Category: Cookbook

2 lbs. ground beef
2 pkgs. taco seasoning
1/2 C. water
2 cans pinto beans
1 small bottle taco sauce, hot or mild based on your preference
4 tsp. margarine, melted
1 1/2 C. chopped, canned tomatoes, or 1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 C. onion, chopped
16 green olives, or to taste
1 – 8 oz. pkg. Cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine beef, seasoning and water. Cook until thick. Spread into a 9×13″ pan. Mix beans, 3 tablespoons taco sauce and margarine, and spread on tomatoes and onions. Add olives. Pour remaining taco sauce over olive layer. Cover with cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Use tortilla chips to dip or serve over lettuce with crushed tortilla chips.

This is a recipe I got from Jefferson neighbor: Sandy Eaton. She swears it’s great. I can’t remember ever making it, but it does sound good.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 C. water
1 – 8 oz. tube crescent dinner rolls
1 C. sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/3 C. sliced stuffed green olives
2 C. corn chips, crushed
1 C. Cheddar cheese, shredded
Lettuce, shredded
Tomato, chopped
Taco sauce

Brown and drain beef. Stir in seasoning mix, water and olives. Simmer 5 minutes. In 9″ or 10″ pie plate, form crust with rolls. Sprinkle 1 cup corn chips over bottom of crust. Spoon meat mixture over chips. Spread sour cream over meat and top with cheese. Sprinkle on remaining corn chips. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve in triangles, top as tacos.

Makes 6 servings.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C. onion, chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can green chile enchilada sauce, or mild if you prefer
1 pkg. flour tortillas, any size

Brown ground beef. Add 1/2 cup cheese and onion. Set aside. Combine soups and enchilada sauce. To fill tortillas, place 3 tablespoons beef and 1 teaspoon soup mixture in the middle and roll. Lay the filled tortillas in a 9×13″ baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over rolled tortillas. Place remaining cheese over top. Bake at 350º for 30 minutes.

VARIATION: Before adding beef to tortilla, spread thin layer of refried beans.

12 lasagna noodles
2 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated

FILLING:
1 – 15 oz. carton non-fat ricotta cheese
1 C. non-fat cottage cheese
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 T. fresh parsley, finely chopped, or 2 tsp. dried

SAUCE:
8 oz. 95% lean ground beef
2 – 1 lb. cans unsalted tomato sauce
1 – 1 lb. can unsalted tomatoes, crushed
2 T. tomato paste
2 C. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic
2 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

To make the sauce, place the ground meat in a 4-quart pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring to crumble, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain fat. Add all of the remaining sauce ingredients to the browned meat, increase the heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Set aside.

To make the filling, combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

To assemble the lasagna, coat a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 of the uncooked noodles over the bottom of the pan, arranging 3 of the noodles lengthwise and 1 of the noodles crosswise. Allow a little space between the noodles for expansion. Top the noodles with half of the filling mixture, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese, and 1 1/2 cups of the sauce. Repeat the noodles, filling, mozzarella cheese and sauce layers.

Finally, top with the remaining noodles, sauce, Parmesan and mozzarella. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350º for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the edges are bubbly and the top is browned. Remove the dish from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Yields 10 servings.