Spaghetti Sauce

Growing up my dad's mom lived with us. She raised my dad in Atlanta where she worked as a beautician. In fact, my parents met (41 years ago) when my grandma was doing my mom's hair and my dad came into the salon to see his mom. How cute is that? She gave us home perms, frosted my mom's hair, cooked, cleaned, and took care of us. She would make buttermilk biscuits any time of day, whenever we asked. To this day they are the best biscuits I've ever had and I have never been able to make them properly. She never used a recipe and always used her hands to mix them. Maybe that was the secret. She also made this spaghetti sauce recipe. The only thing I have changed is that I don't add celery. Even though I don't need my recipe card to make this sauce anymore I always get it out because my grandmother wrote it down for me and seeing her handwriting makes me smile.

(I double this recipe for two nights worth of meals. It freezes beautifully--just pour the leftovers into a freezer bag, pat it flat, and freeze for up to 6 months.)

You will need:

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 large green pepper
1 large onion
2 cloves or 1T crushed garlic
2 beef bullion cubes
2 small cans tomato sauce
2 small cans tomato paste (I love the roasted garlic flavor)
2 cans tomato soup



I use a 96% lean ground beef, so I like to add a tablespoon of oil to the pan before browning the meat. I use a mini food processor to chop the onion and green pepper until they are in super tiny pieces--to hide them from the Goose. Feel free to have adult size pieces in your sauce. :) Put the ground beef, onion, green pepper, garlic, and bullion cubes in a large pot and brown until the beef is done.





Then add the 2 cans of sauce, paste, and soup. I really, really recommend the tomato paste with the roasted garlic flavor added.



Stir. (Did I mention that this sauce is super simple?)



Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce to the heat to barely a simmer. Cook for at least an hour, but the longer the better. I usually give it at least four hours, stirring often. If you don't want to wait on the sauce, make it the night before, and then stick it in the fridge. You will actually get a better, more fully developed flavor this way. This sauce is always better the next day!



I use Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta, angel hair. They add fiber, calcium, and Vitamin D to it, which makes it a bit healthier than regular white pasta. I don't like to eat whole wheat pasta with this sauce, too grainy.


I was really busy one day and had not planned dinner, so I stopped at the grocery store and got a jar of sauce and some noodles. My family was not having it! Now every time I say we're having spaghetti for dinner I get these panicked looks from Bubba and the girls. This last time Tink asked, "you're not using that store bought junk are you?" I guess I'll never live that down. :) This is the only sauce for my family.



Enjoy!!


The past week I also made Burgers and Shredded Beef Tacos.

Beanless Chili

I am so sorry! I apologize profusely for my extended absence. I could bore you with the thousand reasons that kept me away, but they really don't matter. I'm back and I hope you can forgive me for leaving!!!

I have already posted my favorite recipe for chili, but this recipe is great when you don't feel like having beans or have run out of Beano. :) It's also low carb, if that's something that interests you (if not, try substituting beer for the water). Though I prefer my other recipe with lots of beans, it's fun to change it up sometimes. Even favorite recipes can get boring if you make them too often.

You will need:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lbs lean beef for stew
4 cups water
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 can mild (or medium or hot) diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 small can tomato paste
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt (more to taste)
1 tsp red pepper (optional)
1/4 cup ketchup (optional--I used low sugar ketchup)
ground cumin to taste
chili powder to taste





I like to add a little oil to my pot before browning meat. You can leave out this step if you like.



Add meats, chopped green pepper, onion (any kind--I used a red onion because that's what I had in the veggie drawer), and garlic to large pot. Brown on medium high heat.



As the meat begins to brown sprinkle about the salt, 2 tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of cumin on top and continue to brown.



When all traces of pink are gone, add the water, can of tomatoes and chilies, the tomato paste, cinnamon, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and red pepper (if you choose to use it). Give it a couple of shakes more of chili powder, too.



Mix it all together and then drop in the bay leaves.



Boil on medium low heat for three hours, tasting periodically and adding more cumin and chili powder as needed. I added probably another tsp of cumin and 2 tsp of chili powder total. Taste for salt content, too. Taste, taste, taste!

After three hours the stew meat will be falling apart tender and you can turn down the chili to a simmer until you are ready to eat it.



Serve it with some cornbread!



Enjoy!!


my recipe card:

Porcupine Balls

For my birthday the year I got married my mom gave me the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. Over the past 16 years I think I have made just about everything in it, but there are some recipes that I come back to over and over again. Porcupine Balls is one of those recipes. It was also one of the first dishes I could make right each time. I've been baking since I was 10, but cooking was another story. When I was first married (poor hubby) I couldn't cook at all. Bubba still brings up the time I tried to make my mom's Italian breaded chicken, but couldn't remember what liquid she used (white wine) so I used water. We literally could not cut through the poor chicken when I was done with it. But I persisted, and eventually became a good cook (if I do say so myself). Now Bubba is a lucky hubby. :)

The original recipe calls for uncooked white rice, but I substituted leftover cooked brown rice.

You will need:

1 egg
1 can tomato soup
1/4 cup uncooked white rice (or 1/2 cup cooked brown rice)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pound ground beef
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried oregano (optional--I don't use it)
1/2 cup water



Combine the egg, 1/4 cup of the soup (I just eyeball it), rice, onion powder, and pepper. Add the ground beef and mix well.





Shape mixture into 12 meatballs and place in a large greased skillet. I used my electric skillet and gave it a quick shot of cooking spray.



In a small bowl, mix together the rest of the soup, Worcestershire sauce, oregano (if you use it), and 1/2 cup water. Whisk.



Pour the soup mixture over the top of your meatballs.



Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Give the meatballs a stir every once in a while. After ten minutes I turn the meatballs over.





Porcupine Balls are super filling and are great paired with green beans and some type of potato. The sauce is yummy over mashed potatoes. Serve them immediately and spoon a little sauce over each one. Whenever we have these we sing the Porcupine Balls song that Tink used to sing when she was 3. She would go around the yard picking up the porcupine balls that fall from trees...



she would cock her head to one side and say, "porcupine balls," and then cock her head to the other side and say it again. It was sooooooo cute. Crazy, adorable cute. I miss the girls as toddlers. :)

Anyway...this recipe is quick, easy, tasty, filling, and cheap.




Enjoy!!

my recipe card:

Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy

Out of budgetary necessity and owing to my marriage to the King of Carnivores, my family eats a whole lot of red meat. I try to keep it to only a couple of times a week, but it's so darn cheap that sometimes we eat it more often than that. I know-- the health issues, but I only buy the leanest of cuts and buy hormone-free. And it's still cheaper than chicken or fish. Anyway, this recipe for Hamburger Steak with Onions and Gravy is absolutely delicious. It's not fancy and the photos of it won't end up on foodgawker.com, but it's cheap, easy, and completely satisfying. One of my favorite dishes and there is never any leftovers.

You will need:

1.5 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1T oil
1 or 2 onions, sliced (I ended up only using one large onion)
**********
for the gravy :

2T flour
1.5 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp seasoned salt





In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, pepper, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce.





Form into 8-10 balls and flatten into patties.



Heat the oil in a large skillet (I used electric) over medium heat. Add the onions and patties. My electric skillet is kind of small, so I was only able to fit 7 of my 9 patties in at one time.



Cook for 4 minutes on each side.



Now remove just the patties from the skillet and place them on a plate under foil to keep warm.



Sprinkle the flour over the onions and use a fork or whisk to stir it around. You want to get up all those tasty bits that are on the bottom of the pan.



Now add the beef broth and seasoned salt. (Go easy on the salt at first. You many need to add more, but better to add than have it be too salty.)



Simmer and stir over medium-low heat until the gravy thickens. About 2 minutes.



Turn the heat to low and return the patties to the gravy.



Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes. About halfway through the time I turn over the patties, but you can omit that step if you like.



I'm not much of a red meat fan, but I loooove this dish! So tasty. It is also a nice break from meatloaf and hamburgers. I have not tried this recipe with ground turkey, but I bet it would be fabulous. The addition of green pepper and even broccoli (that's for you jellybeans) would also be delicious. And the gravy is killer on mashed potatoes.



Enjoy!

My recipe card:

Macaroni Stew

This recipe is so simple and so flavorful. Tomato allergy or not, it is one of my all-time favorites and I always brave the stomachache and eat some. You can make this stew on the stove or in the slow cooker. And like chili, it's even better the next day!

You will need:

1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 medium onion
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cans green beans
1 cup (or 1 can) corn
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste (I like the kind with roasted garlic)
1 envelope Lipton onion soup
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
********************
8 oz cooked elbow macaroni



Saute the meat with the onion and carrots until all traces of pink are gone from the meat. If you meat is super lean, you might need to add 1T of oil. (My carrots look strange because all I had were those matchsticks carrots for salads. Someone--and I won't name names--ate all my baby carrots.)



Stir in the rest of the ingredients, except the macaroni. Do not drain the canned veggies.



Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for at least an hour, but the longer the better.



If you plan on eating the entire pot in one night, then you can add the macaroni to the pot. If not, then add a handful of macaroni to each bowl before topping with stew. Pasta has an annoying habit of swelling and then breaking down in the stew pot. The stew will be nice and hot and will warm the macaroni immediately.





Stir and enjoy! (Ignore the magically changing bowl...I forgot to take a picture in the white bowl before hubby started chowing down.)

Taco Soup

A family favorite, I usually make this recipe in a slow cooker, but I made it on the stove top this time because I forgot to start it the night before. :) This meal is easy to make and lasts for at least two nights worth of meals. We usually have one bowl left, which I put in a container and freeze. When we collect enough of these mini meals in the freezer, we have Hodge Podge night and make everything. The kids love it because they can choose exactly what they want. I serve their choices on a cafeteria tray with all those individual compartments. Such fun!



1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion
2 envelopes taco seasoning
3 cans Bush's Best Chili Beans (mild sauce)
1 can light kidney beans
16 oz tomato sauce
1 cup frozen corn (or one can with juice)
1/2 cup water (omit if using canned corn)
sour cream
cheddar cheese
Fritos scoops

Brown the ground beef with the onion and one envelope of the taco seasoning.



At this point you can add the beef and the rest of the ingredients to the slow cooker, set on low, and cook overnight or for at least 4 hours. Or just add everything to the pot on the stove and stir. (Do not drain beans.)



Cook for at least 3 hours. The longer the better really as it is even better the next day, like chili and spaghetti sauce. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. We use those large Fritos Scoops to dip, except Tinker Bell who crushes up her Fritos and dumps them in the soup. This recipe is a nice departure from ho-hum taco night. Enjoy!