Marlboro man sandwiches

I've always wanted to make these sandwiches from Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. I finally got around to it and it was definitely worth it. Next time, I will definitely add mushrooms. Because, well, come on. We loooove mushrooms in this house.

I used leftover hamburger buns from the Fiesta burgers earlier in the week. I do wish I would've used kaiser rolls or french bread like the original recipe recommends.

Warning: There is a LOT of butter in this recipe. But that's one of the main reasons I love the Pioneer Woman. She isn't afraid to use the best ingredient there is. The meat took a little bit of love, but it was definitely well worth it.

Marlboro man sandwiches-adapted from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond
Total time: 25 minutes
Makes 4 sandwiches

• 1/2 cup butter, divided
• 1/4 red wine
• 2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds cube steak
• Seasoned salt, to taste
• Lemon pepper, to taste
• Chicago steak seasoning, to taste
• 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 5-6 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 4 hamburger buns
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a cast iron skillet, melt 1/4 cup butter and red wine over medium heat. Throw in onions and garlic. Saute 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.

Meanwhile, cut each piece of cube steak against the grain into 1-inch strips. Season to taste with seasoned salt, lemon pepper and Chicago steak seasoning. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan. Add just enough meat to fit in one layer on the pan. Cook about 1 minute then flip to the other side. Cook for another minute then remove to the same plate as the onions. Repeat with remaining meat. 

Return meat and onion mixture to the pan. Pour in Worcestershire, Tabasco sauce and 2 tablespoons butter. Simmer for about 5 minutes or until butter is melted.

Meanwhile, toast each side of the buns. Then place some meat and onions on the bottom side of the bun. Spoon a little bit of the pan juices on top of the meat to keep them moist. Top with mozzarella cheese, the other bun and enjoy!

Fiesta burgers

Oh man, these were some good burgers. Having cheese (cream cheese, none the less!) put in the middle of the burgers made them extra tasty. The added kick of the taco seasoning in the meat gave extra flavor. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef-you can use whatever you have on hand or prefer.

Since it's the middle end of February, I decided to not take these out to the grill like the recipe recommends. I made them right on the stove top and they were just as tasty.

I do have to say that these make some big burgers :)

Fiesta burgers-adapted from Classic Recipes by Kraft Philadelphia
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 burgers

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 package taco seasoning mix
• 1/4 cup chive and onion cream cheese spread
• 1/3 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 hamburger buns, split
• 1/2 cup chunky, medium salsa
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced

In a small bowl, mix meat and taco seasoning. Form meat into 8 thin patties.

In another small bowl, mix together cream cheese and cheddar cheese. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture onto center of a patty, then top with a second patty, sealing the edges by pinching them. Repeat with remaining patties and cheese.

Cook or grill on medium heat 7-9 minutes on each side or until cooked to desired temperature.

Place burger on the bottom bun, then top with avocado slices, salsa and the top half of the bun. Repeat with remaining burgers.

Freezer meal: Baked spahgetti

While making meals for my friends, I found this recipe in the Heat's Kitchen archives. As you can probably tell, I like to make new foods, so don't make the same thing again very often (unless it's a favorite).

Because the husband of the husband-wife pair I made this dish for doesn't like vegetables, I simplified this recipe quite a bit, so decided to repost!

Baked spaghetti-adapted from The General Store of Minnetonka Cookbook
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 5

• 8 ounces spaghetti
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 jar favorite pasta sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef and garlic over medium heat in a large saucepan. Drain off the fat. Add the spaghetti and sauce to the pan and mix well. 

Pour pasta into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with tinfoil and freeze in a freezer bag.

To make after freezing: Thaw in the refrigerator about 24 hours. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes still covered with tin foil. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Cottage pie

I don't know that I've ever truly had a shepard's pie. I worked for an Irish pub in college and we served it, but I never tried it. The meals always looked really good though. When I came across this recipe, I was excited to give it a try.

It wasn't anything spectacular, but was a very cozy food. I'd definitely call it a comfort food. I prepped it the night before, put it in the refrigerator then warmed it up instead of having to do everything the night of.

The original recipe calls for putting all the ingredients into four individual serving dishes. I definitely could've done this, however, since it's just me and Scott, I opted to make one big pan. Plus, I got to use one of my new Rachael Ray casserole dishes-isn't it awesome?!

Cottage pie-adapted from Dinner Tonight: Done! by Real Simple
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (about 3), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup carrots, diced

If you are assembling and cooking right away, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Otherwise, you can assemble these up to two days in advance, just add 10-15 minutes to the cook time.

Place the potatoes in a large pot filled with enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Drain and return to the pot. Add the milk, butter and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper to taste. Mash to desired consistency.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. Stir in ketchup, Worchestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Fold in carrots.

Transfer beef mixture to a baking dish (or individual baking dishes), and top with mashed potatoes. Baken until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Mongolian beef

I was so excited when I bought Bee Yinn Low's Easy Chinese Recipes. Chinese food is one of our favorite guilty pleasures, but if I can make a good stir fry, that's all I need. I also got a rocking wok for a wedding gift and it's the most amazing thing ever for stir fry. It's completely changed my life when it comes to stir fry. If you don't have one, go get one. If you don't have one-never fear-you can just use a skillet!

This Mongolian beef is one of our favorites so far! It has a lot of awesome flavor and is super easy to put together. The only thing I don't usually have on hand is the oyster sauce, but you should be able to find that in your local grocery store in the Asian food section (although, I did have to check a few times-it seemed to be hiding).

Scott is a huge fan of adding water chestnuts to stir fry. When I told him I was making Mongolian beef, he asked me to throw in some water chestnuts. I'd definitely recommend chopping them up a bit. But that's another great thing about stir fry-the majority of the flavor is in the sauce. Go ahead and add whatever veggies you like!

Mongolian beef-adapted from Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4
Marinade

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice wine
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 dashes white pepper

Stir fry

• 8 ounces flank steak. Cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-1 inch piece garlic, peeled and sliced thin
• 3 green onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
• 1 can water chestnuts, chopped
• Cooked rice, egg rolls or crab rangoon, for serving

Place all the ingredients for the marinade in a resealable bag. Place beef inside and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. 

When done marinating, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Stir-fry the beef until the beef is browned on  the outside but still pink inside. Place on a dish and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in the same wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions and water chestnuts and stir from until aromatic. Add back the beef and good until no longer pink, about 1-2 minutes. Serve beef mixture with rice, egg rolls and/or crab rangoon.

BBQ Shredded Beef

Using honey chipotle barbecue sauce may be my new favorite thing for shredded beef. It adds a bit of heat, but not too much that I don't like it. I did cook the beef on high for about 4 hours and it was very tough where it really didn't get shredded, but I had to slice it instead.

I know I don't normally post specific brands in my ingredient listings. You can certainly trade them out, but Sweet Baby Ray's is the only way to go for shredded beef in my opinion!

BBQ Shredded Beef-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 5 hours
Serves 8

• 3 pound beef chuck roast
• Garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste
• 1-16 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Chipotle BBQ Sauce
• 1 12-ounce can beer (I used Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
• 1-22 ounce bottle Sweet Baby Ray's Traditional BBQ Sauce
• Rolls and cheese for serving

Rub the roast with garlic salt and seasoned pepper to taste. Place roast in a greased 5-quart slow cooker and cover with remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

Take out beef and shred or slice. Return to slow cooker and serve with rolls.

Herbed rib roast

As part of one of our Christmas presents, Scott's dad bought us a giant rib roast! I was so excited to make it, and it gave us a great reason to try out our rotisserie (don't worry, I have instructions if you don't have a rotisserie too). It was absolutely phenomenal, and I can't wait to make it again as we had to cut the roast in half it was so big!

Herbed rib roast-adapated from Taste of Home
Total time: 1 hour 30 miniutes (rotisserie), 2 hours (oven)
Serves 8-10

• 1 beef ribeye roast (4-5 pounds)
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried majoram

Cut slits into the roast and insert the slices of garlic. Rub the roast with the seasonings. If making in a rotisserie: follow rotisserie instructions for loading and cook times. Ours took about 1 hour, 20 minutes.

If making in the oven: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place roast on a roasting pan fat side up. Bake uncovered for 2-2 1/2 hours or until cooked to desired doneness. (Medium rare is 145 degrees).

Baked manicotti

When I was going to the store, I had to Google the difference between cannelloni and manicotti. The original recipe calls for cannelloni, but I was struggling to find it. From reading online, I couldn't tell much of a difference, so just went with manicotti

Although it's a pain in the butt to stuff the manicotti's it wasn't as bad for me this time (see the last time I made manicotti here). I actually read the box (weird, right?) and cooled the manicotti on a baking sheet. It helped so much--and, as an added bonus, the noodles didn't stick together!

Anyway, this recipe also calls for you to make your own bechamel sauce. Scott absolutely LOVED this recipe. I would definitiely make it again. I was actually surprised as I didn't add any extra seasonings (or salt). The original recipe calls for using brats and removing the casings, but just using a 16-19oz package of regular Italian sausage will work too. It takes awhile to make (you need at least an hour), but it's totally worth it. Plus, you could probably put it together a day or so ahead of time.

One last thing, when it says large skillet, definitely use the biggest one you have! I got everything to fit in our standard, what I would call medium, pan with a bit of a raised edge, but it got a bit messy when I started stirring.

Baked manicotti-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, original recipe from Johnsonville
Total time: 1 hour
Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 16-19 ounces Italian sausage
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups milk
• 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 box (14 shells) manicotti
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

For the filling

In a large skillet, add oil, onion and mushrooms over medium heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Add sasauge, stir and cook until the onion is softened and the sausage is no longer pink. Set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, minus 2 minutes (mine was about 5). Drain, place on a baking sheet to cool.

For the bechamel sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degreesMelt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stirr until well incorporated. Slowly add milk and whisk together until smooth. Continue whisking as mixture comes to a slow boil and begins to thicken. Stir half the sauce into the sausage mixture and reserve the other half to pour over the manicotti. Add 12 ounces shredded mozzarella to the sausage mixture and stir while adding in the egg yolks. Cover and set aside if pasta is not yet cool enough.

Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 inch greased baking dish. Spoon filling into each pasta tube carefully by starting at one end and pushing through with a spoon or your finger.

Nestle the manicotti in the sauce and cover with remaining sauce (if there is any extra sausage mixture, but this on top as well). Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Bake for 45 minutes or until heated through and the cheese starts to turn golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Beef Stroganoff

This is a super simple, throw it in the slow cooker, and eat when you get home. I've made this recipe twice now. This first time, I used my Homemade Cream of Anything Mix. I will say, I prefer using the canned stuff, but only because it makes it a bit thicker.

Using the Homemade Cream of Anything Mix

Using the canned cream of mushroom and cream of celery 

Beef Stroganoff-adapted from my friend Ashley's recipe
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 2-3 pound sirloin, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 package dry onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup water (more if it gets dry)
• 1 cup sour cream
• Noodles or rice for serving (I prefer egg noodles)

Place sirloin in the bottom of a lightly greased 5 quart slow cooker. Top with soups, soup mix and water. Cover and cook and low for at least 6 hours or until beef is cooked.

About a half hour before serving, stir in sour cream, recover and keep on low. Serve with egg noodles.

Sugar-Grilled Steaks

This recipe was one of those that I was a bit hesitant to try. I mean, sugar....on steaks? Steak is one of my favorite foods so I'm always hesitant to try something new. Kind of like a 'If it's not broke, don't fix it' type mentality.

This was a wonderful new twist on steak that I'd definitely make again. The sugar glazed and almost tasted like a barbecue sauce to me.

Sugar-Grilled Steaks-adapated from Beer Can Chicken by Steven Raichlen
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 4 boneless strip steaks
• Kosher salt and black pepper for seasoning
• 3-4 tablespoons granulated sugar

Season the meat to taste with kosher salt and pepper. Use a bit more than normal to off-set the sweetness. Then rub in 1/2 tablespoon of sugar to each side of the steak.

Once a grill is heated, grill about 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Transfer to a plate and let rest for 2 minutes before serving.

Beef Stroganoff

I finally made a beef stroganoff recipe that didn't suck! The first few times I've tried since we moved back to the Milwaukee area (three years ago), they failed miserably. I thought this recipe had really great flavor! I think I'll use a true can of cream of mushroom soup next time. I've been using this mix, but I wanted it to be just a tad thicker! I served with potatoes, but you can serve with pasta too (I prefer egg noodles). I'm not sure where I got the recipe, so no credit, unfortunately.

Beef Stroganoff
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup beef broth
• 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup fat free sour cream
• Pasta or potatoes for serving

Place all ingredients except pasta and potatoes in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is cooked through. Serve with pasta or potatoes.

Beef and Lentil Bake

I don't know that I've ever had lentils in my life. I was a bit worried about this recipe, but figured I'd give it a try. Truth be told, Scott nor I really loved it but maybe it's just an aquired taste. I'm not quite sure :) We used the leftover beef from the 40 Clove Garlic Beef-I love those secondary uses!

Beef and Lentil Bake-adapted from The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook by Erin Chase
Total Time: 1 hour
Serves 4

• 1 cup green lentils
• 2 cups shredded, leftover, cooked beef roast
• 1 cup white rice, cooked
• 8 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan, add the green lentils and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer, tightly covered, for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Drain.

In a small bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Spray an 8x8 inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the lentils, rice, beef and sauce. Top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese has melted.

40 Clove Garlic Beef

As I've said many times before, the slow cooker is my friend. This recipe takes a bit of extra preparation by peeling the garlic cloves, but it's so worth it! The roast is so incredibly tender and flavorful. I love eating the cloves! I served this with mashed potatoes and the cooking liquid was a great 'gravy'. I'm putting it in quotes because it's a bit thinner than normal gravy :)

40 Clove Garlic Beef-adapted from The MotherHOOD
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 6

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut into rings
• 1 1/2 pound round beef roast
• 40 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Remove and set aside. 

Place beef in a 5-quart slow cooker. Top with the remainder of ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until beef is cooked through and tender. 

Mongolian Beef

It's been so long since I made this that I honestly don't remember it. I know I didn't hate it. It's a new slow cooker recipe to try!

Mongolian Beef-adapted from Crock Pot 365
Total Time: 6 hours
Serves 4

• 1 1/2 pounds stir fry beef
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish

In a large ziplog bag, dredge the beef in the cornstarch. Place in a 5-quart slow cooker and top with garlic, onion and hoisin. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until beef is cooked through. Serve with rice.

Pot Roast

Pot roast is a favorite at my house, or at least for me. It brings back memories from my child hood. Pretty sure we had pot roast every Sunday at my Gramma's house. I love the slow cooker recipes for pot roast because it's done when I get home-delicious!

Pot Roast-adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Total Time: 7 hours
Serves 4

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 2 cups baby carrots
• 14.5 ounces beef broth
• 1 ounce package dry onion soup mix
• 1 tablespoons Worcestershire
• 1/4 cup A-1 steak sauce
• 3/4 cup water

Season beef with salt and pepper. Place into a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Place onion and carrots over beef and mix in rest of the ingredients. Cook an low for 7 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with carrots and onions.

French Dip Au Jus

Embarrassing story time. The very first time I had a hangover I went to Perkins and ordered a French dip with mozzarella and fries with ranch. Ever since, it's a typical hangover meal for me. I didn't make this recipe for a hangover, but it was pretty awesome. Make sure to get some great hoagies or french bread for the sandwiches.

French Dip Au Jus-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School
Total Time: 8 Hours
Serves 8

• 1-1/2 teaspoon beef bouillon
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 pound beef rump roast
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 8 cups water
• 8 single-serve hoagie buns
• 8 slices mozzarella
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced mushrooms

In a small bowl, combine beef bouillon and thyme. Rub over beef roast. Place in a 5-quart slow cooker, and add the onion, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and water. 

Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender. Remove meat and let stand for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and saute mushrooms until tender. Slice beef and place on hoagies with a slice of mozzarella. Serve with the au jus.

Upside Down Pizza

I made this recipe for a girl's night and it was a hit! There was so much flavor and cheesy goodness in this that I didn't want to stop eating it! Just like the Pizza Burgers, you could add your favorite pizza toppings in this casserole (or whatever you have on hand). I love casseroles for that reason!

Upside Down Pizza-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time 45 Minutes
Serves 8

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 3 ounce black olives, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons, plus 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
• 15 ounces tomato sauce
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 425. In a large skillet, brown Italian sausage with onion, mushrooms, black olives and garlic. Drain once meat is no longer pink and return to skillet. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, basil, fennel seed and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 minutes.

Transfer meat mixture to an ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan and stir in mozzarella and cream cheese. In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup flour, eggs, milk, olive oil, salt and Parmesan cheese until smooth. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Pizza Burgers

I saw this recipe and I was so excited to try it! Everything about this screams delicious! It was so easy, although would've been better if I could've grilled the burgers, but they tasted just as good on a skillet! Next time I might chop up some onion or mushroom to put in the burgers, but overall this was a good recipe.

Pizza Burgers-adapted from American Classics by Taste of Home
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 English muffins, split and toasted
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce

In a large bowl, combine the egg, Parmesan, onion, and seasonings. Add in turkey and mix well. Shape into four patties

Cook burgers on a heated skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Top burgers with cheese, and steam about 2-3 more minutes until melted. Serve on muffins with pizza sauce.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

As part of my Christmas gifts this year, I wanted to cook a few things. To do this, I made my very good friend Ashley, who just had her third daughter (!), some casseroles that can be frozen for up to three months. Since she has two little ones that would eat this, and a sometimes-picky husband, I decided to go with a standard pasta without anything too crazy to it. I didn't get to try this dish as I gave them to her, but they looked tasty!

This recipe is enough for two 9x13 inch pans. Each can be frozen up to 3 months before cooking.

Pizza Pasta Casserole-adapted from Taste of Home
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Serves 16

• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 32 ounces spaghetti sauce
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces pepperoni slices

Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook beef, onions and garlic over medium heat until meat is browned. Drain, return to pan and add spaghetti sauce and cooked pasta until heated through.

Turn pasta into two greased 9x13 inch pans. Top evenly with mozzarella and pepperoni. If cooking immediately, cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Freeze the other casserole. When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.

Mini Cheeseburger Pies

I recently went to the Taste of Home Cooking School at the Waukesha County Expo. This is the fourth time I've gone to one of these shows! They're a little repetitive, a little cheesy, but you still get some great food tips, cookbooks and other swag that makes it totally worth it! This recipe was one of the ones that was demoed. I almost didn't make it, but it smelled so good when she made it, and Scott seems to like things made with Bisquick!

These were incredibly good! They were moist, but so easy to just pop in your mouth! I used ground turkey instead of ground beef as that was what I had on hand. I didn't have any tomatoes or sliced pickles (totally thought I did though), but they really just need some ketchup or ranch! These are perfect for those nights that you just don't know what to make. I don't know about you, but I usually have pancake mix and some form of ground beef on hand! I also think these would be great with Italian sausage next time!

Mini Cheeseburger Pies-adapted from Taste of Home Cooking School, Fall 2013
Total Time:  45 Minutes
Serves 6

• 1 pound ground beef or turkey
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup pancake mix
• 2 eggs
• Ketchup, mustard, tomatoes, pickles, optional for garnish

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 12-tin muffin cups with baking spray.

In a large skillet, cook beef, garlic and onion over medium heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Drain. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, pancake mix and eggs until blended. Spoon scant 1 tablespoon of mixture into bottom of each muffin tin. Top with 1/4 cup of the burger mixture, and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon baking mixture onto the burger in each tin.

Bake 20-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes. With a spoon or thin knife, loosen sides of muffins from the pan and serve with garnishes, if desired.