Q&A: What did you do with all that ground beef?

Duckygirl wondered what it is I made with all of that ground beef I purchased in bulk. I bought twenty pounds and split it this way:

5 pounds of raw meat were prepared into 2 meatloafs
5 pounds of raw meat were made into 20 patties for Poor Man's Steak
7 Pounds were cooked and seasoned with homemade Taco Seasoning for 1 Taco Soup, 2 Nachos, and 16 Make Ahead Burritos.
3 pounds were browned for 2 meals of the best chili ever

All this prepared meat resulted into eleven meals for January. I'm sad that my freezer is becoming empty again. Soon it will be time to plan and cook for February. Anyone want to join me?

Make ahead Burritos

Making burritos for the freezer are not only easy but fun to assemble. The kids and I have a great time playing our own version of Taco Bell. Each person has their own station and we race through the assembly process. They love it and I save a lot of time not having to assemble twenty or so burritos by myself!

All you need is large tortilla shells and whatever ingredients you have on hand in whatever combination pleases you: Taco meat, chicken or steak, rice, black beans, refried beans, black beans, salsa, rice, cheese, salsa.... After rolling the burritos place them directly into a freezer bag.

To cook place the frozen burritos directly in a greased baking dish and cover. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes until burritos are soft and heated through.

These can be uncovered and topped with warm enchilata sauce and cheese and put back under the broiler until the cheese is melted. I've also served these on a bed of shredded lettuce topped with salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!!

My friend, Alaina weekly hosts a series, Keeping Creative Kitchens. It's all about sharing the things that keep you insired in your kitchen. Go and see all the great ideas!

Buying in Bulk

I got a crazy idea over break that I would cook and freeze all of our dinners for January by myself. The crazy part is that I planned, shopped and cooked all in one day! It took from about 10 am to 11 pm to complete the whole process. It was so nice to get it done, but I don't recommend this method.

While at Sam's Club buying meat we saw these rolls by the huge packages of ground beef and assumed that they were sausage. The friendly meat man saw me filling my cart and quickly stopped me. He informed me that these rolls are exactly the same meat but packaged for $.50 less a pound! Who knew? I saved around $10 buying it this way.



Just so that you don't think that I have super powers. This day of cooking took its toll on me and the kitchen. I used every pot and pan and my poor family had to live with this mess for about two days while I recovered.

**As a side note, I've recently been been buying less lean meat and rinsing it well with warm water to bring down the fat concentration. Sounds weird, I know, but it's worked well.**

....Out of Nothing at all- Egg Drop Soup

I have a habit of singing 80's songs to my own lyrics much to the amusement of my family. I guess it is the Weird Al Yankovic in me. For years I've been humming the tune to Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing At All" while I'm searching through the pantry for lunch. "Making Lunch out of Nothing at All....makin' lunch."

To those you you too young to know this song I don't recommend that you learn it. It really is a sad commentary on relationships and one of those, "I can't believe I knew this song growing up." I must have learned it on the bus.

Anyway, here's the recipe for today MLOONAA. If all goes well, I plan to make MLOONAA a regular feature on this blog perhaps with a Mr. Linky for you to share if there was enough interest. Let me know one way or the other by the survey on the right or leave a comment. Thanks!


Egg Drop Soup

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: same
Serves: 8
Cost: approx. $1.00

10 cups of boiling water
3 Tbsp of chicken stock granules ($.50)
2 eggs ($.25)
soy sauce

Heat the water to boiling. Add chicken granules and stir well. Scramble eggs well in a small bowl. Stir boiling broth in one direction and add eggs slowly. Add soy sauce to taste and serve.

Disclaimer: I realize that there is little nutritional value here, but when we've had a big breakfast or someone is sick this is a perfect lunch.

Fried Ice Cream

I don't know how they exactly make Mexican Fried Ice Cream, but here is a simple version that I picked up off a cereal box years ago. It is surprisingly similar and a quick fun desert.

Go to Gail's Grocery Cart Challenge and find other great recipes on Friday's Recipe Swap! You'll be glad you did.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: none
Serves: 16-20
Cost: Approx. $3.00

1 Pint of vanilla ice cream ($2.00)
1/2 box of cinnamon toast crunch cereal generic brand ($1.00)
honey
chocolate syrup

Crush cereal and place in a deep pan. Scoop out vanilla ice cream and roll int the cereal. Place ice cream balls back in the freezer for 10 minutes.

To serve top with honey or chocolate syrup.