Ground beef makes the meal
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If there is a meat that I almost always have on hand it's ground beef. A key ingredient of so many family favorite dishes and comfort foods, a delicious meal is as close as your fridge and pantry.
Just this past weekend I developed a craving for cabbage rolls. However, I wasn't in the mood for the multi-stepped process of making them. Enter a recipe for Cabbage Roll Casserole, a layered beef, cabbage and rice dish that bakes in an easy tomato sauce. Taking less than half the time to prepare than traditional rolls, this dish is easy and delicious.
Meatloaf, ranging from old-fashioned, to any of the many flavorful variations, like the cheeseburger version, below, are comfort food favorites.
And when a meal needs to be on the table in less than 30 minutes, hearty Hamburg Macaroni Soup, made with pantry items and a pound of ground beef, is a great option.
Cabbage Roll Casserole
1 medium cabbage, shredded, or coleslaw mix
Bacon drippings or vegetable oil
Filling:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup cooked rice
Sauce:
2 cups tomato juice or V-8
8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 T. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Directions: In a medium saucepan combine all the sauce ingredients and simmer about 20 minutes.
In large skillet saute onion and garlic about 1 minute. Add ground beef and cook till no longer pink. Drain well and transfer to bowl to let cool to room temperature. Add egg, milk and rice.
While beef is cooling remove tough outer leaves from cabbage and remove core. Shred the cabbage. Saute the cabbage in the same skillet in bacon drippings or a little oil till almost tender.
Remove bay leaf from sauce. Spoon a thin layer of sauce in bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Layer half the sauteed cabbage over sauce. Top with all of the meat, then cover with remaining cabbage. To finish, pour the remaining sauce over all. Cover pan tightly with foil.
Bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven 1 hour (uncover pan for the last 15 minutes of baking.) Garnish with sour cream if desired. Serves 8.
Cheeseburger Meatloaf
2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced onion
2 eggs, beaten
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1 1/2 tsps. ground black pepper
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
Grilled onions, optional
Sauteed mushrooms, optional
Ketchup, for topping
Directions: In large bowl combine the beef, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, salt and pepper and mix well. Pat out beef mixture into a 14×18-inch rectangle on a piece of waxed paper. Spread cheese and grilled onions and mushrooms, if desired, over the meat, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edges. Roll up jelly roll fashion, lifting waxed paper to roll, to enclose the filling and form a pinwheel loaf. Press beef in on both ends to enclose the cheese. Place in a 10×15-inch baking dish and bake in preheated 350-degree F. oven for 1 hour.
Spread top of beef roll with ketchup and bake 10 minutes longer. Serves 8.
Hamburger Macaroni Soup
1 T. vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
2 cups dry elbow macaroni, uncooked
Chopped parsley for garnish, if desired
Directions: Heat oil in large soup pot over medium-high heat till sizzling hot. Add ground beef and cook till evenly browned breaking into small pieces with spatula. Drain off fat.
Add onions, garlic and carrots and saute till tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Add diced tomatoes and beef broth.
Stir in the macaroni and reduce heat to medium low. Cover pot and simmer till pasta is cooked through, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with Italian bread or bread sticks. Serves 6.