Egg Roll in a Bowl (low carb)

My coworker McKayla had this for lunch the other day and it smelled great! She was sweet enough to share the recipe and it did not disappoint! 

1 lb. ground meat (I used beef but pork or chicken would be great too) 

Onion (green/red/white)

3T sesame oil

¾ T garlic

3T low sodium soy sauce

2T Rice vinegar

2T Grated ginger

1T olive oil

1 bag cauliflower rice – cooked per bag directions

1 bag Asian salad kit - greens only (Hyvee also has a Dole brand. If you want added crunch, save the wontons to top your bowl once it’s cooked.) or a medium chopped head of cabbage

Brown meat & onion. Meanwhile mix all remaining ingredients together (except cabbage and rice). Once meat is cooked, add cabbage, cauliflower rice & sauce and sauté to desired doneness.

I added a tablespoon of siraracha and drizzled with sweet chili sauce.  Delicious! 

Low-Carb Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 packet onion soup mix

1 bag shredded colby jack (or your cheese of choice)

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Topping:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350.  Brown burger and drain excess fat. 

While you're waiting for the meat to brown mix together all topping ingredients. Stir well.

After meat is cooked, thoroughly mix in onion soup mix. Mix in ¾ bag of shredded cheese. Place in greased casserole dish

Cover top of casserole with topping mixture. Add remaining cheese evenly on top of mixture. Bake for 40 minutes. 

This casserole was amazing! I'm not sure how, but it tasted like tater tot casserole, minus the carbs. Super easy to make and hit the spot on a cold rainy night in Iowa. 

Lyndee's Lazy Day Tacos

I walked to the kitchen about 15 times yesterday, hoping each time I opened the fridge door that some food would’ve magically appeared. I was feeling so lazy I didn’t even want to go out and pick up food at a restaurant.  A friend suggested that tacos make everything better and I couldn’t disagree with that logic at all.  I whipped these up and I was not disappointed! They took little effort and totally hit the spot. 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1 small onion

1 tbsp. minced garlic

Hot sauce

Salt and pepper

3 tbsp. taco seasoning

¾ cup water

Small flour tortillas

Toppings

Shredded cheese

Feta cheese

Green onions

Salsa or pico

Cilantro

Brown ground beef with chopped onion, minced garlic, a few dashes of hot sauce and salt and pepper.  Drain. Add the taco seasoning and ¾ cup of water.  Stir and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

Spray small pan with cooking spray and cook tortilla a few minutes on each side to warm. You can also throw tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds too.

Garnish with the cheese and toppings of your choice! I like shredded Colby jack, feta cheese, green onion, cilantro and salsa.  But feel free to add olives, sour cream, tomatoes or anything else that floats your boat. 

Italian Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

1/2 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground mild Italian sausage

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 C. chopped bell pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. parsley

1 egg, beaten

3/4 C. crushed ritz crackers (or you could use Italian bread crumbs)

2 slices white bread, crumbled

1 T. milk

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 3/4 C. for topping (I used colby jack) 

1/4 C. parmesan cheese

1 C. marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 C. more for topping

In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over med. high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the meats, onion and peppers along with all remaining ingredients reserving 3/4 C. mozzarella cheese for topping. Combine everything well. Once it has all come together, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice.

Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 C. of the marinara sauce on top and spread around. Place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle a little dry basil over the top. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Make sure the meat is not pink before serving, baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your loaf.

I've never been a meatloaf fan but this was phenomenal. Almost like a noodle free lasagna. 

Sriracha ranch and bacon cheeseburger sliders

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 package king’s Hawaiian rolls

6 pieces bacon, cooked and cut in half

½ cup ranch dressing

2 tbsp sriracha

Cheese slices (I recommend sharp cheddar or pepperjack)

4 tbsp butter

Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix together the ranch and sriracha sauce. Set aside.

Brown ground beef and drain. I seasoned with salt and pepper and added some minced garlic and chopped white onions. Mix ground beef and ranch sauce.

Put the bottom of the rolls in the baking dish. Butter and sprinkle with garlic powder.

Spread the ground beef and sauce over them. Top with cooked bacon, cheese and top with the top half of the rolls. Mix the butter and garlic salt together and spread over the top of the rolls.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve immediately.

Cowboy Supper

This is one of my friend Mel’s favorite childhood meals. And I can see why! In the spirit of the American cowboy throwing together a hearty meal out on the trail over a camp fire, we bring you the aptly named “cowboy supper”.  Dump all the ingredients together and bingo!

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 can pork and beans

½ onion, chopped

1 tbsp minced garlic

Salt and pepper

In a skillet, sauté onions and garlic.  Add hamburger and pork and beans. Salt and pepper to taste.  Cook until meat is browned and serve in a bowl.

You can eat this plain or with a dash of ketchup. We did ours with some siracha and it was hearty, spicy goodness.   

Baked million dollar spaghetti…with a twist

I’ve seen this recipe all over Pinterest and decided to try it but I switched it up a bit. I used a sausage and ground beef mix and added alfredo, red pepper flakes and Italian seasoning. It did not disappoint!

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 can spaghetti sauce (I used Hunts)

1 jar alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tbsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tbsp. parmesan cheese 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet add the beef, onions, garlic, salt and pepper into the pan and cook on high. Once browned, turn off the heat, drain the liquid left in the pan and mix in half a cup of spaghetti sauce and half a cup of alfredo. Add the cooked spaghetti to the remaining 5 cups of the spaghetti sauce and alfredo, toss to combine. Mix the cream cheese, red pepper flakes, parmesan, Italian seasoning and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese in a bowl. Add half the pasta/sauce to the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Add the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta/sauce mixture. Add the meat sauce mixture on top of the pasta and top with remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let set for a few minutes before cutting like a lasagna and serving. 

Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti, cooked two minutes shy of directions and drained

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Kosher salt and pepper to taste (I used ½ teaspoon Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper)

6 cups Quick and Easy Marinara Sauce

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

parsley, chopped (optional as a garnish) 

Easy enchilada dip

This is one of our family favorite throw together meals when we’re enjoying a quite night at home watching movies or football.

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 can enchilada sauce

½ block of velveeta (give or take to taste)

1 small jar salsa

Tortilla chips

Brown ground beef and drain.  Add enchilada sauce and let cook for a few minutes.  Add salsa and velveeta until melted and warmed through.  Serve with tortilla chips.

If you want to give it a little more kick, use rotel instead of salsa and add a few dashes of hot sauce.  

Cold day casserole

I could call this “what I had on hand” casserole but that doesn’t seem to have the same ring to it.  Seeing how its -10 degrees here today, I wanted to bake something warm to in the oven.  The pictures do not do it justice! It’s like a sloppy joe loaded mashed potato explosion.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 can cream of mushroom

1/3 cup bbq sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s sweet and spicy)

Diced onions

Minced garlic

1 packet Idahoan butter homestyle mashed potatoes (large size)

½ stick of butter

1 block cream cheese

Shredded cheese

Bacon crumbles

Green onion

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown ground beef with some diced onion and a heaping scoop of minced garlic.  Drain and mix in cream of mushroom soup and bbq sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Prepare potatoes as directed (basically mine was boil four cups of water). Whip potatoes with a fork.  Add butter and cream cheese to potatoes.

Spread meat mixture on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.  Then layer the potatoes over the top.  Sprinkle with bacon bits and shredded cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until cheese is starting to brown.  Garnish with green onion and serve.  

Hamburger Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

3 cups thinly sliced potatoes (either peeled or with thin skins)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup milk

1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 tsp. hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease an 11 x 7 (2 quart) glass baking dish. In medium skillet, cook the onions and ground beef until done. Drain the grease. Add milk, soup, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Stir together with burger.  Layer half of the potatoes, soup mixture and cheese. Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, soup mixture and then the cheese. Sprinkle with green onions.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Crockpot Beef Hash – Freezer Meal

Ingredients:

1 ½ lb. ground beef

16 oz. frozen hash browns

1 onion, chopped

3 Tbsp dry onion soup mix

1 C. beef broth (I used a full can)

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 c. shredded cheese

Label gallon size freezer bag with recipe, date and instructions. Place all ingredients except for the cheese in bag and seal.  Put in freezer. 

To cook:

Thaw overnight in fridge.  Dump in crockpot. Cook 4-6 hours.  Cover with shredded cheese and cook another 20 minutes. 

The picture I took doesn’t do it justice.  It may not look great but this was so good and easy to make!

Amish Country Casserole

Ingredients:

12-14 oz. box of your favorite pasta

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can tomato soup

1 can mushroom soup

1 cup milk

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 cup shredded Colby jack cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large oven dish with cooking spray.  Cook the pasta, in a large pot, per the instructions on the packet. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until done.  As soon as the pasta is done - drain and return to the pot. Add the cooked meat, soups, Worcestershire, cheese and milk to the pasta. Stir and season to taste with salt & pepper. Transfer to the prepared oven dish. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley.  Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve. 

Twice-Baked Potato Pie with BBQ Meatloaf Crust

Ingredients:

Mashed Potatoes:

1 packet of Idahoan loaded baked potato mix.  Make as directed and add a bit of butter, salt & pepper, dash of garlic and some jalapeno cream cheese.   Or you can make your own loaded mashed from scratch. 

BBQ Meatloaf:

1 lb ground beef

½ cup crushed saltine crackers

½ cup minced onion

½ tsp salt

½ tsp montreal steak seasoning

½ tsp minced garlic or garlic powder

1 egg

3 tbsp plus 3 tbsp BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)

Toppings:

shredded cheese

green onions

cooked, diced bacon

diced tomatoes

Directions: 

Make mashed potatoes as directed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine uncooked beef, crackers, onion, salt, garlic powder, egg and 3 tbsp BBQ sauce. Press into ungreased 9" pie plate or 9" square baking dish and up the sides to form the crust. Brush meatloaf with remaining 3 tbsp BBQ sauce.

Cover with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with tomatoes, bacon and green onions (or any other toppings you want!).

Baked Spaghetti Pie

This is what would happen if lasagna and spaghetti had a baby...

Ingredients:

½ package of spaghetti, cooked

1 lb. of lean ground beef or Italian sausage

1 jar spaghetti sauce

2 Tbsp. cottage cheese

2 Tbsp. jalapeno cream cheese

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cook and drain spaghetti noodles.  In a separate pan, brown and drain your meat.  Mix meat, spaghetti sauce, cottage cheese, cream cheese and 1 cup of shredded cheese. 

Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray, and then add spaghetti noodles. Top with sauce mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.  Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.  Serve with garlic bread and salad.

The original recipe did not call for the cottage or cream cheese but I’m glad I added it. You could do Ricotta too.  They added a nice creamy element to the mixture.  This made a 9x13 pan and was super filling. I’ve been eating leftovers for days and even took some to a friend to have. Next time I will try it with sausage instead of beef for some extra flavor.  

White Trash Casserole

I have to admit, the name of this recipe intrigued me.  It looked simple and included ingredients I had on hand so I decided to give it a shot last night.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. mince garlic

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can corn, drained

Small brick of Velveeta, cut into cubes

Tater Tots

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown beef and onion together then drain. (The original recipe doesn’t call for minced garlic but I added it and was glad I did.)  Mix cream of mushroom with the ground beef.  Spread beef mixture in bottom of a casserole dish. Layer corn, Velveeta, and tater tots. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to an hour, until tater tots are golden brown.

This made my house smell amazing while it was cooking.  It tasted great too. It was what I imagine a casserole would taste like if Hunters Dish and Tater Tot Casserole had a baby.  If you’re looking for an easy recipe to throw together on a cold night, add this to your collection.

Baked Italian Casserole

Ingredients:

8 ounces rotini pasta

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/4 onion, diced

1 tablespoon minced garlic

12 ounces spaghetti sauce

8 ounces cottage cheese

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon italian seasoning

1/4 pound sliced pepperoni

1 can (2.25 ounce) sliced black olives with jalapenos, drained (optional)

1 can (4 ounce) mushrooms, drained (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta according to the package.  Brown the meat with onions and garlic. Drain noodles and meat.  Add spaghetti sauce and layer in bottom of greased 9x13 pan. If you would like to add the mushrooms or olives, mix in as well.  I chose not to add either.  Mix cottage cheese, Italian seasoning and shredded cheese together.   Spread on top of the noodle and meat mixture.  Top with pepperonis.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbling.

I didn’t have rotini noodles so I used elbow macaroni which tasted just fine.  The flavors tasted even better together the next day when warmed up for lunch.  

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

1-1/4 lb. ground beef

15 oz. can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 oz. egg noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

1-1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup sliced green onions

1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain fat and add tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

This is a great casserole for a cold night at home.  Easy to make and doesn’t take too long.  Can be served alone or with a side of crusty French bread.  

Italian Crescent Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained (I did half beef and half Italian sausage)

1 cup garlic tomato pasta sauce

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1½ cups shredded Italian cheese blend

¼ teaspoon dried basil leaves or Italian seasoning

Brown your meat with some minced garlic and seasonings.  Once cooked, mix in pasta sauce. Heat over medium heat until warm.  Separate crescent dough into 8 triangles. Place dough in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate in spoke pattern, with narrow tips overlapping rim of plate about 3 inches.  Press dough in side and bottom of pan to form crust and cover the pan. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese over dough in the pan. I also added 5 pepperoni’s across the cheese and some Italian seasoning.  Spoon meat mixture evenly over cheese.  Bring tips of dough over filling to meet in center; do not overlap.  Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup cheese over the dish followed by the basil. Here I added a few shakes of parmesan cheese as well.  Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before cutting. 

This smelled so good while it was baking my mouth was watering.  And it didn’t disappoint when it hit my lips! It’s like a pizza pie or calzone or just some yummy crescenty Italian goodness in a pie pan.  Very delicious and easy to make. Molly loved it too.  Can’t wait to make this again soon. 

Goulash

Growing up, this was the ultimate comfort food in my mother’s kitchen.  Simple to make dinner that warmed the soul and the belly. 

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground hamburger or pork, browned                                    

2 C. elbow noodles

1 large can diced tomatoes

Minced garlic

Chopped onions

Salt & pepper

Red pepper flakes (optional)

Hot sauce (optional)

  

Brown burger in pan with minced garlic and chopped onions.   Boil water and cook noodles per instructions. Drain and add all other ingredients.  I like to add a few dashes of red pepper flakes and hot sauce for flavor but that is totally optional. Once heated through, serve plain or topped with some shredded cheddar cheese.  

Taco cups

Review by Lyndee:

We had some leftover taco meat and I decided to make a snack last night.  It turned out great and would be a fun appetizer for your next party. 

Ingredients:

Scoops tortilla chips

Ground beef (seasoned with a taco packet)-you could also use ground turkey or shredded chicken breast

Shredded cheddar or Mexican mix cheese

Salsa

Sour cream

Optional: onions, tomatoes, lettuce and other taco fixings

Add warm meat to your scoop.  Sprinkle on some shredded cheese.  Bake in the oven at 350 for four-five minutes.  The cheese will start to melt and the scoops will begin to brown a bit.  Make sure not to cook them too long or you will burn your chips! Remove from oven and garnish with your favorite taco toppings. I did sour cream and salsa.  Delicious! It doesn’t get much easier than that.