Easy Ground Beef Pastitsio

This is my take on various pastitsios I've see over the years. Budget friendly by using only ground beef, and family friendly by being lightly, yet deliciously seasoned.

meat filling:2  lbs ground beef
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup beef broth
2 teaspoons grated garlic
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed between your fingertips
pinch  cayenne
1 (28 oz) can  whole tomatoes, chopped, with juices (I take kitchen scissors and chop them right in the can)
kosher salt & pepper to taste

for the pasta topping:
1/2 lb elbow macaroni, or small shell pasta, cooked but not until fully done. It's going to cook more in the oven, so just barely al dente is fine. Drained.
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy  cream
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
kosher salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups fresh grated parmesan, divided

for breadcrumb topping:
2 cups coarse bread crumbs
1/4 of the grated parmesan
2 Tablespoons very soft butter
pinch kosher salt and pepper
parsley to sprinkle

To Make! :

Cook pasta as directed above, and set aside.
In a large skillet, brown ground beef, being careful not to mash up the ground beef too much. Larger chunks than  you would for spaghetti sauce is nice.
Add onion, garlic, herbs and spices, tomato paste, salt and pepper, and stir just to melt the tomato paste in  and distribute the spices.
Drain off accumulated fat, if needed.
Add beef  broth and tomatoes. Stir to combine, taste for salt and pepper, keeping in mind the parmesan added later will lend some saltiness.
Lower heat to a simmer, being careful to not stir too much,  and start on the white sauce for the pasta.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter.
When the butter begins to bubble a bit, add flour all at once, and whisk quickly until all butter is absorbed. Stir constantly for about 2-3 minutes over low heat.
Slowly whisk  in the milk, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps.
When mixture is smooth, add cream and turn up heat just a bit to thicken a little quicker.
Add pinch of kosher salt and a good amount of pepper (or to your pepper preference).
Grate in about 1/8-1/4  teaspoon nutmeg
Turn off heat and stir in parmesan cheese and yogurt.
Quickly stir in beaten eggs, stirring until completely blended in.
Stir in pasta. Set aside.

Preheat oven to  350 degrees

for the crispy bread crumb topping:
 Mix together  all bread crumb topping until  well combined. Set aside.


Assemble !:


In a 9x13 baking dish, spread the  meat mixture evenly.
Carefully spoon pasta mixture over meat mixture, even  as possible without mixing meat and pasta.
Sprinkle on bread crumb topping  and parsley.

Bake, uncovered, until hot and bubbly and golden! About 30-45 minutes.

Meatballs! Stroganoff and a Sub!

Stroganoff pictured here

 This recipe makes enough meatballs to set some aside in the freezer for spaghetti, meatball subs (scroll to the bottom of this post for my meatball sub), or any other recipe you'd like to have a batch of meatballs ready to go. I forgot to write down exactly how many it made, but I baked two baking sheets of about one-inch meatballs. So 40-50 meatballs. I strongly suggest chilling the meatballs, as it helps them hold their shape and it's easier to form them. They can be prepped the night before, so all you have to do is throw them into the oven.

As always, much of this recipe is personal preference. For example, the mushrooms. I would have preferred large slices of mushrooms, but I live with mushroom-haters (haha), so I chopped them up pretty small. Same with the onions.  The meatballs were a big hit with them, by the way.  Score one for me. I won't tell if you don't. :)
Oh, also, a mixture of ground meats, such as pork, lamb and beef is preferable for ultimate meatballs, but I used just ground beef for the sake of my wallet.  They were still moist and wonderful!
But enough of that! Let's get to the recipe..

Meatballs:

• 3 lbs ground beef
• roughly 2 cups torn bread chunks from a thick bread like a sub bun
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup minced white onion
• 1/2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry as possible
• 1/4 cup fresh fine chopped mushrooms
• 2 lightly beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire 
• few good pinches of black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage

Stroganoff gravy:

•  5 Tablespoons margarine, plus 1 Tablespoon
• 1 cup minced onion 
• 1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped small
• 1 small dried bay leaf
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups beef broth
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire 
• salt and pepper to taste (keep in mind the meatballs will add salt taste)
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus more to top with, if desired

To make meatballs:
 
Soak bread chunks in 3/4 cup of milk in small bowl for about 10-20 minutes, until all the milk is soaked up. 

Combine all meatball ingredients in a bowl. Mix with your hands to combine, but try not to over mix or squish too harsh. Cover bowl and chill for at least an hour; up to overnight.  

Line a cookie sheet (one with a small edge so the meatball drippings don't get all over your oven, that's always joyful) with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Using a small ice cream scoop, gently make about 1 inch meatballs. They don't have to be exact, but try to make them even sized as possible for even cooking.  When baking sheet is full, put leftover mix into fridge until the first batch is done.

Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your meatballs. I usually find when they are firm, but not hard, to the touch, they are done.

Let meatballs stand for about 3-5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet.

Remove and make the last batch of meatballs.

You should have 40-60 meatballs. Save some for this recipe and in labeled freezer bags, freeze the others for quick meals or snacks.

Stroganoff Gravy:
In large pan, use 5 Tablespoons of margarine, with bay leaf, to soften onions about 3-4 minutes over medium heat and then add mushrooms and dash of salt and pepper. Stir and cook a couple more minutes, but not so long as to soak up all the moisture in the pan.

Add 1 Tablespoon margarine and using a wooden spoon, slowly stir in flour.

Cook and stir until all flour is moistened and you have a thick mixture, or roux. Keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes, lowering the heat just a touch, if needed, so as not to burn the flour.

In a slow, but steady stream, add beef broth while stirring vigorously to avoid lumping. Keep stirring and adding broth slowly, until all the broth is added.  Add milk and keep stirring until thickening slows.

Add nutmeg, Worcestershire and then salt and pepper to taste, if needed. 

When gravy is thick, remove from heat and add sour cream. Stir, then add meatballs.

Serve over medium egg noodles, rice, or alone, and with extra sour cream, if desired.

 Mmmm.. I love extra sour cream!

What I did with some extra meatballs I saved out:
Add about 2 Tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan to a small can (15 oz) of spaghetti sauce to about 15 meatballs or so, depending out saucy you like them. Put on a buttered and toasted sub bun sprinkled with garlic powder. Arrange meatballs, spoon sauce over, top with a bit more grated parmesan, some thin sliced mozzarella, teeeny pinch of Italian seasoning, stick under broiler to melt and tada! LUNCH! yum!

Ahhh...nothing like a hot meatball sub for a Saturday lunch!

Easy and delicious Sloppy Joes

Packed with flavor, and just as easy as opening a can, you'll wonder why you ever wasted money and garbage space on the cans of sloppy joe sauce from the store. 

I like my joes a little on the sweet side like the not-so-sloppy stuff in the jars, so I used 3 T.  If you don't care for it that sweet, start with 1 Tablespoon, and after mixed and tasted, you can go up from there until you reach your desired sweetness.

Enough drooling! On with the recipe!

• 1 1/2 lb ground beef
• 1/2 cup each of finely diced white onion and green bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1-3 Tablespoons brown sugar (depending on your desired sweetness)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

In medium skillet over medium-high heat, begin to brown the hamburger using an old-fashioned S shaped potato masher. As it cooks, add onion, bell pepper, garlic powder, a few good pinches of salt and pepper. When beef is done, taste check for salt, if desired.
Drain!
Over medium-low heat, add rest of ingredients and cook & stir until hot.  Serve, or let it simmer on low, stirring occasionally, to let flavors meld together more.


That's it!  :)

Ragu

 Whatever you want to call this sauce; ragu, bolognese (although true bolognese has a couple more things added), spaghetti sauce, lasagne sauce, it's absolutely mouth-watering. Especially the next day!
This recipe makes quite a bit, so if you're not feeding 6-8 people, freeze the extra for a quick meal with the "cooked all day" taste!
Boy, the thick chunk of mozzarella garlic bread looks the star of that picture! Nevertheless, on to the recipe!

• EV olive oil
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/2 sweet italian sausage, bulk or large links with the casings removed
• 1 cup, about 1/2 large, white onion, chopped small, but not minced.
• 1 cup, about 2 small ribs of celery, chopped small, but not minced. Reserve the leaves! put them in a small bowl of water and stick into the fridge until you're ready for them.
• 1 cup carrot, about 1 medium, chopped small, but not minced
• 3 cloves minced garlic, about one fat Tablespoon
• 2 Tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 cup milk, whole works best, but you can use half and half or 2%
• 1 1/2 teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil and marjoram
• 1/2 fat teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 

• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 (28 ounce) cans of whole tomatoes. I like whole because the flavor is richer. There's less mucking around with the tomatoes and they're canned at the peek of ripeness.
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• one dried bay leaf (added last)
• fresh grated mozzarella and parmesan for garnish and for your toast
• snipped celery leaves
• your favorite bread for garlic bread

Add a little bit of olive oil to your pan, heated up to medium-low heat, add the ground beef and Italian sausage and using a potato masher, gently stir and mash the meats together as they cook. You don't want to salt the meat at this point, because the Italian sausage has enough for both of them right now.

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring and mashing the whole time. Add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic and tomato paste, and cook a couple more minutes, stirring and mashing. Now you can add a good pinch of salt and pepper.

Don't add the bay leaf yet. That was a booboo. You don't want it to get all munched up in the sauce. Or maybe you do. I don't. So I fished it back out to add at the end, when I was done playing with my food.

 Add the canned tomatoes, carefully poking the tomatoes open, and then giving them a good mash with the meat.

Add milk slowly, stirring the whole time until the milk is warm. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the chicken stock, tomato sauce, spices, sugar, grated nutmeg, pepper and maybe about a teaspoon of salt. Depends how much you added earlier. Don't taste it for salt  yet if the meat isn't thoroughly cooked and hot, which it probably isn't at this point. So don't worry about it yet. It'll be fine. :)

Now you can toss in your bay leaf.  . Be sure not to accidentally serve it to someone. :)  But don't fish it out when you think the sauce is finished. I like to leave it in there when I store the ragu.

When it starts to simmer good, turn your heat to the lowest setting that will allow it to simmer gently, but not so high as to start to stick and burn on the bottom.

Simmer 5-6 hours.
You can cook a pasta, like fettuccine, separately and add sauce and cheeses to it before serving. This was so good, we didn't add pasta. It was VERY filling without it. 

Top with grated mozzarella, grated parmesan and a couple tablespoons of snipped celery leaves. Storing them in the water in the fridge keeps them crisp and yummy. Just shake the water off and snip with kitchen scissors over your dish.

Now stick a buttered fat slice of bread on a grill pan, or just a fry pan you use for grilled cheese sammiches. 

Sprinkle with garlic powder and flip when golden. Sprinkle the other side and add a bit of grated mozzarella and parmesan to that side. To get the cheese to melt quick without burning the toast, I invert a pan over the slice for a few seconds.

Store the ragu in the fridge, in your pot covered well, and the next day, slowly heat up on the stove. 

Fantastic! OH, if you want to skim off the hardened fat, this is a good time to do it before it heats up. 

Us, we let it be. SO mouth-watering!

The third day, I froze what was left for a future dinner of lasagna, spaghetti, a calzone sauce, or maybe I'll add some white beans to it. So many possibilities!
Oh, before I froze it, I scooped out a bit for myself, added cheddar to the mozzarella and parm, topped it with snipped celery leaves, and had an awesome lunch ! By the way, celery leaves MAKE this dish. I am so in love with them. LOL

I think I'm hungry again.

Potato Nachos

mmm MM! I just love Potato Nachos. I think they have a little more substance than nachos with chips, and though not as messy to eat, they have the same noshing delight as messy chips. :)
I can not wait! On to the recipe!

• 1 lb ground beef
• 4-6 small-medium sized white potatoes, about 6 cups peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1/2 cup rough chopped frozen green pepper, fresh is fine, I had frozen on hand and I used that
• 1 (4 oz) can of La Preferida mild green roasted chilis (found in the ethnic food isle or a Mexican grocery..MUST have! I love these lil things.)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, plus more for sprinkling (we'll get to that later)
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for later
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for later
• juice from 1/2 juicy lime (roll around under your palm a bit before cutting)
• 2 cups grated colby-jack cheese
• sour cream, sliced lime, and a few sliced green onions for garnish
• optional: add 1 tablespoon, or one small chipotle pepper in adobe sauce (found in small cans in the ethnic isle or Mexican grocer. They add amazing depth and heat to dishes)

Heat a large, cast iron skillet over med-high heat, and spread a bit of canola oil around in the pan, maybe 1 tablespoon. When the pan is hot, add the ground beef, season with about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or one healthy sprinkle around the beef, about 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder, and a dusting of cumin, cayenne and black pepper.
When beef is browning on one side, add onions, green chilies, garlic, and green bell peppers, with a small sprinkle of kosher salt and a dash of chili powder.

I can almost smell it already! mmmMM!
Add the tomato paste and can of diced, undrained tomatoes and stir. Give a sprinkle of kosher salt, black pepper, sugar, and chili powder, stir until well combined and turn heat down to medium.
Now is a good time to taste test and see if you want to add a bit more of anything. Maybe a bit more cumin or cayenne. Just don't add too much salt to the meat mixture as you'll be adding some to the potatoes too so they aren't bland.

While this simmers away, peel and very thinly slice 6 cups of potatoes and spread out half around the pan, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and stir..  then add the rest of the potatoes, sprinkle with kosher salt and chili powder and stir.
When you have all the potatoes in, cook and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or so while you do a bit of clean up and get the lime and cheese ready.

Sprinkle the juice of 1/2 a lime in it and stir. 
Then press down around the potatoes gently and cover the pan with foil.
Put in preheated 350 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. It'll vary depending on potato thickness and ovens.

When potatoes are al dente, spread cheese over the top and stick back in the oven, uncovered, until cheese is completely melted.
After you take it out of the oven, let stand for 5 minutes.
Serve with sour cream, green onions, taco sauce and lime for garnish! YUMM!

 The meat mixture makes a great taco meat too!

Tato Frosted Meatloaf

A fun way to serve this moist and tasty meatloaf, is by frosting it with some scrumptious parmesan golden mashed potatoes!
and of course, pair it with the traditional peas and my quick pan gravy.  :)
I used a cheap packet of brown gravy (the crowd gasps) as a base for the gravy in this recipe. Try it! It's mouthwatering and a must have to drizzle over this dish.
On to the recipe!

The loaf:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1/4 cup onion 
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons real grated parmesan
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• dash fresh grated nutmeg

The tatos:

• about 4 medium potatoes (about 4 cups uncooked, peeled potatoes)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh grated parmesan cheese
• splash milk
• dash parsley

The gravy:

• 2 packets of any cheap brown gravy mix.
• 2 cups of water
• 1/2 teaspoon worechestershire sauce
• All your pan drippings from the loaf pan as it cooks. 

Cook! :
The loaf:

In a large glass bowl, whisk together milk, egg, seasonings, and parmesan.

Add the ground beef, onion and gently using your fingers and hands, combine the egg and seasoning mixture with the onions and beef. Don't over mix. Over mixing will cause a tougher loaf, just like with muffins. :)

Pat into a loaf and carefully set into your greased loaf  pan. I sprayed mine with pam-like spray.
As with a bread loaf, use your fingers to tuck in the loaf a little bit to help it not spread so during it's nap in the oven. :) There will be some space all around between the loaf and the pan. This is good, you'll need that space.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or so, until the center is firm to the touch and it's done.Be sure sometime during the cooking,  that you dump out any accumulated pan drippings into a medium sized frying pan. Otherwise, it may fall apart on you when you try to remove it from the pan.

While the meatloaf is cooking, peel and cube the potatoes.
Cook until fork tender, but not too soft.  Drain.

Add the butter, salt and pepper to taste, 2 tablespoons of fresh grated parmesan cheese and just a small splash of milk to aid in mashing.  Mash good until you get a nice, stiff mashed potato.

I love these potatoes. mmmMM!
Set aside, cover to keep warm, if necessary.
Pull out the meatloaf when it's done. Pour off any more fat that's accumulated.

And using a spatula and probably your other hand, tip the loaf pan and slide the meatloaf onto an ovenproof serving platter or dish.
And let rest 10 minutes or so.

Time to make the gravy while the loaf rests.

Be sure to scrape any tidbits left, into your frying pan. That's FLAVOR, right there! FLAVA FLAVE!  haha..get it? Okay. Nevermind. Back to cooking.
Turn your pan up to medium or so, until you get a good simmer.  Depending how many drippings you got in total from your loaf, you may not need all the 2 cups of water.
When the drippings start to simmer, add the two packets of gravy mix and whisk real good to get out as many lumps as possible, because some of the packets have big ol' clumps of mix in them.

You might need to turn your heat down to medium-low, and slowly whisk in the water. I used about 1 and 3/4 cup of water. Add the worchestershire sauce and a little pepper if desired, but I wouldn't recommend salt. The mixes usually have enough salt.
Continue to whisk until the gravy starts to thicken, then turn the heat down to low.
Meanwhile, grab a spatula and let's get to frosting our meatloaf!
I frosted it like I would a little cake, except I piled a little more on top. The sides though, I start at the bottom, slap on some potato and build up, not so much frosting as building tatos up the sides.
Sprinkle with more fresh parmesan gratings, some dried parsley, a little pepper, and stick under your broiler.
This only takes a couple minutes, so watch it carefully so it doesn't burn.
Carefully take out and set aside for a few minutes.

mmmmMMM!
After you let it stand for a couple minutes (IF you can..hehe), grab a sharp knife, spatula and gently slice like you would a loaf of bread.
Serve with your hot, yummy gravy and some peas!!
My son jokes this is 'coconut meatloaf' because he says it looks like a coconut pie. Then he hints at a pie. ha.

I know the loaf looks small before frosting, but it was plenty for three adults and two kids. It's very filling :)

Cheesy Potato Skillet

I'm drooling thinking of this recipe.
There's something I love about the cream of mushroom soup and ground beef combo. Much to my son's delight, I forgot the fresh mushrooms, but about 1-2 cups of fresh mushrooms added when you add the onions, would push this yummy dish over the top. Still, without it, it was pretty darned good. If you have a big enough skillet, add about 1/2 cup more green beans too. That was the only complaint here, more green beans, please! :)

I also used the "35% more" can of Cream of Mushrooms (Campbell's). If you can't find that (I find mine at my local Dollar General), try a regular sized can and about 1/3 cup more of Cream Mushroom soup.


But enough chit-chat, on to the recipe!

• 1 pound ground beef
• 3 cups peeled and thin sliced potatoes (about 4 regular-sized potatoes)
• 1 can drained cut green beans
• 1 (14.75 oz) "35% more" cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup shredded, good quality Monterrey & Colby Jack cheese
• 1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (total, maybe)
• 1/2 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
• kosher salt
• pepper
• garlic powder

Over a medium-high preheated LARGE cast iron skillet, toss in your beef, put about 1 tablespoon of canola oil in the pan first if it's dry or your meat is lean.
Give a liberal sprinkle of kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.
When the meat is getting a good brown, stir, and toss in the onions. Give the onions a small sprinkle of salt and pepper too, and a slight dusting of dried oregano.
 

When the beef is almost done, and the onions are softening, add the potatoes.
You don't want them too thin, but just a step above paper thin, so they don't take all day to cook.

Be sure to give the potatoes a liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper, and a slight dusting of dried oregano. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes.
Push potatoes and meat mixture toward the sides of the pan a little, sort of like you might be making a pie crust with the mixture..

See how some of the potatoes are sort of standing up around the edges? You want the middle of the pan to be lower than the ousides a little.
Add the drained green beans, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, spread the beans out a bit,
Add the mushroom soup (UNconstituted) and spread gently with a spatula, over the beans and potato mixture.
Add the sour cream and worchestershire, then gently mix around without disturbing the potato, meat and green beans too much.
Stick into a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until hot and potatoes are fork tender, but not mush.
Top with cheese!

My tummy is beginning to rumble (when is it not?!)
Put back into the oven about 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and hot.

OH MY GOODNESS!  Sprinkle with a little pepper to make it pretty. :)
Let stand for 10-15 minutes (if you can! lol) and dig in!!
Some may like to sprinkle hot sauce on it!