Tasty Tuesday -- Beef and Spinach Over Rice

My routine has been upset recently...

I have been spending a lot of time in doctor's offices and waiting rooms.  For one thing, I broke my foot.  Not sure how I did it, but it started hurting one day and swelled up and did not really get any better, so I went in and found out I broke it -- in several places.  Go me!

I get to go in to town again tomorrow to find out whether or not I will need surgery.  I am wearing a big ugly boot on my foot, but it does minimize the pain a lot since it holds the foot in one position.

There are some other issues that require appointments as well, so I am trying to keep up with business and home tasks as well, but it is a challenge.

ANYWAY...

Our Recipe Tonight is Beef and Spinach Over Rice.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 (4-Ounce) can mushrooms, drained

1 medium-sized onion, chopped

1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 can cream of celery soup (do not add water)

1 cup sour cream

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (or to your taste)

1/2 teaspoon oregano (again, to your taste)

Salt and pepper to your taste

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

1)  Combine beef, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and oregano.  Brown in skillet.

2)  Salt and pepper to taste.

3)  Place thawed spinach on top of browned beef mixture and cover.

4)  Add the cream of celery soup and the sour cream.

5)  Let the spinach steam this way (just a few minutes) until it is soft enough to mix in with the other ingredients.

6)  Stir to blend all the ingredients in the skillet so far.

7)  Place mixture into medium-sized casserole dish.

8)  Sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese on top.

9)  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 35 minutes.

10)  Serve over cooked rice.

Well, gotta get to bed.  That doctor appointment tomorrow is early in the morning and I have a ways to drive.

A Saintly Day, Tasty Tuesday, and Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Greetings Everyone, and Happy Saint Nicholas Day!

Saint Nicholas Day is celebrated in Europe (most especially in Germany), and it is the day when the beloved saint rides on his white horse into the towns and villages to leave gifts and treats in the shoes of the children who have been good during the past year.  To those children who were not so good, he leaves a lump or two of coal.  I am guessing, though, that the ratio of coal given is quite low to the amount of happy gifts given.

And it is Tasty Tuesday Today!

As I am still focusing on holiday preparations and general busyness, I am sharing a recipe for a meal that is simple and satisfying and does not take long to prepare.  It is an excellent winter meal, great comfort food.  It is not so much a health food, though you can modify it by adding foods with additional nutritional value.  I actually do this myself.  I will let you know what I add to this recipe at the end of the Ingredients list.

Sausage and Potato Casserole (or Hotdish as we say in Minnesota)

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage or ground pork

1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (do not add water)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp, salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 cups sliced potatoes

1/2 Tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces

1 and 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

What I add to this (optional): 

1/2 cup carrots, sliced thin or chopped small and sauteed in butter for about 2 minutes.

1/2 cup celery, chopped small and sauteed in butter for about 2 minutes (can do this with the carrots).

1/2 can of whole kernel corn, drained, OR 1/2 cup of frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and drained.

If you do add extra ingredients, you may want to add a bit more milk for moistness (it's up to you).

Instructions:

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  

2)  Spray 1 and 1/2- quart casserole with non-stick cooking spray.  Use 2-quart casserole if you are adding the optional ingredients listed above in addition to the regular ingredients.

3)  Brown sausage or ground pork in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to separate meat into small chunks.  Brown meat until no longer pink.  Drain fat.

4)  Stir together soup, milk, onion, salt, and pepper in mixing bowl (if you are adding in additional ingredients, add them to the bowl as well).

5)  Place half of potatoes in prepared casserole dish.  Top with half of soup mixture and half of sausage or ground pork.  Repeat layers, ending with sausage.

6) Dot with butter.

7)  Cover casserole with tin foil.  Bake 1 and 1/4 to 1 and 1/2 hours until potatoes are tender.  

8)  Uncover; sprinkle with cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Makes 6 servings.

I hope you enjoy this casserole meal.  It is perfect on a cold, blustery day.

And speaking of, Old Man Winter blew in today like a shock.  I know I should have been more than ready for it since I am in Minnesota, and Winter is what we do.  Still, the first big blast of cold wind sends the shivers to the bone.  I confess that on days like this it can be hard to keep my energy up; all I want to do is wear jammies, snuggle under the covers, and read a book.  But the cats are the ones who get to do that, except for the book part.  

Tasty Tuesday, Sort-of

Yup, It's Tasty Tuesday, but since I am a little late, it might be Tasty Wednesday by the time I publish this.

It is late at night, and I have been busy making items for the craft show this coming Saturday.  Even though I am cutting back on the different types of products I am making this time, and I am trying to use only what I have available at home, I still find myself on the wrong end of the clock.

As far as recipes go, I have been thinking about the coming holidays and foods that can be enjoyed at a holiday feast or enjoyed as part of a regular evening's dinner side dish.  I dug through my box and found one, though I can't recall who gave it to me.  It is good, though.  And it is definitely not diet food.

Bacon Carrot Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, cut in half and then each half sliced in half lengthwise.  Carrots will need to be partially cooked.

6 slices of bacon, diced, cooked in skillet, and drained.

1 can condensed tomato soup (do not add water).

3 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 small onion, diced.

Instructions:

1)  Put sliced and partially-cooked carrots along with bacon in 1 and 1/2 quart casserole dish.

2)  Add soup, brown sugar, and diced onion.

3)  Stir until well mixed.

4)  Cover and bake 1 hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5)  When done, let stand uncovered for 2 minutes before serving.

Serves 8.

That's it for now, everyone.  Thanks for stopping by,  I hope you enjoy this recipe or that it sparks creative cooking ideas for you.