Day 19 and 20: SW Taco Dip

Ever microwaved hamburger meat? Yeah, I hadn't either, and honestly it took me a little while before I could wrap my brain around this idea and actually feel comfortable with that concept. If you simply can't, you can always brown up the hamburger in a regular pan first, but if you can you'll find this dish takes less than 10 min. to make from start to finish. And oh yeah, it's delicious!

Seriously, everyone in my family "claims" they hate all beans...but they ALL love this dish and don't even notice the beans in them as they gobble up each bite. For my pickiest eater EJ I made her close her eyes as I gave her a bite of something she hadn't seen yet and told her to trust me. As she chewed the bite, she opened her eyes and said, "Mmmm! That's really yummy!"

When I showed her what it was she was very surprised because by the sight of it she never would've given it a try. But by playing the blind taste test game she happily loaded up her plate with it for dinner.

The next day some people were feeling a little under the weather, and with all my rushing to sew EJ's Halloween costume together, some people opted for this while others had some more comforting chicken soup from the pantry. Either way it allowed me to push back my meal planning again to save the next meal for another day.

Day 19 and 20: SW Taco Dip
SW Taco Dip

SW Taco Dip

Ingredients:
1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 ounces) GF enchilada sauce (red or green)
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, undrained
1-1/2 cups crushed corn chips
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
Additional corn chips

Directions:

1. Crumble beef into an ungreased 2-qt. microwave-safe dish; cover with waxed paper. Cook on high for 5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, stirring twice; drain.

2. Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce, 1 cup of cheese, chilies, crushed corn chips and onion; mix well. Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring once.

3. Top with the sour cream and remaining cheese. Heat, uncovered, at 70% power for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with corn chips. Yield: 4-6 servings.

Easy Hamburger Pie

Another very simple dish I picked up from a friend. With only a handful of ingredients it seemed pretty easy. The dish cooks to a texture very similar to a quiche. I was incredibly surprised that EVERYONE in my family not only tried this dish, but they all LOVED it as well!!!

I added some BBQ sauce to mine, EJ added a little Lawry's season salt, and the rest ate it just as it was.

Easy Hamburger Pie

You can basically use any kind of meat with this and I think it would also taste great with some interesting additions (maybe add some veggies, use pepperjack cheese to give it a kick, etc.)

Ingredients:

1lb Browned Meat (I have used Hamburger, Sausage and tonight I used browned corned beef hash)
1 C onion (or no onion) brown with meat
2 eggs
1/2 C bisquick
1 C Milk
1 C cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Spray down a pie dish with your favorite cooking spray. Layer the meat, then the cheese.

2. Mix together the eggs, milk and bisquick then pour over the meat mixture.

3. Bake for approx. 25 minutes at 400.

4. Serve with a side of fruit and your kids will think you rock!

Hamburger Pizzas

A busy mom's best friend! Need an easy meal that's very quick to make, with a little more effort than cereal or pb&j for dinner?

Hamburger Pizzas

1 loaf frozen garlic bread
1 lb. hamburger
your favorite spaghetti sauce
shredded cheese (I use a colby/monterey jack mix)

Brown the hamburger. Bake garlic bread according to package directions. I buy the cheap W*l-m*rt brand that you set on broil for 3-4 minutes.

Pull garlic bread out of the oven and top with a layer of your favorite spaghetti sauce, followed by the hamburger and topped off with cheese. Cut into individual servings and microwave just long enough to melt the cheese.

You can add additional toppings your family enjoys (pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers, etc.). We used to add more toppings to this recipe originally, but now with kids this is how they prefer it. I usually serve this with a side of cantaloupe.