When I was younger, there were nights when dad was in charge of feeding us kids. Now, truth be told, my dad is an amazing cook. But on a busy weeknight, he was known to feed us one of our quick and easy favorites: Beanie Weenie. A delicious mixture of hearty baked beans and juicy hot dogs, this easy dinner is sure to please kids and dads alike. Everyone knows you can combine a can of pork-and-beans with a package of hot dogs to make this fast and tasty dish. But I’ve designed a “souped-up” version of this weeknight favorite that piles on a few extra layers of flavor.

Homemade Beanie Weenie

1 12-ounce beer or cider
4 large kosher beef hot dogs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cans of your favorite baked beans or pork-and-beans
4 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons honey
A few shakes of Worcestershire sauce

In a deep skillet, pour the beer over the hot dogs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a pot, saute the onions in the olive oil until they are translucent and beginning to brown. Stir in the beans, ketchup, honey, and Worcestershire and simmer over medium heat. Drain the hot dogs and slice them into bite-sized pieces. Fold into the bean mixture and serve warm with cornbread on the side.

So it’s a rainy day in Georgia, dear readers. It’s one of those chilly, damp, almost-spring-but-not-quite days when you just want to curl up at the end of the day with a meal that will warm you from head to toe. So driving home this afternoon, I started to think about chili. Then I started to think about chili dogs. Then my mind wandered to a nice pot pie. And then I thought, why not go with ….. all of the above???

The resulting creation…. divine!! The hubby was a little skeptical when I first introduced the concept to him, but I won him over with the very first bite! This is a fun, cozy dish that would be great for a weeknight dinner or for a fun game night with friends. Enjoy!

Chili Dog Pot Pies

4-5 cups of your favorite chili – here is my mom’s awesome recipe
4 hot dogs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 cans of crescent roll dough

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Warm the chili in a large pot over medium heat, and add the bite-sized pieces of hot dog.

Grease 4 individual-sized pot-pie baking dishes, or one 9×9″ baking dish. Add a heaping cup of chili to each dish.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese over each portion. Cover completely with a single layer of crescent dough, pinching the dough to the sides of the dish. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is baked through and golden brown. Enjoy!

Most people think of corned beef when they hear the word “hash” – this is not a corned beef hash recipe. This is a plain ol’ delicious ground beef hash recipe.

This incredibly simple dish is great for a quick and delicious weeknight dinner. It’s one of those dishes that has that magical ability to transform into something much more than the mere sum of its parts. With three main ingredients, this dish goes beyond the juicy ground beef, tangy-sweet onions, and crispy potatoes.

Hash was a staple in our household as I was growing up, and it was a staple of my mom’s childhood as well. In my opinion, it is imperative that you top your hash with a healthy dollop of ketchup. That said, this is a pretty versatile dish – you could add your own creative toppings or ingredients to suit it to your family’s tastes.

Hash

1/2 lb. potatoes (any kind will do)
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place your potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for about 10-20 minutes, until barely fork-tender. Cut the potatoes into 1″ wedges.

There are any number of ways you can make this dish come together. I like to brown the potatoes on all sides first in a lightly greased frying pan over medium heat. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.

Then cook the ground beef with the onions and drain out any extra fat. Then I add the browned potatoes back in and season to taste with salt and pepper. You could just as easily cook the onions with the potatoes and then the beef – or all three at the same time in one big frying pan. There is no wrong way to cook this dish.

PS: Today is VV’s second blogiversary – woo hoo! Thanks for reading and being a part of this project with me!

Happy Halloween, dear readers!  Halloween is a sure sign that fall has arrived, and nothing is better than a hot, hearty crock pot meal on a chilly fall day. I tend to crave chili, stew, and pot roast at this time of year. Here is a pretty traditional pot roast recipe that I think you and your family will enjoy. Happy fall!

Pot Roast

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1.5-2 lb. chuck roast
6-8 small red potatoes
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 3″ pieces
1 large onion, cut into wedges
16 ounces beef broth (low sodium is best)
2 bay leaves
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste (again)

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Dry the roast and then coat all sides in the flour mixture. Brown the roast on all sides in the hot oil.

Add the roast to your crock pot. Place the veggies around the roast, and add the broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or until roast is tender and meat comes apart easily. Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

This is best served with a nice gravy and popovers of course!!

So when I went out in search of the perfect recipe for boeuf bourguignon, I knew right where I would start:  Julia Child.  After perusing her flawless recipe, I knew I’d found The One.  I made very few changes to the original recipe, mainly altering a few ingredients for the sake of convenience.

The result?  Boeuf Bliss!!!  Even the husband remarked that it was one of the best dishes I have ever made for him.  The sauce is so rich, each layer of flavor reveals itself to you in turn as you make your way through the dish.  This is no ordinary beef stew.

Boeuf Bourguignon
adapted from Julia Child’s amazing recipe

6 ounces of bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 lbs. stew beef cut into 2-inch cubes
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups of full-bodied red wine (I used a nice Chianti)
2-3 cups of beef stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf, crumbled

18-24 pearl onions, peeled
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. fresh mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof, stove-proof casserole (I used a small dutch oven) over medium heat on the stove. Brown the bacon pieces in the oil for 2-3 minutes. Remove them to a large plate using a slotted spoon.

Next, pat dry your beef and sautee the pieces, a few at a time, until well browned on all sides. Remove the meat to the plate with the bacon.

Finally, sautee the carrot and onion in the same pan, cooking them until slightly soft. Remove these to the same plate as the meat.

Pour off any fat remaining in the bottom of the casserole. Return the bacon, meat, and veggies to the casserole, tossing them together with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the top of the mixture, and place the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss the mixture again, and return to the oven for another 4 minutes. This step is important because the cooked flour will help to thicken your sauce – yum!

Add the wine to the casserole. Then add enough of the broth to barely cover the top of the meat mixture. Stir in the tomato paste, the garlic, the thyme, and the parsley. Bring the entire mixture to a boil on the stovetop.

Lower the oven temperature to 325. Cover the casserole and bake so that the mixture slowly simmers – you can adjust the oven temperature if necessary. Allow to cook for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is easily pierced with a fork.

When the meat is almost finished cooking, you can prepare the onions and the mushrooms.

For the onions, combine the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, and sautee for about 10 minutes, so that they brown evenly without the layers coming apart. Pour in the stock, add the pepper and herbs, and cover the skillet. Simmer the onions over low heat for 40-50 minutes. The onions will be very tender, and almost all of the liquid will be gone. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside.

For the mushrooms, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. As soon as the foamy part of the butter begins to disappear, add the mushrooms. Stir the pan frequently as the mushrooms brown lightly – this should take about 5 minutes. Then remove them from the heat.

To finish off the stew, remove the casserole from the oven. Place a sieve over a saucepan on the stove, and pour the contents of the casserole through the sieve. Wash out the casserole so that you can start with a clean slate. Remove the beef and the bacon from the sieve into the clean casserole. Set the onion and carrot aside (Julia says to throw this part away, but it makes a nice snack for later!!!). Place the mushrooms and the onions on top of the meat in the casserole.

Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, skimming the fat off the top as necessary. The sauce should lightly coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce is thin, then simmer it until it boils down and thickens. If it is too thick, then add some extra beef stock. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste.

Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Simmer the mixture for about 2-3 minutes before serving. Serve in the casserole or on a warm platter surrounded by noodles, potatoes or rice and garnished with fresh parsley. We had ours with buttered egg noodles, and it was divine. Enjoy!

You may remember my post about my cousin, the Meat Lady.  She is the one who introduced me to this up-and-coming new cut of meat: the flat iron steak.  You can read all the details here, but basically meat scientists like my cousin are finding new ways to cut meat so that you can get a really tender steak without having to pay $15 per pound.  I got the steak here for about $4, and it was more than enough to feed both me and the husband (right around 16 ounces).  The best part, though, is that this steak has the texture, flavor, and irresistible melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of filet mignon.  Pretty good deal, huh?

Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Onions and Peppers

1-2 flat iron steaks
Montreal Steak Seasoning (or other steak rub of your choice)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, cut into 1/2″ slices
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons butter

Preheat your grill to medium heat.  Generously season both sides of the steak(s) with your chosen rub.  Grill the steak(s) on both sides to your desired done-ness.  As I’ve mentioned before, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer for these sorts of tasks.  You don’t want to over-cook your steak!  When it is done, remove the steak to a platter to rest for at least 10 minutes.  This will ensure that your steak maintains its juiciness instead of leaking all the goodness all over the plate.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet.  Add the onion and the bell pepper slices.  Sautee until the onions are trannslucent and the peppers are tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the butter over the steak before slicing, against the grain.  Top with the sauteed peppers and onions, and serve immediately.

The four cheeses in my lasagna are not the most traditional cheeses . . . but they sure are tasty!  I like to use turkey for the meat in this one – there are so many wonderful flavors going on that most people who taste this dish don’t even notice that it’s not beef! Plus, I think the turkey makes it seem lighter, which is a nice balance to the richness of the cheese.

Ellie’s Four-Cheese Lasagna

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. mild italian sausage, casings removed
1/2 lb. ground turkey breast (ground beef works, too!)
1/2 cup diced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 24-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley OR dry Italian seasoning
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 9-ounce package of no-boil lasagna noodles
1/4 cup grated parmigiano regiano cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a 9×13″ baking dish and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and the ground turkey.  Brown the meat, stirring occasionally, until completely cooked through.  Remove the meat from the pan and add the onion.  Cook until slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the minced garlic, stirring until fragrant.  Next, add the meat back to the pan, and stir in the tomato sauce and the water.  Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, soften the cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl for about 20-30 seconds.  Stir in the ricotta cheese until combined.  Add the eggs, the parsley or Italian seasoning, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, folding the mixture together.

To assemble the lasagna, spoon 1/4 of the tomato mixture into the bottom of the prepared dish.  Next, layer the no-boil noodles on top.  Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles.  Spoon over the next 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  Then the noodles again.  Then the next 1/3 of the ricotta.  Then another 1/4 of the tomato mixture.  One more layer of noodles, and one more layer of ricotta.  Spoon the remaining tomato sauce over the top.  Finally, sprinkle with the remaining cup of mozzarella, topping it all off with the parmigiano regiano cheese.

** Note that at this point, you can either continue, **
** or cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days **
** or the freezer for up to 3 months. **

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until all cheese is melted and the lasagna is nice and bubbly.  Allow to set for about 5 minutes before serving.

1 packet of dry taco seasoning
1.5 lbs. ground beef (~85% lean)
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 slices cheddar or cheddar jack cheese
4 buns
Red onion, sliced
Guacamole (make your own! it’s easy!)

In a medium bowl, combine taco seasoning, ground beef, and egg lightly until completely combined. Divide the meat into four equal patties.

Grill the patties to desired done-ness, topping with sliced cheese during the last 2 minutes of grilling. Grill the buns, too, if desired.

Place a patty on each bun, and top with sliced onion and guacamole. Enjoy!

Yep, when you like food (and cocktails),
then you pretty much make every holiday YOUR holiday.

Here’s the casserole I served to my friends at our casual little get together tonight. I sort of made it up on the fly based on many recipes I had seen floating around.

Seven Layer Mexican Lasagna
8 large flour tortillas
1.25ish lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet onion, diced
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1/2 of a yellow bell pepper, diced
1/3 cup red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fajita seasoning
1 package of frozen corn kernels
2 cups shredded cheese (sharp cheddar, monterey jack, whatever you like)
About 12-15 tortilla chips, crushed

Preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish. Line the bottom with 4 of the tortillas, cutting the edges if necessary.

Next, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, seasoning it with the cumin. Add the enchilada sauce and heat through. Set aside.

In another large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, peppers, red onion, and garlic. Sprinkle with the fajita seasoning. Cook, stirring until fragrant and softened, about 4 minutes. Add the frozen corn and heat through. Remove from heat.

Next spoon the meat mixture over the tortillas in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Then place the remaining 4 tortillas on top of the cheese. Spoon the corn and veggie mixture over the tortillas. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Finally, top with the crushed tortilla chips.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and serve with guacamole and sour cream toppings.