ground beef | Adventures in Thyme

Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole

April 8, 2015 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Cheeseburger Casserole

I’m always game for a juicy burger n’fries, but the bread is sometimes a turn off. So if you find yourself wanting a yummy burger but firing up the bbq isn’t a good solution, you’ll enjoy tonight’s recipe. A cheesy, bacony “burger” with fries all cooked in one dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Beef
1 lb ground Pork
8 slices of Bacon fried bacon, slivered
1 Egg, beaten
1.5 cups of Ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp dried Thyme
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp dried Garlic
Roux (4 Tablespoons butter & 4 Tablespoons flour)
80z shredded Cheddar Cheese (we used goat cheddar)
Bag of frozen Tater Tots

Set your oven to 400 degrees and let’s get cookin!

Fry the bacon in a skillet until done. Remove bacon and set aside on a paper towel to drain. Pour off most of the bacon grease and then add the beef and pork back into the skillet and fry until done. While the meat is cooking mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, salt, thyme, oregano and garlic, and set this aside. Carefully spoon the meat into a large bowl and set aside to cool.

In a frying pan melt the butter over medium low heat and then slowly add the flour, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly until golden brown. This will help bind the burger together. When the roux is ready remove from the heat, pour in the liquid ingredients from the step above and mix well. To the cooled meat mixture add the beaten egg and also mix well. Now add the ketchup-roux mixture from the pan into the meat and combine. Time to assemble!

Into a baking dish pour in the meat mixture and level with a spoon. Now add your layer of shredded chedder, then layer on the slivered pieces of crunchy bacon. Finally add rows of tater tots until the casserole is covered.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 mins or until the tater tots have cooked. Serve immediately with burger fixin’s: tomatoes, lettuce, onions, avocado and a splash of tabasco – if you dare!

Taco Shell Bites

December 11, 2014 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Tacos made with shell pasta by D Fenwick http://dfenwickphotography.com

Taco Shells

With all the frantic holiday planning and preparations this time of year, it can be difficult to cook something “interesting” for a weekday dinner. A study in 2009 found that the average cook relied on just nine recipes they rotate through, with fast recipes chosen more often over healthy ones. Today’s recipe is one of our quick and easy mainstays, but with one little change: we’re replacing tortillas with pasta shells! OMG this is good! Let’s get cookin’!

1 lb ground meat (we used beef)
1 packet taco seasoning (we used Mild, but you can also find Spicy or Gluten Free at your grocers)
1 15 oz can of tomato puree
1/2 package of pasta shells
~2 cups of grated cheese (we used dairy free cheese in Monterey Jack and Cheddar flavors)
Salsa
Optional: sour cream, cilantro, green onions, hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 baking pan by spreading a thin coating of butter to keep the pasta from sticking.

While the beef is browning in a skillet, heat a pot of water to boiling for the pasta. When the beef is done remove excess oil and add the Taco Seasoning but omit the water. Stir. After the seasoning is incorporated add in the tomato puree and stir to combine evenly. Once it begins to bubble remove from heat and set aside.

Cook your pasta until almost done (so on the chewier side of al dente), remember – you’re going to bake the shells later. Once the pasta is ready pour into a sieve and cool with cold running water (your basically stopping the cooking process).

Now it’s time to combine all the parts: Fill each shell with a tablespoon or two of the meat mixture then place into an even layer in the baking pan. When all the shells are full, sprinkle the cheese over the top, then bake about 15-20 mins or until the cheese melts.

Serve topped with salsa, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, and/or hot sauce.

Enjoy!

Taco Casserole

September 10, 2014 by Dan Leave a Comment

Taco Casserole

Today we offer you a dish that can be thrown together with little fuss and can easily feed unexpected guests that drop by around meal time. Enjoy!

2 lbs ground Bison (ground beef or ground turkey will work just fine)
1 bag Tortilla Chips (family size, not the individual bags)
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1 16oz can Refried Beans
Taco Seasoning (use your own or our recipe here)
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 or 2 fresh Tomatoes, diced

Brown your ground meat. Once it is browned, drain off the fat. Add your favorite taco seasoning (no water) and the 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. Stir and bring to a simmer. Let cook a few minutes and then remove from heat.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 F.

Take a 9×13 baking dish and spread the 16 oz. can of refried beans evenly in the bottom. Take two large handfuls of tortilla chips, break them up and incorporate into the meat in your skillet. Take this mixture and spread evening over the top of the refried beans. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until heated through. Remove from the oven and top with tortilla chips. Liberally sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the top of the tortilla chips. Place under your broiler for a few minutes until the tortilla chips begin to toast and the cheese melts. Remove from the over. Top with diced tomato and freshly chopped cilantro. (You could also add avocado, sour cream or your other favorite taco toppings.)

Serve hot. Enjoy.

Beefy Lamb Meatball Goodness

April 30, 2014 by Dan Leave a Comment

Meatballs with tomato sauce

Yep, another meatball recipe – they’re just so darn good! And perfectly sized to take to work the next day for lunch. So let’s get to it:

Meatballs

1 lb Ground Sirloin
1 lb Ground Lamb
2 cups Cooked Long Grain Rice (I used brown basmati rice)
2 Eggs
2 sprigs Rosemary, chopped
2 sprigs Oregano, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Cheese
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 14.5oz can peeled, chopped Tomatoes

Sauce

5 8oz cans Tomato Sauce
1 sprig Rosemary, chopped
1 sprig Oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon good Balsamic Vinegar
4 tablespoons Honey
2 teaspoons baking soda
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You’ll need two baking dishes (I used a 9” x 13” and a 9” x 9”)

Combine the ground meat, rice, eggs, chopped rosemary and oregano, grated cheese, canned tomatoes (with the juice) salt and pepper in a large bowl. Mix together gently using your hands until the ingredients are well mixed.

Form the meat mixture into 2 to 2 ½ inch balls. You should end up with 12 to 14 meatballs. Place the meatballs into your baking dishes so they aren’t crammed together. Place in the oven and back for 30 minutes or until they start to brown on top.

While the meatballs are cooking, make your sauce. Combine the tomato sauce, chopped herbs, balsamic vinegar and honey in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add the baking soda a teaspoon at a time. (This will neutralize the acid in the tomato sauce.) Stir in gently. Once it has stopped foaming, add the second teaspoon and mix it in. Once the sauce is hot, taste and add salt and pepper. Turn down to low and let simmer.

Once the meatballs have started to brown, spoon about half your sauce over the meatballs and return them to the oven. Cook another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat is 160 degrees.

Serve with the remaining sauce and side dishes of your choice. (We served ours with rice and a vegetable.)

Enjoy!