Ground Beef In Her Freezer Offers Meal Options

We're eating primarily out of the freezer this week, and I've uncovered some ground beef that was purchased about a month ago.

If I found this last Saturday, it probably would have ended up as burgers on the grill since the weather was in the 50s, but for this week, we'll be cooking inside.

I have all the ingredients on hand for any of these three recipes, so I'll leave the final decision up to my husband. I know he would eat any of them, but the meatloaf is definitely his favorite.

Cheeseburger Quiche. This is a super easy recipe that can be on the table in less than an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or Pam spray a 10-inch pie plate. Sauté one pound ground beef and one large chopped onion (should be about one generous cup) until meat is browned. Drain and spread in pie pan. Sprinkle with one cup shredded cheddar cheese. Beat three eggs, 1.5 cups milk and ¾ cup Bisquick until smooth and pour over meat and cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand five minutes before cutting. Serve with a big green salad or carrot and celery sticks. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Grandma's Casserole. Recipe adapted from "Food Writers' Favorites: Pasta and Noodles," edited by Barbara Gibbs and Jane Baker Ostmann. I like this recipe since the noodles don't need to be precooked and it's very flexible - omit the mushrooms if you don't like them or don't have any on hand. Meatless also comes out good.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt two tablespoons butter (or use olive oil) in a large skillet. Add one large chopped onion, one chopped red or green pepper, and ten ounces sliced mushrooms. Cook five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In a separate skillet, brown one pound ground beef, drain, and add to vegetable mixture. Add ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and one teaspoon granulated sugar. Stir in one 28-ounce can ground peeled tomatoes (including juice), one 15-ounce can tomato sauce and two cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Spray a 13" x 9" pan with cooking spray and add one package dry egg noodles (12 to 16 ounces) and six ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. Mix this up to distribute the cheese. Pour in the tomato/meat sauce, stir, and top with two ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let sit five minutes before serving.  

Famous Meat Loaf.  This is Ann Landers' original meat loaf recipe. Mix two pounds ground round steak, two eggs, 1.5 cups bread crumbs, ¾ cup ketchup, one teaspoon Accent Flavor Enhancer, ½ cup warm water, and one package dry onion soup mix. Mix thoroughly and put into a loaf pan. Cover mixture with two bacon strips (optional). Pour an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce over meat loaf and bake for one hour at 350 degrees. To make using just one pound of ground beef, cut all ingredient portions in half, but omit the ketchup and use half of the can of tomato sauce in the meat mixture, and the other half over the top. I've never added the Accent Flavor Enhancer and rarely used the bacon and it still tastes delicious. It's traditional at our house to serve this with just mashed potatoes and corn, but I'll add a salad to my plate. Thinly sliced leftover cold meatloaf is great in a sandwich the next day.
 
Share your recipes using one pound of ground beef.  I would love a great recipe for stuffed peppers or chili.  Email me at tastytidbits02067@yahoo.com.