Tex-Mex Meatballs

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
2 c. shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
1/2 c. panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 tsp. ground cumin
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp. chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, 1 cup of cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, jalapeño, egg, and cumin and season with salt and pepper. Mix until combined, then form into meatballs.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add meatballs in a single layer and sear 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add onion to skillet and cook, stirring, until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and chipotle in adobo and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and return meatballs to skillet. Cover and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Top with remaining 1 cup cheese, then cover with lid to let melt, about 2 minutes.
5. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Notes: I'm not sure I should admit this, but after over 40 years of life I think this may have been the first time I ever tried to make meatballs. I struggled a little getting them to stay together and keep their round shape as I browned them. I enjoyed the flavor of the meatballs. The kids were less enthusiastic but did eat them.

Source: Delish

One Pot Southwestern Alfredo Pasta

Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 red pepper diced
3.4 oz can of diced green chiles
2 cups dry penne
1 cup frozen corn or the corn from two ears
2 cups cooked chicken
1 cup black beans rinsed and drained
14 oz jar alfredo
2 Tbsp taco seasoning

Optional toppings: sour cream, diced tomatoes, jalapeños 

Instructions

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and then the diced red pepper and green chiles. Cook until the red peppers are soft, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add 4 cups of water to the saucepan, bring to a boil, and add the penne. One minute before you need to remove the pasta (according to package directions), add the frozen corn. Drain the cooked pasta and warmed corn and return to the pan.
3. Stir in the cooked pepper and chiles, chicken, and black beans. Then stir in the alfredo sauce and taco seasoning.
4. Serve, topping with sour cream, diced tomatoes, and jalapeños if you like!

Notes: I love southwestern flavors so this was a winner for me. Not at all difficult to make, either.

Source: Simple Joy

Pizza Meatloaf Cups

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
1⁄2 cup pizza sauce
1⁄4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1⁄2 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 1⁄2 lbs ground beef
1 1⁄2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

other optional mix-ins: onions, peppers, pepperoni
additional pizza sauce (optional)

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine the egg, pizza sauce, bread crumbs and Italian seasoning.
2. Fold beef into mixture and mix well.
3. Divide meat mixture into 12 greased muffin cups.
4. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides.
5. Fill center with cheese.
6. Bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
7. Serve immediately with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.
8. Or cool, place in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months.

To use frozen pizza cups:

1. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Heat in microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
3. Top with additional pizza sauce and cheese if desired.

Notes: There were several concerns about this recipe noted in the comments at the source link:

1. The cups come out really greasy. I found this to be true, but was able to take the meatloaves out of the reusable muffin cups and leave the excess grease in the cup. Someone suggested browning the meat beforehand to drain off some of the grease, but I'm not sure how you do that and get it to stay together like meatloaf should.
2. The meatloaves fall apart when taking them out of the cups. This was not a problem for me at all, but I used silicon muffin cups. Not sure how well paper would have worked out. The downside was having to wash all the muffin cups afterwards.
3. The hamburger base is a bit bland. I added dehydrated onions and cut-up pieces of pepperoni and thought it was fine. My kids liked it.

Source: Food.com

Navajo Tacos

Ingredients
Indian Fry Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
3 cups oil for frying

Navajo Tacos 

(Note: we used a different taco recipe than the one at the source link.)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 lb. ground beef

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Taco seasoning to taste

Toppings

Sour cream
Shredded cheese
Diced tomatoes
Shredded lettuce
Sliced black olives
Slice avocado
Pico de gallo
Cilantro

Instructions
Indian Fry Bread

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the warm water and mix using a fork until a dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean bowl and cover tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
2. Divide the dough into 8 equal sections by pinching off golf-ball sized balls of dough, then pat and roll out the dough balls into roughly 6-inch discs on a lightly floured surface. Keep them covered with plastic wrap while you prepare to fry them.
3. Heat 3 cups of oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the oil temperature reaches between 350 and 360 degrees F. Working in batches, fry each disc in the hot oil until the dough is golden brown on one side, then carefully flip with tongs and fry on the other side. Set on a paper towel to drain oil and stick in a warm oven to stay hot while the other fry bread is cooked.

Navajo Tacos

1. In a large skillet, combine the onions and meat cooking until meat is no longer pink.
2. Rinse and drain black beans and add to skillet.
3. Add taco seasoning to taste.
4. Place fry bread on serving dish and top with meat mixture.
5. Place any toppings you like on the base of fry bread and taco mixture, piling it high.

Notes: As noted above, we used a different recipe for the taco meat, so mostly I'm recording this for the fry bread recipe. Our taco recipe is simple and our kids like it. (We like it, too.) This probably would have been easy for Brittany, but I don't have a lot of experience making breads of any kind, and though my mom used made these occasionally this was my first time ever trying to make fry bread. I struggled a bit with the dough. It was quite sticky (solved by adding more flour) and I was only able to get 2 of my 8 discs to the recommended 6-inch size. The rest were smaller. Turns out they tasted really good, though, and the kids enjoyed the meal. Looking forward to having these again.

Source: House of Nash Eats

Blackberry Peach Cobbler Scones

Ingredients

Scones
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
6 ounces blackberries, halved lengthwise
1 peach, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons coarse white sugar or 2 tablespoons demerara sugar

Glaze
3 ounces blackberries
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1⁄2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. For the scones: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in the blackberries and peaches. In a measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 cup of the buttermilk and the eggs and add to the flour mixture, stirring gently to combine.
3. Turn the dough out onto a work surface dusted with flour and press into a 9-by-6-inch rectangle. Use a bench scraper or knife to make the sides even, then cut the dough into 6 equal pieces (3-inch squares). Cut each square on the diagonal into triangles and transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet.
4. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with the coarse sugar. Brush the top of each scone with the remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place the baking sheet with the scones in the freezer for 20 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. For the glaze: Meanwhile, put the blackberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until blackberries are softened and the sugar is dissolved, 5 to 8 minutes, mashing as needed to break up the berries.
7. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing with a rubber spatula to release all the juice. Let cool slightly, then whisk in the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add extra lemon juice a teaspoon at a time to adjust the consistency of the glaze.
8. Bake the chilled scones until golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then drizzle with the glaze.

Notes: It is unfortunate that the blackberry glaze looks a bit like ketchup, because it really is quite delicious. I really enjoyed these scones.

Source: Food.com

Meaty Mexican Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

2 Tbsp vegetable or olive oil

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 pound ground pork sausage

1 large onion, chopped

2 tsp salt

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 can (10 oz.) Ro-Tel tomatoes, mild (or to taste)

1/2 cup salsa, mild (or to taste)

1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles, mild (or to taste)

1 pound uncooked macaroni pasta

1 pound Queso Blanco Velveeta

10 oz. queso fresco, crumbled

1 cup Mexican crema or heavy cream

Pepper jack cheese, shredded

Directions

1. In a large pot with a lid over medium-high heat, heat oil, then add meats and onion. Cover and cook until meat is browned, stirring occasionally. Add salt, chili powder, tomatoes, salsa and chiles. Stir well and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, cook past to al dente according to package directions. Drain and return to original cooking pot; set aside.
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, add Velveeta, queso fresco and cream and microwave 3 minutes. Stir well and continue to cook in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each time, until melted and smooth. (Or combine ingredients in a saucepan and melt over medium heat.)
4. Stir cheese sauce into macaroni to coat, then pour pasta into the meat mixture. Heat on low 5 minutes or until heated through, stirring to blend well. Serve with pepper jack cheese on top.

Notes: This was a big hit with the kids, despite having more of a kick than they usually like. I enjoyed it quite a bit as well. Velveeta Salsa Mac is similar and simpler to make, but I liked the different cheeses and the sausage in this one and would choose this over Velveeta Salsa Mac.

Source: Texas Co-op Power magazine, February 2022

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 jar (11-1/2 ounces) pepperoncinis

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3-1/2 to 4 pounds)

1/4 cup water

1-3/4 tsp dried basil

1-1/2 tsp garlic powder

1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

1-1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 large onion, sliced and quartered

10 to 12 hard rolls, split

Directions

1. Drain pepperoncinis, reserving liquid. Remove and discard stems of peppers; set peppers aside. Cut roast into large chunks; place a third of the meat in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Add water.
2. In a small bowl, combine the basil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper; sprinkle half over beef. Layer with half of the remaining meat, then onion, reserved peppers and liquid. Top with remaining meat and herb mixture.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until meat is tender. Shred beef with two forks. Using a slotted spoon, serve beef and peppers on rolls. 
4. Yied: 10-12 servings.

Notes: Honestly didn't enjoy this on sandwiches as much as I wanted to. (For that I prefer the flavors of the Mississippi Roast recipe we've already got on here.) Having said that, there were plenty of leftovers and I decided to use the meat to make some quesadillas. The addition of the crunchy tortilla and some mozzarella cheese made this much more of a hit for me. My kids all liked it, too, so this ended up being a successful recipe for us.

Source: The Best of Country Cooking (2003) cook book

Southwestern Chicken Barley Soup

Ingredients

6 cups water

1/2 cup quick barley

2 Tbsp dried onion

2 tsp chicken bouillon

1   15 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained

1   15 oz. can tomato sauce

1   15 oz. can corn, drained

2-3 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1   10 oz. can chicken

Directions

1. Bring first four ingredients to boil, then simmer, covered, until barley is tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except chicken, and simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors.
3. Break up chicken with fork and add to soup. Heat through. Serves 6-8.

Notes: I found out Brittany needed me to make dinner last minute and found this while thumbing through our binder of recipes. It was easy to make and turned out well. We didn't have quick barley, and I ended up simmering the pearl barley I used for close to an hour to get it tender.

Source: printed on a piece of paper Brittany got at a Relief Society activity a long time ago.

Skillet Gnocchi with Asparagus and Fried Eggs

Ingredients

1 pkg. (16 oz.) gnocchi1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

1 tsp chopped, fresh thyme leaves
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and black pepper
4 eggs

Directions

1. Place gnocchi in 12-inch nonstick skillet; add water to just barely cover. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Add asparagus; boil 1 minute more. Ladle 1/4 cup cooking water into small bowl; set aside. Drain gnocchi and asparagus.
2. Wipe skillet dry; return to heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add gnocchi and asparagus; cook until slightly browned on several sides, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, zest, reserved cooking water and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover; keep warm.
3. Heat medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Add eggs, cover and cook until whites are set but yolks are runny, 4-6 minutes (safe internal temp. 160°F). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Divide gnocchi between plates. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan. Top each portion with egg and serve, refrigerating any leftovers.

Notes: I made this in February 2021 and am just now getting around to posting. We like this recipe and have enjoyed it at least a couple of times. I think I struggled with getting the gnocchi to brown when I made it this time. Seems like it was sticky and falling apart. Still tasty! We'll have it again (maybe I'll remember to get a better photo).

Source: Kroger MyMagazine mailer