Cheeseburger Macaroni

This recipe is addictive and can definitely feed a family of five for $10.  It started as a Rachel Ray recipe and was passed to me through my sister, but between our adjustments, it's now our recipe.  Okay, so I'm going to give you the recipe to feed your family at dinner AND your husband or kids the next day.  Here we go.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. elbow macaroni
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (80/20 blend will give you the most flavor)
4 stalks of celery
2 small onions (or more....I normally use one large onion)
4 handfuls of baby carrots OR 4 large carrots
Few tablespoons of olive oil
2 packets of Goya's Sazon
1 cup of yellow mustard (I normally use 1 1/2 cups)
2 cups of ketchup
3-4 cups of beef broth
2 cups of cheddar cheese (or MUCH more!)


Cooking Instructions:

1.  Cook your pasta per instructions on box.  Don't forget to add salt to the water!

2.  Finely chop the celery, carrots, and onions.  Using a food processor for this will make your life much easier.

 

 

 

3.  Heat a pan with olive oil on medium-high heat.  Add the chopped ingredients, ground beef, and Sazon packets.  Stir so the seasoning starts flavoring everything.

4.  Once the beef is browned, add the ketchup, mustard, and three cups of beef broth.  Turn heat to medium and let cook for a few minutes.  You want the mixture to thicken up, but if you feel it's too thick, go ahead and add the extra cup of beef broth.

5.  Drain pasta and add it to the beef mixture.  Mix together well so every single piece of pasta is coated.

6.  Grease a baking dish and add this delicious pasta.  Then, top with all of the cheddar cheese your little heart desires.  Put it under the broiler until the cheese is golden and bubbly.

 

7.  Unbutton your jeans and dig in!

 

Stuffed Peppers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1-lb. ground turkey/beef

1 package Mexican rice or yellow rice

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 pouch of Cheddar cheese

Large peppers (1-lb. beef fills about 4 peppers)

This happens to be super yummy and healthy stuffed peppers in the making.  Lately the entire crew has been enjoying Mexican food so it's my "go to" list at least once a week.  The boys LOVE peppers so I decided to give this recipe a whirl.

My recipes tend to vary as I use whatever ingredients are in the refrigerator and pantry, but here's the jist of it.  Feel free to adjust to your liking.

1.) Turn oven to 350*

2.) Cook rice as directed

3.) Brown turkey/beef

4.) While the meat is browning and the rice is cooking wash, cut, and "gut" the peppers

5.) Steam the peppers until they soften

6.) Add taco seasoning to the turkey or beef

7.) Combine the ground beef/turkey with the rice

8.) Fill each pepper with the rice and beef/turkey mixture about half way and sprinkle with a bit a cheese on top. Fill the remainder of the pepper and cover with cheese.

9.) Bake the peppers until the cheese begins to bubble.

;)  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pecan Cake

If you hate to bake like me, but want to feel like you're putting in all of the effort in the kitchen that The Pioneer Woman seems to, you HAVE to try this recipe.   Make sure to read it to the end before jumping in.  I say that from experience.  The first time I made this, I read one cup of butter, however, my brain processed it as one stick.  So….I was one stick short and it tasted that way.  ;)   The second time I made the recipe, I wasn’t paying attention and prepared the cake mix according to the instructions on the cake box.  Bad choice…..I’ll leave it at that.


Ingredients:

 

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree’

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3 large eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 box yellow cake mix

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

1 cup of melted butter 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Spray 9”x13” cake pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together the following ingredients:  pumpkin puree’, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Pour this mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.

 

 

 

Next sprinkle DRY CAKE MIX over the pumpkin mixture.

 

 

Sprinkle pecans over the delicious creation. 

 

 

Finally, drizzle melted butter over pecans.

Bake for 50-55 minutes.

You’re going to want to dig into this baby the second it comes out of the oven, but firstly, it’ll be HOT (not like the way Miley Cyrus is desperately attempting to be, but hot like “Oh my gosh, I need water….NOW”).  Secondly, it is so much better about 30 minutes after resting from the oven.  Enjoy it!!