Uglies OR Taco Biscuits

I had some leftover ground beef that I needed to use. I came across this awesome recipe for Uglies. I think the name could be more creative, but because the dish comes out looking ugly, I guess it is fitting. These are GREAT!! They pair nicely with Chili con Carne or could double as appetizers/finger foods for that awesome Super Bowl party everybody is throwing or a simple snack.

Here is what you will need to make these delicious Uglies: 

Recipe Inspired by AllRecipes.com

• 1/2 to 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 jar taco sauce
• 1 package refrigerated biscuit dough
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lightly grease 10 muffin cups
• In a skillet, cook ground beef until no longer pink; season with garlic and onion powder
• Drain grease
• Stir in the taco sauce and simmer for 10 minutes
• Roll out each biscuit on a floured surface so that each biscuit is 6 inches across
• Put the biscuit in the muffin tin and fol up sides to create a cup shape
• fill each biscuit almost to the top with the meat mixture; top with plenty of cheese
• Baked for about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown

These were so cool! It was a hybrid between a biscuit and taco... a Taco Biscuit. Whatever you want to call these ugly little creations, it has no bearing on the great flavor these little biscuits of heaven have.

I hope you all give them a shot!

Until next time, happy cooking!

Chili con Carne

One of our favorite meals is chili. I had some ground beef and did not want to go through the whole chili process, so I decided to make Chili con Carne. It was so good. I wish I would have made more.

Here is what you will need:

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers
• 1 can diced chili ready tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 ounce shredded cheese

Directions

• Brown beef with onions and garlic over medium high heat in same skillet
• Combine meat mixture,tomatoes, tomato sauce,  chili powder, cumin, pepper [beans if you used them] into a medium sized pot, stir, cover and simmer for 90 minutes

I LOVED this dinner. It was a great alternative to regular chili. This would be great paired with some tortilla chips for Super Bowl Sunday... it'd be easy enough to put it all in a crock pot, cook and leave it until all of your guests come over!! 

Until next time, happy creating!

Spinach, Turkey and Rice "Stoup"

A friend of mine passed along a recipe the other day and I promised to give her all the credit, but I am very reluctant to do so. I'm hesitant only because I changed an ingredient and did not use my brain, so I really botched my first attempt. So, what I am going to do is give STEPH all of the credit she deserves for her concoction - Spinach Turkey Stoup. The flavors are WONDERFUL and even though I messed it up a little, IT WAS STILL SOOOO YUMMY! I will walk you through the recipe and will tell you what NOT to do so that you will not end up with porridge.

Here is what you need for this delicious & healthy meal!

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can great northern beans, undrained (I substituted rice because I do not like beans... and I thought the dish would still be filling with this substitution...but this is also where I ran into problems because I used the slow cooker!)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups low fat chicken broth
• oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• in a large skillet, add oil and saute onion until translucent
• add turkey to skillet and cook until no longer pink
• add the beans (or use rice), tomatoes, chicken broth and spices to taste
• Now, you can either simmer on low for about 30 minutes or add all of your ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, which is what I did. However, if you substitute the beans with rice, DO NOT ADD THE RICE to the slow cooker. Let all of your yummy ingredients cook without the rice - and 15 minutes before you're ready to serve this great tasting stoup, cook the rice according to the directions on the box. Then add a heaping spoonful of rice to a bowl. 
• After about 30 minutes (or 4 hours in the slow cooker) add a few handfuls of fresh spinach leaves to the mixture, mix around and serve.
• If you intend to use the rice, after you put rice in the bowl, cover the rice with as much soup as you want and mix so that you have a Turkey, Spinach and Rice Stoup. 

my porridge soup

This recipe is incredible!! While I put the rice in the slow cooker for 4 hours and it is more porridge like than soup like, it is impossible to mess up the flavors. They all come together in a heavenly and hearty tasting dish that will fill you up and keep your satisfied the remainder of the evening!

Steph, I promise I will make it your way next time and will not mess up by adding the rice prematurely. :)