Where's the Beef (or ground turkey)?

Meatloaf by Nell (Meatball adaptation from skc also)


Meatloaf

1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
24 Ritz crackers (crumbs)
1 egg
1/4 cup minced onion
1 Tbs. parsley
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup ketsup

Mix all ingredients. Form into loaf. Bake on a rack with water in bottom of pan for
about 1-1/2 hrs. at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes
before cutting.

If desired you can pour a mixture of brown sugar and ketsup over the top of loaf 5
minutes before removing from oven.


Maconmama tried this with mozzarella cheese instead of swiss, and she liked the way it turned out.

StillJulie made it with a mixture of cheddar & mozzarella and was pleased with the results.

Ohiomom thought she would try adding a package of spinach.

SKC's comments:
This makes great meatballs too...
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I like to make a huge batch of Nell's meatloaf recipe and form them into little balls which I bake. After they're baked I freeze 'em on a cookie sheet. When they're frozen I dump 'em in a big freezer Ziploc and they're really easy to grab as many as you want or need at a time.

I also did these as an appetizer to take to a Christmas party last year and everyone loved' em--I just took a whole bunch of the baked meatballs and threw 'em in the crock pot with a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup and let 'em simmer. They were really tasty--also were great this way as a topper for baked or mashed potatos

Italian Bow Tie Supper (by StillJulie)


Italian Bow Tie Supper
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1.5# ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste
1 package (16 oz) bow tie pasta, cooked & drained
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed & well drained
1.5 c (6 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
0.5 c grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook the beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or until bubbly.
Increase heat to high; stir in the pasta, spinach, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

6 servings

Leftovers freeze/thaw well.

Grilled Hamburgers


Mix the following and form into patties. I make six.

1 pound hamburger
1 c bread crumbs or dry stuffing
2 eggs
3 Tbsp total (choose from steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, and bbq sauce)
Chopped onion (optional)

These stay together so much better than just plain hamburger (at least for me). Also they're super moist and just plain old yummy.

I also put cheese on them the last minute or so of grilling.


Question from hsmom71:
Ok.. breadcrumbs... do you just break up bread, or do you toast it then break it up?

Answer:
I've done a variety of things. Sometimes I buy a cannister of breadcrumbs. Sometimes I break up pieces of bread. I've heard of people toasting it first (that's probably what you're supposed to do, but I'm too lazy). You could also use croutons.


Comment from Paula TN:
You can also omit the bread crumbs and add a package of Lipton Onion Soup mix.

Comment from skc:
I just lay bread out on a cookie sheet and then stick it in the oven at a low temp for awhile to dry it out well--easier for me than toasting each piece. Then I smash it up and put it in a jar--sometimes in the freezer until I'm ready to use the crumbs

Beef and Noodle Casserole by AmyH in CT

Beef and noodle casserole
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Very easy, no real measurements, but you can't get it wrong~it's a consistency thing.

about 1 lb ground beef, browned with about 1/2 onion and drained
about 1/2 pkg egg noodles, cooked
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 lg can Taste Toppers Frech Fried Onions

COmbine first 3 ingredients in 9X9 baking dish and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top with FF onions and bake at 350 until onions tan up a bit.


Tifferjo's tip: Add a little sour cream - very yummy!

Lasagna by ~Emily


We love this lasagna

1 lb hamburger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 (16 oz) can chopped tomatoes
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
6-8 lasagna noodles-cooked
2 eggs
3 c. cottage or ricotta cheese (or a mixture of the two)
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb. mozzarella cheese slices

Brown meat with garlic and onion. Drain. Stir in basil, oregano, salt, tomatoes, and
tomato paste. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Beat eggs and add cottage/ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper.
Mix.

In a 9"x13" pan, layer 1/2 of: noodles, cheese mixture, cheese slices, of meat.
Repeat layers.

Bake at 375º for 30-45 minutes (until bubbly). Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Porcupine Meatballs by SandKsMama


First one - Porcupine meatballs(and no, it's not porcupine meat - though I have made them from deer meat before and turkey too:-)
Ingredients: 1 lb ground meat, 1 cup instant brown rice(really any rice works), 1 egg, 1 Tbsp dried parsley, salt, pepper and other seasoning to taste(I love garlic powder in mine, yum!) 2 15 oz cans tomato sauce, 4 or 5 medium size potatoes, cut into chunks.

Directions: Mix meat, rice, egg, parsley, other seasoning and form meatballs(you'll want to make fairly large ones, a bit larger than a golf ball is my preferred size). Brown the meatballs in a large saucepan or skillet(dutch oven size if you have one). Once meatballs are brown, pour tomato sauce over meatballs and add cut up potatoes. Cook on medium for about an hour, until potatoes are done.

This makes a lot of food! This recipe can feed my family of four twice over. We usually have some green vege or salad with it, and occasionally rolls or biscuits. We don't usually eat dessert, except on very special occasions.

Reuben Casserole -- by Jode


This is a more expensive meal to make.

Mix together:
3/4 of a 2 lb bag of Southern style hashbrowns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 of an 8 oz container of sour cream (optional)

Put in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Bake 15 min at 450°.

Add the following in layers:
1 lb shaved, diced corned beef
1/4 c Russian salad dressing
1 can drained sauerkraut
about 8 slices of Swiss cheese

Bake 20 min at 450°.


Julie's Notes: I've never made it in a 9x13 pan. I use an 8x8 for my family of four, and just cut back a little on the ingredients.

Also, I only make this when corned beef is on sale at the deli. Even then, I only buy half a pound of it.