Navajo Tacos, Indian Fry Bread, Indian Tacos, pretty much the same thing.  If you have never heard of Navajo Tacos, let me tell you a little about them.

Navajo Tacos were invented in 1864, using flour, sugar, salt and lard.  The Navajo tribe had been given these ingredients by the US Government, when they were forced to leave their land and make the 300 mile "Long Walk" to New Mexico.  Often times, the food ingredients supplied by the government were rancid, and so the tacos came about using just the simplest of ingredients available to the tribe.

The way that the frybread is served, depends on the region and even the tribe, but it's beginning take place during the 4 years of captivity the Navajo suffered.  So to the, Frybread is not just a meal, it is a memory of a painful and sad time for their ancestors.

The closest thing to a frybread that I'm familiar with, are the Vetkoek which we had back in South Africa, which is either served with some delicious savory curried ground beef, or filled jam.

 

I actually just realized that I haven't yet shared the Vetkoek recipe with you all, so that needs to happen soon.

Anyway, back to the Navajo Tacos.  My family loves tacos and usually we stick with the crunchy tortilla type, but once in a while, I prefer to take some time and make some Navajo Tacos, they truly do hit the spot.



Navajo Tacos

2 cups of flour
2 and half teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
Oil for frying

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
Cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili flakes (to taste)
Can of Bush's Southwestern Style Pinto Beans

Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Sour Cream


In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, salt and warm water.  Mix well until a soft dough is achieved.  You can knead for a few minutes, or pop it in your stand mixer and beat for about 4 minutes or so.  Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for 20 minutes.

In a skillet, fry the ground beef until browned, add the onion and cook until translucent, add the spices to taste and cook for a few minutes more.  Add in the Southwestern Style Pinto Beans, don't drain.  Mix well and let simmer for 5 minutes.  Set aside.

In a small skillet, add oil for frying.  You don't need a lot, I usually add about 2 inches of oil, I just don't like drowning my food in excessive amounts of oil.  Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, roll into a ball and then flatten to a disc that is about 6 inches wide.

Fry each one for a minute or so until golden brown, then flip over and cook the other side until golden brown as well.  Drain on paper towels.

To serve, spoon meat mixture onto each disc, add the toppings to your liking. 

A few years ago I put up a recipe for Homemade Crunchwrap, and it's been one of the most pinned and shared recipes.

If you're a fan of Taco Bell and like Crunchwraps, you may want to give it a try.

So think about a crunchwrap but in a sheet pan, where you can just cut it up into small individual pieces.  What could be better than that?  I'm actually thinking this would be a great dish to serve at get togethers and potlucks.

The recipe comes from Tasty and I adapted it to our taste.


2 pounds ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
7 Large Flour tortillas
5 Corn tostadas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I didn't measure, just eyeballed and added as much as I liked)
Shredded Mozzarella
Nacho Cheese
Diced tomatoes and lettuce

Preheat oven to 375.

Generously spray a sheet tray with non stick spray.

Brown the ground beef over medium heat, when done, drain excess oil and add the taco seasoning packet.  I added in a tiny amount of water just so it wasn't so dry.

Place the tortillas so half of the tortilla is hanging over the edge of the pan. Place 6 tortillas around the border of the sheet tray and one tortilla in the middle, covering the exposed sheet tray.

Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese over the tortillas.


Spread the ground beef over the cheese, then scoop on some nacho cheese over the beef.  Place the corn tostadas on top and lastly, sprinkle on some diced tomatoes and lettuce.  Sprinkle more cheddar and mozzarella cheese on top, then fold over the flour tortillas so they cover the filling and touch the center tortilla.

Place another baking tray on top of the crunchwrap and then weigh it down with a cast iron skillet, or something else that is heavy.

Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the skillet and the baking tray, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the tortillas are nice and brown.

Let sit for about 5 minutes, and slice into smaller rectangles.  Enjoy :)

So a couple years ago I was watching a vlog and this yummy looking meal showed up.  I am a total sucker for those Weekly Meal vlogs, I just enjoy watching what people are eating and it gives me tons of ideas when I'm menu planning.

I've been menu planning for over 20 years but here's the thing, you kind of go through phases where you draw a total blank and have no clue what to make......that's when I need all the help I can get.

I do have a few criteria I go by and if you've been reading my blog long enough you know what they are.  No gourmet, nothing that I can't make myself or find in my pantry, nothing that I need to go to a specialty store for and it must be pretty inexpensive, easy, quick to make and filling.

Those may seem like a lot of things to check off the list, but I learned how to cook with my greatgrandmother and she was all about feeding a big family, without breaking the bank and filling tummies with delicious food.

Thank you Bio Ema :)

Anyway, this recipe came up and I saved it and never got around to making it until tonight, and the only reason that even happened is because I was reorganizing and cleaning out my computer and the bookmarks and found it just sitting there, waiting patiently since 2013.  Poor thing.

I made it tonight and it was amazing, the family went crazy over it and it's been requested to be put on my MUST MAKES list. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think.  By the way, you can make your own gnocchi or use your favorite brand.  If you want to make your own, I do have a recipe for you :)




Gnocchi (the amount depends on you, but I find that one package is enough, or if making fresh, then about 3 cups)
1 pound ground beef
Spaghetti sauce (again, homemade or your favorite brand)
Spinach
Fresh Mozzarella

In a skillet, brown the ground beef, then drain.  Pour in the spaghetti sauce, simmer for a few minutes, then add in a bunch of spinach, I just use a handful.  Cook for a minute or two more until it wilts down.  Take off heat.

Cook Gnocchi according to package directions, or if you are making it homemade, place in a pot of boiling water and cook until it floats to the top.  Don't overcook or it will fall apart.

Mix the gnocchi and the meat mixture, spoon into a casserole dish and add pieces of fresh mozzarella on top.  Bake in a 425 degree oven until cheese is melted.

I served mine with a salad and garlic bread.

I don't know what it is, but lately I've been on a Mexican flavor kick.  From Homemade Crunchwraps to Tacos, Quesadillas and everything in between.

In keeping with that theme, tonight I made a Layered Nacho dish.  The beauty about this is that it's so versatile and you can add or remove anything you don't like.  It is also one of those that everyone in the family can enjoy however they wish.....you want it in a hard taco shell, go for it.  Want it in a soft flour tortilla, by all means....or maybe you just want to scoop this delicious stuff all over tortilla chips for some amazing nachos....yep, you can do that too.

It's quick to put together, it tastes amazing and your whole family will thank you for it.



1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 can refried beans
Queso Dip (I'm talking the ever famous queso dip involving Velveeta cheese and Rotel tomatoes and chilies)
Diced onion
Diced tomato
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream, optional

Prepare the Queso dip according to the directions on the back of the Rotel can.  It is nothing more than emptying the can into a microwavable bowl, adding a 16 oz. block of Velveeta cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes.  Cover and microwave for 5 minutes until melted, stir well and there you go.

Brown the ground beef, drain and add in a packet of taco seasoning, mix well to combine.  Add a can of refried beans, stir and cook for a minute or two until warm.

In a casserole dish, pour in the meat and beans mixture.  Next goes in the queso dip, followed by diced onions, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes.  That is IT!!!!

Serve along with tortilla chips or soft and hard taco shells.  Enjoy!!!


Optional:  You can add a layer of sour cream right after the meat and before the queso dip.  You can also add black olives to the toppings, or sliced avocado, dollops of sour cream etc.  It really is up to you.

If there is one thing I enjoy, are casseroles or one dish meals.  I can throw it all in one pan, cook it, serve it and only have to worry about very minimal cleanup.

Not to mention, casseroles have always been synonymous with comforting and filling food, which when you're cooking for 7 people at a time, can mean inexpensive and I'm all about that.

This was pretty good, the whole family enjoyed it.  I served it with a salad and some steamed broccoli and it got thumbs up from everyone, so I hope you enjoy it too.



2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
1 pound ground beef, 80/20
½ teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup long grain white rice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup water
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce



In a skillet that has a tight fitting cover, heat olive oil over medium high.
Add onion, peppers, garlic, ground beef, dry mustard, chili powder, salt and pepper. Sauté until ground beef is no longer pink, breaking up beef as you cook.

Add rice and cook for two minutes letting rice absorb liquid.  Add tomato paste and cook for one minute.  Add canned tomatoes with juice, water and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 minutes covered.

After 20 minutes, remove lid and fluff the mixture then serve. If the mixture is to wet, cook for another few minutes with lid off.

A specialty from Nebraska, the Runza is quite popular in the State.  But if you're not from Nebraska, chances are you've never heard of it and didn't even know it existed.


I'm one of those people, I had no clue it existed until a friend of mine mentioned them.  So I went online, did a little search here and there and found the Runza's, which are originally a bread dough filled with a delicious meat filling featuring cabbage.

I LOVE cabbage.  Just wanted to get that out of the way.

After doing a little more searching I started seeing the Runza Casserole pop up all over the place and I just knew that I had to try it.

Let me tell you that my kids loved it and never even noticed the cabbage in there.  Definitely going on my Casserole List.




2 cans of crescent rolls
1 Pounds of Ground beef
2 Cups of Cabbage (I used shredded cabbage in a bag)
1/2 Cup of Onion
1 Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
Garlic powder
Salt to taste
Shredded Mozzarella or Swiss Cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown meat in large skillet, drain and return to skillet. Add cabbage, onion, garlic powder and salt, let it cook for a minute or two until cabbage is soft. Add the mushroom soup, stir well.

Grease baking dish, unroll one of the cans of crescent rolls and press into the bottom of the dish. Top with the ground beef and cabbage mixture. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Unroll second can of crescent roll, place over the beef mixture. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

I love a good meatloaf and while there are a ton of variations on this dish, once in a while I run across one that I just have to try.

Like this one.....Sicilian Meatloaf.  Filled with ham and cheese and rolled jelly roll like, the minute you cut into it all this gooeye melted cheese pours out.  So delicious.


I'm thinking of making it next time and trying different fillings, maybe crispy bacon, provolone cheese or spinach leaves.  Oh yeah.



1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
3/4 cup tomato juice
3 tbsp. fresh parsley
italian seasonings
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
slices of ham
slices of mozzarella cheese

Mix first 9 ingredients in a bowl.

On a sheet of aluminum foil form meat mixture into a 10×12″ rectangle.


Line with ham and cheese. Roll and seal seam otherwise the cheese will just ooze out all over the place.



Place on baking sheet and bake 1 hour 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yum.my!

That's all I can say about it.  My kids gobbled it down and thought it was super delicious, hubby said it was really good and I said nothing because I was too busy shoving it down my throat.  So good.


I recently came across a blog named The Cooking Photographer and I fell in love, mainly because the author lives in Idaho and that's where I want to be, but also because of the great easy delicious food she graces the posts with....like this one.

Give it a try, I bet your family will love it.



Ingredients1 ½ pounds extra lean ground beef
½ an onion, diced
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 (7 ounce) can diced mild green chiles
1 (15 ounce) can Garacias Nacho Cheese Mexican Cheese Sauce, medium or mild (I used medium)
1 heaping cup shredded chipotle cheddar cheese, or cheddar cheese of your choice
About 1 pound frozen shoe string french fries
A sprinkle of salt for fries

Instructions1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Get out a 9x13 inch Pyrex pan and a large skillet.

2. Cook the ground beef, onions, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and fresh ground pepper together over medium high heat until no longer pink, Strain off the fat and place the meat mixture back in the pan.

3. Add the chiles and nacho cheese sauce to the pan and stir into the meat. Cook for about four minutes on medium low until combined and warmed through.

4. Pour the meat mixture into the 9x13 inch pan. Spread out and top with shredded cheddar. Top with frozen fries and sprinkle lightly with salt.

5. Bake for 30 minutes.

I love Portuguese food and I love Portuguese cooking, it's all about using the ingredients you have on hand and making substantial filling meals. Your senses are assaulted with the taste of garlic, olive oil and fried onions and let's not for get the wine.


With this in mind, I recently received some Linguica from Mello's Chourico, to try out. I remembered seeing a recipe on a portuguese food blog for using up leftover ground beef and I figured this was exactly what I was looking for.

Let me tell you though, the Linguica from Mello's Chourico was SO SO SO good, I'm definitely buying from them soon.



1 lb ground beef
1 Linguica sausage, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper
paprika
bay leaf
Mixed herbs ( I used basil and marjoram, you can even add in a little rosemary)
Homemade fries (I know it takes a little longer, but they are worth it)

I fried my potatoes in olive oil, you can also use vegetable oil but I prefer the olive oil, it tastes a lot better to me. Reserve.



Brown the ground beef with a little bit of olive oil, add the linguica, garlic, salt and pepper, paprika, bay leaf and the mixed herbs. Cook for about 15 minutes then add the homemade fries, stir well.

I like adding olives to mine and serving with a salad.

Very simple dish but very tasty, my kids love it.

Quick middle of the week dinner, my kids loves it, hubby loves it and I love it too.

It's super easy to make and I'm sure you have all the ingredients needed already, why not give it a try?

I actually made two pies from this recipe, I was able to divide the meat mixture into two pies, made one with the American cheese and one with Pepper Jack, this way I have an extra pie in the freezer for a quick weekend lunch.



1 unbaked (9-inch) pie shell
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 teaspoon instant beef bouillon granules
3 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
8 slices American cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 425 F. Bake pie shell for 8 minutes, remove from oven.
Reduce temperature to 350 F.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat; add beef. Cook until brown and crumbly, about 5 minutes.

Add tomato sauce, onion, bell pepper and bouillon. Cook until bouillon dissolves; remove from heat. Add eggs and flour, mix well.

Tear cheese slice into small pieces. Stir cheese into beef mixture; spoon into pie shell. Bake pie for 25 minutes or until filling is heated through.


Cut remaining cheese slices into triangles. Arrange triangles in a spoke fashion on top of pie.
Bake for another 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Cut pie into wedges.

I absolutely love beef stroganoff but it's not something I make that often, especially if I want a quick meal on the table in the least amount of time possible.

So when I found this recipe online for Hamburger Stroganoff, I knew I had to give it a try.

The kids loved it, Nicholas actually had 3 helpings so I know it's a winner with them.




1 lb. hamburger
1 - 8 to 10 oz. bag wide egg noodles or
(rice or mashed potatoes)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 - packet brown gravy mix
4 oz sour cream
2 tbsp. chopped onion
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 sm. can sliced mushrooms (optional)

Brown & cook hamburger with chopped onion, salt and pepper. While the meat is browning, boil water for cooking the noodles. Salt water, if desired. Cook noodles to desired tenderness. Drain off water.

Drain off grease drippings.

Add to drained hamburger mixture 1 can cream of mushroom soup & prepared gravy mix (according to package directions). Stir over medium heat. Add drained mushrooms.

Cook mixture on medium heat and simmer until mixture begins to thicken
about 15 minutes.

Add the sour cream and thoroughly blend into the gravy mixture.

Serve over cooked noodles, rice or mashed potatoes.

I first came across this recipe in the Family Fun magazine, but just like so many others I find, I clip and set aside and then forget about them. They end up in my big folder of recipes to try, how sad, there are some in there from years ago which reminds me I need to go through them all and organize/toss/try etc.

Anyway, here is a quick and easy recipe for some delicious juicy burgers, it got thumbs up from the family.



1 ¼ lb. ground beef
3 Tbsp. A1 sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Kosher salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
¾ tsp. dry oregano
1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion

Combine ingredients. If you want big burgers, shape into 4 patties, I used 2 lbs of ground beef and made 8 burgers.


When done just place on your toasted buns (I can't say this without laughing today haha) and add whatever toppings you wish. I like grilling some onions on the griddle at the same time the patties are cooking. Delish!