Cheddar, Colby Jack, Mexican Blend, whatever

Rinse quinoa, then add to water and 1/2 tsp salt in a pot with a lid. Bring to a boil uncovered, then turn the heat down to low and cover with lid. Let it simmer for 12-15 minutes until you don't see much liquid left. Turn off the heat and let it sit with the lid still on for another few minutes. 

While the quinoa is cooking, brown the ground beef. Add the onions and carrots, and saute until softened. 

When quinoa is done, add tomato sauce and seasoning, as well as the meat and veggie mixture. Mix well. 

For each pepper, put a pinch of cheese in first. Then layer in some of the meat/quinoa mixture. Then cheese, then meat. Pack it in so the pepper is totally stuffed. End with meat mixture on top.

Bake at 350* for about 20 minutes, until the pepper is tender. Top each pepper with additional cheese and serve.

Lasagna Roll-ups

Lasagna is such a crowd pleaser. It's a lot easier to make a huge pan of lasagna with the Oven-Ready noodles, or fixing a Crock-Pot full of lasagna, so if you are feeding a big family, I recommend going one of those routes.

But if you want to have smaller portions available, for just 1 or 2 dinners or even lunches, these are fantastic. They are a little more work on the front end, but the convenience of the portions is worth it. Plus you are guaranteed to get the right proportion of noodles and cheese, which is really important to me. I don't like noodle hogs leaving me with too much ricotta. ;)

This is also a fantastic dish to make ahead and freeze. See directions below!  The pictures below show a double batch of roll-ups.

Lasagna Roll-ups

Ingredient List for a single batch:

1 box regular Lasagna Noodles

24 oz (1.5 lbs) Ricotta Cheese 

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

3/4 cup Mozarella Cheese, shredded

1 Tbsp Basil

1 Tbsp Parsley

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

Marinara Sauce - you can use jars of sauce, or make it from scratch. Here is my "super easy" recipe that starts with a pizza sauce base. I have been adding lots of veggies to it lately though (diced onion, bell pepper, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, etc.)

Step 1. Boil Lasagna Noodles according to package directions. I use my giant stock pot for this job, so the noodles have plenty of room to move around in the boiling water. If you are using a regular pot, you may need to cook the noodles in smaller batches. I was able to cook 20 noodles (the whole box) in my big 12 qt stock pot.

While the noodles are cooking, lay out aluminum foil and give it a quick spray with oil to keep the noodles from sticking to it. When the noodles are done, lay them out on the foil. Be careful, they will be hot!

Step 2: Combine all filling ingredients. I use my Kitchenaid Mixer for this. Spread filling over each noodle. 

Step 3: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll up the noodles and place them seam-side down on the tray. It's ok if they are close but you don't want them to be touching. Freeze.

Step 4: Once frozen, package the rollups into freezer bags. I just put them all in one gallon-size ziploc and pull out however many I want to cook at a time. Freeze.

To cook, just put them in your baking dish, top with marinara sauce, and bake at 350° until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Top with mozarella cheese and bake for an extra 5 minutes until melted. You can make 1 or 2 in a small dish, or cook a larger batch for the whole family.

Optional: Put in your family's serving size in a ziploc, add 2 cups of marinara sauce to each bag and freeze. For my family I would put in 6 rollups, since we make 2 for each adult and one for each child. When ready to cook, cut away the bag, put the contents into a baking dish, cover with foil and bake at 350° until bubbly. It will take close to an hour this way. Top with mozzarella and bake an extra 5 minutes, then serve.

Beef Stew (gluten free)

This is one of our favorite meals and everyone in the family loves it! It's easily adaptable for different diets. Feel free to drop or sub different veggies if you are trying to reduce carbs. Some recipes coat the beef in flour before browning, but I skip that part and don't miss it, so this recipe is even gluten-free.

I love to make this in my Instant Pot. It cooks so fast yet tastes like it simmered all day.

Beef Stew

1 lb Beef Stew Meat (any roast cut into chunks is fine)
2 Tbsp Oil of your choice (I use refined coconut oil or olive oil, veg or canola is fine if you use those)
1 Onion, diced
2-3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cups Beef Broth (or water)
1-2 cans Diced Tomatoes
1 quart V8 Vegetable Juice
3 cups Veggies, fresh or frozen. Classic options would be Carrots, Celery, Potatoes, Green Beans, Peas, and Corn. Alternative options could be Zucchini, Sweet Potatoes, or Rutabagas.
1 Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Marjoram
1 Bay Leaf
Salt and Pepper to taste

Instant Pot directions: 

Push the "Saute" button and brown all sides of the beef in the oil. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and close the pot. Make sure the valve is closed for pressure. Push the "Meat/Stew" button and let the Instant Pot do all the work for you!

For Stovetop Cooking:

Heat oil on medium and brown meat on all sides. Add onions and saute until they soften. Add beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze it, and let simmer while you prepare the veggies.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. The meat will get more tender as it simmers so it's nice if you can let it cook for at least half an hour or longer. Taste it for any needed salt. Depending on your V8 and Beef Broth, you may need to add some. Enjoy!

This can be made in the crock pot, but I recommend not skipping the first section where you brown the beef and cook the onions with it. After that point, when you add the veggies and herbs, you can throw it all into the crock pot on low for several hours. It also freezes really well. Sometimes I will get a bulk amount of stew beef and make a large batch of Beef Stew to freeze.

Barbacoa Salad

Leftover barbacoa is delicious on a salad! Like a taco salad only with a different flavor. Love it!

Barbacoa-style Shredded Beef

Start with a chuck roast. Anywhere between 2-4 lbs is fine. I usually go for bigger because I like leftovers to make more meals. Cut it in half and trim most of the visible fat. Place in slow cooker or instant pot.

In food processor or vitamix, puree the following:

1/2 Onion
1/4 cup Lime Juice

1/4 cup Tomato Paste
4 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cloves or Allspice

Pour the puree over the roast in the slow cooker. Pour about a cup of Beef Broth on top, and drop a few Bay Leaves.

Cook on low for 7 hours. When it's done, shred it with two forks and put it back into the amazing sauce in the slow cooker that was created during cooking. Keep on low for another couple of hours to really soak up the flavor of the sauce. 

Here is my husband's version of the barbacoa salad, all neatly organized. I just throw mine in the bowl. Ha.

Chili

We make chili pretty often, even when it isn't cold out, but it's one of our favorites when the weather is chilly. So warm and satisfying and hit heats up well for lunch the next day.

I don't make it spicy at all, instead letting each person add spices and sauces to increase the heat level. This way it's always safe for my kids to eat (and me, since I am not a big fan of super spicy!)

Chili

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Onion, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
2-4 cloves Garlic, minced
4 cups V8
2 cups Beef Broth
2 cans Diced Tomatoes
2-3 cups Beans, cooked (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
2-4 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
2 tsp Basil
2 tsp Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown ground beef with chopped onions and peppers. Add garlic toward the end of cooking. Drain fat if desired.  Add remaining ingredients and heat to boiling, then cover and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes. Serve. We love it with sour cream and shredded cheese.

You can also make this in the crock pot - begin the same, just put the meat mixture and remaining ingredients into the crock pot to heat through and cook for several hours. It'll be ready when you are. :)

Barbacoa-Style Shredded Beef

We recently had a couple of Chipotle restaurants open and we went a few times. I always got the burrito bowl with chicken. My husband always got this mysterious thing called "barbacoa". He kept encouraging me to try it but I declined, enjoying my safe chicken. Finally I tried it and I haven't ordered chicken since. Love it. Totally addicted. Had to figure out how to make it myself or go broke eating at Chipotle. This is DELICIOUS and tastes just as good. :) Hooray!

Barbacoa-style Shredded Beef

Start with a chuck roast. Anywhere between 2-4 lbs is fine. I usually go for bigger because I like leftovers to make more meals. Cut it in half and trim most of the visible fat. Place in slow cooker or instant pot.

In food processor or vitamix, puree the following:

1/2 Onion
1/4 cup Lime Juice

1/4 cup Tomato Paste
4 cloves Garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Cumin
2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Cloves or Allspice

Pour the puree over the roast in the slow cooker. Pour about a cup of Beef Broth on top, and drop a few Bay Leaves.

Cook on low for 7 hours. When it's done, shred it with two forks and put it back into the amazing sauce in the slow cooker that was created during cooking. Keep on low for another couple of hours to really soak up the flavor of the sauce. 

Serve! I've had it plain, in a burrito bowl like Chipotle, on a salad, in soup, the list goes on and I will be blogging some of my ideas here in the future. Enjoy!

Layered Mexican Dip

 
This is our favorite GAMEDAY food!

Mexican Taco Layer Dip

1lb ground beef
Taco seasoning (use a packet or make up your own with cumin, chili powder, etc.)

Beans, optional - Black Beans, Refried Beans, whatever beans you like, or skip them

2 cups Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt or a combination
Taco seasoning (one packet's worth)

Tomatoes, diced and/or Salsa
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, shredded (cheddar, monterey jack, colby/jack mix, whatever you like)

Green Onions, optional

Brown ground beef. Drain, add 1/4-1/2 cup of water and the taco seasoning. Stir well and let thicken. If using black beans, you can mix them in.

Mix taco seasoning with sour cream or yogurt. Spread into the bottom of a 13x9 inch casserole.

If using refried beans, you can add them here.

Layer on the ground beef, and then the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and green onion. Add olives if you like. Anything goes!

Refrigerate if not eating right away. Serve with chips, or on a salad.

Crispy Tostada

 This is based off of one of my favorite low-carb recipes, taco pizza. I swapped the flax meal for chia seeds and added a little water to the dough. Then I flattened it more and baked it a little bit longer, so it's crispy. Delicious!

Crispy Low Carb Tostada

1 Tbsp Coconut Flour
1 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Water
1 Egg
1 cup Colby/Jack, Cheddar or Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Chili Powder
Taco toppings

Preheat oven to 350*. If you use a pizza stone, preheat it in the oven as well.

Mix all ingredients well and press onto parchment paper into a circle about 1/8 inch thick.

Bake for 20 minutes. If you didn't use the pizza stone method, bake about 10 minutes, then flip crust and bake another 10 minutes on the other side, or until crispy and done on both sides.

Top with desired taco toppings and serve! I used seasoned ground beef, shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Manicotti

You can use any pasta for this - manicotti, jumbo shells, or lasagna noodles. If you use lasagna, cook them and lay them out, spread the cheese mixture down the noodle and roll them up.
 

Manicotti

1 pkg Manicotti, cooked according to package directions (maybe one minute less)
1 15 oz container Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated (plus 1 more cup for serving)
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 quart Marinara Sauce (I make it up ahead and freeze it; a jar of sauce also works but it probably costs more!)

Preheat oven to 350*. Cook pasta according to package directions, only take them off about a minute early and drain.  Spray a 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

Mix ricotta, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses with the egg and herbs. Spoon into cooked pasta, and set into prepared pan. Pour sauce over all and bake for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly.

If serving immediately, top with additional mozzarella cheese. Put it back in the oven for a few minutes to melt if desired.

If freezing, portion the manicotti (and make sure you get sauce for each one, too) into freezer-safe containers and freeze. To serve, thaw and bake until warm, and top with mozzarella cheese.

For a super easy and quick marinara sauce, take some pizza sauce and add diced tomatoes and sauteed veggies, and cooked ground beef if you like.

Fauxback Steak in Cast Iron Skillet

Have you tried the Fauxback Steak Rub recipe I shared last year? It's still our favorite and we have even used it on chicken a few times.

Some people have asked how we cook our steak. We used to always grill it, and I know some people use the broiler, but our favorite way is to cook on the stove in a cast iron skillet.

Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter to the pan. Place seasoned steaks in pan and let them sit.

Flip them once to sear the other side, then remove to a plate. You want to take them off before they are to the point you like them.  We like our steaks medium, so we take them off when they are medium rare. If you like it medium well (just a little pink) then take it off while it's still red in the middle.

Let them stand for a few minutes as they continue cooking, then serve.

Foil Packet Dinners

Did you ever go camping, maybe in scouts, and make foil dinners that cook on the campfire? We love this meal so much we make it at home, sometimes on the grill and sometimes just baking in the oven.

It's so easy to do, and everyone can have his own packet made just the way he likes. My husband likes bell peppers and corn in his, plus a ton of black pepper. I prefer the basics - green beans, potatoes and carrots with my hamburger patty. The kids don't want any green beans so theirs is customized for them.

Foil Packet Dinners

Meat (if desired) - hamburger patty or chicken tenders or boneless/skinless breast work great
Cut up veggies - diced potatoes, snapped green beans, sliced carrots, chopped onion, frozen corn, etc.
Seasoning - salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, anything you like can go in

Lay out one large sheet of foil for each person. You can make a layer of onions first, or just set the meat right in the middle. Add veggies around meat. Sprinkle with seasoning. Bring up the sides and add just a little bit of water to help steam the veggies, and seal well. Use a sharpie to write the name or initial of each person on the packets.  Grill on indirect heat, or bake at 350* for 45 minutes to an hour.

Check the veggies for doneness and continue to cook until they are fork-tender. Serve! We love to dip our meat and veggies in homemade ranch dressing.

Enchiladas (Chicken or Beef)

Enchiladas (Chicken or Beef, Dry or Wet)
Meat:      * Chopped Cooked Chicken or Turkey - about 2-3 breasts worth, or      * Shredded Beef - try a chuck roast cooked in the crock pot, then shredded
10-12 10" flour tortillas
2 1/2 C grated cheese (cheddar, colby jack, whatever you like)
Sauce:
1 C chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 T butter/margarine
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce (reg size, not small)
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
Saute onions and garlic in butter. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, salt, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 min. Remove from heat.
For Dry/Crunchier Enchiladas (pictured):
Mix meat with sauce. Divide among tortillas, add cheese, roll and place seam-side down in greased 9x13 pan. Brush top with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 15-20 min. For Wet/Softer Enchiladas: Dip tortilla in sauce to coat and soften. Place some chicken and cheese on tortilla, roll up, and place in a greased 9x13 pan, seam side down. Repeat with all tortillas until the pan is full. You can turn them sideways if they fit better. Pour remaining sauce over all, cover with foil and bake at 350* for 20-30 min. Remove foil, top with cheese, and bake additional 5 minutes until melted. Bulk Cooking: If you like to "feed your freezer" you can make the sauce in a large batch with the "lunch lady" cans of tomatoes and sauce.  If you use those, multiply the rest of the ingredients by 8 and you'll have eight times as much sauce to freeze.

Garden Burgers

These garden burgers are SO GOOD and a great way to get some extra veggies in. My family likes cheese on theirs but mine is pictured with guacamole and tomato.

Garden Burgers

1 Egg, beaten
1 Tbsp Ketchup
1/2 tsp Basil
1/2 tsp Onion Salt (or use minced onion and 1/4 tsp Salt)
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 cup frozen loose pack, finely chopped Veggies - I use Carrots and Broccoli.
1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional)
1 lb Ground Beef

Mix well and shape into patties.  Grill over medium-high heat until desired doneness.

Chopping the veggies is the biggest job in this recipe.  The easiest and fastest way Is to use a food processor if you have one.  I don't, but I do have a vitamix and the wet-chop technique works perfectly for this.  Simply fill the vitamix about half full with water, add veggies, put the lid on and pulse a few times.  Then dump the whole thing into a fine mesh sieve.  Just be sure not to let the vitamix run too long or you'll have veggie puree.

Feed Your Freezer: You can also make these ahead and freeze the patties for a quick dinner.  I make 1/3 or 1/4 lb patties, lay them on parchment paper, four per layer, and stack three layers.  Then put the whole stack into a gallon size freeze ziploc bag and freeze flat.  They'll be easy to separate with the parchment paper in between.

Zucchini Spaghetti and Meatballs

Whether you want to eat low-carb or gluten-free (or both!) or just get more veggies into your diet, this is a great alternative to regular spaghetti.

Meatballs

1 lb Ground Beef
1 Egg

1/4 cup Bread Crumbs (optional, eliminate if gluten-free)
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Oregano
1 tsp Garlic Salt
pinch Pepper

Preheat oven to 425. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form into small balls and place on baking sheet and cook 7-9 minutes or until done. Drain on paper towels. 

The trick to the zucchini noodles is this amazing spirooli slicer.  You don't have to peel the zucchini first but I prefer it peeled.  Stick it in the slicer with the smallest blade inserted, and spin!

Awesome zucchini noodles!  I slice my zucchini vertically, about halfway through so I get a bunch of half-curls.  Spoon hot sauce over them and you almost forget you aren't eating pasta.

 Serve with hot marinara sauce and enjoy!

Bulgogi (Korean Marinated Steak)

My parents started making this recipe when we lived in Okinawa, Japan after seeing it printed in the newspaper in 1988.  Now I make it in bulk and freeze the steak in the marinade so all we have to do is thaw it and grill it.  What used to be a time-consuming meal is now one of our quickest!

Bulgogi

1 lb Flank Steak

Slice steak against the grain into 1/4 inch slices, 2-3 inches long.

2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 c Bragg's or Tamari or Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil (or another oil, but try to get sesame oil if you can!)

1/4 cup Onion, chopped

1 clove Garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Combine marinade ingredients.  Marinate steak strips at least 2 hours or overnight.  Grill or broil about 1 minute on each side.  Serve immediately. 

Leftover steak can be chopped up and used in stir fry or fried rice.

For two adults, it works out perfectly to buy 2 steaks, and divide the sliced meat into three ziplocs bags full of marinade to freeze.

Here is the full meal we usually serve: Bulgogi, Sesame Green Beans and Jasmine Rice

Chili Cheese Hotdogs Chilidogs

This is the latest protein success in our house.   I got some delicious grassfed-beef hot dogs from Tallgrass Beef, and their grassfed ground beef makes great chili (and great anything, really).  I feel like the only mom thrilled her kid finally asks for hotdogs to eat!

Homemade Chili (no beans)

1/2 lb Ground Beef

2 Tbsp Tomato Sauce or Ketchup

Squirt of Mustard

1 tsp Chili Powder

Brown ground beef, then drain excess fat.  Add tomato sauce or ketchup, squirt of mustard, and sprinkling of chili powder.  Mix well and taste, adjusting amounts to your liking. 

Here's my big 7 year old cooking his own hotdog for the first time.  He kept telling me he felt so big, now that he's 7, cooking his own food. :)  (When I'm just making a single hotdog, I just heat it in a pan with some butter, but for a big batch we usually grill them.)

 

American Chop Suey aka Goulash

This is a dish my husband grew up with - we added diced tomatoes to it and some spices.  Super easy and simple, and the leftovers heat up well for lunch the next day.

American Chop Suey aka Goulash

1 lb Ground Beef
1/4 cup Onion, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Bell Peppers, chopped (optional)

1 can Stewed Tomatoes

1 can Diced Tomatoes

1 lb Macaroni

Cook macaroni according to package directions.  Brown ground beef (with veggies if using) until no longer pink.  Add tomatoes. Heat together and serve over pasta.

Top with parmesan or shredded mozzarella cheese, if desired.

"Fauxback" Steak Rub

We love Outback's steak rub and have come up with a "copycat" that we use at home. Our preferred method of cooking is to sear the steak in a hot pan, with butter.  Of course you can also grill it.

(This recipe will fill one spice bottle)

Fauxback Steak Rub

4 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander

Shepherd's Pie

My kids love this.  It's one of the few meat dishes they will both happily eat.  I like making it in my deep cast iron skillet and throwing the whole thing in the oven to bake.  Yay for less dishes to wash!  I hope one day I will be able to add veggies to it.  Sigh.  My husband loves to bring the leftovers to work for lunch.


Shepherd's Pie


1 lb Ground Beef
1 small Onion, diced
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder to taste
10 oz pks Frozen Corn
4-5 large Potatoes
Milk or Buttermilk
Butter


Preheat oven to 350*.


Boil potatoes until they break when pierced with a fork.  Drain and mash with milk and butter.  Set aside.


Brown ground beef with onions until done.  Turn off heat and add frozen corn.  Spread evenly in the bottom of oven-safe dish.  Top with mashed potatoes and bake for 20 minutes.  Top with cheese if desired.