Cincinnati Chili.

I'm still keeping with my New Year's Resolution!  Even the bread one, although last month's bread was only so-so and I opted not to post.

My first cookbook recipe this month is from Taste of Home's Big Book of Soup and is for Cincinnati Chili. Have you ever had Cincinnati Chili?  We first had it at a friend's house.  I admit I was a little nervous...cocoa powder?...cinnamon?...in a chili?  But it works!!

Cincinnati Chili.

(adapted from Taste of Home's Big Book of Soup)

1 lb ground beef (browned)

1 lb ground pork (browned)

2 onions (chopped)

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

1 can kidney beans

1 can white beans

1 quart crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 bay leaves

3 teaspoons sugar

salt & pepper to taste

hot cooked spaghetti

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.  Discard bay leaves and serve over hot spaghetti.  Top with cheese, sour cream, and any other topping you desire.  

Pretty easy, huh?  It's tasty too.  I promise that the cocoa and cinnamon and sugar work for this dish!  

And because I was interested in the origin of this dish, here is what I found on Wikipedia:

Cincinnati chili (or "Cincinnati-style chili") is a regional style of chili characterized by the use of unusual ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice orchocolate. It is commonly served over spaghetti or as a hot dog sauce. While served in many regular restaurants, it is most often associated with severalfast-food restaurant chains, including Empress Chili, Skyline, Gold Star, and Dixie Chili. The chili is mostly served in restaurants in the greater Cincinnatiarea, with locations in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. This type of chili is also served in some restaurants in the Cleveland, Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolisareas as well as in Florida.
According to the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cincinnatians consume more than two million pounds of chili each year, topped by 850,000 pounds of shredded cheddar cheese. Each September, the city celebrates "Chilifest" at Yeatman's Cove at the Ohio River, with food and entertainment.^[1][edit]

Traditional dishes are served as follows:

• two-way
: spaghetti and chili

• three-way
: spaghetti, chili, and shredded cheese

• four-way
: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, and either diced onions or beans

• five-way
: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, diced onions, and beans

• cheese coney
: hot dog topped with chili, shredded cheese, diced onions, and mustard

• chili cheese fries
: French fries topped with chili and shredded cheese

 

Pastitsio.

Wonder how to say pastitsio?  Try pah-STEET-see-oh.  Wonder what pastitsio is?  Think Greek and think lasagna.  Thanks to Better Homes & Gardens I am now 1/18 of the way to meeting my new year's resolution!

Pastitsio
(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens "One-Pan Recipes)
1 pound ground beef
1 cup onion (chopped)
2 8-ounce cans of tomato sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1.5 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound pasta
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs (lightly beaten, divided)
4 tablespoons butter (divided)
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cups Parmesan cheese

Prepare meat sauce by cooking beef and onion over medium heat.  Drain fat.  Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, chopped tomatoes, wine, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Cover and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Once cooked, drain well and toss with 3/4 cup milk, 2 beaten eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter.  Ensure noodles are slightly cooled to avoid cooking the egg mixture.

Create cream sauce by melting remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Once melted stir in flour, salt, and pepper until smooth.  Slowly add milk (thickening in between pours).  Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened.  Slowly add mixture to remaining eggs.  (Again adding slowly to avoid cooking the egg mixture).

Grease a 9x13 baking dish.  Spread half of the pasta mixture onto the bottom of the pan.  Top with meat sauce.  Sprinkle with a cup of cheese.  Top with remaining pasta and sprinkle with another cup of cheese.  Finally, pour cream sauce over the top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover the pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.  Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon.

I know I can trust my husband's "this tastes good" if he takes more than one serving or if takes bite after bite out of the pan - saying he doesn't want another serving...just another bite.  And...he ate more.  Success!  I was worried the about the cinnamon, but you need not be.  It's a very mild flavor and not at all overwhelming.  We'll make this again!

It feels great to get back to cooking!  After all my holiday baking I doubt I'll want to bake until Valentine's Day!  Ok, who am I kidding I'll probably be baking again by week's end!

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole.

I picked up some fresh cabbage from a farmer's stand with ideas of making coleslaw.  Once I got home I realized I had way more cabbage than I actually needed for said coleslaw.  The thought of cabbage roles was enticing, but I knew my husband would not be impressed and honestly it just seemed like a lot of work.  My alternative?  Unstuffed Cabbage.

Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole
(adapted from Taste of Home)
6 cups cabbage (chopped)
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion (chopped)
1 medium green pepper (chopped)
1 cup uncooked instant rice
1 cup water
2 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 quart diced tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic

Brown beef with onion and green pepper over medium heat until beef is cooked through.  Transfer to a large slow cooker.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

I know the list of ingredients is long, but this does go together quickly.  It can be used as a main dish or a sidedish.  I suggest serving it as the main course with a side of fresh bread.  Nothing beats a side of fresh bread - especially when it's still warm from baking!

Cheeseburger Soup.

Last night I was contemplating hibernating for winter.  Aside Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'm not too interested in the coming months.  Wake me up in time to celebrate the dogs birthday on St. Patricks' Day and call it good.  The sad part, it's not even winter yet!  But last night was chilly.

After finally being home for the night at 8:30 pm.  Gary and I put on some comfy clothes and headed to relax by reading.  His reading material: The Country Today.  My reading material: Taste of Home BIG Book of Soup.  Even though we had just eaten I was on a mission to find the next soup I would make to warm me from the cold and help me through winter.  Gary said hibernating is not an option.

I called out soup titles to the sound of "that sounds good" and "I'd like that" and "make that one."  In the end it was the Cheeseburger Soup that won.  So much so that I made a special trip to the grocery store to get the one ingredient I was missing.  That's how good this soup was sounding.

I am happy to report that my special trip was worth it!

Cheeseburger Soup
(adapted from Taste of Home)
1 pound ground beef
1 cup each chopped onion, chopped carrot, chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 tablespoons of butter (divided)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups peeled & diced potatoes
1/4 cup flour
8 ounces cubed process cheese (Velveeta)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
ketchup

Brown ground beef and set aside.  In large soup kettle, saute onion, carrot, celery, basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender.

Add broth, potatoes, and beef.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

In a small skillet, melt remaining butter.  Add flour and cook for about 2 minutes then add to soup.  (The recipe said until bubbly, but mine just globbed together and I threw it in the soup like that).  Add process cheese, milk, salt, and pepper to soup.  Cook and stir on low until the cheese melts.  When serving, top each bowl with a squirt of ketchup.  And a piece of toast or a homemade roll!  I will soon be attempting homemade rolls!

Delicious.  And if you are like my husband you'll want to include pork in some way, shape, or form.  My suggestion for this dish: add bacon.  We might do that with some of the leftover soup.  But I'm sure it would taste just as good...if not better!

Cheeseburger Pasta.

This evening I bring you a quick and easy dinner.  It's also tasty and went well with seasoned tater tots.  I'm guessing this could easily go on my huband's favorite meal list based on ingredients and taste.  I'd be willing to add it to mine for ease of preparation.  This recipe is perfect for a week night dinner.  There is minimal prep.  You can make dinner from start to finish in less than 30 minutes!

Cheeseburger Pasta

(adapted from Campbells)
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 small can cheddar cheese soup
1 1/4 cup beef broth
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup ketchup
2 cups uncooked small pasta
salt, pepper, garlic to taste


Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet.  Add cheddar cheese soup, beef broth, water, ketchup, and pasta.  Over medium heat, bring to a boil and then cook while stirring frequently for 10 minutes or until noodles are cooked.  Remove from heat and allow to cool/thicken for 5-10 minutes.  Serve alone or with french fries or tater tots.

Again, this is super simple and tastes good.  It's sure to be a hit with kids and adults alike.  You could easily add mushrooms for added flavor and texture or omit the onions if you have a non-onion eater in your household. Either way - enjoy!

 

Baked Pasta with Meatballs.

As much as I love brats, burgers, and steaks on the grill. As much as summer means potato salad and baked beans. I was hungry for some comfort food. Something that would made my oven work. Something that would go well with the spinach strawberry salad that I had ready to go.

I headed over to For the Love of Cooking knowing that I would find something wonderful. After bookmarking several recipes I decided to go with a baked ziti of sorts.

Baked Pasta with Meatballs

(Adapted from For the Love of Cooking)

Sauce:

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 tablespoons dried onion

3 medium sized mushrooms (thinly sliced)

4 teaspoons dried garlic

1 quart crushed tomatoes

1 quart tomato sauce

1 small can tomato paste

(This is my standard from my canned tomatoes - you could also use 1-28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes, 1-15 oz. can of tomato sauce)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 pinch of red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a slow cooker. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to cook on low for 3-4 hours.

Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef

3 medium mushrooms (diced into small pieces)

2 tablespoons dried onion

1/4 cup Italian style breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon dried garlic

1 egg

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Combine ingredients and mix well. Form into small meatballs. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and add to the tomato sauce.

Pasta:

1-box favorite pasta

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon fresh basil (chopped)

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Combine pasta with sauce. Add half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Pour pasta mixture into a 9x13 baking dish. Top with remaining cheeses and chopped basil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

This recipe did not disappoint! It's a nice variation on spaghetti and meatballs or traditional baked ziti. The meatballs are delicious and smell so good when cooking. And who doesn't love melted cheese!!

Stuffed Burgers.

My husband made a New Year's Resolution to grill out every month. Mind you we live in Wisconsin! It's been fabulous though! As the rest of the world starts thinking about their first spring grill let me tell you about stuffed burgers.

This is something my mom would make periodically.

Start by preparing a thin patty...top with onion and cheese...prepare a second thin patty and place on top of your onion and cheese. Ensure meat seals the goods together.

Grill as you normally would! So.Easy. So.Tasty.

Eight Layer Tortilla Bake.

8 Layer Tortilla Bake



Back in June, I brought this recipe to you without pictures. I made it again last night with a few changes and thought I'd share the visual with you. This is truly a very EASY recipe and really delicious. To get the recipe: Click here!

The changes I made with this one is that I added a can of green chilies to the black beans and refried beans and also two layers of taco seasoned ground beef.

Italian Meatloaf.

I discovered this recipe while reading a cookbook as I hunted last fall. Since I did not get a deer, finding this recipe was the next best thing and made sitting in the cold worthwhile!

Italian Meatloaf

(adapted from Better Homes & Gardens - New Cookbook - Bridal Edition)

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork or pork sausage

1 beaten egg

1 cup dry bread crumbs

1 teaspoon garlic

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

3/4 cup tomato sauce or spaghetti sauce (plus a little more for topping)

1 pound garlic cheese (or mozzarella or provolone)

In a large bowl combine beef, pork, egg, bread crumbs, garlic, rosemary, and tomato sauce. Mix well.

Divide the meat into two portions. Place first portion in a loaf pan and spread evenly. Cut cheese into strips. Place a strip of cheese down the center of the loaf pan. Top with remaining meat mixture and spread evenly. Spoon additional tomato sauce on top of meatloaf. Sprinkle with additional cheese that has been grated.

Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until thickest part of the loaf registers 160 degrees. Drain fat and serve.

This is so good!! If a two-pound meatloaf is too much for your family you can make these in miniature loaf pans or for in cupcake tins. I did the cupcake tins one time and they were adorable. I do the miniature loaf pans quite often - you might be able to reduce the cooking time in these smaller portions - just to be safe use the meat thermometer!

And, to complete your comfort meal - serve with mashed potatoes and acorn squash!

Salisbury Steak

This weekend I traveled to Eau Claire again to visit Lucas and some of our friends. It was an extremely busy weekend, sharing the news of our engagement with everyone that I barely had anytime to make something good for Lucas! I was able to today however, because the Bears are on TV... So, today I will share with you a good Football Sunday (or any Sunday) lunch. On the menu was: Starter Salad, Garlic Smashed Potatoes (which you can find on this blog already... they're to die for!) and Salisbury Steak.



Salisbury Steak

1 - 2 pounds Cube Steak
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon season salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Original Blend
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 stick butter
1 can french onion soup
1/2 soup can water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash and chili powder. Place butter in frying pan. Coat portions of cube steak in flour mixture and brown both sides in butter. Place in baking dish, add soup and water. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until tender. Enjoy!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

You absolutely must try this recipe. Not only was it good on spaghetti noodles, but it was also delicious when I used the leftovers to make meatball subs the next day. :)

When I was eating this, it reminded me of the cute, romantic scene in the movie Lady and the Tramp. :) This spaghetti and meatball recipe is all homemade and honestly takes VERY little time. I prepared it in the morning and let it cook in my crock pot on low all day. You could also prepare it from start to finish in only an hour if you prefer to not use a crock pot.

I made this recipe all on my own and just looked at a variety of recipes on www.allrecipes.com to get an idea of what I might use. I was a little leary when i saw that almost all the recipes put the raw meatballs in the sauce without ever even browning them. Trust me- it's worth it. The meatballs were so delicious and not a single one fell apart!

FYI: this does make a large amount ... enough for at least 10 people.


Spaghetti and Meatballs

Meatballs
1 pound ground beef
1 pound italian sausage
1 2/3 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon minced onion
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
3 eggs

Sauce
5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes, diced
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
*I also added about 1/4 pound Italian Sausage that I had already dried earlier in the week

Place all ingredients for spaghetti sauce together in a crock pot. Prepare meatballs using all of the meatball ingredients and shape into balls. Add meatballs to sauce (without precooking or browning them) and let cook on low all day (or at least 6 hours). Serve with thin spaghetti noodles. Enjoy! :)

If you do not want to cook in crock pot; allow to simmer for 45 minutes and the meatballs should be thoroughly cooked.

And remember to use the leftovers for meatball sandwiches the next day. :) That is, if you have any leftovers!

Stuffed Zucchini.

In an effort to keep up with my three mounds of zucchini I am picking them young and using them for baking and cooking. Here is another delicious recipe!

Stuffed Zucchini (adapted from the Homesteading Housewife)

4 medium zucchini
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound pork sausage
1/2 teaspoon oreganosalt & pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 cups mozzarella cheese

Wash zucchini, place in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 6-7 minutes (until tender), remove from water, and set aside to cool enough to handle.

In a skillet saute olive oil, garlic, onions & peppers. As veggies soften, add ground beef and pork sausage, oregano, salt, and pepper to taste. Brown and drain off any excess oil, set aside to cool slightly.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and some of the meat to create a zucchini boat.

Chop the scooped out zucchini meat and stir into meat mixture.

Mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese into the meat mixture. Add eggs and mix well.

Place zucchini boats in a baking dish and fill the boats with the meat mixture; top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake uncovered in a 375 F degree oven for 20-30 minutes until hot and the cheese is bubbly.

Greek Style Ravioli.

This is a great way to use some up some of that spinach you have growing in your garden...or a good excuse to go the farmer's market or grocery store and pick some up.

Greek Style Ravioli

(adapted from Taste of Home - Cooking for Two)

1 small package frozen cheese ravioli

1/3 lb. ground beef

1 cup diced tomatoes (with basil, oregano, garlic)

2 cups fresh spinach

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Cook beef until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat simmering for 10 minutes.

Add ravioli and spinach to the beef mixture. Heat through. Sprinkle with cheese and serve!

NOTE: The original recipe called for feta cheese instead of parmesan. It also added olives.

With the Weather Lately...

Here's a delicious chili recipe!


I apologize for the poor picture -- but the chili was so good that the only thing I had left to take a picture was a small container of leftovers that Lucas will be eating today for lunch!

With the weather we've been having lately, Lucas suggested that I should make chili for supper, so yesterday I made a new chili recipe and it was delicious!

2 pounds ground beef
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons oregano
4 (14.5 oz.) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans
1 (15 oz.) can chili beans
Elbow noodles

Fry ground beef with garlic, add rest of ingredients and allow to simmer.

Feel free to add vegetables. Lucas isn't a big fan of onions, green pepper or celery, otherwise I would have added those. Also, some people don't serve their chili with noodles, so feel free to leave those out too. We ate our chili with shredded cheese, sour cream and saltine crackers. Hopefully this weather will warm up and I won't need to make chili again until the fall! :)

Pasta Pizza.

I'm putting together a fews slides for the department newsletter at work. I wanted to concentrate on dairy farming in honor of June Dairy Month. When looking up some information I came across the original version of this recipe. Good stuff!!


Pasta Pizza.

(adapted from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board)

3 cups rotini or similar pasta

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon dried onion

1 pound ground beef

1 can tomato sauce (I used 16 ounces that I had canned...I think you can buy a 15 ounce can though...that would be plenty)

1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, garlic powder

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup garlic cheese, shredded

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain well and place in bowl.

Combine eggs and milk - stir into pasta. Stir in cheddar cheese and onion. Mix well. Spread pasta mixture evenly over a well-buttered 14-inch pizza pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook ground beef. Stir in tomato sauce, basil, oregano, and garlic. Spoon meat mixture over baked pasta crust. Arrange tomato slices over that. Top with mozzarella and garlic cheese. Bake about 15 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

This was fairly quick to make and tasted delicious. It was surprisingly really easy to serve too! I think this would also be great with some additional pizza toppings - green peppers, onions, mushrooms, etc.

Super Nachos.

My mom often made this fast, easy, and tasty dish when we were growing up. So now, in honor of Cinco de Mayo, I share the recipe with you!

Super Nachos

1 can refried beans

1 lb. hamburger (prepared as taco meat)

guacamole

lettuce

cheese

onions

tomatos

black olives

green peppers

sour cream

salsa

This is super easy and great for warm days since it only requires a stove top. All you need to know is to layer everything into a cake pan (and adjust the ingredients above to your specific tastes). I recommend starting with the refried beans. And, you can eat this when the hamburger is still warm, or you can refridgerate and eat it when the hamburger is cold. Serve with tortilla chips and a margarita on the rocks!

And, if you are looking for a dessert to accompany this check out Heidi's post below!

Kaiser-Style Goulash.

My Minnesotan friend Ashley first introduced me to the word goulash. She referred to my casserole as goulash. Minnesota readers, is goulash one of your words, or was it just an Ashley word? Either way, I've since decided that the word goulash sounds better, so I now call this goulash. And, to give credit to my dad's family and the fact that this dish is often seen on the buffet table, I will call this "Kaiser-Style Goulash."

I figured if I was going to post about goulash I should actually know what it is. According to Wikipedia, goulash is a dish, originally from Hungary, a stew or a soup, usually made of beef, red onions, vegetables, spices and ground paprika powder.[1] The name originates from the Hungarian gulyás (pronounced goo-yash listen (help·info)), the word for a cattle stockman or herdsman.

Seems somewhat fitting:

There's beef in my recipe. And corn, that's a vegetable. It even contains spices.

Then there is the origin of "cattle stockman" or "herdsman" - very fitting considering my family history of farming!

So, without further ado:

Kaiser-Style Goulash

• 1 pound of ground beef (browned)



• 1 can of pizza sauce



• 1 can of spaghetti o's



• 1 can of tomato soup



• 1/2 package of noodles (cooked according to package directions)



• 1-2 cups of frozen or canned corn



• 1/2 stick of butter (or to taste)



• 1/4 cup sugar (or to taste)



• pepper (to taste)



• oregano (to taste)

Combine all ingredients and cook for several hours in a slow cooker. Or, if in a bigger hurry, bake in the oven until heated through. I adjust the butter, sugar, pepper, and oregano to my taste each time I make this.

And, as with the Tator Tot Casserole, this is also welcome with fresh, warm bread! Speaking of bread - mine smells WONDERFUL - just 10 minutes left!!

Not Your Average Tater Tot Casserole

I'll apologize in advance for not having a picture, but it was just too good and my roommates and I ate it up before I had the chance!!

So, the story behind this recipe is that I had some ground beef in the freezer that needed to be used up; it was already cooked. I was kind of craving our mom's Tater Tot Casserole, but didn't have tater tots and didn't fee like going to the store to get some. So, I reinvented the old standby. :)

1 pound ground beef, browned
2 large potatoes, washed and cut into chunks
mushrooms
butter
1 cup frozen corn
1 small can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 soup can milk
black pepper and salt to taste

Fry potatoes and mushrooms (feel free to add chopped onions too -- I just didn't have them on hand) in butter until nearly done. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Serve with warm, fresh bread. :) This recipe would probably do well cooking in the oven too, but I just used the stove top. This recipe serves about 4 people.

Now, I'll share Mom's original recipe:

2 pounds ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion
2 cups corn or green beans
32 oz. bag Tater Tots
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water

Fry ground beef, onion, salt and pepper to taste. Mix remaining ingredients, top with tater tots. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Happy cooking!!! :)