Burritos Grande

Remember back in the day when you’d buy those frozen burritos and either pop them in the microwave or oven and have a quick and easy dinner in no time?  That’s pretty much what these homemade burritos reminded me of last night for our annual Cinco de Mayo backyard dinner. 

Last year I did taco burgers, but this year, I wanted something more traditional.  Burritos.  Now you know me – I’m big into ground turkey – but last night I went for the ground beef… more “authentic” I suppose.  With some refried beans down the center, topped with the beef mixture and a sprinkle of cheese, these little guys were wrapped up, baked, topped with cheese, and baked a little more before being topped with sour cream and salsa. 

They were awesome… especially on our patriotic paper plates in the backyard.

Burritos Grande

 

Burritos Grande

What You Need:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• ½ c sour cream
• 1 can refried beans
• 12 tortillas
• 2 c shredded Mexican blend cheese
• Salsa and sour cream for topping

How You Do It:

1. Brown ground beef until no longer pink.  Stir in taco seasoning and ¾ c water.  Mix to combine.
2. Remove from heat and stir in ½ c sour cream.
3. Spread spoonful of beans down each tortilla and top with about ¼ c meat mixture.  Sprinkle with a tiny bit of cheese and fold like a burrito (sides in, then roll).
4. Place in a 9x13 baking dish (I had to use two), cover, and bake at 350* for 25 minutes.
5. Uncover, top with remaining cheese, and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

 Burritos Grande recipe adapted from Kraft Recipes.

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce"

It’s been quite some time since I've been this jazzed about a recipe, but let me tell you about this new- turned-favorite meatball recipe. 

By now you've probably noticed I’m a sucker for meatballs.  So when we had a very lazy weekend at home, I took the opportunity to try yet another rendition.  This time, combining my love for meatballs with my love for hamburgers. 

Seriously – it’s like all the flavors of a Big Mac were combined into the perfectly moist little ball of burger and dipped into that infamous “secret sauce”.  You won’t even miss the bun.  And you know me, always using lean ground turkey in place of beef.  Not this time: beef was what’s for dinner.  I used lean ground beef – a 95/5 split – and they were moist enough that the hubs requested the leftovers for lunch today (he usually steers clear of anything that might dry out when reheated).  And don’t shy away from chopping up that dill pickle for the mixture – it adds just the right balance of pickle-to-burger.

I’m telling you – these are not to miss.   In fact, I’m already dreaming up the variations on a theme – mushroom and swiss, [turkey] bacon and cheddar, pizza ([turkey] pepperoni, mozzarella, pizza sauce), and my personal favorite: cowboy (bbq fried onion)... the possibilities are endless.

Cheeseburger Meatballs with “Special Sauce”

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce"

What You Need for the Meatballs:

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1 dill pickle spear, chopped
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 3/4 c panko bread crumbs
• 3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

What You Need for the “Special Sauce”:

• 1/3 c mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 3/4 tsp onion powder

How You Do It:

1. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion soup mix, chopped pickles, ketchup, garlic powder, and egg. Add the breadcrumbs and cheese and mix well. 
2. Roll into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheet.
3. Bake at 375*F, 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.
4. While the meatballs bake, mix the ingredients for the sauce and refrigerate until ready to eat.

Cheeseburger Meatballs with "Special Sauce" recipe adapted from BakeYourDay.net

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles

I rarely serve dinner in a bowl.  The hubs doesn't so much love when I do and sometimes it makes dinner feel less like dinner.  I know, strange.  Anyway, tonight's dinner - perfect for a bowl. 

I also rarely make a recipe that calls for beef strips.  My husband and I prefer our beefed cooked to different doneness and it's hard to get it rare enough for him and acceptable enough for me at the same time without the grill.  Tonight's dinner - beef strips.

And finally, I rarely make a dinner with a known ingredient not favorable to one of us.  Case in point: snow peas.  Tonight's dinner - snow peas.  (Thankfully, the hubs will kindly push them aside and offer them up once done.)

All that aside, this dish was really good!  A little sweet from the orange marmalade, a little salty from the teriyaki and broth, and a little saucy for, well, a saucy dish!   You could probably do this with chicken and any veggies you prefer - if I make it again, I will use broccoli (to please the husband) and mushrooms (also to please the husband).  Needless to say, a quick and easy midweek meal.

Orange Teriyaki Beef with Noodles

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles

What You Need:

• 1 lb beef sirloin strips
• 1 3/4 c beef broth
• 1/4 c teriyaki sauce (I used Mr Yoshida's Classic)
• 2 tbsp orange marmalade
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 c snow peas
• 3 oz uncooked egg noodles (I used these)

How You Do It:

1. In a large skillet with a lid, cook beef until brown, 2-4 minutes.  Set aside and cover to keep warm.
2. Add broth, teriyaki, orange marmalade, and red pepper flakes to skillet.  Bring to a boil.  Add snow peas and noodles, cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes.
3. Add back in beef and stir to combine.  If necessary, add a roux to thicken.

Orange Teriyaki Beef and Noodles recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef

Last night was one of those nights where I was ever-so-thankful for my slow cooker.  The night before, I had prepped dinner so I could get up, set the timer, and forget about preparing dinner when we got home from the gym.  And, when we walked in the door at 8:45p, I was even more thankful.  The slow cooker did all the work – I simply had to make some rice (which I set in my rice cooker before heading to the gym) and BAM, dinner was ready.

Three Thanksgivings ago my now-sister-in-law made the most amazing beef short ribs in her slow cooker.  This shredded beef recipe reminded me a lot of that recipe.  Five-spice, garlic, soy, honey – all the same flavors that go into her short ribs recipe – and the sauce was just about the same (maybe because we got the recipes off the same site?).

This was great over rice – would be amazing over potatoes.  A different twist on your standard pulled beef.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef

Asian Shredded Beef

What You Need:

• 3 ½ lbs. boneless beef roast
• 2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c  soy sauce
• 1/2 c  hoisin sauce
• 6 tbsp ketchup
• 6 tbsp honey

How You Do It:

1. Place beef in bottom of slow cooker insert.
2. Sprinkle with five-spice powder.
3. Top with minced garlic.
4. In small bowl, combine honey, ketchup, soy, and hoisin.  Pour over beef.
5. Cook on low 8-9 hours.  Shred with tongs.

Slow Cooker Asian Shredded Beef recipe adapted from A Year of Slow Cooking.