ground beef Archives - The Midnight Baker

Classic Stuffed Peppers

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 16 Mar 2022 00:00:45 +0000

Classic stuffed peppers are a perennial favorite comfort food.

Classic Stuffed Peppers–All-Time Favorite

When you think of favorite family meals, classic stuffed peppers come to mind.

There’s so many iterations on this recipe, it’s hard to keep up with them! I’ve even done a vegetarian version of quinoa stuffed peppers (it’s one of my favorites btw). However there comes a time you want a traditional version, and this more or less is it.

Each traditional version has slight variations, but the main ingredients are ground beef, rice and, of course, bell peppers. I use a combination of green and red bell peppers. Visually, the colors give eye appeal and I do find the red variety tastes a bit sweeter.

Prepping The Peppers

Whole or half? That’s pretty much up to you on how you like your stuffed peppers. I’ve stuffed them whole and half. My mom used to slice each pepper in half lengthwise and to be honest, I’m partial to that method for a number of reasons.

The first reason is that they are more stable in the pan and don’t fall over. The second reason is that they are easier to seed and remove the filaments. Doing this with whole peppers can sometimes destroy the pepper. I’ve had that happen a few times and I hate having to try to put it back together again.

Last but not least is that it plates up better and is much easier to eat. On the heels of that is that sometimes a humungous whole pepper with tons of filling is just too much for some people to get through. If anyone wants more, they can take another half. Less waste in my opinion.

Breadcrumbs?

Yes, breadcrumbs. And eggs too.

I remember my mother’s stuffed peppers and that was just ground beef, cooked rice and seasonings. To my taste, the ground beef filling was a little dry and mealy. Adding breadcrumbs and eggs to hold the meat together gives a much better texture–for my taste.

And yes, the sauce is based on good old condensed tomato soup. I find that it has a sweet-ish quality that goes very well with these stuffed peppers. Not to mention that it’s very convenient and has a creamy texture. That way, the sauce doesn’t have to be reduced if you prefer it thicker and less watery.

The Recipe

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Classic Stuffed Peppers

A classic comfort food meal

Prep Time25

Cook Time40

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: classic stuffed peppers, one-pan stuffed peppers, stovetop stuffed peppers

Servings: 8

Calories: 454kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 medium bell peppers sliced in half lengthwise seeds and veins removed

Sauce:

1 can tomato soup
1/2 can milk or water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp basil
1/8 tsp oregano

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the ground beef, onion, cooked rice, breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Divide mixture equally between the 8 bell pepper halves.
Add the sauce ingredients to a large deep skillet or dutch oven; stir to combine.
Place peppers in pan with the sauce. Heat over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce heat tp lpw, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the center of the meat reaches 160F/80C/
Nice served with noodles or over mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

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Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 02 Feb 2022 00:00:30 +0000

Burgers with a surprise inside–jalapeño popper stuffed burgers explode with flavor.

Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers–YUM

Do you love jalapeño popper dip and burgers? Then this recipe is a perfect combination for you.

Stuffed burgers are nothing new; I’ve been making them for quite some time. Mostly I do a stuffed bleu cheese burger with a reduced wine and mushroom sauce. However, I just love jalapeños and I love the dip so figured why not.

If you’d like something more zippy and robust, then the jalapeños may be replaced with a hotter pepper. And if you like no heat at all, then a bell pepper would be perfectly fine as well.

Stuffing Burgers

Everyone has their own way of doing this, so whatever works for you that’s the method to use.

What I do is make two smaller burgers, place the stuffing on one burger and top with another and seal around the edges. Now, if you want an 8-ounce burger, then you’d make 2 very flat 4-ounce burgers. You can get a better idea of how I do this in the photo below.

There are, of course, gadgets made specifically for stuffed burgers and if you have one, fine. But don’t go out and buy one especially for this since I don’t feel it’s worth it.

Just an FYI, but a little filling will always leak out no matter how well you seal the burgers.

Cooking Them

My favorite method is grilling be it on my gas grill or my trust grill pan on the stovetop.

Broiling works well too as long as you use a proper broiling pan so the fat drips down so it doesn’t cause any flare-ups. A skillet is my last choice since burgers always seem to just boil in the rendered fat.

You can do these in the air fryer too. In my 1800W basket-type model, they’re done in 5 minutes on each side at 400F/200C.

Another thing is the doneness. Unfortunately for lovers of super-rare burgers, that just won’t work here. They have to be at least done to medium so the cheeses melt.

The Recipe

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Jalapeño Popper Stuffed Burgers

Burgers with a delicious surprise inside

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: hamburgers in the air fryer, hamburgers with stuffing, jalapeño popper dip, jalapeño stuffed burgers

Servings: 4

Calories: 305kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
2 tbs minced onion
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 tbs cream cheese softened
2 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs salsa
1 fresh jalapeno pepper diced
1 tbs olive oil

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium or oven broil to high
In a bowl combine cream cheese, cheddar, salsa, garlic powder, and jalapeno.
Combine meat, salt, pepper, and onion.
Divide meat into 8 even pieces and flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
Divide cream cheese mixture into 4 equal portions and flatten each into a pancake shape.
Place each cream cheese mixture on top of 4 flattened meat portions. Top each with another flattened portion and seal the edges (see photo in post_.
Brush burger with olive oil.
To Grill:
Grill burgers over medium heat 6-7 minutes on each side
To Broil:
Place burgers on a foil-covered pan approximately 6" from broiler. Broil 5-6 minutes on each side
For Air Fryer: Air fry 5 minutes each side at 400F/200C. Bear in mind that your model (see post body) may need adjustment.

Nutrition

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Hamburger Parmesan

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 00:00:35 +0000

Hamburger Parmesan is just like a casserole of pizza burgers!

Hamburger Parmesan

This is one of those cases where I should have thought of this sooner. However, I’m sure the idea is not original and I must’ve seen it somewhere before so no credit whatsoever is taken for this.

This hamburger Parmesan is one of those meals where there’s little work involved. Since the only “work” would be if you wanted the ground beef patties to have a bit more oomph than just plain shaped burgers. Of course that’s ok too and if you happen to have any pre-made burgers in the freezer. Then there’s essentially no work to this.

Whatever way you look at it, this is a meal meant for when you’re hungry but don’t want to cook. The surprise is it’s delicious and comforting.

Beef Patties

As I said before, plain beef patties will do just nicely if you’re not inclined to dress this casserole up much or just lack the time.

However, I went that extra step here to make the meat a bit more flavorful–mainly I had the time. I just think it improves the taste tremendously and suggest that if time permits, you take that extra step too. In fact, the meat mixture can be prepared ahead and kept in the fridge.

The Sauce

What makes this hamburger Parmesan so quick and easy is the store-bought sauce. This is another ingredient where I have at least one jar in the pantry. Usually it’s a premium brand that’s more than just the traditional marinara or meat sauce.

If you use a variety that’s got veggies or is chunky, that will improve the taste as well. Same thing goes for any meat or cheese-flavored sauces.

In the event that you only have marinara or a plain standard jar of sauce, it can be dressed up too with more onion, mushrooms or anything you’d put in your own sauce.

The Recipe

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Hamburger Parmesan

Purest form of comfort food.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: 30 minute Italian meals, fancy hamburger caseroles, hamburger parmesan

Servings: 6

Calories: 615kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 2 tbs dehydrated
1 1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup onions finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely minced
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
28 oz jar pasta sauce
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup regular plain breadcrumbs

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Lightly spray a large baking dish (3-4Q/L) with non-stick spray.
Mix the ground beef, fresh breadcrumbs, Parmesan, parsley, basil, oregano, onion, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine well. Divide into 6 equal portions and shape into patties.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Dredge patties in the regular dry breadcrumbs (I find this step stops a lot of shrinkage).
Brown patties on both sides then place in the prepared baking dish.
Pour sauce over the patties. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove foil and spread the shredded cheese over the patties. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes--until cheese is melted.

Nutrition

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Ricotta Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 11 May 2021 23:00:18 +0000

Since ricotta meatballs have a wonderful texture, they’re sure to be a hit with your family.

Simple Ricotta Meatballs

We all have our own favorite recipe for meatballs, myself included.

However, sometimes we just get tired of the same-old-same-old and want to try something a bit different. That’s what happened to me a few months ago. Since I was on a kick making my own ravioli, I had plenty of ricotta on hand so I figured why not when I saw a recipe that included it in meatballs.

These meatballs are so good that they can stand alone. They don’t need to have pasta and sauce.

Serve Them Traditionally–Or Not

As I said before, these don’t need the usual sauce and pasta. They’re good enough to be the main meat attraction for dinner.

But if you want to serve them the traditional way, that’s really good too. And now for some tips.

Who remembers Catherine Scorcese; Martin Scorcese’s mom? This tip came right from her; a true Italian cooking expert in my opinion. She never browned her meatballs before finishing the cooking in the sauce. She’d form them and toss them right in the sauce to cook. Not only will the sauce be more flavorful, but the meatballs don’t get hard. That’s the way I do these if I’m doing spaghetti and meatballs.

To serve them by themselves, then cook them your usual way. Oven, skillet and air fryer are your option and each one produces good results.

The Onions

Normally, I don’t saute onions before I put them in raw meat for meatballs or burgers. However, here you do saute them and the garlic too.

This really adds wonderful flavor to the meatballs. I didn’t think it would matter much, but I did it anyway. I’m not going to say it was a game changer, but it does give them a wonderful mellow flavor.

The Recipe

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Ricotta Meatballs

Tender and delicious meatballs

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: meatball recipes, ricotta meatballs, using ricotta cheese

Servings: 4

Calories: 395kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/4 cup onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely minced
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped fine
2 tbs Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Remove from heat and cool.
In a large bowl, mix the onion/garlic mixture (including the oil) ground beef, ricotta, parsley, Parmesan/Romano, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.
Shape into meatballs about the size of a walnut.
If you're making tomato sauce, drop meatballs into simmering sauce and simmer for 1 hour.
If you're not serving with sauce, in the pan you cooked the onion, brown meatballs on all sides and cook until no pink remains in the center.

Notes

Cook time calculated for cooking in sauce.

Nutrition

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French Onion Burgers

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:21:42 +0000

French onion burgers with gravy and roasted potatoes is pure comfort food.

French Onion Burgers

How do you dress up regular burgers and make them into a family favorite?

Well, you make them into oniony burgers with a great gravy and some roasted Yukon gold potatoes. That’s how!

This is so great, it’s sure to become a permanent part of your dinner rotation since it’s so easy too.

Mushroom Choices

Baby bella or chestnut mushrooms (available in UK) are the first choice for this dish. If you can’t find the baby bellas, crimini mushrooms will make a great substitute. In a pinch regular old white fresh mushrooms can pinch hit. Canned mushrooms are not a good substitute because you cannot get a good sear on them because they are too wet. Searing the mushrooms contributes a great deal to the wonderful taste of these burgers, so using fresh is the way to go.

Onion Soup Mix

Most folks have this on hand to make a quick dip. One thing I noticed with these packets of dry soup mix is that the bouillon granules seem to always sink to the bottom. Since you don’t use the whole package in this recipe, then what I suggest you do is dump the envelope out into a bowl and mix it up a bit so when you take the necessary amount out, you get a pretty good mix of the both.

Now, if you don’t have any of this on hand, It’s pretty easy to make your own. Just use 4 tablespoons of beef bouillon granules and 2 tablespoons of dehydrated onion flakes which makes approximately one envelope of the ready-made mix. There are recipes on line that make a more copycat version of the store-bought kind so you might want to make some up for future use.

The Recipe

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French Onion Burgers (with roast potatoes and gravy)

Quick meal that's super delicious

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: burgers with gravy, fancy hamburgers, french onion burgers, salisbury steak recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 465kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb small yellow-flesh potatoes unpeeled, halved
1 tbs unsalted butter melted, plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
½ cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs dry onion soup mix
8 oz baby bella or chestnut mushrooms thinly sliced
2 tbs flour
1 cup beef stock
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F/230C. Lightly spray a non-stick rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.
Place potatoes in a medium bowl and drizzle the 1 tablespoon of melted butter over them; toss to coat, then add the salt and pepper and toss again.
Arrange potatoes, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until potatoes are done and nicely browned on the cut side.
While the potatoes are baking, mix the ground beef, panko crumbs and onion soup mix in a large bowl. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into burgers about 1/2-inch/1.25 cm thick.
Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the patties to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes each side. Patties should have an internal temperature of 130F/55C. See NOTES
Remove patties from the pan and tent with foil to keep warm.
In the same pan, increase the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms. Cook until well seared. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the beef stock whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Remove from heat and add the final 2 tablespoons of butter; stir to combine.
Pour the sauce over the patties and serve with the potatoes.

Notes

If you want the patties more done, place them on a baking dish and put them in the oven with the potatoes for about 5 minutes while making the sauce.

Video

Nutrition

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3-Ingredient Meatloaf

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 00:00:01 +0000

Try this 3-ingredient meatloaf when you’re pressed for time. It’s also a novel way to use some Thanksgiving leftovers.

Meatloaf In A Jiffy

Making real food on busy days can be very challenging. And around the holidays, this is a necessity since we have little time to begin with.

What’s even better is that this meatloaf can make use of a leftover you may have after Thanksgiving. So rather than let that go to waste, give it some new life as a different dish! I give you the 3-ingredient meatloaf.

Of course you can add whatever your favorite meatloaf add-ins are to this, but the basic recipe for the meatloaf itself is merely three ingredients.

The best thing is there are a variety of ways you can cook this. Use a slow cooker and let it cook for 5-6 hours and your air fryer works well here too–same temperature for about 30 minutes. If you use either of these methods, please bear in mind the times are approximate as individual appliances vary.

Stuffing?

Yes, stuffing. Do you have any left from Thanksgiving? If you do you’ll be glad to know that you can recycle that bread-based stuffing as the breadcrumbs in a meatloaf. This also works if you have any stuffing mix in it’s pristine state such as those bags of the basic bread mix or the stuff you make on the stovetop.

Using stuffing also replaces herbs and spices you’d ordinarily add to your meatloaf. Stuffing mix is highly flavored so it imparts a good taste to the basic mixture. And if you’re using leftover from Thanksgiving and it contains sausage, that’s even more flavorful.

Glaze Or Not

This 3-ingredient meatloaf is excellent when you use the glaze. But if you’re in a rush, it’s not necessary to do so.

The glaze is simple–just brown sugar and ketchup. However you can liven that up a bit with hints of garlic, some herbs or even a bit of hot sauce if everyone likes it.

You can apply the glaze during the last 10 minutes of cooking or do it at the end if you want the meatloaf a bit more “done.” The latter is what I do when I make this.

The Recipe

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3-Ingredient Meatloaf

Quick and easy meatloaf the family will love

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 3 ingredient meals, budget meatloaf recipe, using leftover stuffing from turkey

Servings: 6

Calories: 502kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lb lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups prepared dry stuffing mix see NOTES
2 eggs

Glaze:

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a baking sheet with parchment or non-stick foil.
Place stuffing mix in a large bowl and dampen it with 2-3 tablespoons of water; toss.
Mix in the meat and the eggs. Place meat mixture on the prepared sheet and shape into a loaf.
Bake for 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted in center registers 160F/80C
If using glaze, mix the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and brush over top of meatloaf and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until glaze is bubbly.

Notes

If you have leftover stuffing that's already moist, omit the water.

Nutrition

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Budget Hamburger Casserole

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 23:00:33 +0000

On a budget but want a great tasting meal? Try this tasty budget hamburger casserole.

A Meal For Tight Budgets

There’s not many of us who don’t stick to some sort of budget when it comes to food shopping. Especially now that so many are hard hit by the present situation. And worse yet, prices are still rising and as a result, it’s necessary to be especially prudent with a dollar.

There are very good options for making tasty meals with lower-cost ingredients. This budget hamburger casserole uses three of the most cost-effective main ingredients that you will find: ground beef, pasta and tomato soup.

Despite the rise in prices, you can generally find ground beef at a special price as well as elbow macaroni and condensed tomato soup.

Cheese Or No Cheese

Shredded cheese is not a major ingredient in this. I use two varieties–cheddar and mozzarella. However, any melting cheese will do. While it adds flavor to the casserole, I look on it as more of a binding ingredient that makes the sauce creamy.

But you don’t have to include it if it’s out of your price range at the moment. The casserole will taste just fine without it. Another option is to use less cheese; cut the amount in half and it’ll still be good.

Very recently, one of my stores had bags of shredded cheese 2 for $5 which was a pretty good deal. And remember, if you won’t be using it again for some time, hard cheeses such as cheddar freeze well.

Soup And Pasta

Just plain old tomato soup is called for here; nothing fancy. Of course you can jazz up the flavor with some herbs and spices, but I never find that necessary because the taste of the old standby goes perfectly in this casserole.

Another plus is tomato soup is often on sale along with other standard flavors. If you can, stock up during these sales because you can doctor tomato soup to make sauces and fancier forms of tomato soup.

As far as the pasta is concerned, nothing fancy again. Elbows are best, but any tubular pasta works here. As always, use what you have on hand.

Feel free to up the amount of pasta if you wish. That way, you will be able to serve more people and really s-t-r-e-t-c-h that pound and a half of ground beef.

The Recipe

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Budget Hamburger Casserole

A big dish of comfort

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: budget hamburger casserole, budget meals using ground beef, meals that stretch your food budget

Servings: 6

Calories: 589kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbs onion finely chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cans condensed tomato soup 10.75 oz each
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3 cups elbow macaroni

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Lightly spray a 2 1/2 qr/2,5L (11x7-inch is good) baking dish.
Cook elbows per package direction; drain and set aside.
Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in soup, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Check for seasoning and add more if necessary.
Add cooked elbows, mozzarella and 1 cup of the cheddar; stir to combine. Turn into prepared pan, cover with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Remove foil, top with remaining cheese and bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Nutrition

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Swedish Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 23:00:37 +0000

These creamy Swedish meatballs are so delicious and easy, they’ll be a regular on your menu.

Swedish Meatballs: An Old Standby

Here’s an old comfort dish that has not decreased in popularity over the years!

I remember them being popular as long as I’ve been alive. OK, in my earliest era I remember Swedish meatballs being the “in thing” as an appetizer or a party buffet offering. Way back then, they were more thought of as a finger food than a main course. But one thing that’s a constant about food is that it is always in flux.

What makes them “Swedish” is one thing I could never understand because they were just basic meatballs except for the touch of nutmeg. Perhaps that’s it. However, I have never associated nutmeg with being Swedish, but what do I know?

About The Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a strong spice so you have to be careful using it. A little goes a long way; trust me.

I once tasted Swedish meatballs where whoever made them got a little heavy handed with the nutmeg. As I recall, it was quite unpleasant (at least to my taste) and I was reluctant to eat them every after.

But I was watching some really old Julia Child shows–like from the early 1960s–recently. There was a show dedicated to quiches and Julia used a couple of gratings of nutmeg in the custard. She used whole nutmeg and a grater and just gave it two scrapes. I wanted to make a quiche so I tried that in the one I made. You really cannot taste the nutmeg, but it definitely enhanced the flavor. It is just something you cannot put your finger on but would miss if it wasn’t there.

I applied the same logic to these meatballs and they were fantastic. Of course if you like a strong nutmeggy flavor, then use more, but do try it with only a trace amount first remembering you can always add more.

Creamy Sauce

The sauce base is condensed cream of mushroom soup. However, other stuff is added to give it that homemade taste. If you’d like to make your own cream-of soups, they do taste better and the recipe can be found following the link in this paragraph.

The Recipe

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Creamy Swedish Meatballs

An easy family pleaser

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: appetizers, easy classic recipes with ground beef, ground beef family dinners, meatball recipes

Servings: 4

Calories: 490kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef or turkey
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp salt
punch of ground nutmeg
1 tbs olive oil
10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup beef stock
3 tbs sour cream
4 cups cooked noodles or pasta
fresh parsley for garnish.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix the ground beef or turkey, onions, bread crumbs, egg, salt and nutmeg in a large bowl. Shape into 20 smallish meatballs
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the meatballs on all side. Drain off excess fat.
Add the stock to the skillet containing the meatballs, scraping up any browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Stir in the soup and sour cream. Reduce heat, cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.
Serve over hot noodles. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley if desired (it adds a nice pop of color to the dish)

Notes

If you have whole nutmeg just 2-3 scrapes on a grater will be perfect.

Video

Nutrition

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Ground Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 23:00:44 +0000

This ground beef stir fry is one of those skillet dinners that comes together in no time at all.

Ground Beef Can Be Fancy

There’s endless things you can make with ground beef. That’s why it’s an ever-popular item on most people’s grocery list.

So you’ve got the pound of ground beef and want to make something that’s not only delicious, but filling and maybe a bit fancy? Look no further than this luscious ground beef stir fry that includes a nice variety of veggies.

It’s not only a complete meal when served over rice, but it’ll likely feed six people and feed them well.

The Veggies

It looks like you can get asparagus year round now and it’s not just a springtime treat–meaning the fresh kind, of course. I wouldn’t recommend using frozen here because it would be a bit limp. However, if it doesn’t bother you if the asparagus is a bit droopy, then use it by all means.

The above would be under ordinary circumstances, but right now, we’re dealing with shortages on many items. Therefore, substitutions come into play.

Broccoli would be an excellent substitute whether it’s fresh or frozen florets. Frozen or fresh green beans are also a good choice. And if you don’t mind that the veg isn’t green, cauliflower or carrots will also suffice.

I haven’t heard of a shortage of tomatoes, so you should be good there.

The Rice And Other Things

My personal preference for rice is either jasmine or basmati. Both have wonderful aromatic flavors that add so much to a meal.

But now, you have to take what’s available. I had no trouble getting jasmine, but if you can’t get a nice aromatic rice, plain old long-grain white will do.

I’ve also not noticed any shortages of sliced (or other forms) of water chestnuts, so they should be available. too.

The Recipe

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Ground Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

Easy ground beef skillet dinner that's ready in no time

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: beef, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asparagus stir fry, ground beef stir fry, stay safe at home recipes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1192kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef 90% lean
2 cups cut fresh asparagus 1-inch pieces
8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbs cornstarch
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced fresh ginger

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large skillet or wok, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside. In the same pan, stir-fry the asparagus, water chestnuts and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.
In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and broth until smooth. Stir in the hoisin sauce, soy sauce and ginger. Pour over vegetables. Return beef to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in tomato. Serve with rice if desired.

Nutrition

The post Ground Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry appeared first on The Midnight Baker.

Sweet Chili Meatballs

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 18 Apr 2020 23:00:55 +0000

Sweet chili meatballs is one of those “from the pantry” recipes that come in handy right now.

Eating On A Dime

The heading says it all. During this uncertain time, many are running out of provisions and some are very hard to come by. Many of us have to tighten our belts too with furloughs, reductions in hours or just plain unemployed and waiting on those benefits.

About the only place you can save on is food, but it’s good to know there’s some delicious “cheap-and-cheerful” meals out there that make it a bit better. There’s the old staple of beans and rice, combined so well in a Jamaican coconut rice, and if you have a pound of ground beef or turkey, there’s these meatballs.

If You’ve Got It Flaunt It

Are you lucky enough to have a bag of pre-made meatballs hiding in your freezer? You got lucky because you can use them in this!

I’m a big proponent of using what you have under ordinary circumstances, but now, it’s become a necessity, but you have several ways to make these chili meatballs.

Even if you make your own meatballs, my simple recipe lends itself to many substitutions. Now, I understand that green onions/scallions are hard to come by. Not an issue here. Just use regular onion or substitute the dehydrated kind you have on your spice shelf.

No panko crumbs? Use ordinary or even soft bread crumbs. As for the cilantro, use parsley or dehydrated cilantro–or leave it out. Of course the flavor changes somewhat, but it’s still good.

Turkey–Yes!

As always, ground turkey is interchangeable with the ground beef in this recipe. Ground chicken will work too as well as ground pork.

And if you don’t have chili sauce–this is the kind like Heinz makes–but you have ketchup, just mix the ketchup with a teaspoon or two of chili powder.

The Recipe

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Sweet Chili Meatballs

Meatballs great for an appetizer or a meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Course: Appetizer, beef, Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: air fryer meatballs, chili meatballs, meatballs with ground turkey

Servings: 6

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef see notes
12 oz sweet chili sauce divided
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
1 clove garlic finely minced
3 green onions finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground ginger see notes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Line a large baking sheet with foil then spray with non-stick spray.
Mix 1/3 cup of the chili sauce with all other ingredients in a large bowl. Reserve the remaining chili sauce for later.
Shape meat into 1 in/2.5 cm balls and place on prepared sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked all the way through.
Remove cooked meatballs to a large bowl and coat with the remaining chili sauce.

Notes

Ground turkey may be substituted for the ground beef (nutritional information is calculated for ground beef)

Fresh ginger may be substituted. Use 1 tsp finely minced fresh.

May be prepared in an air fryer. Cook in a single layer (you will have to cook in batches) at 350F/180C for 12-15 minutes, shaking the basket midway through the cooking time.

Nutrition

The post Sweet Chili Meatballs appeared first on The Midnight Baker.