Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:
Cabbage Rolls

1 large head green cabbage, about 2 to 2¼ pounds
2 pounds ground beef
2 eggs (not necessary, you can leave them out, but they do make the meat fluffier)
1 medium onion, grated or minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup raw long-grain white rice *

Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped (medium dice)
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce or one 32-ounce can whole tomatoes, pulsed in a food processor with juice until pureed.
juice of one lemon or 2 tablespoons (or more to taste) apple cider vinegar
¼ to ¾ cup light brown sugar (Depending on amount of sweetness you prefer. Start with ¼ cup and taste sauce, adding if you like it sweeter. If you prefer it completely savory, add only 1 tablespoon brown sugar and the juice from half a lemon)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup golden raisins (optional)
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil. When the water comes to a boil, fill a large bowl with ice water. Cut out as much of the core as you can from the bottom of the cabbage, then drop the whole, cored head into the boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Once the leaves separate and are pliable, immediately remove and drop the blanched leaves that separated (or whole head if all the leaves did not separate) in the ice water. Once cooled down, remove and pat the leaves dry. Repeat with any leaves still attached to the head that aren't pliable, if necessary. Alternatively, If you've got time on your hands, you can freeze the wrapped head of cabbage for two days then defrost. The leaves will peel off easily and be soft enough to roll.

Here's some other ideas from readers, although I have yet to try them so I cannot confirm that they work. 1. Place the cabbage in the microwave for 6 minutes. The core will slip right out and the leaves will be perfect for rolling. 2. Take a knife and shave down the vein on each cabbage leaf, but they still need to be softened to roll, so you'd still have to blanch them (extra work), so I'm not sold on this one. 3. You can also throw the whole head in the boiling water without coring it. The leaves just won't separate on their own, but are still easy to peel off.

Set aside about 16 of the largest leaves for stuffing and rolling, then chop some of the remaining leaves to make 1 cup of chopped cabbage and reserve.

Mix the ground beef with the eggs, grated onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and rice. (If you use cooked rice, you can test the seasoning of the meat mixture to your liking by frying up or microwaving a piece of it and tasting, if desired). Divide this mixture into sixteen 2-ounce balls. Using moistened hands, form the balls into cylinders. Place a cylinder of filling near the bottom of a cabbage leaf (if the vein in the leaf is really thick, shave it down with a knife before placing the beef on it, being careful not to cut through the leaf itself.). Begin to roll it up, folding both sides over the filling, and finish rolling to enclose the filling, like an eggroll. Continue, filling and rolling all the cabbage leaves. Place them, seam side down, on a tray or baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Over medium heat, melt the butter in a heavy, nonreactive saucepan. Sauté the second onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, then add the reserved chopped cabbage and sauté briefly.

Add the tomato sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine. Increase the heat until it comes to a boil, then lower it and simmer for 5 minutes. Add raisins now, if using.

Line of the bottom of a 13 x 9 roasting pan or glass dish with a layer of sauce. Place cabbage rolls, seam side down, on top of sauce. Top cabbage rolls with remaining sauce then cover the whole pan with tin foil. Bake for 2 hours in a preheated 350F oven

One Pot Mexican Skillet Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound hamburger
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups salsa, homemade or store-bought
2 cups cooked elbows pasta
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add ground turkey and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef as it cooks; drain excess fat.
Stir in tomato sauce and salsa until well combined. Add pasta, tomato, corn and black beans, and gently toss to combine.
Stir in cheese until melted through, about 1-2 minutes.
Serve immediately, topped with

Goulash (Paula Deen)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 bay leaves 
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning 
2   (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes 
2   (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce 
3 cup water 
3 cloves garlic, chopped 
2 large onion, chopped
2 lbs lean ground beef 
1 tablespoon Paula Deen Seasoned Salt
2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, saute the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sauteing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and saute until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

Homemade Marinara

Ingredients:

8-10 tomatoes (mixed Roma & on-the-vine)
1/2 yellow or white onion
Garlic, 4-5 cloves, peeled
Olive oil
Basil
Thyme
Salt
Pepper
Tomato sauce, 8oz

Directions:

Chop all the ingredients up and put it into a 9x13 pan. Toss it with olive oil and seasonings. Stick it in the oven at 200 degrees for 3 hours. You want everything to be nice and mushy. Put it in a blender or food processor and puree. Add your can of tomato sauce and puree some more. The sauce should be pretty smooth. Taste it and add extra seasonings as needed.

You could probably even add parmesan or Romano and give it a cheesy flavor at this point.

This makes 2 pint size jars. If you will be using this quickly, ok, if not consider canning or freezing.

Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage (I use turkey sausage)
¾ pound lean ground beef
½ c onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 T sugar
1½ t dried basil leaves
½ t fennel seeds (I usually omit this)
1 t Italian seasoning
1 T salt (I usually reduce to a couple teaspoons)
¼ t ground black pepper
4 T chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles (regular or no cook. I usually use no cook noodles.)
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
½ t salt
¾ pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
¾ c grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until cooked through and browned.

Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water, and stir everything together.

Add sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 T salt, pepper, and 2 T parsley, and stir to combine.

Simmer, covered, for at least 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. I usually try to simmer for as long as possible.

If using regular lasagna noodles, cook according to package instructions and drain.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, remaining parsley, and ½ teaspoon salt.
Preheat oven to 375°F.

To assemble, spread 1½ cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. Arrange a single layer of noodles over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1½ cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Cheesy Ground Beef & Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef
2 onions, diced
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 small can tomato sauce
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
salt
pepper
oregano
1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and turn on the heat to high
3. Roast the onions for a few minutes
4. Add ground beef and garlic, brown the ground beef completely, turn heat to medium
5. Spice with salt, pepper and oregano how you like it
6. Add rice, peas tomato sauce, 1 cup cheese and broth, let simmer for 3 minutes
7. Transfer everything into a casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes
8. Meanwhile combine the rest of the cheese with the sour cream
9. After 15 minutes bring the cheese/sour cream mixture on top of you casserole and bake for another 15 minutes

Easy Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of sugar (optional)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup prechopped onion 
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted tomato sauce
• 3 cups cooked hamburger meat
• 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
• 12 (6-inch) flour tortillas
• Cooking spray
• 3 ounces preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 cup chopped tomato 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 6 tablespoons sour cream

Directions:

1. 1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. 2. Combine first 9 ingredients in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil over high heat; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Reserve 1 1/2 cups sauce mixture. Add chicken and beans to pan; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly heated.
3. 3. Stack tortillas; wrap stack in damp paper towels and microwave at HIGH for 25 seconds. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture in center of each tortilla; roll up. Arrange tortillas, seam sides down, in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with reserved sauce and cheese. Broil 3 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned and sauce is bubbly. Top with tomato and cilantro. Serve with sour cream.

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Topping:

3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325.
In a large mixing bowl combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, onion, and tomato sauce. Mix lightly. Shape into a loaf and place in 9x13 baking dish.

In a small mixing bowl combine the ketchup, brown sugar, water, mustard, and vinegar. Brush the loaf with this mixture.

Place meat loaf in oven and bake 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally with sauce.

Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients:

2lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger and onion over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is brown; drain.
2. In 4-5qt slow cooker mix beef, onion, an remaining ingredients.
3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 6-8 hours.

Makes 8 servings (1 1/4 cups each)

Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large egg, beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Topping:

3/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, egg, onion and tomato sauce.
3. Mix lightly.
4. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking dish.
5. In a small mixing bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, water, mustard and vinegar.
6. Brush the meatloaf with this mixture.
7. Place the meatloaf in the oven and bake 1 hour and 15 mins, basting occasionally with sauce.

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Layer one...

Ingredients:

• 1-1/4 pound Ground Chuck
• 1 can 15-ounces Tomato Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 8 ounces, weight Egg Noodles
• 1/2 cup Sour Cream
• 1-1/4 cup Small Curd Cottage Cheese
• 1/2 cup Sliced Green Onions (less To Taste)
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer two... Finally you add cheese to the top...

Brown ground chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce. 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the grated cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, then a final layer of cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until all cheese is melted.

Serve with crusty French bread.