BBQ Beef and Beans

I came up with this spur of the moment tonight, since I'm trying to use up things in my pantry and fridge before I buy more food. This tastes great by itself, or you could jazz it up with peppers, sour cream and shredded cheddar. I was going to serve it alone, with corn-cheddar muffins, but I'm going to fix some mashed potatoes to serve it over instead, since I have a bag of them in my pantry! Regardless of how you use it, this couldn't be much easier to make.

Ingredients

1 lb of extra-lean ground beef
1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of kidney beans, drained
1 can of black beans, drained
1/4 cup of BBQ sauce (your favorite kind)
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

In a large skillet or dutch oven, brown the beef with the onion powder and salt and pepper. Add the tomato sauce, beans and BBQ sauce and stir well, then bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. You can serve once heated through, or simmer for 15-30 minutes. You may need to add some water, if it gets too thick, but you can basically simmer this as long as you want. Just know that the flavors will deepen, the longer you cook it.)

Enjoy!

Hashbrown Casserole

If you add some chopped ham or chicken to this, it could be a meal on its own. This dish is tasty, and it could be easily customized to your individual taste. (I would have put some granulated garlic in it, but I'm all out). We are having this for dinner tonight, with some bbq chicken legs and cucumbers, and then again for breakfast. It's yummy, if I say so myself. :)



Ingredients

1 bag hashbrowns, defrosted (I used Walmart GV 26 oz)
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup (I used Walmart GV)
1/2 cup mayo (I used Kraft Reduced Fat with Olive oil)
4 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (or more to taste)
salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix everything except hashbrowns together in a large bowl. (Use salt and pepper to taste.) Fold in hashbrowns until incorporated.

Spray a 13 x 9 pan (I used glass) with cooking spray, and then put casserole mixture in, spreading evenly.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, until lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Chops and Rice

Here’s a great recipe that not only tastes good and has few ingredients, it is easy to double (or triple). Feel free to substitute chicken breasts for the pork chops, but I personally love the flavor of the pork in this dish.

Ingredients

6-8 thick pork chops (boneless or bone-in, both are good)

1 can of French onion soup (I use Campbell’s®, of course)

water as needed

1 cup basmati rice

Olive oil

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat a skillet to high heat. While it’s heating, salt and pepper your chops, if desired. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the pan and add your chops. Cook on med-high to high heat for roughly 4-5 minutes, on both sides, to get a good sear. (Note: I use a big cast iron pan for this, so I can keep the heat up pretty high and not burn anything. If not using cast iron, adjust accordingly.)

While second side is searing, pour your soup into a measuring cup and add enough water to make 1 ¾ cups. When searing is finished, add the soup/water combo and turn down heat. Add the rice and shift around the pork until all the rice is under liquid. Cover your pan and cook on low for 20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. (Give it at least 20 minutes before peeking.)

(Another note: If you use a cast iron pan, when the cooking time is done you will find that the rice has developed a wonderful seared crust in some places, giving it a slightly toasted, nutty flavor, in addition to the onion flavor from the soup.)

Serve with some steamed broccoli, and you’ve got yourself a great meal. :)

(One more note: If you are a purist and don’t want to use canned soup--sear your pork, remove it to a separate dish, caramelize a medium, thinly sliced, Vidalia onion in some olive oil, use 1 ¾ cups beef broth to deglaze the pan, put the pork back in the pan, then proceed with the above directions. But that takes the “quick & easy” part out of this dish, to be sure.)