fiesta ranch bacon cheeseburgers

these have just a little bit of kick to them, which makes them so yummy!

2 lbs. ground beef

1 egg

1 packet hidden valley fiesta ranch mix

1/2 c bread crumbs

garlic powder and pepper, to taste

combine all in large bowl

form into patties (i do 4 oz. patties, so this recipe made 8)

heat up the grill or a frying pan and cook

melt cheese on top and finish w/ bacon and a bun. i like to put kroger's 3 cheese ranch dressing in place of ketchup/mayo/mustard for these. garnish w/ lettuce, tomato, and onions, if desired. enjoy!

italian meatloaf

this is the only meat loaf i make, but i love it!

1 can meat spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 c bread crumbs
1/2 c chopped onions
1/2 c green pepper, chopped
3 eggs, beaten
parmesan

mix all but 1/2 jar of sauce w/ hands and press into loaf pan. bake at 400 for 45 minutes. pour remaining sauce over top and sprinkle w/ parmesan. bake an additional 15 minutes. serves 6.

*i use 2 lbs. of ground beef and split the meat mixture between 2 loaf pans. i also omit the green pepper.

dad's meatballs

these aren't your typical meatballs. instead of the little 1 1/2 inch meatballs you put in spaghetti sauce, these are meant to be a stand-alone meat as part of your dinner.

2 lbs. ground beef (or half ground beef and half sausage)
1 1/2 c bread crumbs
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 c butter or margarine

mix all except butter and form into 3 inch balls. melt butter in frying pan and brown meatballs on all sides. cover and simmer on led-low heat 30-45 minutes. remove meat and whisk i flour to make gravy. serve over rice or potatoes.

*i use a few tablespoons of olive oil in pace of the butter when i make these.

best burgers ever

2 lbs. ground beef
1/4 c bbq sauce (i like the spicy honey flavor best)
1 egg
1/8 - 1/4 c parmesan
seasoned salt, pepper, and old bay, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
cheese

mix all but cheese and form into 6-8 3/4 inch thick patties. grill or cook on 300 degree griddle. melt cheese over tops.

original stuffed shells

1 c shredded mozzarella
1 egg white
1 packet italian dressing mix
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 lb. ground beef, browned
spaghetti sauce

mix spinach, 1/2 c mozzarella, egg white, dressing mix, cottage cheese, and ground beef. fill each pasta shell w/ meat mixture. spread 1/2 jar of sauce in 9x13 inch baking dish. arrange shells in dish and cover w/ remaining sauce. sprinkle w/ remaining mozzarella. cover w/ foil and bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. serves 5.

* for vegetarian, omit ground beef.
* for freezer: freeze after covering w/ sauce and sprinkling w/ cheese. thaw 1 1/2 days before baking as directed above.

impossible cheeseburger pie

1 lb. ground beef, browned
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c shredded cheddar
1/2 c bisquick
1 c milk
2 eggs

mix beef, onion, and salt in greased 9-inch pie plate. sprinkle w/ cheese. mix remaining ingredients and pour over cheese. bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. serves 6.

*high altitude: bake 30-35 minutes.

cheesy salsa burgers

i LOVE burgers, but i like to play around w/ what goes into the meat. here's my latest creation:

2 lbs. ground beef
6 oz. shredded pepper jack cheese
1 c salsa verde
1-2 eggs

mix together by hand and form into 6 patties. grill to desired done-ness. serve w/ a bun and topped w/ your favorite condiments (we LOVE these w/ chipotle mayo on top). serves 6.

stuffed shells

this got created b/c i didn't buy a couple things i needed for my usual stuffed shells recipe and didn't realize it till i was in the middle of making it. it turned out REALLY well though, so here you go! :)

1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained of grease (i actually boil it, it gets the grease out better)
16 oz. tub cottage cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (squeeze out excess water)
1 packet ranch dip/dressing mix
1 egg white
1 1/2 c shredded mozzarella, divided
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

spread mushroom soup in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. in a bowl, combine meat, cottage cheese, spinach, ranch, egg white, 1/2 c mozzarella, and garlic. spoon into cooked pasta shells, and arrange shells in baking dish. top shells w/ remaining mozzarella and cover w/ foil. bake at 400 for 30-40 minutes. serves 5.

* this can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the ground beef
* shredded chicken, ground turkey, sausage, or whatever other meat you have on hand works well too

shepard's pie

almost everyone i know has tried some variation of this, but this is my favorite way to make it, so here you go:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 eggs
1/2 c italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 jar/can spaghetti sauce
1/2 c parmesan cheese
1 can yellow sweet corn
6 servings of your favorite kind of mashed potatoes
1 c sour cream
1 c shredded cheddar

mix meat, eggs, bread crumbs, spaghetti sauce, parmesan, and corn together by hand. press into loaf pan. bake at 350 for 1 hour. press out grease and drain.

while meat is cooking, make your mashed potatoes. stir in sour cream and shredded cheese while still hot. spread over meatloaf. serves 6.

* for freezer: line pan w/ waxed paper before pressing meat into pan. freeze before baking. once frozen, you can remove the meat from the pan and store in a freezer bag. when ready to make, return to loaf pan and thaw 2 days in fridge. bake as directed above and make mashed potatoes while it's baking. (you can probably make the mashed potatoes ahead of time, but i've never tried it since i generally use instant potatoes and not the real thing)