#61 :: Shepherd's Pie

Paula Deen made this on her show about Pub grub from England. I remember eating Shepherd's Pie as a kid. My mom made it quite a bit, but I remember hers having green beans {we used corn today, and Paula says traditional English pies use carrots & peas}. Whichever veggie you choose, this makes an easy meal in one pan and it's a great comfort food dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables or niblet corn, prepared
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 8 to 10 medium red new potatoes
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups instant biscuit mix
• Scallions for garnish, chopped
  

Directions

Beef Layer: Saute onions in 2 tablespoons butter. Add ground beef. After beef is browned, add tomato sauce; Mix in vegetables. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Potato Layer: Peel and slice potatoes 1/4-inch thick. Cook in boiling water for approximately 15 minutes or until fork-tender. Whip potatoes with electric mixer; mix until moderately smooth. Don't over beat them; a few lumps are nice. Add 1/2 cup heated milk, 1/2 cup butter, and sour cream. Salt and pepper, to taste. Whip until mixed. Adjust thickness by adding more milk, if desired.

Biscuit Layer: Combine biscuit mix and 1 cup milk. The mix should be thinner than normal biscuit mix but not runny.

Potato Layer

Meat Layer

Biscuit Layer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 9 by 2-inch pan, or any similar casserole dish. Layer half way up with the mashed potatoes. Next, spread a layer of mixed vegetables or niblet corn on top of potatoes. Then add a layer of the meat. Pour biscuit mix over meat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and drizzle over top. Bake for approximately 35 to 45 minutes until top is golden brown.

Note: Leftovers make this dish easy to put together. So if you have leftover pork roast or beef roast with gravy and mashed potatoes from Sunday dinner then this is an easy mid- week meal that will take only a few minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings

Recipe from Paula's Home Cooking on Food Network

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#48 :: Patty Melt

I was feeling like a down-home comfort food classic. We had a lot of extra hamburger meat and some crusty french bread, so I immediately thought Patty Melt. Jamie said "I've never had a Patty Melt". So of course I had to make him one. Who has never had a Patty Melt?????

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground hamburger
  
• 4 slices of crusty french bread
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
  
• 2 Tbsp. butter
  
• Sliced cheese (we used Smoked Swiss for mine and Hot Pepper for Jamie's)
  
• Salt & pepper to taste
  

Directions

Shape the hamburger meat into patties and season with salt & pepper. Cook them in a frying pan until done, then remove and set aside. In the same pan, add 2 Tbsp.butter to melt.

Dice the onion and saute it in the same pan the hamburgers were cooked in. Saute the onions until they are carmelized.

Melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter on the grill, assemble the sandwiches and grill them until golden brown on both sides. (Usually 10-12 minutes)


Makes 2 servings

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

#41 :: Cheese Dip *Super Bowl*

This dip is another one of my family favorites, and a tradition at all family gatherings and football games. Everyone I've served it to in Ohio so far loves it, too. I'd say it's a winner! Along with the cheese dip, we also served the Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip again.

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground hamburger (or, 1/2 lb ground hamburger and 1/2 lb ground sausage)
  
• 1 box Velveeta cheese spread
• 1 can diced tomatoes & green chiles (recommended: Rotel)
  

Directions

Brown and drain the meat. Put the drained meat(s) into the crock pot.

Cut the entire block of Velveeta cheese into small cubes. Add the cubes to the crock pot with the meat.

Pour in the can of tomatoes & chiles. Turn the crock pot on low and stir occasionally. When cheese is completely melted, serve with tortilla chips.


Recipe from The Kemp Family :)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#40 :: Cheese Stuffed Bacon Meatballs

Who knew meatballs could be a main course by themselves? One word. De-lish. :)

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 package onion soup mix
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon beef stock
• 8 to 10 bocconcini mozzarella balls {we used shredded mozzarella and pressed/rolled it into balls}

He was excited when he came home from work and smelled the meatballs. He dropped right down to his knees to look in the oven and check them out. I just happened to have my phone in my hand at the time, so as I was laughing at him I had to snap a photo.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the bacon slices on a sheet pan. Put in the oven and bake until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan to a cutting board and chop. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the beef, Worcestershire, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, black pepper, stock and the chopped bacon.

Form portions of the meat around bocconcini to make smooth balls. Arrange the meatballs on a sheet pan with a rack and bake until thoroughly browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the meatballs from the pan to a serving platter and serve with marinara sauce.





Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from Big Daddy's House on Food Network.

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

#38 :: Mexican Dish

This is one of my favorite things that my mom used to make when I was a growing up. She got the recipe from my Aunt Nancy, so this is a Kemp family favorite being passed along!

Ingredients

• 10 corn tortillas
  
• 1 lb. hamburger, cooked & drained
• 1 can Ranch Style beans
• 1/2 c water
  
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can Rotel {I use Mild}
• Mexican blend shredded cheese
  

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Layer 5 of the corn tortillas in the bottom of a glass 9x13 baking dish, covering the bottom. Add 1/2 of the cooked hamburger meat. Pour the can of Ranch Style beans over the hamburger. Lay out the last 5 tortillas and the other 1/2 of the hamburger meat.

In a blender, mix the Rotel, cream of chicken and water. Blend until the tomato chunks are broken down and everything is mixed well. Pour the mixture over the top of the layers. Then top with Mexican style shredded cheese {I use about half the bag, we like it cheesy!}.

Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until cheese on top is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes to cool before serving.


Makes 6 servings.

Recipe from: Mom {& Aunt Nancy}

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

#14 :: Mushroom Gruyere Burgers

I got brave tonight and tried something with our left over ingredients from other meals! No recipe required! :) The mushroom sauce was incredible!

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pint baby Portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp. oregano
A sprinkle of Parmesan cheese
2-4 strips bacon
2 sirloin burgers
2 thick slices of Gruyere cheese
Lettuce, tomato, Dijon mustard for garnish

Directions

First, saute the mushrooms in HALF of the olive oil (1/4 cup). Add the heavy cream and oregano and stir until mixed. Add a few sprinkles of Parmesan cheese to thicken the sauce. Once it starts to thicken, remove it from the heat. It will thicken more as it sits.

In another pan, fry the bacon in the other half of the olive oil (1/4 cup). Once the bacon is cooked, put it on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Then cook the burgers in the same bacon grease/olive oil pan. After cooking both sides of the burger, add the slices of Gruyere cheese to the top at the last few minutes of cooking so it will start to melt. Adding a lid to the pan helps it melt, too. Top it with warm mushroom sauce. Garnish with the rest of "the goods".


Makes 2 burgers.

Recipe from Me!

Star Rating: 4.5 out of 5

#7 :: Blue Cheese Burgers

This is my recipe for Blue Cheese Burgers. I read so many different recipes, and with the exception of a few burgers that contained everything but the kitchen sink, they all called for the same basic ingredients. So, I'm not following one certain recipe. I'm going to wing it!



Ingredients

• (4) 1/3 pound sirloin burgers
  
• 1/2 cup of bacon, cooked & chopped
• (1) 6 oz. tub of blue cheese crumbles
• (1) Plum Tomato, sliced
• Romain lettuce
• Dijon mustard
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Directions

Press blue cheese crumbles and chopped bacon into one of the sirloin burgers. Season with salt & pepper. Add a bit more blue cheese and chopped bacon to the top of the burger.

Place another burger on top of that, then press and seal the sides to hold in the blue cheese and bacon. Season both sides of the burger with salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes per side, or until done. (They're done when the blue cheese starts to bubble out the sides and/or top).

Makes 2 burgers.

Recipe from Me. :)

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 stars