Crock Pot Nachos

This recipe came from HERE, I made a change or two. SUPER yummy and easy!

1lb. ground beef, browned

1/2 yellow onion chopped

1 can refried beans

1 can dark read kidney beans- undrained

2 Tbs. Tomato paste

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1/2 cup water

garlic powder (I did about a tsp.) Or a couple fresh garlic cloves minced on the meat while it and the onion cook would be good.

salt and pepper to taste.

Brown meat, add onion to cook with it. Put in crock pot. Add refried beans, kidney beans (undrained), water, taco seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix well. Cook on low for 3 -4 hours.

Now you can use this to make nachos, add some lettuce, sour cream, olives, salsa con queso, tomatoes, whatever.

I decided to fry up some of the uncooked flour tortilla's I had and make a taco salad/flying saucer type meal. You can get the uncooked tortilla's in the refrigerator section at the store, usually by the pie dough. I cook mine on my stove top in my big boiling pot with some heated canola oil. It usually just takes a minute or two to cook each side.

I then took the cooked tortilla, added the meat mixture, some nacho cheese that I got from Fry's deli section, shredded lettuce, olives and for me that was just like I like it. It was a HUGE hit at our house. And the leftovers will be great in a pinch for a quick lunch or snack.

I was too hungry to stop and take a picture before I ate mine and Jeff attacked his before I could snap a pic of his put together either.

**ETA lately we have been eating this over tortilla chips super easy, cheap, and yummy! Also I almost never have tomato paste on hand and I am not buying it just to use a little in this so I will usually just squirt some ketchup in, but leaving it out won't change the taste really.

Shepard's Pie

Shepard's Pie (EASY)

Ground Beef- Browned, as much as you like. Since this is a meat/potatoes meal I do about a full pound.
1 Can Tomato Soup
1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
1/2 Onion- Chopped
3 cloves of Garlic- minced
2 cups Frozen Green Beans (prepared as directed)
1 Pouch Favorite Instant Mashed Potatoes
Cheese- Optional

Brown ground beef, add onion and minced garlic as you cook. When meat cooked through add can of soup and tomato sauce and I usually throw in half a soup can of water. Mix well. Add cooked green beans and let simmer.

Make mashed potatoes as directed. Instant is just faster for me and the boys and Jeff love them and we don't like a thick coat of mashed potatoes, if you do you can make more of them.

In a 9x13 pan put in meat mixture. Spread mashed potatoes on top. You can top with cheese if you want and throw it in the oven for a few moments to melt. We don't like cheese that much though so I skip that part.

We all love this dish and I love it because it has everything I need for a well rounded meal, meat, carbs, veggie all in one!

Taquitos

Original Recipe found HERE.

1-2 pounds of Eye of Round, seared

2 tsp. of each: cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and chili powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup salsa

8 oz cream cheese (I didn't do this part because Jeff won't eat cream cheese, I did use some shredded Mexican cheese)

tortilla's flour or corn (I used flour)

2 Tbs softened butter

course salt

In crockpot put in seared roast. Put in all powders, salt pepper and salsa. Cook on low for approx. 6 hours. After 6 hours pull roast out and remove fat and shred, put back in crock pot and cook on low 1 more hour. At this point you can add the cream cheese, see original recipe if you do that, also if you use corn tortillas see original recipe too.

At this point I put beef on tortilla and added some shredded mexican cheese and rolled. Place them seam side down on a baking sheet that is lightly greased. After all are rolled and on brush with butter and sprinkle on a little course salt. Bake in oven at 375 for approx 15 minutes, just watch so the sides don't get too brown.

I did up a huge batch and then whatever weren't eaten I plan on freezing and then we can pull them out and heat them up like we would the frozen taquitos from the store.

Chip's Meatloaf

This recipe comes from one of my Dad's good friends and is super yummy!

2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs
3/4 cup milk
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper (I use lemon pepper)

Mix ingredients together and put in loaf pan, or I mix and make 6 little "loaves" out of them and place in a 9x13 pan.

Topping:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbs. mustard
3 Tbs. brown sugar

Mix together and spread on top. Bake at 325 for 1 hour and a 1/2 for the 1 loaf or 350 for an hour for the six little loaves.

No Peek Beef Stew

1-2 lbs Stew Meat (I use London Broil that I cut up and take any fat off of)-seared brown with a little olive oil on the stove, then transfer to crock pot.
4 stalks Celery- cut up
1 cup of carrots cut up
1/4 onion cut up
2-3 baking potatoes with skin on cubed
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs Dry Tapioca (you can find it in the baking isle usually by the gelatin mix)
1 Tbs Sugar
1 can tomato soup
1/2 can of water

Cut up all vegetables, put everything in crock pot, stir and cook on low for 5-6 hours without removing lid.

Taco Soup

1 lb of ground hamburger –browned or you can use some cooked chicken.
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes- the one’s with Green Chile’s in them.
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1 can of corn- drained
2 can of kidney beans- rinsed
1/4th onion- chopped
2 Tbs. chili powder
1- 1 1/2 cup water
V8 juice (however much to get it to a consistency of where you want it)

Brown hamburger, when almost done add chopped onion (as much as you like) and some chili powder (about a tsp). Add rest of ingredients to a big pot or crock pot. Add meat when done cooking, add a little more chili powder if you want it spicier. If cooking on stove top bring to a boil then simmer for 20 minutes. If crock pot, you can cook on low for at least 4 hours. You can then top with cheese and sour cream if you like. I usually serve cornbread with this.

Shepard's Pie

This is one recipe I use the rest of that roast (from recipe below) for. I found it on another blog (love blog hopping) and have made a few adjustments to it.

1lb of shredded beef
1/2 onion finely diced
6-8 red potatoes (peeled and boiled)
1 tbs tomato paste
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 beef bullion cube
A couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 cups of carrots sliced
2 cups of sweet frozen corn
2 Tbs butter
1/2 stick of butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Litely butter a 9x8 pan. Peel and boil potatoes. While potatoes are boiling, in a skillet heat up beef and onion. In a bowl whisk together tomato paste, water, milk and bullion cube. Once onion is cooked and beef is heated up add the sauce to the beef. Saute until the liquid is absorbed a little bit and thickens, add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Transfer meat to the buttered pan. In same pan heat 2 Tbs butter, add carrots and cook til tender, then add corn to heat. Add to pan on top of meat.

Mash the potatoes, add the 1/2 stick of butter, sour cream and any more milk you may need and mash until they are at a consistency you like. *Add in cheese if you would like.

Spread Potatoes over the top of the veggies and sprinkle with more cheese if you would like.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Sunday Roast

2-3 lb Eye of Round
2 Tbs Oil (Olive or Canola)
1 can Beef Broth/Beef Consume (either one)
1 envelope of Dry Onion Soup Mix
1 can of water
Onion (sliced) *Opt.

Optional:
Red Potatoes
Carrots

Place oil in a skillet and sear roast on all sides, just enough to brown it and seal the juices. Then place in crock pot. Pour in 1 can of soup, water and sprinkle onion soup mix on top. If you do the onion slice and place over roast (we don't eat the onion, it just gives the roast some good flavor).

If you are adding your veggies to cook halve the potatoes and tuck around the roast and throw in the carrots.

Cook on High in Crock Pot for 3-4 hours then flip to low and cook for at least another 4-5 hours.

**We eat half the roast for one dinner and then I use the rest of it in another meal.**

Baked Spaghetti

Yummy twist on an old favorite!

Noodles- Cooked

1 egg
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Sauce- Favorite kind, for us I just brown up 1/2 lb of ground hamburger and add the Prego meat spaghetti sauce.

In a bowl combine egg and both kinds of cheese and mix, when noodles done cooking and drained put in bowl (while still hot) and mix and let cheese melt. In a greased 9X13 pan put noodle mixture then top with sauce and some more shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes, until cheese is melted.

I came up with this when Jeff and Corbin complained about not liking plain spaghetti, Corbin wouldn't eat it because it was saucy and he didn't like that, so I decided to try this out and see how they liked it. The noodles absorb some of the sauce, and it gets thick just like with Lasagna, but easier to make!

Teriyaki Chicken or Beef

1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup pineapple juice
½ cup oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup BBQ sauce
garlic powder to taste (approx 1 tsp)

Pour over as much chicken as you want to cook up. I usually do tenderloins as there isn’t as much fat on them. Or if I do beef, I buy London Broil, and have the butcher slice it lengthwise about a quarter of an inch and put them on skewers and then marinate. If chicken marinate about 4-6 hours, if beef do 8-10 hours. If you do the beef on skewers, soak them in water first for a little bit, so they won't splinter while putting the beef on.

Lasagna

Sauce:
Browned ground beef
2 packets McCormick Thick and Zest Spaghetti Sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 15 oz cans of Tomato sauce
2 cups water
2 Tbs Oil

1 box oven ready noodles
Mozzarella Cheese
Parmesan Cheese

I usually throw the sauce in the crockpot in the morning and let it cook all day. And then just layer with noodles and cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Thanks Tammy for the recipe! This is a great one to do for a family with a new baby, and I have gotten alot of compliments on it.

Also I once didn't realize it but I put in diced tomatoes with green chilies for one of the cans and Jeff really likes it with that little bit of spice!