Baked Potato Ground Beef Casserole

4 potatoes, cubed and cooked
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 med. Onion, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbl. Minced chives
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl combine potatoes and ground beef. In another bowl combine remaining ingredients, add to potato mixture and gently toss to coat. Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Serves 6

Changes – Use chicken or bacon instead of ground beef. Add mushrooms and/or minced garlic for added flavor. Reserve ½ cup cheese to add to during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Simple Swedish Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef
1 pkg (6 1/4 oz.) boxed chicken stuffing mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups water
1 jar (12 oz.) beef gravy
1 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix meat, stuffing, eggs, onions and water. Shape into meatballs about 1" in diameter (about 32). Place in 2 foil lined 13 x 9 baking pan. Bake 20 minutes. Mix gravy and sour cream in a large sauce pan. Add meatballs. Mix lightly and cook on low for 5 minutes. Serves 8 (4 meatballs each)

With the holidays coming up, this is a simple and delicious way to make meatballs. You can make the meatballs ahead and freeze by placing them in single layers on a baking dish, place into freezer until frozen and then transfer to a zip top bag.

Changes - use ground turkey or chicken. The boxed stuffing comes in several flavors so you can easily change your flavor by changing your stuffing.

Ground Beef & Potato Pie

2 med. potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 lb. ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheese
2 pie shells (9" each)
1 Tbl. mustard
1 Tbl. milk

Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender. Mash and set aside. In a skillet brown the beef and drain. Stir in onions, clove, thyme, sage, salt and pepper. Simmer 4-5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and chili sauce. Place 1 crust in a 9" pie plate. Brush mustard evenly over crust. Add meat mixture. Top with cheese. Top with remaining pie shell sealing edges. Trim off excess pie shell. Cut slits in the pie crust. Brush with milk. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6

Changes - ground chicken or pork instead of beef. Add green peppers and/or mushrooms when adding onions. Don't like cheese? Leave it out. Use condensed cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup instead of chili sauce for a creamy texture.

One Pan Tacos

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
2 cups water
1 pkg Taco seasoning mix
2 cups instant rice, uncooked
1 cup shredded cheese
2 cups shredded lettuce
2 cups chopped tomatoes

Brown meat in a large non-stick skillet, drain. Add water and seasoning mix, stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with a tight fitting lid and turn off heat. Let sit 5 minutes or until water is absorbed by rice. Serve lettuce and tomatoes on the side.

These can be served in taco shells, wrapped in tortilla or served as it is. I like to top mine with sour cream and extra shredded cheese. You can add chopped onions and peppers for more taste.

Meaty Baked Beans

Country Bob's contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking if I would try their product. I'm game for just about anything so I said yes. I even told them I would try coming up with a recipe using their All Purpose Sauce. Now everyone that follows my recipes know that I cook simple dishes and I didn't want to change my style. One of the best ways to create a recipe with a new product is to taste the product before adding it to anything. One of the 1st recipes that came to mind after tasting was the baked beans my daughter makes. I just knew it would be a perfect blend and it is. To my daughter's original recipe I added bell peppers, which I love in baked beans, and eliminated the brown sugar. Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce gave the beans a touch of tart, with a hint of BBQ. They can be served as a meal, due to the ground beef, or as a side dish. I'm having them tonight with Baby Back Ribs and plan to serve the sauce on the side for dipping.

I've only been working with this sauce for a few days but have already found that it's great mixed with sauteed onions served over roast. I've also used it as a condiment in my baked chicken wraps.

For more information on this tasty sauce go to www.countrybob.com


1 lb. lean ground beef, cooked and crumbled
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
10 slices cooked bacon (can used precooked)
2 - 3 cans (16 oz.) pork & beans
1/2 cup Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onions and peppers until onions are transparent. Gently mix beef, onions & peppers, 4 slices of bacon crumbled, beans and Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. Pour into baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake 20-25 minutes or until bubbly.

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers

4 green bell peppers
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup cooked rice
1 small onion chopped
1/2 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
1 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Wash peppers. Cut off top and remove seeds. In a skillet brown beef, onions and garlic. Fold in rice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stuff peppers placing them in the bottom of crock pot. Top with any extra beef/rice mixture. Pour spaghetti sauce over top of peppers. Set cooker on low for 6 - 7 hours.