Monday, April 03, 2006
Give them effortless ground beef for dinner
The fewer the ingredients, the easier the recipe. That’s the theory behind abbreviated meal ideas such as those containing five ingredients or less. But such recipes are only easy if the ingredients are readily available. Since ground beef is a staple in many freezers or on shopping lists, it’s a great starting point for a quick and easy meal.
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Tangy Beef Turnovers
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 16-ounce jar sauerkraut, rinsed, drained, and chopped
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
3 8-ounce tubes refrigerated crescent rolls
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add sauerkraut and cheese; mix well. Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into rectangles. Place on greased baking sheets; pinch seams to seal. Place 1/2 cup beef mixture in the center of each rectangle. Bring corners to the center and pinch to seal. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes. Makes 12 turnovers.
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Spicy Ground Beef Stew
1 pound ground beef
2 10.5-ounce cans condensed vegetable beef soup, undiluted
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
In a large saucepan, cook the beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in soup and tomatoes; heat through. Makes 5 servings.
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This recipe freezes well. Place finished mixture in a greased 8-inch square baking dish; cover and freeze. When ready to use, thaw in refrigerator. Before serving, bake at 350 degrees until heated through, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Beef Mushroom Spaghetti
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/4 cup water
1 7-ounce package thin spaghetti, cooked and drained
In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, soup, and water. Add cooked spaghetti; mix well. Cook until heated through. Makes 4 servings.
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Pantry Pointers
When wrapped well, uncooked ground beef can be stored in the freezer up to 3 months. To speed up meal preparation, buy ground beef in bulk and cook. Freeze in portions immediately after cooking. Use frozen cooked ground beef within 3 months.
Frozen vegetables are great time savers. They taste good, and they don’t require cutting and washing. Keep your freezer filled with these to save on preparation.
The Practical Pantry ©2006 Tammy P. Olson
http://www.practicalpantry.com