Mexican Rice Bake

You can't go wrong with Mexican food, at least not at my house.  My kids will always eat it if I say it is "Mexican food."  This recipe is from "Family Feasts for $75 a Week."  This cookbook has some great, simple recipes and it also has some great tips for shopping and saving money.

This is a casserole type meal.  I serve it with either corn chips and salad or homemade flour/corn tortillas and other burrito type fillings such as lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, salsa and of course some extra cheese.

MEXICAN RICE BAKE

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 (14 oz.) can tomato puree (2 cups)
• 3 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
• 1 T. chili powder
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. brown sugar
• 1/4 t. ground cumin
• 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Preheat a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron (I use a magic pot), until hot.  Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking into small pieces.  Reduce heat to medium low, and drain off the excess fat.  Stir in onion, garlic and and bell pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften.  Add remaining ingredients, up to black pepper, cooking over medium-high heat until simmering.  If you are not using a cast iron skillet or magic pot, carefully pour contents of skillet into a 2 quart ovenproof casserole  dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until rice is tender.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.

*The magic pot.  What is that?  The magic pot is any cast iron skillet that is coated with enamel.  I have a couple, but my favorite is my 3 quart, casserole size, which you see above.  It is a Tramontina, which I got for a steal at Tuesday Morning. 

You can find more great ideas at Works for me Wednesday. 

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If you want to join through me and earn me more bucks....click on the Swag Bucks box at the bottom of this blog.  It is easy to sign up for.   Once you download he search engine, you are ready to go. 

Green Bean Casserole

This recipe is long over due.  What did you leave out for Santa on Christmas Eve?  Did you just leave the traditional cookies and milk?  We knew better.  We knew he was sick of cookies and milk.  Santa loves bacon, onions and garlic fried together.  Just the aroma alone made him leave more gifts!

I would also like to say this casserole has nothing from a can.  Yes people, you can make green bean casserole without cream of fungus soup. 

Check out the happy grin!

The recipe called for blanched green beans.  I like mine a little softer, so I steamed them for about 20 minutes.

After making the roux, mix in the bacon, onion and garlic mixture. 

 

Now add in 1 jar of drained pimentos.  So purdy.

I have a couple of magic pots.  This magic pot is a 3 quart magic pot, so it holds the same amount as a 13x9 inch Pyrex.  You could of course make this in another, non-oven proof pan and then bake it in a 13x9 inch Pyrex, but magic pots make everything taste better.

Oh yes, and toss green beans with the yummy, drink it from a straw sauce.

All mixed up and ready to bake.

All golden brown, bubbly and totally amazing.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

The original recipe can be found at Pioneer Woman.

• 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, Ends Cut Off (Frozen work fine too...that is what I used)
• 4 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• ½ whole Large Onion, Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
• 2-½ cups Whole Milk
• ½ cups Half-and-half
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt, More To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• ⅛ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 jar (4 Ounce) Sliced Pimentos, Drained
• Extra Milk For Thinning If Necessary

Cut green beans in half if you like pieces to be a little smaller.  Steam green beans for 20 minutes or  blanch. Add bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for two minutes, then add diced onion and garlic and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bacon is done (but not crisp) and onions are golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.  In a separate skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and half and half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne then add the grated cheddar. Stir while cheese melts. Turn off heat.  Add pimentos to pan, then add bacon/onion mixture. Stir to combine. Pour over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

Please see Tasty Tuesday for more yummy recipes.

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

We had these this morning.  They were yummy and warm and I should have split mine open and slathered it with butter, but I am trying to set a good example for the children.

APPLE CINNAMON MUFFINS

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup organic cane sugar or brown sugar
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk (I used yogurt)
• 1 t. vanilla
• 4 T. melted butter or canola oil
• 1 tart apple (I used Granny Smith), peeled and diced fine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan to your liking.  I use nonstick spray.  Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine eggs, yogurt or buttermilk, vanilla and butter. Gently combined wet and dry ingredients. (I never use a separate bowl...I just throw the wet stuff in with the dry stuff.)  Fold in apples.  Divide among 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until tester comes out clean.  Enjoy warm and slather with butter if you dare.

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Is The Sassy Chicken Dead?

No, she is just sittin' on an egg.

Vegetable Beef Soup

Money Saving Mom posted this recipe on her blog the other day.  I thought it looked tasty.  I changed a few things to fit what I had around the kitchen and the result was a delicious and thick and hearty soup.  Everyone loved it but the boy.  The boy only likes peanut butter or grilled cheese.  Oh well.  I am sure he will expand his pallet someday. 

Vegetable Beef Soup

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• 4 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 2 cups celery, diced
• 4 (14.5 oz. each) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 c. white or brown rice, uncooked
• 10 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 1-1/2 tablespoons salt
• 2 bay leaves

Brown ground beef and onion together until lightly browned. Drain off excess fat.  Add all remaining ingredients and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered for another 2 to 4 hours.  Stir occasionally and add more water if needed. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary and a few cranks of black pepper. Remove bay leaves before serving.  This will make 18 to 20 cups of soup...enough to feed a crowd.  I would imagine this could easily be done in a crock pot (or probably 2).  Just brown beef and onion, and then throw the rest in the crock pots.  I am quite sure you would need two.  I have never heard of anyone having 2 crock pots.  I have often thought 2 would be handy, especially when making stew and it is hard to fit all the potatoes in!  I was inspired to consider another crock pot by Kim at Large Family Logistics who has...drum roll please...FIVE crock pots!  Now that is some serious large family cooking.

Homemade Fire Starters

Our primary source of heat these days is a wood burning stove.  I have been meaning to make these since we moved and finally got around to it on Saturday.  When Rowdy got up on Sunday morning and started the fire I asked him what he thought.  He said "I am not sure if these are fire starters or bombs."  I guess he thought they worked okay.  The best part is these can be free or at the very least a lot cheaper than buying fire starters! 

What you need:

• Paper egg cartons
• Dryer lint
• Old candles or Paraffin blocks from the store
• Coffee can

Place egg cartons on newspaper.  Stuff egg cartons with lint.  Dryer lint is highly flammable and really gets things cookin'.  Melt your old candles or paraffin in a coffee can placed in a pot of simmering water.  (Okay, so I don't use a coffee can.  I use an applesauce can.  Coffee from a can is wrong!)  Once the wax has melted pour over the lint.  Let dry.  Cut apart into desired size.  We use 4 egg slots for one fire.