HAPPY NEW YEAR EZ Meals readers! I cannot believe its 2010 … time has flown! AND what better way to start off the year than with a super EZ  one pot meal?! My ground beef and potato tostadas are a hearty meal that will satisfy your hunger without breaking the bank.

GROUND BEEF & POTATO TOSTADA

Servings: +4

Ingredients:

2 potato diced [any type will do]
1 small onion minced
2 large garlic cloves minced
1lb lean ground sirloin
1 chile chipotle with adobo sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 8oz tomato sauce can
2 tbsp cooking oil
salt + pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet, once oil is hot add diced potatoes. Cook potatoes until translucent, about 8-12min. Then add onion and garlic, cook for another 2-5 min until onion is translucent and garlic is toasted.

2. Add ground sirloin to potatoes, break up sirloin as it cooks.

3. Add tomato sauce, paste and chipotle to the meat and potatoes, lower heat to a simmer and cook until sauce thicken slightly.

4.  Scoop meat and potatoes over tostada* and top with sour cream if desired.  ENJOY!

* Ground sirloin and potatoes can also be served alone or in tortillas, even over a salad!

SAVORY BEEF TIPS over EGG NOODLES

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 lb beef tips

1 cup red wine [or beef stock]

1/4 heavy cream

1 shallot minced

2 large garlic cloves minced

1/4 prepared flour [flour + 1tbsp each: salt+ pepper] 

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp butter

salt

pepper

12 oz [bag]  COOKED egg noodles [any other pasta will do you just fine]

Directions:

1. Cook egg noodles as instructed on package, drain and set aside.

2. Dredge beef tips in flour mix.

3. Heat vegetable oil + melt butter over medium heat in a deep skillet.

4. Add beef tips to hot oil + butter cook 1-2 min per side until golden brown.

4. Add minced shallot + garlic, cook until shallot is translucent about 2-3 minutes.

5. Deglaze pan with wine [or beef stock] let liquid reduce by 1/3 or until sauce thickens a bit.

6. Add cream, lower heat and simmer sauce for about 5-10 minutes or until sauce is thickens. Season with salt + pepper to taste.

7. Serve beef tips over egg noodles and garnish with parmesan cheese! ENJOY!

Mini Sirloin Burgers

Servings: 3

“Miiinnii Siiirrllooin Buuurrggers!!!” I’ve had Jack in the Box commercial ringing in my head since it first came out, its so catchy! Sliders or Mini Burgers seem to have blown up overnight, I see them being offered at practically every burger joint, so with them being so popular and not having tasted any of them I decided to try my hand at mini burger nirvana! They turned out great + easy to make!

Ingredients:

1lb ground sirloin

1 egg

real bacon bits  [ store bought or homemade]

shredded cheddar cheese

9 dinner rolls

lettuce

red onion slices

* Spicy Mayo:

3tbs real mayo

1 tbs chili spice -or- 1 chipotle pepper minced

Directions:

1.  Combine ground sirloin, egg, and 1tsp each salt + pepper :: remember just combine the ingredients do not over handle the meat!

2.  Stuff the patties!

• Score meat into 9 even sections
• Take one piece roll into a ball
• Make an indentation in the middle and stuff with cheese and bacon
•  Then take meat and fold it over and shape into patty
• Repeat!

3. Mayo: in small prep bowl combine mayo and chili powder -or- chipotle, place in fridge.

4. Grill the patties! I used an indoor grill but these can easily be done using an outdoor BBQ! For indoor grilling first spray grill with cooking spray and heat over medium flame until grill is really hot, place patties on hot grill and cook for about 3-4 mins on each side! REMEMBER only turn burger over ONCE! or you’ll end up with a tough meatball.

5. While the burgers are grilling; toast the dinner rolls. I simply heated a flat griddle and placed my Hawaiian Rolls cut side down for a 1-2 minutes.

6. Put it all together:

• Take toasted bottom roll, spread with delicious spicy mayo
• Top with mini burger
• Add onion and lettuce
• Add more mayo on top roll and ENJOY!!! 

INA’S COMPANY POT ROAST aka  My Fancy Pot Roast

Servings: 8

Here I go again, ANOTHER delicous Ina Garten recipe! I was looking for something fancy to serve for a family dinner and while looking through Ina’s collection I found this and well with all the delicious ingredients in this pot roast, I thought “how bad can it be?”   I was not dissapointed! I served it with a Ina’s baked potatoe recipe that will follow! Enjoy!

*Ina calls for the use of a dutchoven, since I do not have one yet I used my handy dandy slow cooker instead! *

INGREDIENTS:

1 [4-5lb] boneless beef chuck roast, tied

4 carrots

2 yellow onions

4 celery stalks

2 leeks

5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 cups red wine

1 [28oz] can whole plum tomatoes

1 cup chicken stock

1 chicken bullion cube

3 branches fresh thyme

2 branches fresh rosemary

1 tbsp. unsalted butter at room temperature

all purpose flour

salt and pepper

olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Rough chop carrots, onions, celery,  and leeks [white and light green parts only].

3.  Pat beef dry with paper towel. Season roast all over with salt + pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends.

4. In a large  pot,  heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add roast and sear each side for about 4 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove roast to a large plate.

5. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to pot. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks and garlic, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned.

6.  Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot.  Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover.

7.  Transfer the roast with all the veggie goodness to a warmed 5 qt. slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours or on slow for 8 hours, basically until meat hits 160 degrees.

8.  Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard.

9. We’re making sauce! Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the slow cooker pot, on low heat and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings.

10. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

CHILI MAC

Servings: 4

CHILI MAC is an all American one pot hearty meal that will satisfy even the pickiest eater out there! Its hearty enough to serve alone but also pairs well with a big green salad or steamed green beans.

Ingredients:

1lb. ground beef *

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 [14.5oz can] stewed tomatoes

1 1/4 cup canned tomato sauce

3 tbsp canned green chili peppers

3 tsp chili seasoning

2 cups of whole-wheat elbow macaroni*

1 [150z] can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

Optional Garnish:

sour cream

sliced scallions

shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large skillet cook beef, onion, and garlic until meat is brown, about 15 minutes.

2.  Stir in undrained stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili peppers, chili seasoning; bring to a boil.

3. Stir in uncooked macaroni and kidney beans. Return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until macaroni is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Garnish with sour cream, scallions and cheese!

* This super easy recipe is pretty much just a template that can be modified with what you’ve got in the fridge and pantry. For example you could ground chicken instead of meat and white pasta shells instead of the whole-wheat elbow macaroni. Cooking is not an exact science, roll with what you’ve got and remember to taste as you cook!