Chili

Here is my basic recipe-- no real measurements, just to taste.

crushed tomatoes
diced tomatoes
ground beef
diced peppers
diced onions
beans (kidney, navy, garbanzo, black...whatever you want!)
cumin
chili powder
salt to taste

Brown beef together with peppers and onions. Drain fat. Combine in crockpot with the other ingredients. Cook on low all day. Serve with cornbread or corn chips, sour cream, cheese, etc...yum!

Beef Stew

1-2 lbs of stew meat
2-3 Tbsp EVOO
1/2 tsp of garlic powder or 2 cloves of garlic finely diced
2 cups of water
2 beef buillion cubes
1 can of green beans
1-2 cups of baby carrots, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium russett potatoes, chopped
2-3 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp marjaram
1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf

Cut stew meat into bite sized pieces and coat with flour. Brown in EVOO, remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. Saute onion in left over oil for 5-6 mins (add more oil if neccessary), add garlic, cook for one addtl minute.

Meanwhile, boil buillion cubes in the water until dissolved and pour into crock pot. Add chopped potato, carrots, green beans (do not drain), tomato paste, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaf.
Add browned stew meat, and sauted onions to the crock pot. Cook for 30 mins on high and then another 1-2 hours on low or until potatoes and carrots are tender. Salt and pepper to taste

submitted by reader, Jessica

Bulgogi

2 pounds top sirloin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/2 t pepper
3 green onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Freeze steak ~1 hour so it slices easily into thin strips. Mix together marinade and add meat. Marinate in fridge 8 hours or overnight. Drain marinade, and cook meat in hot oiled skillet. Serve with lettuce and rice (lettuce-wrap style).

** You can prepare the marinade and meat, and freeze until ready to use. Makes an easy meal for a busy day!**

CJ's Chuckwagon Stew

1 1/2 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 potatos, peeled and cubed
1 (28 ounce) can barbeque baked beans

Place meats, onion and potatos in slow cooker. Stir together. Spoon baked beans evenly over top. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Serve with extra bbq sauce, cornbread and salad.

Slow-Cooker Mexican Style Meat

This is a yummy pork dish that can be served in a variety of ways: with tostadas/tortillas, or as a base for enchiladas, etc. Top with fresh spinach, guacamole, tomatos, cheese, etc. You can adjust the "heat" to your personal taste.

1 (4 pound) pork loin (can also use beef or chicken)
1 t salt
1 t black pepper
2 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 can diced green chiles
1 t chili powder
1 t ground cayenne
1 (5 ounce) bottle hot pepper sauce
1 t garlic powder

Trim the meat of any excess fat, and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet. Place meat in hot skillet, browning quickly on all sides.

Place meat in crockpot, and sprinkle with onion. Add remaining ingredients. Add enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.

Cover, and cook on high for 6 hours. Reduce heat to low, and conitnue cooking for 2-4 hours, or until meat is tender and falls apart.

from allrecipes.com

Burrito Casserole

Filling:
1 lb ground beef, drained
1 can refried beans
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning
garlic/onion powder

Sauce:
2 cups plain yogurt
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup salsa
chili powder
shredded cheese

Spray a 13x9. Fill 10-12 tortillas, roll up and place in pan. Spread with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 325 till bubbly and hot.

UMW Taco Soup

2 lbs. lean ground beef
medium onion; chopped
1 large can Ranch Style Black Beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes (you choose; original, mild, hot)
(2) 15 oz cans stewed tomatoes (chopped) including juices
1 can water (rinsed in/out of beans can to get all flavor)
1 can niblet yellow corn with juice
1 packet Ranch Style Dressing powder
1 packet taco seasoning

~ In a soup pot, brown meat; add onion until tender. Add in remaining ingredients. Stir thoroughly and simmer for 30 minutes. Will be thick and hearty.

~ Serve with tortilla chips

submitted by reader Jamie

Shepherds Pie

1 lb ground beef

1 onion

couple handfulls of mushrooms, sliced

couple handfulls of frozen peas

1 brown gravy packet, prepare as directed (or I suppose you could make gravy from scratch)

1 tbs Worchestershire sauce

5 russet potatoes, peel and diced

2 tbs horseradish

milk

small pat of butter

salt

pepper

paprika

~ Brown meat in cast iron skillet, add onions and mushrooms until tender, then add peas. Prepare gravy mix and add worchestershire sauce to gravy. Add gravy to meat mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.

~ Cover potatoes with cold water and boil until tender. Mash potatoes with milk, butter and horseradish until desired consistency (I leave mine a little lumpy), add salt and pepper to taste.

~ Spread mashed potatoes over the meat mixture (still in the cast iron skillet), completely covering. Sprinkle top with paprika. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 min until you can see the mixture bubbling. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Thank you, Lori, for this recipe. She is a new first-time mom of twin boys and looks terrific still. Making me SICK!

Secret Recipe Chili

1 lb. ground beef (or chicken or turkey)

3 cans (15 oz ea) chili-style diced tomatoes (undrained)

2 cans (15 oz ea) black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can (15 oz) kidney beans (drained and rinsed)

1 square Baker's Unsweetened Baking Chocolate

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

~ Cook meat in a large skillet on medium heat until cooked thoroughly, sitrring occasionally.
~ Add tomatoes, beans and chocolate to a large sauce pan; mix well. Bring to a boil. Add browned meat. Reduce heat to low; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
~ Top with cheese.

* I like to add red pepper flakes, chili powder, cayenne pepper and salt to the meat to taste.