Zucchini Beef Casserole

Zucchini Beef Casserole

Zucchini is one of my favorite things to grow and eat. Some years the crop is a little too large and baking bread gets boring. This is a great way to use up all that extra zucchini! Yes, it calls for boxed and canned "stuff", but that's part of what makes it so easy to get together. 

Zucchini Beef Casserole

Zucchini Beef Casserole
Printable Recipe
Hands-On Time: 15 minutes
Ready In: 1 hour 
Serves: 8

1 pound ground beef, pork, turkey or chicken
6 cups diced zucchini (about 3 medium)
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom, celery or chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 package stuffing mix
1 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Brown ground beef and drain well. Put into a large mixing bowl.
3. Cook zucchini in a little water until just tender - about 5 minutes. Add to beef.
4. Heat 1 1/2 cups water to boiling. Remove from heat and add stuffing mix. Stir and let stand until water is absorbed. Add to beef and zucchini.
5. Mix sour cream and cream of soup and pour over beef, stuffing and zucchini. Blend well.
6. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes until bubbly and browned on top.

505 Southwestern Salsas, Sauces and Chiles

Mexican Pizza with 505 Southwestern Salsa - 10- inch flour tortilla topped with salsa, ground beef, Mexican blend cheese, baked for 10 minutes then topped with black olives and sour cream. So easy!

Take a look at the salsa section of your local grocer and you'll see that salsas seem to be a dime a dozen these days. Some of them aren't even worth a dime a dozen, though. I do have my own favorite, or so I thought.

I was sent a box filled with salsas, sauces and green chiles to try from 505 Southwestern and I've found a brand new favorite salsa*. Honestly. I've already gone out and purchased more to have on hand and I'm not the only one in the house that fell in love. Last night several of my children finished off a jar in one sitting. I may be hiding salsa along with my chocolate soon.

What's this salsa? 505 Southwestern's All American Salsa, Medium heat. Wow. Even though the kids thought it was a bit spicy, they couldn't stop eating it and neither could I. My boyfriend is a heat lover and even though this is only medium heat, he loves it as well.

Not only is this salsa delicious it also benefits the Wounded Warrior Project:  Flagship Food Group will contribute 1% of the purchase price of every bottle of 505 Southwestern All American Salsa, with a minimum donation of $100,000 to WWP from May 1, 2013 through April 30, 2014. Awesome.

Each of 505 Southwestern's products are 

Extra Fresh — our chiles are picked, flame-roasted & flash-frozen during harvest
All Natural — we use only natural ingredients to preserve the just-picked flavor
Gluten Free — we use rice flour as a binder where necessary, not wheat
Zero Trans Fat — only natural vegetables, spices, herbs and fruits are used
New Mexico — all our chiles come from the Hatch Valley in New Mexico!

You just can't go wrong with these salsas and sauces. If you're stuck for ideas, let me help you out. First, you can go to www.505chile.com and search for recipes, or you can use one of the recipes I've provided below. Both turned out wonderfully using 505 products and my family has already asked me when I'm making them again!

Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas

Enchiladas go creamy and spicy in this rich and flavorful version of chicken enchiladas. Diced Hatch chiles and sharp cotija cheese add to the flavor. Evaporated milk is a smart choice here instead of milk or cream, providing creaminess without all the calories or fat.

Green Chile and Chicken Enchiladas

Hands-On Time: 20 minutes
Ready In: 60 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds cooked white meat chicken - chopped
2 large cloves garlic - minced
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 Tablespoon Kosher salt OR 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
2 cups 505 Southwestern All Natural Diced Flame Roasted Green Chile
12 six-inch corn tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican Blend cheese - divided
1/2 cup Mexican Crema or sour cream
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled Cotija cheese or Feta cheese


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 11 baking pan and set aside.
2. Toss chopped chicken with garlic, cilantro, cumin and salt.
3. Blend together evaporated milk and salsa in a large bowl.
4. Wrap tortillas in paper toweling and lightly mist toweling with water. Place in microwave and heat for 1 -2 minutes (check after 1 minute) until warmed and pliable.
5. Set aside 1/2 cup of Mexican blend cheese for end of assembly. Use remaining 1 1/2 cups for inside enchiladas.
6. Working quickly with one tortilla at a time, dip tortilla into salsa mixture, top with chicken and shredded cheese. Roll and set seam-side down into baking pan. Repeat until all tortillas, chicken and cheese are used.
7. Whisk crema or sour cream into remaining salsa mixture until well blended. Pour over top of enchiladas.
8. Top enchiladas with Cotija (or Feta) cheese and reserved Mexican Blend cheese.
9. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned.
10. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Easy Beef Enchiladas

Hands-On Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1 jar (16 ounces) 505 Southwestern Enchilada and Tamale Sauce
16  - 6-inch  flour tortillas
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and onion until beef is evenly browned and onion is tender.
3. Pour 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the pan and spread across evenly.
4. Divide beef and 1 1/2 cups cheese between the tortillas rolling each up and setting, seam side down, into the pan.
5. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
6. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is bubbly - about 5 to 10 minutes.


*Product provided by 505 Southwestern. All opinions are my own. This was not a paid endorsement. 

Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche

An amuse bouche is typically a one-bite wonder prepared by a chef to showcase his or her talents. Not listed on the menu, it's a little extra something that is not listed on the menu served before the meal to help whet the appetite. These did just that; my kids asked for far more than I had made.

These use Etorki sheeps' milk cheese, one of the delicious pressed French cheeses offered by Ile de France. The flavor is very reminiscent of a sharp white New York cheddar, but a bit milder and very creamy, not dry as sharp cheddar's tend to be. I thought the flavor was deeper than most French cheeses, which tend to be milder overall, and we really like this one.

Gourmet Cheeseburger Amuse Bouche
Makes 24
Printable Recipe

6 slices bread
1 pound ground beef (80/20 is best for burgers)
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
1 garlic clove - minced
24 roasted red pepper strips
1/4 pound Etorki sheep's milk cheese
fresh basil chiffonade

Toast bread, remove crusts and cut each slice into 4 squares.
Combine ground beef, Worcestershire, pepper, garlic and salt and mix well. Shape beef into 24 small patties and broil or pan fry until done - this takes only a few minutes to do. Drain on paper toweling.
Place a patty on each toast square and top with red pepper and cheese. Microwave or broil for a few seconds, just until cheese melts. Top with basil chiffonade and serve.

Grandma's 'Sketti

Grandma's Sketti

This is another of my grandmother's recipes that was never written down and never submitted to a church cookbook. She made it very often when we were younger and it was such a favorite of ours that when she didn't make it one of my brothers would get upset about the missing 'sketti.

This is a true comfort food to me. Each time I make it I'm transported to Grandma's summertime kitchen. The chef in me wants to embellish it; add garlic and Parmesan. If I did that, though, the flavor would change enough that it wouldn't be Grandma's and the comforting effect would be lost.

This was beef-a-roni way before it was ever a boxed or canned mainstream product and I refuse to call it goulash, no matter what everyone else says.

Grandma's 'Sketti
Printable Recipe

1 small onion - chopped
1 pound ground beef
1 can (46 ounces) tomato juice (Grandma always used sodium-free because of dietary restrictions, I use the real deal)
2 cups uncooked macaroni (elbows) If you want specifics, Grandma used Mueller's.
salt and pepper to taste

Cook onion and beef together until beef is well browned. Drain any fat. Add tomato juice and macaroni. Cook over low heat, covered, until macaroni is tender about 10-12 minutes or so.

Serve with buttered bread and love.

Sunday Dinner

This is from one of those old cookbooks I wrote about before. The first time I had it was at grandma's while visiting. Even my picky husband loved it and I've been making it ever since. The gravy option is mine since he doesn't like cream soups.

Poor Man's Steak

2lbs. ground beef (round, sirloin or 90% lean)
2c. crushed saltines
2c. milk
salt and pepper to taste
chopped onion optional
1 can cream of mushroom soup
or
1 can beef gravy

Mix beef, saltines, seasonings, milk and onions well.
Press into a 9x13 pan.
Refrigerate overnight or for 4-6 hours.
Cut into squares-roll each in flour and brown in oil.
Replace in pan and pour soup and 1 can water or gravy
and 1 can water over all.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hrs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Perfectly Boiled Potatoes
From: Everything on a Waffle by Polly Horvath
If you can find this book it's worth the read. Quirky little thing, really cute and different.

The most important thing about making perfectly boiled
potatoes is to start with a dozen uniform red potatoes.
So go to your greengrocer or wherever you get your
potatoes and don't buy a bag of them, hunt through the
loose, piled-up potatoes until you find a dozen that are
medium-sized and all almost exactly alike. Don't get any
with scabs or strange growths or that look like they have
a nose. Take them home and peel them. Put enough water
in a large pot to cover your potatoes. Cook for forty
minutes, putting in more water if it boils out. Drain
the potatoes and put them back in the pot. Put the pot
back on the burner and shake it a bit so the potatoes
dry over the heat. Then they are done. Now what you do
with them is a matter of taste. Some people like sour
cream, some like butter and parsley. Some people like
ketchup or cheese. I like mustard. But Miss Bowzer says
it is nobody's business but your own what you do with
your potatoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Garlic Snap Peas

1/2 pound sugar snap peas
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Bring a medium-size pan of water to the boil. Snap the ends from the peas and pull the strings.

When the water comes to a boil, add the peas and time 2 to 3 minutes, until just tender. Drain in a colander and run cold water over the peas until cooled.

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute, until soft and fragrant. Put the peas into the pan and heat through, stirring often. Stir in the coarse salt, heating for 30 seconds. Season with pepper and serve.

Serves 4.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This was one of those terrific experiments turned family favorite. Like peaches and cream, only better!

Georgia Cheesecake Pie
Printable Recipe

1 single crust pie crust-unbaked
2c. peeled and thinly sliced peaches
1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2c. sugar
1 egg
1t. vanilla
2T. flour

Flour bottom of unbaked pie crust with 2T. flour.
Add peaches to crust.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over peaches.
Bake 375 until top is set and partially browned~ about
35 min.