Cheeseburger Pie and Dill Pickles Fries aka Dilly Fries (for short)

Here's a twofer! I have made cheeseburger pie a few times now, but the dilly fries are new. I had to use a square pan tonight for the cheeseburger pie, but I would suggest a pie pan. Also, I used regular Ore Ida fries for the Dilly Fries, however, my Points+ recipe is based on the organic ones I usually buy (they were out at my grocery store this week!). 

Ingredients for Cheeseburger Pie
Adapted from Disney Family Approved Dinners

	16 oz uncooked 93% lean ground beef
	2 tsp mustard
	1 cup water
	2 Tbsp 2% reduced fat milk
	1 1/2 cup(s) shredded reduced 2% fat mild cheddar cheese (DIVIDED)
	8 item(s) crescent dinner roll
	1/3 cup(s) Del Monte Ketchup
	25 slices dill pickles about 1/3-1/2 cup chopped

8 item(s) crescent dinner roll

Brown ground beef, add water, milk, ketchup, mustard and pickles. Simmer until thickened. Then add 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Pat crescent rolls into a lightly greased pan, making sure to get the sides of the pan as well. Place burger mixture in the crescent roll dish and add the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese on the top of the burger. Place in oven at 400 degrees (or so), and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until it's browned and the cheese is melted.Yields 8 servings at 7 Points+.

Ingredients for Dilly Fries
From Peas and Thank You

15 oz Alexia Yukon Gold Yukon Gold Julienne Fries with Sea Salt
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp sea salt

Place the fries on a foil lined pan. Mix next six ingredients together and pour over fries and mix so each fry is covered. Bake at 425 (or package directions) until browned and crispy.Yields 5 servings at 3 Points+.
VERDICT: The cheeseburger pie is fantastic, and the fries were a great accompaniment. We love it more and more each time. However, the portions are fairly tiny--so make sure to have some other veggies and fruit ready. We had dilly fries and bananas. The dilly fries were great--but I thought a bit too spicy. I actually used a scant amount of each spice when I made them, and I added a few more fries, because otherwise it seemed too strong. However, that's just me!

One Pot Spaghetti

One pot spaghetti was something I threw together on one of those nights when I was super busy and needed something that I could start and leave on the stove for a few minutes. Because I was busy, I didn't measure everything, so I don't know the Points+ on it. Also, this isn't anything fancy, and I'm sure A LOT of people make their spaghetti this way. I'm just posting this to remind myself.

Ingredients
1 lb 93% lean ground beef
8 oz of spaghetti noodles (1/2 of a package)
1 28 oz jar of Prego Heart Smart Traditional Sauce
Water
Grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef in a sauce pan, then break spaghetti in half and add to pot. Add just enough hot water to cover the beef/pasta mixture. Boil until the noodles are soft. Drain water if you need to (I should have, but I let some of the water boil off later). Then, add the spaghetti sauce. This mixture will be a little thick, and you can boil it down if you wish, or eat it this way. Personally, I like it a little moist, because I know I will have leftovers, and I dislike dried out spaghetti noodles. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

VERDICT: We all really liked this. First, it was easy to throw together, and at the end, I could let it simmer and forget about it while I was working on another project. This is a keeper in my book.

BBQ Cowboy Beans

I got the idea for this meal from $5 Dinners, but I had a "duh" moment while making them...why haven't I ever tried doing this before? I couldn't bring myself to add tomatoes to the dish. First, the tomatoes I bought didn't look great; second, it just didn't seem to mesh with this dish--at least in my head. This meal was very hearty, and tasted fantastic. We will DEFINITELY be having this again. 

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef--I use 93% lean
1 15 oz can (or two cups) black beans
1 15 oz can (or two cups) pinto beans
1 cup Bulls Eye BBQ sauce
1/2 cup hot water

Brown the ground beef, then add the beans and the BBQ sauce. Stir, then add the hot water, and simmer for 10-20 minutes (you don't have to add the water and do this, I just like to simmer my meat in sauces). Serves 6 (almost 7!) at 3/4 cup of mixture.[At some point I will make this again, and I will try serving it at 2/3 and let you know.]

Because it didn't quite make 7 servings, I had to say 6 servings, so this came in at 7 Points+ per serving.

VERDICT: I paired this up with cornbread (which came in at 3 points) for a very hearty meal. Oh, and we had a banana for our fruit. Jeff already asked for me to make this again...he wanted next week, but due to my schedule I had to grocery shop for two weeks in a row, so he's going to have to wait! But, we all LOVED this meal and will have it again!

Porcupine Roadkill

Porcupine Roadkill

This afternoon I was thinking about supper, and for some reason porcupine meatballs came to mind. However, I didn't want to heat up the house, and to be honest with you, I didn't feel like starting supper at four. So, instead of meatballs, I thought, why not make roadkill? I'll just brown the burger in the skillet and add ingredients. Additionally, I wouldn't have to cut up a meatball into tiny sections for Mason. That fact alone made me want to make porcupine roadkill.

I like skillet meals, because they are a fast meal. However, many skillet meals call for a lot of cheese, and aren't always that healthy. This one, on the other hand, easily fits into my Weight Watchers Plan. Plus, it's easy to eat for Mason. 

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef, 93% lean
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1-1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup instant brown rice, uncooked
2 tbsp packed brown sugar

Brown ground beef over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add tomato sauce and water (I originally started with 1 cup of water, but I added more as the rice was cooking) to the beef, then stir in uncooked rice. Let mixture come to a boil until rice is tender. Stir in brown sugar and simmer until mixture is reduced, yet still moist.

This yields 4 servings (one cup each) at 8 Points+. 

VERDICT: I liked it, and so did Mason. Jeff thought it needed onion, but those of us who like bland food, this was right up our alley. Pair this with a fruit and a vegetable, and you have a very well-rounded meal.

Betty's Lazy Lasagna

I watch a lot of Betty's Kitchen on YouTube. I started watching it this summer when I was housebound due to 100+ degree weather. Anyway, I found A LOT of recipes that have become part of my repertoire. And, this is one of them. I did change the recipe some, so here is the link to Betty's Lazy Lasagna. 


The lazy lasagna is not only easy, but it tastes fantastic. Moreover, it's easy to take to work, too. As you can see, the photo I took was with my phone at WORK. That's right, for some reason I kept on forgetting to take the picture at home, and this was the LAST piece we had, so I snapped a photo. As a funny side note, I accidentally threw away that GLAD bowl you see there, I was thinking about something else at lunch and threw away all of my napkins, etc, and this went with it. Because it only cost around $0.50, I didn't feel like digging through the trash to get it. BUT--they make fantastic take to work containers.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
28 oz Prego Heart Smart Traditional Italian Spaghetti Sauce
8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese
1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups cooked Campanelle pasta

Brown hamburger and add spaghetti sauce, simmer. Meanwhile mix cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream together. In the bottom of an 8x8 pan add the cooked pasta, then layer on the cheese mixture, next add the hamburger mixture. Lastly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, or when the Parmesan cheese begins to brown. 

Yields: 9 servings at  8 Points+ per serving.

VERDICT: We really like this! It has a lasagna flavor, but is much easier to make. What I really like is that you can do all of the work ahead of time, and then just throw it into the oven, which feels like free time for me. And, all you have to do is pair it with a vegetable or fruit, and supper is complete!

Frito Pie (3 ways)

So, where have I been? Great question! Between the end of the school year wrap up, yearbook and being a mom, I have very little time to blog. Rest assured, though, that I've been cooking A LOT of new items. However, most of them will never grace this page, because, well, I live in the real world where time is not saved in a bottle. 

Anyway, I've made this three ways in the past couple months, and I think each way is great! I got the original idea and recipe (which I modified) from Real Mom Kitchen. Each recipe easily makes 6-8 servings.

Frito Pie #1
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (I use 93% lean)
2 can pork and beans, remove pork, but don't drain
1 can green chilies, drained
1/4 c ketchup
Fritos--1 bag

Mix first four ingredients together in  skillet and cook until nice and thick. To plate, put some Fritos on a plate then put ground beef mixture on top (it's whatever is your desired amount--aren't I so technical!). Top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

Frito Pie #2 (pictured above)
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (I use 93% lean)
1 large can (or 2 small) baked beans
1/4 c. ketchup (optional, but used to thicken the recipe)
Fritos--1 bag

Mix first three ingredients together in  skillet and cook until nice and thick. To plate, put some Fritos on a plate then put ground beef mixture on top (it's whatever is your desired amount--aren't I so technical!). Top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.

Frito Pie #3
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained (I use 93% lean)
2 cans chili beans
8 oz tomato sauce
Fritos--1 bag

Mix first three ingredients together in  skillet and cook until nice and thick. To plate, put some Fritos on a plate then put ground beef mixture on top (it's whatever is your desired amount--aren't I so technical!). Top with shredded cheese and sour cream if desired.


VERDICT: Fast and excellent...but maybe not the healthiest choice. When the new crop of potatoes come in this fall, I think I'll try putting the meat sauces over a baked potato. 

Taco Meatloaf

When I found a recipe for taco meatloaf from Lauren's Kitchen, I knew I had to try this one, since I'm not in love with my taco loaf. But, once I took a closer look, I realized I don't use a lot of those ingredients; so  I modified the recipe. For instance, I always have salsa on hand, and decided to substitute that for the Ro-tel and onions. When I drained the chunky salsa I had, I noticed  that there was enough tomato/salsa sauce to put on the top of the loaf, so I could eliminate the taco sauce. Thus, I reduced the amount of ingredients, which works well for this working mama. So, here's my rendition of taco meatloaf. 


Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 c chunky salsa (I use the Target generic), drained, reserve the juice
1 egg
1 package (or equivalent) taco seasoning (I find it's cheaper in bulk)
1 c crushed baked Doritos (crush them fine!)
1 c shredded cheese
GARNISH: Your favorite cheese sauce (I make mine with Velveeta light, salsa and taco seasoning)

Mix ground beef, drained salsa, egg, taco seasoning, crushed baked Doritos, and cheese. Place in a greased loaf pan. Take the reserved salsa juice and pour evenly over the top of the loaf. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes (it depends on how you like your meatloaf, and how your oven cooks). Let sit for five minutes before cutting.After cutting, you may garnish with your favorite cheese sauce.

VERDICT: Flavorful! This was so good, I took it to work and ate it cold! I didn't need the cheese sauce when I took it to work, because the loaf packs a tongue-tingling punch!

Pigs in a Blanket

I feel a little embarrassed to share this, because it's so easy. And, almost everyone knows how to make them. 

However, instead of using buttermilk biscuits, like we used when I was growing up, I use crescent rolls. 

Ingredients
8-pack of hot dogs (I use beef)
4 slices cheese, folded in half
1 8-pack roll of reduced fat crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (or whatever your rolls say). Prepare a pan with foil, and spray with nonstick spray. Next, unroll crescent rolls and take apart. On each roll place 1/2 of a slice of cheese. Then, place hot dog on the fat end of the crescent. Roll the hot dog in the dough towards the point. Place point side down on the baking sheet. Do this for the other seven hot dogs. Bake for 17-20 minutes.

VERDICT: So fun, fast and good! And, I know they're not good for you, but hot dogs are great every now and then.

Taco Loaf

I made this about a month ago, but I'm a little behind on posting it. We really like tacos. In fact, we had a taco bar at our wedding. If that doesn't spell taco commitment, I don't know what does. Anyway, I felt like making meatloaf one night, but I needed to use up some lettuce and Baked Doritos, so I added some of this and some of that to make taco loaf. 

Ingredients
1 lb. lean beef
1 egg
1 packet of taco seasoning (or equivalent)

Mix together and pat the mixture flat in a loaf pan. Top with the following: Taco sauce. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35 minutes, or until done.

Take out of oven and let rest at least 5 minutes before cutting into the loaf. Cut into 6-8 servings. Top with any/all of the following: sour cream, cheese, lettuce, Baked Doritos, tomatoes and taco sauce.


VERDICT: We really liked this, because it was tasty to eat, and easy to take to work the next day.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

We decided on having spaghetti and meatballs for our Valentines dinner about a week ago, and I have to admit that I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into. I have never made authentic spaghetti and meatballs (or as close to authentic as this Midwest girl can get), so I was excited to find a recipe that I thought I would like. I settled on Ina Garten's recipe, staying fairly faithful to the recipe with the exception of swapping an extra half pound of ground pork for the veal. I know how veal is produced and I cannot eat it--I'm sorry, but it's just my opinion. So, here is Ina Garten's "Real Meatballs & Spaghetti" from Barefoot Contessa: Family Style.

Ingredients--Meatballs
1/2 pound ground veal (I substituted 1/2 pound ground pork for this, using an entire pound of pork for the recipe)
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef (I used lean beef)
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (about 3-4 slices, cut the crusts off)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (I used Italian seasoned bread crumbs)
2 TBSP chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp kosher salt (I used only 1)
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 extra-large egg (I used a large egg), beaten
 
Ingredients--Sauce
1 TBSP olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used 1 large one)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (I used 2 small cloves)
1/2 cup red wine (I used Middle Sister--love that wine!)
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (I omitted this)
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Instructions:
Place all meatball ingredients in a large bowl, gently mix together. Add 3/4 cup warm water to the bowl, mixing lightly. Form the meat mixture into meatballs--I got 20. Meanwhile, pour equal amounts of olive oil and vegetable oil into a frying pan and heat up. When hot, add meatballs in batches, frying on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels. Discard the oil, but do not scrape out pan.

Add olive oil to the same pan. Saute the onions until tender and translucent. Add garlic and cook for one more minute, then add wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer on the lowest head for 25-30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. I didn't have a lid to do this with, though, so I put it in in a 13x11 inch pan and baked it in the oven.

Serve over hot spaghetti and cover with fresh Parmesan cheese.

VERDICT: I liked the flavor of this, but would have preferred less garlic. Overall, a winner in my book.

Taco Pizza

Will you accept my apology? I've been making a lot of food, just not posting it. I have to admit, when I'm on the computer all day at school (one of the benefits of being the yearbook adviser), I just don't feel like being online at night. However, I'm going to try harder, because I want to create a recipe archive for myself! 

Sometimes I get a craving for taco pizza, and not just any taco pizza, but Casey's General Store taco pizza. Yeah, all of you Iowa kids know what I'm talking about! This is the closest I've come to replicating the recipe. However, I made this back in early January, so I hope I get it right! 

Ingredients
1 pizza crust, cooked for at least 7 minutes (lightly browned)
1/3 cup salsa (approximate--depends on the consistency you want with your sauce)
1/2 can fat free refried beans
1/2 pound cooked taco meat (lean ground beef with taco seasoning)
About 2 cups pizza/mozzarella/Colby-jack cheese, divided (I used Colby-jack)
shredded lettuce
diced Roma tomatoes
black olives
onions
1-2 cups crushed baked Doritos 
taco sauce
sour cream

Mix salsa and refried beans to desired consistency, and spread on top of half-baked pizza crust. Don't add too much, though, because the crust may become soggy (see my tip below). Then, add cooked taco meat on top of the bean mixture. You may add some black olives at this time if you wish. Otherwise, add cheese--about 1 to 1 1/2 cups, and cook until the pizza is done.

When pizza is cooked, take out of oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Cut into 8 servings. Then, add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, onions, cheese and crushed baked Doritos (NOTE: the Doritos are not pictured above, because I didn't want them to get soggy in the fridge--we only ate 1/2 the pizza for supper, the other half the next day). Top with sour cream and taco sauce if desired.

VERDICT: Ah, I felt like I was at my aunt's house and I was 10-years-old again! This was so close to the original that I don't feel the need to tweak this anymore! TIP: I only used 1/2 a pound of ground beef, but I always freeze my ground beef in 1-pound packages, so I made the entire pound, and when I divided it, I mixed the reserved meat with the 1/2 can of refried beans. With that mixture I made a new dish, which I hope to post soon!

Taco Salad #3, The Famous One

This is my most requested Taco Salad, because it's super simple, and I don't have to worry about the dressing that's in it during hot picnic weather. Also, apparently some people--my husband being one of them--doesn't like a creamy taco salad. He likes his chunky, which is exactly what this is! 

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 93% lean)
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1/4 cup of the bulk powder I have)
1 cup water
6 cups torn iceberg lettuce (I used a package of lettuce, which is why you see carrots and cabbage in the picture)
1 can rinsed red kidney beans (sometimes I add 2 or more, but I really like them!)
About 1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup diced white onion, more if you want
1-2 tomatoes (I only had 1 on hand)
About 2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby-Jack)
Baked Doritos, crushed (add right before serving)

After browning hamburger add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Note: This will be somewhat runny! Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, beans, olives, onion, tomatoes and cheese. When the burger mixture is cool add to the lettuce mixture and mix well.Chill, if you have time. Before serving add crushed Doritos to the salad. (Since it's just Jeff and I, we usually add the Doritos to individual plates so they don't get all slimy when we store the salad.

VERDICT: Jeff's favorite! I like it, too, but I still like a little dressing in mine. However, this is MUCH healthier. :)

Another Taco Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I foresee Saturday night meals becoming taco salad nights. This time I added 2 diced Roma tomatoes, cut romaine lettuce (it was on a major sale) and used 1/2 cup French dressing with 1/4 cup taco sauce.

Note: The picture above does not have any baked Doritos in it.

VERDICT: Jeff liked it more, I think, because it had a bold taco seasoning taste. I liked it overall--I'll be able to tell more tomorrow after the flavors blend.

Taco Salad

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This is just ONE of the THREE taco salad recipes that I use. So, you may end up seeing one of those on here eventually. The odd part about this recipe, compared to the others, is that there are no tomatoes in this one. Why? Well, for one, during the winter I rarely have fresh tomatoes on hand; and for the other, there are just times when I don't want to eat tomatoes. Shocking, I know! Anyway, I used this as a main dish--actually the only dish--so it served 4.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, browned (I used 92% lean organic--Don't you judge me--it was on sale!)
1 package taco seasoning (I used 1/4 cup of the bulk powder I have)
1/2-2/3 cup water (I didn't measure it...)
4-6 cups torn iceberg lettuce
1 can rinsed red kidney beans (sometimes I add 2 or more, but I really like them!)
About 1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup diced white onion, more if you want
About 1/2 cup light Dorothy Lynch or light French dressing (I used French this time)
About 2 cups shredded cheese (I used mild cheddar, and always shred my own-so much cheaper and tastes better!)
4 servings baked Doritos, crushed (add right before serving)

After browning hamburger add the taco seasoning and water. Let simmer for about 2 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, combine the lettuce, beans, olives, onion and cheese. When the burger mixture is cool (it may still be a little liquid--which is fine) add to the lettuce mixture and mix well. Add the dressing a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Chill, if you have time. Before serving add crushed Doritos to the salad. (Since it's just Jeff and I, we usually add the Doritos to individual plates so they don't get all slimy when we store the salad.

VERDICT: Great variation on tacos! I had wanted to make taco soup, but it was 50 degrees yesterday--just not soup weather yet. I guess in the Midwest, it doesn't feel like soup weather until the highs are in the 20s or 30s. :) Anyway, we liked this a lot--and it was so much food we didn't need a side dish, which always make me happy, because it's fewer dishes to wash.

Taco/Burrito Meat

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

Want a great filler for your tacos and burritos? Try this filler--it tastes great and stretches a pound of hamburger! Plus, since I'm laid up with a backache, I knew I could sit down while it was cooking. Sorry--but due to my back problems, posting may be sporadic. Although, I'm thinking of making some cookies later on tonight. MAYBE.


Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger, cooked and crumbled
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
About 1/4 cup water
1 can fat free refried beans (spicy would be good, too!)
Taco seasoning (I used 1/4 c of my taco seasoning, and that's the equivalent of 1 packet)

After browning the burger, add the tomato sauce, water (I swished it around in the sauce can to get all of it out) and taco seasoning. Stir until seasoning is distributed, then add beans. Cook until thickened and heated through.

Serve with tacos or burritos.

VERDICT: This is amazingly good! My parents usually add tomato sauce to their tacos, but after reading a recipe from Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi, I decided to add the beans. Let me tell you--THAT WAS A GOOD DECISION! I'm positive this meal could feed 10 hungry people! Plus, it tastes great.

Cheese Puffs and Maggots with Eye of Newt

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I was being creative last night and trying to gross out my husband, so I came up with this festive menu.While the Maggots with Eye of Newt is my design,the cheese puffs are courtesy of Cooking During Stolen Moments.

Ingredients for Maggots with Eye of Newt
2 cups of elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente
1 small jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 jar green olives
1/2 lb. hamburger

After cooking macaroni, add sauce, meat and olives and cook until hot. Garnish with strips of Parmesan cheese.

Ingredients: Cheese Puffs
1 1/4 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese (I used Colby-Jack this time)
2 1/2 T. butter or margarine
1/2 c. flour
1/2-3/4 tsp spices (I used garlic and paprika)
1 small jar of green olives

Mix everything together except for olives until it resembles a dough. Then flatten out a small round of dough and wrap it around the olive (I always put too much on and then take some off). Repeat until dough is gone. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.


VERDICT: What a yummy meal! I've made the cheese puffs before, and we always like them! And, as you can tell, we are HUGE fans of olives, so the cheese puffs are great with the olives, but we have used jalapenos in the past. The Maggots with eye of newt is pretty good, too!

Spaghetti Pie

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I remembered reading a recipe from my hometown cookbook that used spaghetti as a "pie crust." However, I knew that it was very calorie dense, so I created my own version. The one I made will feed 4--but if you upped the amount of meat, it could easily yield 6 servings."

Ingredients
4 servings of spaghetti
1 cup Parmesan-Romano cheese, shredded
8 oz fat free cottage cheese (I drain mine to get all the liquid out)
3/4-1 cup No-Sugar-Added Spaghetti Sauce (I used Ragu)
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned in 1-2 tsp olive oil
Black olives for garnish

Cook spaghetti until al dente, then drain. Cool pasta slightly (I used this time to brown the hamburger), and place into a pie plate. Push down on the plate and up the sides to create a crust. Spoon about 1/2 cup Parmesan-Romano cheese into the crust and let melt a little, then spoon cottage cheese over the spaghetti. Mix the spaghetti sauce and ground beef, then place on top of cottage cheese mixture. Lastly, add the rest of the Parmesan-Romano cheese. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (I baked for 20, and thought 25 would have been better). Let sit for 5-10 minutes and garnish with black olives.

VERDICT: Very good! I don't feel as though I need to tweak this recipe, because it stands on its own. If I had added an entire pound of beef, it would easily feed 6, but with only 1/2 pound, it wouldn't have a lot of heart to it. Anyway, I really like the nutty flavor that the top of the spaghetti pie gets as it cooks, and would recommend that you cook it for at least 25 minutes so that more of the top spaghetti takes on the flavor. <3 Since we're trying to clean out our pantry, I haven't bought much for sides, but we had a banana salad with the pasta (I'll post it tomorrow, because it's a great Halloween recipe). However, I would have loved to serve this pie with French bread and olive oil.

Cheese-burger Macaroni

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I HATE boxed meals. I think they taste like cardboard. However, I like the idea that some of those boxed meals pose. So, think of this as a homemade version of Cheeseburger Helper.

Ingredients:
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 lb 93% lean hamburger
2 cups beef broth (I used bouillon cubes and water)
1 cup water
1 c. dry macaroni
1 Roma tomato, diced
4 oz 2% Velveeta, cubed

Cook onion in 1 tsp olive oil and some salt and pepper until translucent, then add hamburger and brown. Drain fat. Pepper to taste. Add beef broth and water, then add dry macaroni. Boil mixture for about 10 minutes, or until macaroni is done. Add tomato and turn heat to low. Add Velveeta 2% and stir until melted. Turn off heat and let sit for at least 10 minutes, or until the cheese sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally.

VERDICT: Even better than a box!

Wiener Winks

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

This was one of my favorite lunches from high school. I don't know how, but this was one of the few foods the cooks couldn't mess up.

Wiener Winks Ingredients
4 hot dogs
4 slices of sandwich bread
4 slices of cheese (I sliced some Velveeta 2% thin)

Grease a loaf pan. Lay the bread out flat and place a slice of cheese on the bread. On a diagonal put the hot dog and fold up (so it looks like a triangle).

Eat with lots and lots of ketchup (or at least that's how I do it). 

VERDICT: Takes me back to my rural high school in the '90s. AHHH!!! I love it!!

Beef Soup/Stew

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Originally uploaded by IowaSunshine

I used to make this stew over the stove top, but decided to use my slow cooker over the weekend. While I need to cut back on the water to make this more stew-like the next time, I found using the slow cooker was much better!

Ingredients
1-2 lbs stew meat, browned with onion
1 large onion, chopped, browned with meat
Scant 1/4 cup red wine (optional--used to deglaze the pan)
1 lb. carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
3 large potatoes, diced (I always leave the skins on)
1 c. frozen corn
1 lb. mushrooms, chopped
4 cups beef broth
2 cups water (optional--use if making over the stove top)
1-2 TBSP flour (optional--may need it to thicken the soup to a stew)
pepper to taste

Brown onions in 1-2 teaspoons EVOO. When translucent add beef and cook until browned, then shut off heat and add red wine to deglaze the pan. Set to the side to cool.

Place all veggies in the slow cooker, then add beef broth (and water if you choose) and the cooled beef. Cook on high for 6 or so hours, and low for another 2-3.

If you need to thicken the soup you have two options. You can smash a potato and add it back to the pot, or you can add flour like you would a gravy.

Personally, I like my stews more like soup, but it's all up to you!

VERDICT: This tastes great--like always--but was so much less labor intensive than cooking it over the stove top, because I didn't worry about the burners being on.