When you’re at the beach you don’t realize you’re hungry until you’ve stripped off your wet, sandy bathing suit, taken a shower and then sat down.

And then by that time, it’s too late . . . you’re RAVENOUS.

For us, the grumpies start to appear and nobody’s happy until they’ve eaten.

That’s why we like to cook in our little condo. I usually leave the beach early to get the meal rolling and then head off the “grumpies” before they appear.

See how that works?

This gorgeous photo is a steakburger meal we prepared one night. But it’s not just ANY steakburger. It’s got Vidalia (sweet) onions in the beef. And boy do they flavor that beef!

Some of us like to make them into cheese steakburgers (like the one above), but that night I preferred to make mine an onion steakburger with no bun marinaded in Teriyaki sauce. I’m crazy about the stuff. Those yummy onions mixed with the marinade brought out the amazing flavor of the burger. I just plain didn’t need a bun.

Everybody was happy because they got to make theirs however they wanted it.

And those grumpies I mentioned? They stayed far away that night. Well played, if I do say so myself.

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Have you visited CampbellsKitchen.com yet?

I’m all for easy meals, so I took a gander. And this one really caught my eye . . .

FRENCH ONION BURGERS

1 pound ground beef

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Campbell’s® Condensed French Onion Soup

4 slice cheese

4 Pepperidge Farm® Classic Sandwich Buns with Sesame Seeds, split

Shape the beef into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) burgers.

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove the burgers from the skillet. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soup in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the burgers to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until desired doneness. Top the burgers with the cheese and cook until the cheese is melted. Serve the burgers on the buns with the soup mixture for dipping.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with romaine salad tossed with fresh basil and Italian salad dressing. For dessert, serve orange slices.

RECIPE TIPS

Tip: You can also serve these burgers in a bowl atop a mound of hot mashed potatoes, with some of the onion gravy poured over.

Photo and recipe courtesy of CampbellsKitchen.com.

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I truly love Salisbury Steak. The rich flavor of the gravy gets me every time.

But the ONE TIME I tried to make it (early in my marriage) was a disaster. Read about it here. We STILL talk about it 11 years later.

But it hasn’t soured me on the meal altogether. I just need a new recipe.

Or someone else to cook it.

So today we’re in luck because here is a fantastic recipe for Salisbury Steak and the photos were taken after someone else cooked it. Hooray!

Ingredients:

Salisbury steak-

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup minced onions
¼ cup cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter

Gravy-

1 onion (sliced into rings)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup dry red wine
Parmesan Cheese (for garnish)
Minced parsley (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine ground beef, minced onions, cracker or bread crumbs, egg, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Shape into oval patties.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Cook patties until they are no longer pink inside, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.  (Or if you want, you can grill them.)

Step 3: Add onions and sugar to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Sauté for 60 seconds or until paste is browned. Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook for 60 seconds. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and thyme. Return your patties to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Serve patties on top of cheese toast and top with sauce, onions, fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Photo and recipe courtesy of BlogChef.net.

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What’s the most popular cut of beef?

Want to know how ground beef is used in most American households?

And the most popular side dishes?

You’re in luck!

Check out these “Beef Bytes” from beef.org.  All the little tidbits you’d ever want to know about beef are included.

Enjoy!

http://www.beef.org/udocs/Beef%20Bytes%20Trivia.pdf

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I was craving meatloaf.

I know, it sounds weird, maybe kind of twisted. And it’s SOOOO suburbia.

But I wanted meatloaf.

It’s been really cool outside here and meatloaf is the perfect warm-you-up dinner.

And my husband couldn’t agree more. Heck, he benefits when I have beef cravings.

I think I had been dreaming about it — which is why I made this picture look kind of dreamy around the edges. Like the meatloaf is floating on a cloud.

Who wouldn’t want to see meatloaf floating on a cloud?

All right, I saw some hands. If you raised your hand, you’re dismissed. The rest of us will discuss how I make my meatloaf.

I use ground beef with onions already in it. It’s scrumptious. Then, add a cup of Italian breadcrumbs, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in an egg to to help it form the loaf.

Lay bacon strips over the top of the loaf and bake at 350 degrees F for just under an hour.

Oh, the smell is heavenly. The onions, the bacon, the oregano. You can smell it all. FOR AN HOUR.

It’s almost torture.

But then, just when you think you can’t stand it any longer — it’s ready to eat.

It was a dreamy evening scarfing down dreamy meatloaf with my dreamy husband. It was almost like an episode of Mad Men, only without all the yucky stuff on Mad Men.

Hooray for meatloaf!

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Our beachy vacation featured yummy meals at night. Dinner was always a highlight of the day — after hours of hard play in the sun and sand we were RAVENOUS when it came time to eat.

So one night we made beef tacos (customized for each person, of course) with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and salsa. But this time we made the taco meat with fajita seasoning. It was a little twist on the tried-and-true taco seasoning packet. Plus, I added my own minced onions.

Magnifique!

Oh yeah, I made a rice pilaf, too, to mix it up a little bit from the typical Spanish rice.  I added minced onions to that, too.  Mmmmm, oniony.

This was one meal EVERY person in our group enjoyed. And with 4 kids in the mix, that’s sayin’ something!!!

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Happy, happy 4th of July to you!

My gift to you in celebration of this day is the gift of food. Well, a recipe, actually.

And I am loving this recipe! It’s a kaboby-meatballish combo (if you ask me) and I LOVE that it uses ground beef.

The light lemongrass is perfect for hot, hot July weather, too!

Enjoy it under the firecrackers tonight!!!!!!!!!!!

Lemongrass Ground Beef Skewers

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped lemon grass
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
2. Place lemon grass, onion, and garlic in the container of an electric blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until finely chopped, about 10 seconds. Scrape lemon grass mixture into a bowl, and stir in beef, salt, pepper, sugar, cornstarch, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
3. Form meat mixture into 12 meatballs. Thread onto skewers.
4. Cook on the preheated grill until the meatballs are well done, about 7 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Recipe and photo courtesy of allrecipes.com.

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I always like winter recipes that make me feel warm and satisfied.

And this one does not disappoint.

It’s a different take on the typical lasagna recipe. It’s got arugula and spinach mixed in with tasty ground beef.

Try this one on those freezing, wintry nights!

Beef, Arugula and Spinach Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1-1/4 tsp. salt, divided
• 3/4 tsp. pepper, divided
• 4 cups prepared pasta or spaghetti sauce
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh baby arugula (about 1-3/4 oz.)
• 2 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach (about 1-3/4 oz.)
• 1 container (15 oz.) fat free ricotta cheese
• 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
• 9 uncooked, oven-ready (no boil), lasagna noodles
• 1-1/2 cups reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Brown ground beef with garlic in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, or until beef is no longer pink, breaking up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Pour off drippings; season with 3/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in pasta sauce. Set aside.

Combine arugula and spinach. Set aside. Combine ricotta cheese, egg whites, basil, oregano, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in small bowl.

Spread 1 cup meat sauce over bottom of 11-3/4 x 7-1/2-inch glass baking dish. Top with 3 noodles, half of the ricotta mixture, half of the spinach mixture, 1/2 cup mozarella and 1-1/2 cups meat sauce. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 3 noodles and meat sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in 375°F oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake uncovered 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand, loosely covered, 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Suggestions

Oven-ready noodles and prepared pasta sauce makes this a breeze to prepare. Make double and freeze for future meals.

Photo and recipe courtesy of TxBeef.org.

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If you’ve been reading this blog, you know my sister-in-law Sandy takes every meal to another level of flavor-infused goodness.

Even something like tacos become THE BEST TACOS YOU’VE EVER HAD.

Here, Sandy tells us just what she did to wow our family with a smorgasbord of flavors, colors, and amazing scents — all the things that make a great meal.

Taco Night.  Our first meal in Florida as a large group came together pretty quickly.  Nothing fancy, but everyone really enjoyed it.  I think there were about 14 of us on taco night, and this meal came together in less than an hour. 

I think the secret to good tacos is using good quality beef and cooking it well, without quite as much seasoning as those little packages suggest you use.  Try using a little less (I use only about a third a package per pound of meat) and seasoning the meat with a little salt and fresh ground pepper and your favorite salsa or picante sauce.  This is a super quick meal that is fun for a crowd, and can really be put together very quickly if you get organized.  Do all of your chopping to start, then start on what takes longest.  Get your guests to help – chop garnishes, make margaritas, etc.

0.  Prep Garnishes and/or recruit volunteers to prep garnishes and get drinks going.

1. Begin Rice.  Dice all of the onions needed for the recipes (1 ½) and peel and dice carrot for rice. Start rice pilaf by cooking vegetables, and then adding rice, cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and set timer for 20 minutes. 

2. Begin Black Beans and Taco meat  : chop bacon and add to cold frying pan. Turn heat to medium and cook bacon until brown, add beans and picante sauce and cook over low heat until thoroughly warmed thru and beans are tender.  Meanwhile, heat oil and begin taco meat preparation as directed below. Add liquid to beans as necessary to prevent beans from burning. Mash beans as desired with potato masher, fork or handheld blender.

3. Preheat oven for crispy taco shells when the rice has just a few minutes left.  The taco shells take less than 5 minutes to warm up- don’t let these suckers burn, they go quickly!

Quick Tacos for a Crowd

1 Tbsp Canola or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced small

3# Ground Beef, 85%-95% Lean Ground Sirloin or other good quality Beef

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 pkg taco seasoning (for 1# ground beef)                                                                                

Heat oil over medium/high heat in large heavy bottomed skillet or saucepan until shimmering, then add onion and cook until translucent.  Add ground beef, salt and pepper.  Cook until ground beef is brown.  If there is excessive fat, beef may be drained at this point.  Add taco seasoning and water as directed on package.  Cook as directed, adding salt and pepper and or hot sauce as necessary and to taste.

Scrumptious “Refried” Black Beans

6 strips bacon, chopped

2 cans black beans or “refried” style black beans

½ cup picante sauce or salsa

½ cup cheddar or Monterrey jack cheese

Spanish Style Rice

2 carrots, peeled and diced

½ onion, diced

1 package yellow rice, plus water for package directions (may substitute ½ cup picante sauce for ½ cup of the water called for on the package directions)

Taco bar Condiments:

Shredded Lettuce

Diced Tomatoes

Salsa

Diced Avocado or Guacamole

Shredded Cheese

Crunchy Taco Shells

Tortilla Chips

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. . . is a MEAL.

That’s how the old slogan goes. And we decided to test it out.

It’s so easy to make this Sloppy Joe recipe, even a monkey could do it. Although, for liability reasons, you really wouldn’t want a monkey messing around in your kitchen.

Just brown a pound of ground beef in a skillet until it’s no longer pink and drain.

Then, mix in a can of Manwich and stir until it’s mixed through and hot.

Serve the mixture on hamburger buns and you’re done!

Sandy toasted our buns in a little butter on a skillet, but she’s like that. She has to go and make absolutely EVERY meal extra delicious.

Did I mention Cheetos were on the menu too? Who doesn’t like a Cheeto every now and then?

This was such a quick and easy lunch and it was a big hit for us beef-eaters. My eight-year-old nephew ate two of them.

Does that make him a REAL MAN now?

For that matter, if I ate one does that make ME a man?

I’m so confused . . .

Top photo and recipe courtesy of ConAgraFoods.com.

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We’re smack dab in the middle of “entertaining season.” Are you lucky enough to be the entertainer soon?

This recipe is one of my absolute, all-time favorite appetizers. Whenever I serve Swedish meatballs they seem to disappear as fast as I can put them out.

And someone who shall remain nameless has been known to make an entire meal of these a time or two.

They’re that good.

Just look at them!

It is perfectly acceptable for these beauties to be a meal, especially when served over egg noodles.

I, however, have eaten approximately 32 meatballs at a party — each with a tiny toothpick in it that I had to first pull out.

Something tells me those were not meant to be dinner.

However you serve them, try this recipe and don’t make fun of your guests for hogging them. That’s what they’re for!

Swedish Meatballs

(Serves 6)

1 lb. Ground Beef

1 Cup Bread Crumbs

2 Cups Heavy Cream

2 Eggs

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 pinch ground clove

1 Medium Onion, minced

2 Cups Beef Broth

2 Tbsp. Flour

2 Tbsp. Butter

In a heavy bottom skillet, sweat the onion in the butter and reserve.  In a stand mixers bowl, add cream and bread crumbs and let sit for fifteen minutes.  Add eggs, nutmeg, clove and beef and onions and mix thoroughly until the mixture gets sticky, about five minutes.  Shape the mixture into golf ball sized meatballs and cook in the skillet over low heat until all of the meatballs are nicely browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Add flour to pan and cook for five minutes.  Slowly stir in beef broth with a whisk to avoid any lumps and cook for fifteen minutes.  Add Cream and reduce by one third.  Add meatballs and cook for twenty minutes.  Serve over buttered egg noodles.

Photo courtesy of rd.com.

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Oh, the weather outside is frightful . . . so let’s do what we can to make our homes warm and cozy.

A big part of that is making great meals that fill our tummies and warm us up. This chili recipe is great to have on hand when you have lots of company at your house for days at a time. Whenever someone is hungry they can just heat themselves up a bowl, grab some crackers, grate some cheese on top and have at it!

Also, be on the lookout for some ingredients here you might not have thought of . . . they’re spectacular.

Vidalia Chili

(Serves eight)

1 lb. Vidalia Sweet Onion Ground Beef

3 Cloves Garlic, crushed

2 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and chopped

1 large Can Crushed Tomatoes

2 oz. Mexican Chocolate (or 2 Tbsp. Baking Cocoa)

3 Tbsp. Chile Powder

2 Tbsp. Ground Cumin

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Pinto Beans

1 Can Kidney Beans

Salt and Pepper to taste

Over medium heat, in a heavy bottomed pot, cook the ground beef until done and strain off grease.  Add jalapeno and garlic and cook for five minutes.  Add chocolate, cumin and chile powder and cook for five more minutes.  Add tomatoes and beans and cover with water, season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 1 hour, or until thickened.

I get my Vidalia Sweet Onion Ground Beef here.  It has amazing flavor and it gives this chili that extra taste that makes it special.

Enjoy!

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I hope you’re having a great Labor Day weekend. We are.

(And if you are still reading this from New Orleans — please, please go north. Like now.)

Basically, we are having a festival of meat here with our family to celebrate a little time to kick back and share the foods we love.

Yesterday we had spaghetti and meataballas with my parents and we all left quite full and satisfied.

Meat always makes everything better. And we used this ground beef with the onions already in it. I love it because it eliminates a step – and that makes me happy.

Today, we are grilling burgers for lunch and steaks for dinner. Hello, meat! Welcome to my stomach!

My husband’s birthday was this weekend and we decided to wait to celebrate it tonight when relatives are gone and kids are in bed. Peaceful. And meaty.

We can’t wait. Enjoy your Labor Day and stay safe!

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