Recipes

Poor Man’s Soup

On these cold winter-like days, and even in the winter, I love to have a good soup on hand. The best thing about soups is, there’s always plenty of leftovers to stick in the refrigerator to heat up later. My favorite soup is this Poor Man’s Soup. Its great because its mostly made of ingredients you already have on hand. I’m sure your family will feel so warm and full once they’ve eaten a bowl. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef, browned and drained
6 beef bouillon cubes 3 cups frozen mixed veggies
1 can stewed tomatoes
8 cups water
6 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  

Brown meat. Drain. Chop potatoes and onion. Combine all ingredients in Dutch oven (or something big enough for this recipe). Stir to combine. Allow to boil before reducing heat. Cover. Allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour. Serve and enjoy! (Pairs nice with a fresh loaf of bread.)

Broccoli Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups cooked rice 2 pkgs frozen broccoli (I eye-balled it) 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped celery 1 stick of butter 8 oz. shredded cheddar 1 can cream of mushroom 1 can cream of chicken

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cook rice. Cook broccoli. Set aside. Melt stick of butter in pot. Saute your onions and celery until soft. Add soups. Mix until combined. Add the cheese. Stir until melted. Add cooked broccoli and rice. Mix to incorporate. Add mixture to baking dish. Bake approx. 25-30 minutes until bubbling.

*This pairs well with chicken in the air fryer.

Spaghetti Pie

Who likes spaghetti?
Who likes pie?

Here to you I present Spaghetti Pie! My kids tore in to it (even though it had onions 🤫), my husband loved it, and I thought the flavors were absolutely outstanding.

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
5.3 oz. can evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. butter
1 8 oz. can pizza sauce (I used The Silver Palate San Mariano sauce.)
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
4 oz. spaghetti, cooked
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, onion, salt, pepper, and evaporated milk. Press mixture firmly into bottom and sides of 9″ pie plate. Bake at 350°F 30 mins. Spoon off drippings. Combine cooked spaghetti with beaten egg, Parmesan, and butter. Spread evenly in baked meat shell. Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and oregano. Bake approximately 15 mins.

Meatloaf

Nothing like a hearty meal filled with comfort food on this rainy day. This meatloaf was served with sides of a home made mashed potato and mixed veggies.

Meatloaf:
2 cloves, minced
1 small diced onion
3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp. A1 steak sauce
3 tbsp. Hines57 steak sauce
3 tbsp. Yellow mustard
3 tbsp. Minced green pepper
4 tbsp. Ketchup
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. Minced celery
2 lbs. Lean ground beef
1 can tomatoes in juice, not drained

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine all ingredients, except tomatoes and juice.
Put beef mixture in 9x5x3 loaf pan.
Add tomatoes and juice to top. Spread evenly.
Bake 1-1/2 hours.
Bake ahead for better flavor.

Crockpot Bowtie Pasta

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb ground beef, browned
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon sea salt
Black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon oregano
Mozzarella, shredded
Parmigiano, shredded

Brown beef with onions and garlic until no longer pink and onions have softened.
Add to Crockpot.
Add sauce and tomatoes and seasonings.
Stir until well combined.
Cook on low setting 6-7 hours stirring every few hours.
When ready to serve, cook 12 oz of bowtie pasta and add to crock pot with cheeses.
Stir together.
Add more cheese on top and apply lid for approximately 5-10 minutes until cheeses have melted.
Serve.