Cheeseburger Pizza

Cheeseburgers for dinner tonight, or pizza? Both sound good, but why decide between the two? You can have both with this Cheeseburger Pizza!

Do you get coupon booklets in the mail?  I love when we do because they save us money, but also because sometimes they introduce me to new foods or restaurants.  Many times Mike and I have tried something new because we had a coupon for it!

We recently received some coupons for a pizza joint.  I set the coupons aside, not because I wanted to go there, but because the picture of their newest pizza caught my attention.  It was a cheeseburger pizza!  Genius, right?  I've had a variety of uncommon pizzas: BLT Pizza, Jerk Chicken Pizza and Breakfast Pizza  to name a few, but the concept of a cheeseburger pizza never occurred to me.

Saturday nights are typically our pizza nights, so I decided to branch out and try my take on the cheeseburger pizza.  I used some creamy Velveeta and mixed it with cooked ground beef to make a delicious sauce.  I put that on my favorite pizza crust and then topped it with a layer of mozzarella cheese.  When the pizza came out of the oven I added diced tomatoes and pickles.  I briefly considered adding on some shredded lettuce but opted against it because warm lettuce didn't sound appetizing.  You could add virtually any toppings you enjoy on burgers or pizza!

Cheeseburger Pizza

Makes 1 large pizza, approximately 8 slices

Ingredients:
Pizza dough
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Velveeta
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup diced pickles
1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1.  Roll out or press pizza dough onto a greased pizza pan (or pizza stone).

2.  Cook ground beef in a large skillet until browned.  Drain grease.

3.  Cube the Velveeta cheese and add it to the skillet with the beef.  Cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.

4.  Spread the meat and cheese mixture on top of the pizza dough.

5.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top.

6.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until pizza dough is cooked through in the center and the edges are golden.

7.  Top warm pizza with diced pickles and tomatoes.  Serve warm.

Crock-pot Cheeseburger Soup

This past weekend, we had the opportunity to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday with our extended family.  My mom's family lives in Canada, so we made the trip to visit everyone.  It's about an 8 hour drive ...depending on how much of a lead foot your husband has and how long the baby wants to nurse for.  The trip went really well, we stopped every couple hours to feed Summer and it worked well because I felt like our stops made the trip not feel like it was so long.  Summer traveled well and only cried during the last 30 minutes of the trip when we were in stop & go traffic around Toronto.

My Grandma was so excited to meet her great-grand-daughter! She had balloons and a sign that read Welcome to my little sweetheart Summer Joy!  Of course, as soon as we walked into the door she took Summer out of my arms.  It took her a few minutes before she said hi to Mike and I.  It was so precious to see Grandma's excitement over meeting Summer.

On Saturday, we had an open house and then a family dinner to celebrate.  Grandma should have been the star of the show, but I think Summer was, and Grandma didn't mind a bit!  Summer got passed around and met about a hundred people, she was mostly smiles the whole time!  Mike and I had to come home on Sunday so we could go back to work today, but the celebration in Canada goes through today!  They sure know how to party!

Over the weekend, the weather took a drastic change.  It definitely feels like Fall is here to stay now!  These Cheeseburger Soup is my new favorite fall food.  It was so easy to make, I just put the ingredients into the Crock-pot before work one day.  Then when Mike got home, he added the Velveeta cheese.

I used an entire bag of shredded potatoes, so I thought that it needed more liquid so I added extra chicken broth.  I think that addition made the soup a little less thick than the original recipe.  However, I really enjoyed the soup's texture this way.  This recipe made about 8 servings, so Mike and I had plenty of soup for leftovers.  It heated up well and we enjoyed a few more delicious lunches!

Crock-pot Cheeseburger Soup 

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef, cooked and drained
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 pounds (1 bag) shredded hash browns
64 ounces (2 boxes) chicken broth
2 pounds (1 box) Velveeta cheese, cubed

1.  Put ground beef, crumbled bacon, shredded hash browns, and chicken broth into your Crock-pot.

2.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

3.  About 30 minutes before serving, add cubed Velveeta cheese to the soup and stir.  The cheese will melt on its own.

4.  Cover the Crock-pot again and cook about 30 more minutes.  Stir before serving.

Source: Well Cooked (original source site unavailable)

Meatball Stuffed Rolls

I don't know about you, but I am all about easy and delicious meals!  A couple weeks ago, one of our friends made meatball subs. They cooked the meatballs in a tomato sauce in the crock pot and then just toasted some buns at dinner time, and dinner was served!  It was delicious!

That meal also inspired me to make these Meatball Stuffed Rolls.  Honestly, this recipe couldn't be easier!  It's just a Pillsbury biscuit, tomato sauce, cheese, and meatball.  Roll it up, bake it, and eat it! Serve alongside a big salad, and dinner is ready in a flash!

Meatball Stuffed Rolls

Makes 8 rolls

Ingredients:
1 can Pillsbury Southern Style biscuits
1/2 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
8 pre-cooked meatballs
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese

1.  Flatten biscuits out to make a 6" circle.

2.  Place about 1 Tablespoon of pizza sauce in the center of each biscuit.

3.  Top the pizza sauce with about 1 Tablespoon shredded mozzarella cheese.

4.  Place a meatball on top of the cheese.

5.  Fold the biscuit up around the meatballs.  Press the seams together with your fingers to seal.

6.  Place rolls, seam side down, on a greased cookie sheet.  Sprinkle the tops of the rolls with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.

7.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until the tops of the rolls are golden brown. 

Serve hot, with additional sauce for dipping, if desired.

3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos

Hi everyone!  I've spent the last 2 weeks cuddling with the most precious baby ever (I might be just a little biased), and even as I'm writing this post, she's sleeping peacefully on my chest.  It's the most incredible feeling in the world to have a baby--my baby--cuddling with me.  I'm so in love with her!

While I'm spending time with Summer, I have some great blogger friends who will be sharing recipes with you.  Today, my friend Carrie is sharing a recipe that anyone can enjoy--especially us new moms.  These tacos look delicious and I'm sure I'll be using this recipe often!

Hello all!  I am Carrie and you can typically find me over at Frugal Foodie Mama sharing my budget friendly recipes and my anecdotes about my life as a stay-at-home mama. 
But today I am over here visiting with my good friend Melissa as she spends time with her little one.

My daughter is now 17 months old, but I do vividly remember those first few months after bringing her home... a tired, blurry wonderful mess of pure bliss and exhaustion. ;)
So today, I am sharing with you all one of my most easiest, delicious Crock Pot recipes that you would literally have no problem throwing together even on less than 3 hours of sleep...

My 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos!
Yes, just 3 ingredients, folks.  
No chopping.
No pre-cooking.
Just dump it all in, mix, and walk away. 
Easy, peasy! :)

3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 5-6 hours

6050518

Ingredients (12 tacos)

• 1 lb of beef
• 1 envelope of taco seasoning
• 1 10 oz can of tomatoes and green chiles (like Rotel)

Instructions

Just dump all 3 ingredients in your Crock Pot, mix, and cook on Low for 5-6 hours.

If you can, stir every couple of hours to break up the ground beef. But if you are not home, you can just break up the meat into smaller chunks right before serving.

Serve with taco shells and/or flour tortillas and your favorite taco toppings.

Enjoy!

Powered by Recipage

This recipe is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser with my family from my almost 15 year old son to baby girl.  Plus, you can easily double this recipe if you need to feed a larger crowd.  In fact, I did just that when I made these while we were at the beach last week! ;)

You can also use a pound of chicken breasts in this recipe instead of the ground beef.  Just shred the chicken with two forks before serving! 

I hope you all will stop by and visit on the blog or any of my various social media outlets!  All the links are below to make it super easy for you. ;)

Thank you for having me over, Melissa!

  Hello all! I am Carrie and I blog over at Frugal Foodie Mama about my life as a stay-at-home mom to a toddler and a teenager, my family's journey to become a little more eco-responsible everyday, and how I still manage to stay a foodie on our one income budget.  Please stop on over and say hi! 

Blog~Facebook~Twitter~Pinterest~Instagram

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is Mike's favorite hot dinner.  It's a meal that he grew up eating, and his mom often made it for him and his dad.  In nearly 3 years of marriage, I'd never made him Shepherd's Pie.  Oops!

We were talking with a friend a couple weeks ago and both he and Mike got on the subject of Shepherd's Pie and how much they loved it.  I decided that it was high time I learn how to make Mike's favorite dinner!  I didn't have a recipe to go off of, so I just put the basic ingredients together that I knew were involved.  It all worked out, because Mike loved the Shepherd's Pie.

This recipe made a large dish full of the casserole.  It was enough for our dinner, plus 3 or 4 lunches for Mike to take to work.  This meal would also freeze well if you have too many leftovers!  I put the casserole together the night before we planned to have it for dinner and stored it overnight in the fridge.  The next day I had Mike put it in the oven and dinner was almost ready when I got home from work.

Shepherd's Pie

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef, browned (drain the grease)
1 12 ounce package frozen mixed vegetables (I used Bird's Eye)
2 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
5 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt

1.  In a 9x13" casserole dish, combine the cooked ground beef, mixed vegetables, and Cream of Mushroom soup.

2.  Spread the mashed potatoes over the meat and vegetable mixture.

3.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until heated through.

4.  Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on top of the potatoes and return to the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.

Serve hot, with salt to season as needed.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Last Monday was Mike's birthday.  We've carried on a tradition that both of us grew up with--choosing your birthday dinner.  Mike's family always went out to a restaurant, while my family got to choose any meal for one of my parents to prepare.  We do a mix of our family's traditions, choosing either a restaurant or a meal.  This year, Mike chose to have me make him a meal. 

At first he chose Hamburger Helper.  I questioned his choice, saying if he really wanted that, I would certainly make it, but that's something we could have any time.  He quickly changed his mind and requested meatloaf.  I asked him if there was any way he wanted the meatloaf prepared and he said he didn't have a preference.

I decided to  make a Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.  Nothing about this meatloaf is remotely healthy--it contains bacon, cheese, and beef--but it was so good!  One of the reasons Mike chose meatloaf for dinner is because he loves to have meatloaf sandwiches for lunch at work.  Of course, with just the two of us eating dinner, we had plenty of meatloaf left over for him to enjoy a couple meatloaf sandwiches for lunch too.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 egg
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and broken into pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar

1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg.

2.  Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, bacon pieces, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder to the egg and stir until completely combined.

3.  Press meat mixture into a bread pan.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and brown sugar.

5.  Spread the ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until the interior temperature is 165 degrees.

7.  Allow the meatloaf to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Crunchwraps

Why is it that the foods that are the worst for you nutritionally usually taste the best?  For instance:  Oreo cookies, french fries, a slice of triple meat extra cheesy pizza, donuts, deep fried pickles, ice-cream...the list could go on and on.  Another example could be almost anything from a fast food restaurant.  It's so easy and convenient but can be oh, so bad for you!

After a long day at work, or a long work week, it's so tempting for me to stop and pick up a quick meal on our way home.  Usually I'll opt for a quick pizza as a surprise for Mike but we certainly enjoy our local fast food restaurants too.  We try to limit how often we eat out--we have to watch our budgets and our waistlines, you know! 

But I've found a healthier alternative, making fast food copy cat recipes at home!  A friend recently mentioned how much he loves Crunchwrap Supremes from Taco Bell.  While I have to admit, I've never had one before, they sounded so good I knew I had to make them at home.  This recipe was so easy to put together (especially because I had taco meat in the freezer), and Mike and I both loved it.

One great thing about this recipe is that you can totally customize it to fit your preferences.  Feel free to use ground beef or ground turkey.  Need vegetarian?  Forget the meat and use re-fried beans instead.  Then top it off with your choice of toppings--tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole--whatever your heart desires!

Crunchwraps

Makes 2

2 burrito sized flour tortillas
1 cup taco meat
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 Doritos chips, any flavor (we used Enchilada Supreme)
additional taco toppings as desired

1.  Warm tortillas in the microwave for about 20 seconds, until they are soft and pliable.

2.  Spoon 1/2 of the taco meat mixture onto each tortilla.  Keep the meat in a circle in the center of the tortilla.

3. Top the taco meat with diced tomatoes and then sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

4.  Arrange 4 Doritos chips on top of the cheese on each tortilla.

5.  Starting at the bottom of the flour tortilla, fold the edge up to the center.  Continue in a clock-wise direction around the tortilla, folding the edge up to the center to enclose the filling.  (See above picture for a finished tortilla.)

6.  Spray a small frying pan with cooking spray.  Place the folded side of the tortilla down in the pan and press gently with a large spatula.  Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, then flip and cook another 3 minutes.  Repeat with remaining tortilla.

Serve hot and topped with your desired toppings.

Inspired by Taco Bell

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

When I was in Romania, I was served a lot of traditional Romanian foods.  My favorites were mici (sausages) and sarmales, which are stuffed cabbage rolls.  They are absolutely delicious and I've never had anything as good in the states.

I came across this recipe for stuffed cabbage casserole and I thought it looked and sounded delicious.  It also looked like it would take a lot less time to make than stuffed cabbage rolls.  I was right--it was very easy to put together.  It doesn't taste exactly like a sarmale, but it was the closest I've ever had here. 

Mike and I both enjoyed this meal, but we thought the ratio of cabbage to filling was off, so I've adjusted the recipe to reflect that.  This recipe makes a large pan full, so we had lots of leftovers.  It freezes well so I have enjoyed quite a few lunches from this dish!

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

Makes a 9x13" pan, about 10 servings

You will need:
1 pound lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika  
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped into 1 inch pieces
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese

1.  Cook ground beef in a large frying pan until it's browned and cooked through.  Remove from the pan and set aside.

2.  In the same pan, add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and the onion and cook until the onion is translucent and starts to turn brown.  It will take about 5 minutes.

3.  Add in the minced garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook for 2 minutes.

4.  Add in the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, water, and cooked ground beef.  Simmer until slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

5.  While the meat mixture simmers, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the chopped cabbage and cook until the cabbage is wilted and about halfway cooked.  Season with salt and pepper.

6.  When the meat mixture has thickened, stir in the cooked brown rice.

7.  Grease a 9x13" casserole dish and layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture.  Cover with foil.

8.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until the edges begin to bubble.

9.  Remove foil and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake uncovered for 20 more minutes.

Serve hot.

Source:  Skinny Taste

Grillin' Season! -- Grilled Marinated Steak

Though one of the most commonly grilled items is steak, it can be one of the most challenging items to grill.  You don't want it to be grilled "too-done" where it's black and tough, but you don't want it to be "mooing" either!  I grew up disliking steaks, but later I found out it was because I had never had a good one.  I don't remember my first good steak, but I do remember that it completely changed my mind about steaks. 

I have posted this marinade once before, but I didn't have a picture for it.  It makes the steak so delicious, it's worth posting again!

Steak Rub

You will need:
4 Tablespoons sea salt
1 Tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried onion
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1-1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary


Combine ingredients and rub into your steak (can also be used on chicken) before cooking.  Or, use the rub in the marinade.  Store extra rub in an airtight container.

Steak Marinade

You will need:
1/2 cup olive oil 
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 Tablespoons vinegar
4 teaspoons steak rub (recipe above)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup Teriyaki sauce

1.  Combine ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, close the bag and gently squeeze to mix the ingredients.

2.  Add 4 medium steaks to the bag and seal. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or (better yet) overnight to marinate.

3.  When you're ready to grill, remove the steaks from the marinade and place on a hot grill.  Most steaks take about 7 minutes on each side, but of course it depends on how thick your steak is and how well-done you prefer.

Check out the other great recipes in my Grillin' Season! Series:

Grilled Corn

Grilled Marinated Chicken

Grilled Asparagus

Beef Stew

Beef Stew (1/23/11)

This is definitely a filling meal! Perfect for a snowy winter day. We had some friends over for dinner and I knew this was the perfect meal. I served this with thick slices of Beer Bread and it went over so well! No-one knew I used 2 cans of beer to make this meal--ha ha! I had the left over stew for lunch the next day and it was just as good, if not better than the day I made it. It had thickened up a lot and was even more of a stew than a soup like the day before.

Note: I took the pictures before I thickened up the stew, but when I served it, it was thicker than it appears!

I saw a post on Tidy Mom a few weeks ago about her Soup-a-Palooza.  It sounded like fun but I didn't know what to enter.  I knew this stew had gone over really well, so I figured it would be the perfect addition to her party!  After all, who can resist an invitation like this?  "Come join Soup-a-Palooza with TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers”

You will need:
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 pounds Stew Meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 can Beer, 12 Ounce
4 cups beef stock (you can also use 4 cups water and 4 beef bouillon cubes)
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
2 teaspoons Sugar
4 whole Carrots, diced in 1/2 inch pieces
6 whole New Potatoes, diced
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add meat to pan and brown.
3. Add onion and garlic to pan and cook until onions are tender.
4. Pour in beer, water, beef stock, tomato paste, salt, and sugar.
5. Stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours. The liquid will cook down, if it gets too thick, add up to 2 cups water to thin it out.
6. Add carrots and potatoes. Cook for 30 more minutes.
Adapted from: Pioneer Woman

Bacon Cheeseburgers

Bacon Cheeseburgers (12/31/10)

Mike and I were talking about dinner foods a while back and he mentioned that I'm trying all these new recipes and he misses my old ones, like these bacon cheeseburgers. True, I hadn't made burgers since we've been married, and it was time to rectify that. Besides, we received our tradition jar of enormous pickles for Christmas and we love pickles with our burgers!

You will need:

1 pound ground beef

6 pieces bacon

1 cup cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

4 hamburger buns

your choice of burger toppings

1. Fry bacon until crispy.

2. Mix together beef, cheese, and garlic powder in a bowl.

3. Crumble bacon into beef mixture and mix.

4. Divide beef into 4 equal patties. (I usually do this by pressing the beef into the bowl, so the top is flat. Then I "score" the meat by pressing the side of my hand into it. I divide the meat into quarters. Then it's easy to scoop up and form equal patties instead of taking meat from smaller balls to make larger and so on!)

Another trick when making burger patties is to make an indentation in the center of the patty with your thumb. This will keep the burgers from shrinking up when you cook them.

5. Cook patties in a frying pan until they reach your desired "doneness".

6. Place on bun and top with desired toppings!