Beef and Bean Burritos

Leftover Beef and Bean Taco meat stretched with rice and rolled in a flour tortilla.

Burritos are an easy handheld meal.  You can get all of your food groups in one delicious bundle. They are very filling (you usually only need one) and inexpensive.  The only drawback is that they can be a little difficult to roll.  Luckily for me, my husband is pretty good at it so he is the Official Burrito Roller of the house (he's also the Oficial Crescent Roll Roller and the Official Broken Cookie Eater...he has many titles).

BeefandBean #Burritos are easy #handheldmeals  [Tweet this]

These burritos were a great use for leftover Beef and Bean Taco meat.  We had tacos for 2 nights but on the 3rd night, there wasn't quite enough leftover for two meals.  So, I added rice, tomatoes, and more spices making the leftovers last for another four meals.  I love being able to reuse leftovers and get even more bang for my buck.   I really only had to cook once for 2 different dinners that lasted all week.

More #bangforyourbuck reuse #leftovers in Beef&Bean Burritos  [Tweet this]

Beef and Bean Burritos

Cook time:  20-30 minutes
Servings:  4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup dry rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 13.5oz can of diced tomatoes
1 pinch of salt
2-3 cups leftover Beef and Bean Taco meat (or any taco meat)
Paprika (optional)
Cayenne (optional)

Place dry rice in rice cooker.  Mix in the water, tomatoes, and salt.  Turn on the cooker and cook until done.

Meanwhile, reheat the leftover taco meat in a large skillet over low to medium heat.  Mix in the cooked rice and season as desired.  Remove from heat.

Heat 12-inch flour tortillas, covered with a damp paper towel, in the microwave for about 15-30 seconds until warm and pliable.

Place about 1-2 cups of the meat mixture on a tortilla.  Add cheese, lettuce, and any other desired toppings but try not to over fill the tortilla.  Then roll up the burrito and wrap in foil.  There are many instructions on how to roll a burrito online.

Makes about 4-6 burritos.

Enjoy.

For more burritos try these taco/taco salad fillings:

Chorizo & Black Bean

Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Chicken

Check out the recipes that gave my husband his titles (Official Crescent Roll Roller and Official Broken Cookie Eater):

Easy Crescent Rolls

Chocolate Chip Cookies

linked to:  Full Plate, Freedom, Foodie Friends, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, Lou Lou girls, 2 cup, Wonderful, Whimsy

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Beef and Bean Tacos

A slightly spicy taco filling made with ground beef and black beans.

As you all probably know by now I love taco salad.  I make taco salad at least once a month (if not more) but I thought y'all might be tired of seeing taco salad.  So this time, I made tacos instead.  Tacos are convenient handheld fun meals and the variations are endless.  This is one of many possible fillings and it was delicious.  Crunchy tacos are my preference but  this would be fine in soft shells too.

Beef&Bean #Tacos are are convenient handheld food  [Tweet this]

Taco filling is great because it's so versatile.  I always make a big batch so there are plenty of leftovers.  I've used leftovers in breakfast tacos, burritos, cheese dip, taco salad, and I think of new uses all the time.  Even when I'm not feeling creative I can eat the same meal every night if it's tacos.

#Leftover BeefandBean #Taco meat has many uses  [Tweet this]

Beef and Bean Tacos

Cook time:  30 minutes

Servings:  6

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1 very large red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 Tbsp oil
2 cups black beans (or one can, rinsed and drained)
2 tbsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, over medium heat, cook the ground beef (seasoned with salt and pepper) until browned and cooked through.  Remove the meat, drain the grease, and set aside.

You can chop, dice, and mince the following 5 ingredients, or (like I did) blitz it all in a food processor until finely chopped (like salsa).

In the same skillet, heat the oil and then add the garlic, onion, tomatoes, and peppers (season with a little salt and pepper).  Cook, over medium heat, until softened and fragrant.  Add the beef back to the mixture, and the beans, paprika, and cayenne.  Stir well and allow mixture to boil (if there isn't enough liquid from the vegetables add about 1/4 cup of water).  Then lower the heat.

Simmer (uncovered) for at least 15 minutes or until much of the excess moisture cooks off and flavors meld.  Taste and adjust seasoning.

Makes about 6 servings.  Serve in taco shells or as taco salad with lettuce, cheese, and tomatoes.

Enjoy.

For more taco ideas check out:

Bean & Rice Taco Salad

Fish Sticks Tacos     -

Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Meat

Linked to:  Full Plate, Foodie Friends, Freedom, Whimsy, Tickle my Tastebuds, Wonderful

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Tater Tot Hotdish

Ground beef and veggies in a creamy sauce topped with tater tots.

For those of you not from Minnesota (or like me and married to a Minnesotan), a hotdish is basically a casserole.  Generally, they are made up of four simple ingredients; meat, veggies, cream of mushroom soup, and a starch. I think of casseroles/hotdishes as being wintertime food.  They are simple, warm, and hardy.  A great dinner for a cold, dark day.

#Hotdish is a Minnesotan casserole | #TaterTotHotdish  [Tweet this]

It doesn't feel like a Minnesota winter ever in Hawaii but it gets a little chilly.  I've been here for 4 years and I've become acclimated to Hawaiian living.  It's great to live somewhere where the temperature highs are usually 80s during the summer and 60s for lows in the winter.  This winter has felt colder than the previous ones even though it's really still not winter-like when compared to Minnesota (I know I lived in Minnesota for 2 winters).  So, roll your eyes if you live somewhere really cold but I've been cold this winter and a hotdish sounded perfect (this is my husband's favorite).

Tater Tot #Hotdish is perfect #coldweatherfood  [Tweet this]

Tater Tot Hotdish

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
1 10.5 oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can full of milk
frozen tater tots

Brown ground beef in a frying pan until fully cooked.  Remove meat from pan into a large bowl.

Pour off most of the grease from the frying pan, leaving about 1 tsp, and saute the onion over medium heat until translucent.  Add the cooked onion to the meat in the large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the vegetables, soup, and milk to the meat and onions.  Stir and mix well.

Pour into an 8x8 inch baking pan and top with a single layer of tater tots (pack them in there tightly you want "full tot coverage"--says my husband).

Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes.  Then broil it for a few minutes to make the tots crispier if you like.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Enjoy.

Linked to:  2 cup, Teach Me, Lou Lou Girls, Tasty, full Plate, Cook Craft Share, Pretty Pintastic, Best of the Weekend, Merry Monday

For more cold weather food check out:

Bean and Barley Stew

Chicken & Wild Rice Hotdish

Lamb & Guinness Shepherd's Pie

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Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

A pasta casserole made with my favorite burger toppings.

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season.  I celebrated Christmas in Las Vegas with my family.  It may not have been a traditional Christmas but with me coming from Hawaii and them from North Carolina it was a good mid-point and lots of fun.

This casserole was suggested by my husband.  Casseroles (or hot dishes) are simple, tasty, and give plenty of leftovers.  They can be prepared ahead of time and held in the refrigerator until ready to bake and eat.  Casseroles can also be made in large quantities and you can eat them all week or freeze portions for later.

In this casserole I used ground beef and bacon because I always like bacon on my burgers.  I also added jalapenos and barbecue sauce because those are my husbands favorite burger toppings.  I even added some zucchini for more vegetable nutrition (zucchini is a great vegetable to hide in any dish because it takes on it's surrounding flavors, adds bulk to the dish with out fat and, adds some fiber and other nutrients).  Lastly I topped it with cheese for a deliciously satisfying casserole.

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
2 strips bacon, cut into small pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tomatoes, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (with or without seeds depending on how spicy you want it)
2 cups dried pasta
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
Cheese (Colbyjack, Cheddar, or be creative and try blue cheese or fetta--I used colbyjack)

In a large saute pan, brown the beef, over medium heat until thoroughly cooked, pour off grease, and set the ground beef aside in a very large bowl.

In the same pan, fry the bacon pieces, over medium heat, until crispy.  Remove the bacon, add to the beef and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium low and cook the onion, garlic, tomatoes, zucchini, and jalapenos stirring occasionally until soft (you can cook them in the bacon grease or replace it with the oil of your choice).  Add the cooked vegetables to the meat in the bowl.

Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and add to the bowl.  Pour in the barbecue sauce and stir gently to combine.

Spread the mixture into a buttered dish (at least 9x13 inches) and top with your favorite cheese.  I used about 2 cups of cheese but you can use as much or as little as you like.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F until heated through and cheese is browned.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  Makes about 6-8 servings.

Enjoy.

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Taco Salad

Spicy ground beef atop a bed of lettuce and tortilla chips.  My favorite meal.

First I must mention, I have a new camera.  I've been taking pictures on my phone for the ease of transferring them to my online album.  I want to take better pictures, but I know that the more steps I have to take (like hooking my camera to my computer to transfer pictures) the fewer posts I will get out.  So I've been lusting after this Samsung camera that is wifi capable and will directly transfer my photos to Picasa where they will be waiting for me when I turn on my computer.  Lucky me it was on sale and I'm the proud new owner of a Samsung WB250f.  Now I just have to work on styling and lighting my photos, but they are already much better quality.

Now to the food.  Taco salad my favorite meal.  I have loved taco salad for as long as I can remember.  On my birthday, while growing up, my mom would always make my favorite meal and I would always ask for taco salad.  It's funny, now that I'm grown I still love taco salad but I don't make it very often.  I think that I get so excited to try new meals that I push my favorite stand by to the back of the queue.  I had no plans for dinner one night and was pleasantly surprised when my husband suggested tacos, which became taco salad.

Taco Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 cup black beans, precooked
1 onion, chopped
2 jalapenos, chopped
*1 Tbsp taco seasoning
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup salsa
1/2 cup water
Tortilla chips
Toppings of choice  (lettuce, carrots, celery, peppers, onion, cilantro, cheese, salsa)

* I made the taco seasoning a while ago and don't remember the exact ingredients, but it should be mostly paprika and garlic, some onion powder and chilli powder with some crushed habanero and red pepper, can make as spicy as you like.

In a large skillet, brown ground beef and drain off fat.

Add the onions and jalapenos (I kept the seeds in one and removed them from the other, remove or keep the seeds to suit your heat preference).  Cook until softened, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Add the beans (I keep precooked beans in 1 cup packages in the freezer then I just thaw them.  You can use a whole can of beans if that is what you have you may just need to adjust the seasoning.)  and the spices, salsa and water.

Allow to simmer on low heat, covered, for at least 15 minutes then uncover and let simmer until most of the liquid is boiled off.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Makes 4 servings.  Serve over tortilla chips with toppings of your preference. When I was growing up, we used Cool Ranch Doritos as the chips for taco salad (that was so good).

Enjoy.

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Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes

Who doesn't love sloppy Joes? I made this childhood favorite in my slow cooker with ground beef, lentils, bell pepper, onion, and some other regular house hold condiments.

I had a craving for Sloppy Joes so I decided to make them for dinner.  I keep ground beef in my freezer in 1 lb packs but I wanted to have plenty of left-overs so I stretched the recipe by adding lentils.  I also like to think this makes it healthier, lentils are a great source of fiber and who doesn't need more fiber. Also if I added more ground beef that would add more saturated fat and cholesterol and lentils have neither.  You could use only beef, or even add more lentils, maybe even try only lentils for a vegetarian meal.

I also made homemade sandwich buns.  Obviously Sloppy Joes are great on store bought bun, and it would be much less time consuming, but I love making bread and I had the time so I made my own.  I served these Sloppy Joes with a Moroccan Carrot Salad, which goes very well with the Joes, it's kind of like a carrot slaw flavored with lime juice, olive oil, cilantro and cinnamon.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup dried lentils
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Ketchup
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
a few dashed Worcestershire sauce
dash of habanero flakes, optional (any other pepper flakes or hot sauce would work too)


First, cook the lentils in about 4 cups of salted water until tender and drain (should come to 1-2 cups cooked). Meanwhile, brown ground beef with onion, pepper, and garlic (season with salt and pepper)  until meat is fully cooked. Drain meat mixture and place in slow cooker.  Stir in lentils, ketchup, mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper flakes if using .  This can all be done the night before and refrigerated.  Turn slow cooker on low and let cook for up to 8 hours or high for 3-4 hrs.  Makes 6-8 Sloppy Joes, depending on how sloppy you make them.

A pretty easy and delicious homemade meal.  Enjoy.

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