Main Dish
Jim LOVES Mexican food! Anything with beans and beef is a fast favorite for him. This dish is no different. If I say a burrito is on the menu he is already at the table! This recipe is simple and perfect for a weeknight dinner. It is also easily customized to your taste. If you want more spice, add some canned chopped jalapeños, if you want to use different cheese go for it! Serve with salsa and sour cream, add a salad and rice and beans and your dinner is done.
Note- this is slightly adapted from the original Taste of Home Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can refried beans (16 ounce)
6 flour tortillas (12 inches)
1 cup shredded Colby Monterey Jack cheese
4 teaspoons canola oil
Sour cream for serving
Salsa for serving
DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink, drain and stir in the taco seasoning stirring well to combine. Add in the desired about of refried beans (I used about 1/2 the can). Stir to combine with beef and warm through, add the cheese and stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat.
With one tortilla at a time, fill the tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the beef/bean mixture. Fold the sides of the tortilla and roll setting aside with the seam side down. Follow this for each tortilla.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the canola oil. Add the burritos a couple at a time until browned on both sides. This does not take long so don’t leave the stove! Serve warm with salsa and sour cream.
Enjoy!
Every once in a while Jim has to travel for a few weeks at a time with the NH Army Guard. He was recently on a four-week trip and I wanted to make him a nice cozy dinner when he got home. Let’s face it there is nothing better than a home cooked meal. I wanted to make something I don’t usually make so I decided on a Ree Drummond (Pioneer Woman) recipe for Braised Beef Short Ribs. This was absolutely the perfect recipe, lots of flavor! The meat was so tender it was falling off the bone and made the house smell terrific all afternoon! I will definitely be making this again many more times. I served this with salad and mashed potatoes…the perfect side dishes for the beef ribs.
INGREDIENTS
8 whole beef short ribs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup all purpose flour
6 pieces of Pancetta, diced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 whole medium onion, diced
3 whole carrots, diced
2 shallots, peeled and finely minced
2 cups red wine
2 cups beef broth
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprig of Rosemary
DIRECTIONS
Salt and pepper the ribs then dredge in flour and set aside. In a large dutch oven cook pancetta over medium heat until crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove pancetta and set aside keeping the grease in the pan. Add olive oil to the pan with the pancetta grease. Raise the heat to medium/high heat. Add the ribs to the hot pan and brown the ribs on all sides. Remove ribs from the pan setting aside. Turn the heat down to medium. Add onions, carrots and shallots to the pan and cook for a couple minutes. Pour in the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan releasing any bits that are on the bottom of the pan, bring to a boil and cook two minutes. Add broth, 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper, taste for seasoning adding more salt or pepper if needed. Add the ribs back in with the liquid. They should be almost all the way submerged. Add pancetta back in along with the whole sprigs of thyme and rosemary to the liquid. Put the lid on and place in the oven and cook at 350 degrees for two hours, reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook for 30-45 more minutes. Ribs should be fork tender and falling off the bone. Remove pan from oven and allow to sit for 20 minutes with the lid on before serving. Just before serving skim off any fat from the top. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
This is a great make ahead dish that can be served warm or cold! I made the salad portion of this dish the night before and just before serving I cooked the beef mixture and served that warm on top of the salad. Super simple on a busy weeknight! This would also be a great dish in the summer served cold with the meat mixture layered on the bottom of the salad layers.
INGREDIENTS
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 small can green chilis, not drained
1 head of iceburg lettuce, outer leaves removed, chopped
1 packet taco seasoning
1 cup ranch sour cream mixture , divided (recipe below)
1 (15 ounce can) of beans, black beans are great, well drained
1 small can corn, drained
1/2 cup chopped red onion
8 ounces of your favorite salsa
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 pound bacon, fried and chopped, optional
Sliced Jalapeño peppers, can also used pickled jalapeños
1 tomato, diced and seeds removed
Crushed tortilla chips or Doritos to top salad
RANCH SOUR CREAM MAYO
3/4 cup real mayo
1/4 cup sour cream
1 Tablespoon dry ranch mix
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.
DIRECTIONS
In a 9 x 13 in glass baking dish layer half of the chopped iceburg lettuce in the bottom of the pan top with half of the ranch sour cream mayo and spread evenly across the lettuce. Layer beans, corn and onions on an even layer on top of the sour cream layer. Layer the second have of lettuce on an even layer pressing down slightly. Next is the remaining sour cream mixture spread evenly again. Top with salsa, cheese, bacon and tomatoes layering all evenly across the dish. You can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
Before serving, brown the ground beef in a skillet adding the can of chili’s and taco seasoning. Cook until beef is cooked through. To serve layer the salad on the plate, top with beef mixture and crushed chips if desired.
Enjoy!
Meet my friend A
nn! Ann is a good friend from Massachusetts. She is a retired police officer and also a graduate of Chez Boucher in Hampton, NH. Ann loves to cook and try new recipes and like myself is an avid cookbook collector. This is Ann’s recipe and I know you are going to love it!
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon minced chipotle chili in Adobo sauce
1 Tablespoon Adobo sauce
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press or finely diced
1 Pound Beef Brisket, trimmed
1 (15 ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 Jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
INGREDIENTS FOR SLAW
1/2 bosc pear
1 small cucumber
1 carrot
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
SOUR CREAM AND LIME CREME INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons sour cream
1 Tablespoon Lime juice
Zest of one lime
Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS
Combine the first 9 ingredients (through garlic) in a small bowl stirring to combine. Rub mixture into brisket. Arrange tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and jalapeño pepper in the bottom of a six quart slow cooker. Place the brisket on top of the vegetables and drizzle any remaining spice mixture over the brisket and vegetables, cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Remove brisket from the slow cooker and shred the meat using two forks. Return the brisket to the cooker and toss with vegetables.
FOR THE SLAW
Cut the pear, cucumber and carrot into matchstick pieces (long thin slices). Toss with the rest of the slaw ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
FOR THE SOUR CREAM AND LIME CREMA
Mix all ingredients and refrigerate until serving. To serve, simply place some of the beef and vegetables to a warm tortilla, add slaw and a dollop of sour cream crema and serve!
Enjoy!
No recipes this week. Have a wonderful Holiday with your family and friends.
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