Cindy H's Hamburger Soup

1/2 lb ground beef
2 tsp beef soup base
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/2 c carrot, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped
1 pint tomatoes, mashed up
1 bay leaf
2 tsp pepper
6 cups water
Salt to taste
1 cup macaroni

In large frying pan, brown ground beef. Add onion and beef soup base. Add all ingredients to soup pot except macaroni (including ground beef mixture). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Rinse macaroni with hot water and add to the soup. Cook 15 minutes longer. Serve and enjoy!

(If making double recipe, use the big big pot, not just the big one.)

Stuffing Meatloaf with Topping

Meatloaf:
1 lb ground meat
1 egg
1 box stuffing mix
1 cup water

Topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp prepared mustard
1/3 cup ketchup

Mix the meatloaf together, add topping, and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  I like to use a pan that lets the drippings fall below.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

12 oz spaghetti

1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 clove garlic, minced

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl.  Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan.  Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Recipe from Plain Chicken.

How to Prepare Large Amounts of Hamburger

Fill a large pot with water, you’re going to need a good bit of water here. Using your hand, take a clump of ground beef and submerge it. Moosh it up really well, leaving no large clumps.

Continue until all of the beef has been smooshed into the water. (Here's a quote from the site I got this from. It amuses me. "Yeah, this isn’t pretty but puleeze. I’m a mom. I’ve seen worse by far.")

Bring to a boil. You’ll need to stir it just a time or two until it's all nice and browned and done. Either drain it with a collander or strain it out.

Get a measuring cup after it has cooled and put one cup servings in individual freezer bags to have on hand whenever you need ground beef for a meal.


Note:  I do this with all my hamburger now.  I LOVE it!

Mexican Potato Casserole

4 medium potatoes, with peel
2 Tablespoons butter
2 1/2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cups salsa
1/2 cup chopped peppers (red, green or yellow)
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces and place in greased casserole dish. Melt butter...stir in taco seasoning. Pour over the potatoes and stir to coat well. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes.

Stir...bake 10 minutes longer. Brown and crumble beef; add onion and cook until soft...then drain. Stir in salsa and chopped peppers.

Pour over potatoes. Top with grated cheese. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Serve with additional salsa and sour cream.

Taco Soup

1 lb ground beef, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup onion
20 oz can chopped tomato
1 can kidney beans with the juice
14 oz can corn with the juice
8 oz can tomato paste
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 – 2 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

You can either cook it in a slow cooker on low for 4 – 6 hours, or cook it on the stovetop. Top your bowl with crushed taco chips and cheese.

This is one of my favorite recipes, courtesy of Amanda!

Hot Hamburger Dip

1 lb lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
¼ lb (125 g) cream cheese, cubed
2 ½ cups Velveeta cheese, cubed
8 oz (250 g) cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, finely chopped
½ pkg taco seasoning

Brown beef, onion and taco seasoning; mix together. Combine all ingredients in a large casserole dish and back at 350 for 1 hour, stirring halfway through. Serve with nacho chips.

I cooked this in my slow cooker. This also freezes well.