Taco Casserole

There are times when a recipe looks good on paper (or on the screen) but turns out to be a huge disappointment (disaster, failure, mistake, fiasco ... which ever you prefer).  Sometimes unfortunately, one who goes on a new recipe spree may end up with 2 or even 3 of these mishaps in a row.  You know your family is about to rebel when they look like this at the supper table:

So when we have had one too many dinner failures I turn to a surefire hit - Taco Casserole.  It has all the elements of a taco dinner in a casserole dish.

Sometime I get fancy schmancy and mix up my own taco seasoning and make homemade refried beans.  Other nights, like last night, opening cans and packages is the way to go.  I originally spied this recipe in an old Taste of Home magazine and then found it again on food.com.  I have found that you need to use thicker salsa (and I drain it) or else the dish can get watery.  We initially tried the method of placing the chips on the bottom of the casserole dish only to find that we didn't much care for the soggy chips reheated.  The kids like to use tortilla chips to scoop it up.

 

Taco Casserole

Taste of Home magazine

 

1 pound ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 (15 ounce) can refried beans
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups salsa
2 green onions, chopped
1 small can sliced black olives
1 tomato, chopped
Tortilla chips or corn chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a square casserole dish with cooking spray.

 

Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and cook according to package directions, adding proper amount of water (I use the juice from the salsa I drained).

Warm the refried beans on stove until hot, pull off the heat and add 1 cup cheese and the drained salsa salsa. Stir until combined.  Spread beans in a square casserole dish
 

Sprinkle the beef over the beans.  Top with the remaining cheese, green onions and black olives. Bake about 15 minutes, until the cheese is sufficiently melted and the casserole starts to bubble.  Add the tomatoes on the top and let sit for 5 minutes to set.

Easy Taco Chili

The title says it all - it really doesn't get any easier than this. 

Winter seems to have finally arrived in Iowa.  It is somewhere under 20 degrees and very windy.  We, of course, chose to go out this afternoon to sell Girl Scout cookies in the neighborhood.  We hit 5 houses, pulling our little red wagon loaded with cookies, and then came home to warm up in front of the fireplace.  Soup or stew really sounds really good for supper and this one is a snap to put together.

This one is another slow cooker recipe that comes from my new favorite cookbook.  The original recipe only called for one can of beans but we like beans in our chili (and we don't claim to be Texans) so I often put 2 or 3 cans in.  The kids like the chili best when we have it over baked potatoes, topped with grated cheese, chopped green onions and a smidgen of sour cream.

                     
Easy Taco Chili
Slow Cooker Revolution

2 cups onions -- chopped
1 package taco seasoning mix
2  tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 whole garlic cloves -- minced
15 ounces canned black beans
16  ounces canned kidney beans
15 ounces tomato sauce
14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1  slice white bread
2 tablespoons 2% milk
1 pound ground beef, 93%
1 1/2 cups frozen corn

Microwave onions, taco seasoning, tomato paste, oil and garlic in bowl, stirring occasionally until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to slow cooker.

Stir beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (with juice) and sugar into slow cooker.

Mash bread and milk into a paste with a fork.  Mix in ground beef and 1/4 teasponn black pepper using hands.  Stir beef mixture into sow cooker, breaking up any large pieces.  Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6-8 hours on low.

Let chili settle for 5 minutes and then skim the fat off the top with a large spoon.  Stir in corn and let it set until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Sloppy Joes

Perhaps one of the best purchases, or worst depending upon how you look at it, was a freezer for the garage.  When we moved into our house we had a pathetic looking, very skinny, side by side refrigerator.  The freezer side was so skinny, David had a hard time getting his beloved frozen pizzas to fit in there (single serving ones too).  When we remodeled the kitchen, we went with a French door model with the freezer on the bottom.  A step up but honestly, as someone who relies heavily on being able to pull meals out of the freezer for the weekdays, it still wasn't enough.

Enter the Freezerator.  David had been coveting this thing from afar for years.  It is actually listed as a garage appliance as it is made specifically for the garage.  The top compartment can be either a refrigerator or a freezer and it boasts a heater so if you do use it as a refrigerator, the contents won't freeze during the Iowa winters.  He finally went ahead and made the purchase when he heard that they were being discontinued.  Best.  Purchase.  Ever.

I went through a spell this Fall where I really wasn't cooking anything.  I was in a cooking funk.  I'd go to the store, buy meat, end up not cooking in and into the freezer it would go.  It got pretty bad around Christmas when I had to convert the top part of said freezer from a refrigerator, because I didn't have room to store my Christmas cookies.  Part of my quest since the beginning of the year has been to cook exclusively from the freezer.  All I've been buying from the grocery store is fresh fruit and vegetables and milk.  It's actually been nice to have $40ish grocery bills for a family of 4!

I pulled a 3 pound package of ground beef out of the freezer on Friday.  Honestly, I have no idea why I purchased a 3 pound package in the first place, but I do know that part of it will be used for a batch of Sloppy Joes.  This is another recipe that come from the cookbook that helped my love my Slow Cooker, The Slow Cooker Revolution.

We really enjoyed this recipe.  Making a panade out of the milk and bread really helps to keep the ground beef soft, especially since I lean towards leaner ground beef that what the recipe calls for.  While there is some prep work involved, I love the fact that I can toss this in the crockpot for 6 - 8 hours and not be tied to the kitchen.  Chop, brown, dump and then be free to referee the arguments all day.  Or maybe catch up on my reading since I upped my Goodreads challenge this year.
                     
Sloppy Joes
Yield:  12 1/2-cup servings

2  slices white bread
1/4 cup whole milk
2 pounds ground beef, 93%
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 small onions -- minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 whole garlic cloves -- minced
15 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

Mash bread and milk into a paste in large bowl using a fork.  Mix in ground beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands.

Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until shimmering.  Add onions, garlic and chili powder and cook until onions are softened and lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in beef mixture, 1 pound at a time and cook, breaking up any large pieces until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.  Stir in 1 cup tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits; transfer to slow cooker.

Stir remaining tomato sauce, ketchup, sugar and hot sauce into slow cooker.  Cover and cook until beef is tender, 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 5 hours on high.

Let meat mixture settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from the surface using a large spoon.  Break up any remaining large pieces of beef with spoon.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon mixture onto buns and serve.

All-Purpose Gravy

It is no secret that I like to cook.  Even when I was little I loved to help my grandmothers cook.  My Italian grandmother wasn't fond of baking but she loved to cook meals.  Lasagna, Eggplant Parmesan, Manicotti, etc., I watched her make it all.  My Polish grandmother was more of a baker and I remember around the holidays the heat would always be cranked up and the rooms closed off as she had tubs of dough for bread rising everywhere.

Although I don't cook nearly as much as they did, I do cook supper several nights a week and most everything is from scratch.  There are some days, however, where I just take shortcuts.  Friday night I had marinated some chicken breasts in Italian dressing and threw them in the oven.  On my way home I stopped and grabbed a box of Uncle Ben's Broccoli and Cheese Rice to go with it.  Served up supper and they started eating and then stopped and looked at the rice and looked at me.  Comments ranged from it being bland (really, with a ton of sodium in it?) to it tasting funny.  Great, I think I spoiled them.

So when I pulled the beef sirloin roast out of the freezer I figured I'd better not push my luck and decided to make gravy from scratch.  This really is an easy and versatile recipe.  I use a can of each if I am making this for beef or pork but if it is for a roast chicken, I use 2 cans of chicken broth.

All Purpose Gravy
Cook's Illustrated

1 small carrot , peeled and chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces
1 small rib celery , chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces
1 small onion , chopped into rough 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
5 whole black peppercorns
   
In food processor, pulse carrot until broken into rough 1/4-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses. Add celery and onion; pulse until all vegetables are broken into 1/8-inch pieces, about five 1-second pulses.  If you chop them too small you won't be able to strain them all out and then people will complain there are things floating in their gravy.  :)

Heat butter in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat; when foaming subsides, add vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and well browned, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly browned and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add broths; bring to boil, skimming off any foam that forms on surface. Reduce heat to medium-low and add bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced to 3 cups, 20 to 25 minutes.

Strain gravy through fine-mesh strainer into clean saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Italian Meatball Soup

I am working hard these days to establish a harmonious relationship with my slow cooker.  In the past I have tried recipes that people have raved about, only to be disappointed in the watery, usually overcooked mess that awaited me.  It would just be so nice to have a nice, hot and GOOD meal waiting for me when I come home from work.

Cook's Illustrated is one of my favorite magazines.  I find the man himself to be a little pretentious, so I can't watch the episodes of America's Test Kitchen on the weekend.  I will freely admit that their dedication in trying 50 different lemon meringue pie recipes have saved me the trouble of trying to find what I think to be THE ultimate recipe.  Rarely have one of their recipes steered me wrong.

This year they came out with a first for them - a slow cooker cookbook titled Slow Cooker Revolution.  I admit it, I was sucked in by the title:  One Test Kitchen.  30 Slow Cookers.  200 Amazing Recipes.  I'm thinking if you have 30 slow cookers lined up to test out the same recipe, then perhaps I can put my trust in the results.

Madeleine is a fan of Italian Wedding Soup so when I saw the recipe in the book I decided to give it a try.  Now, I've tried the 'open a can and dump in' type recipes and have been disappointed in the past.  I was willing to throw a little more effort into it so the meal wouldn't get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and then eventually thrown out.  This recipe didn't take any less time to throw together than a normal soup recipe but the bonus was I was able to leave the house while it cooked.

The original recipe called for meatloaf mix and kale.  I used ground beef since it is easier to find and spinach instead of the kale to make it more kid friendly.  It really came out very good and I never would have guessed it came from a slow cooker.  Even better, both kids cleaned their bowls.  You can't beat that kind of recommendation!

Italian Meatball Soup
Slow Cooker Revolution

2 slices white bread
1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground beef, 93%
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese -- grated
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 whole egg yolk
6 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 whole onion -- minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken broth
5 ounces spinach leaf, whole -- chopped
6 ounces orzo

Mash bread and milk into paste in a large bowl using a fork. Mix in ground beef, Parmesan, parsley, egg yolk, 3 garlic cloves, oregano, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper using hands. Pinch off and roll into tablespoon sized meatballs (about 30 - 35 total).

Microwave meatballs on plate until fat renders and meatballs are firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour off fat and transfer meatballs to slow cooker.

Microwave onions, remaining garlic cloves, oil and red pepper flakes in bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.

Add broth, cover and cook until meatballs are tender, about 4-6 hours on low.

Let soup settle for 5 minutes and then remove fat from surface using a large spoon, Stir in orzo, cover and cook on high until tender, 20 - 30 minutes. Add spinach to wilt. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with additional Parmesan.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 229 Calories; 8g Fat (33.3% calories from fat); 19g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber

Garlicky Vegetable Pasta Salad

*Not sure why this was saved and not posted from a couple of weeks ago, but better late than never I suppose.  :)

I am a huge fan of leftovers.  Huge.  Between working 40+ hours a week and having 2 kids that NEED to eat by 6 and NEED to be in bed by 7:30, I don't have a whole lot of time to cook supper when we get home.  As soon as we walk in the door the little guy starts chirping.  Cheese stick!  Cheese stick!  CHEESE STICK!  Thankfully splitting one between the 2 of them tides them over for about a half hour. 


However, Rachael Ray I am not (and really, can anyone really make any of her meals in 30 minutes) but I do try my best to not used any processed foods.  Don't get me wrong, I throw a hot dog or two at the kids every once in a while (and feel less guilty about it after finding nitrate free dogs) but overall we are pretty healthy eaters here despite the fact I am having a huge craving for nachos at the moment.  Not sure where that one came from but they sound soooooo good right about now.


I had the leftovers from dinner the other night to play with but didn't really have any carbs to serve with it - Man Food Rule #4 - must have carbs with meals.  Since I didn't think I could get away with tossing another loaf of bread on the table (OK, reality was it was getting moldy), so I threw together this pasta recipe from the same Cooking Light issue. 

It reuses quite a bit of the vegetables that we grilled the other night, but was different enough that it didn't seem like we were eating the same thing again.  I tossed in some extra vegetables and some extra olives for the kids since they love them.  I mixed the cold vegetables with the hot pasta so it was room temperature when I served it with some leftover tenderloin.  Another supper where the kids cleaned their plates and another new recipe to add to the files.

Garlicky Vegetable Pasta Salad
Cooking Light, August 2002
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)  

4 cups cooked fusilli (about 8 ounces uncooked short twisted spaghetti)

3 cups Grilled Antipasto Vegetables

3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup Chile-Garlic Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, tossing gently.

Nutritional Information:  calories: 405, fat: 12.5g, protein: 15.2g, fiber: 6.8g, carbohydrate: 60.1g

Tenderloin with Grilled Antipasto Vegetables

I've learned a lesson or two over the years.  Mother's Day was last Sunday and I really wanted to go to brunch at the local winery that isn't far from our house.  I knew, however, that request would be met with sighs and comments about how packed it was going to be, blah, blah, blah.  So, I bought myself a beef tenderloin roast with the thoughts of having a nice meal at home.

I've made this meal a few times in the past and it is very good.  I couldn't find a Serrano (hit or miss in these parts) so I subbed a jalapeno, making sure I scraped out all the seeds so it wouldn't be too hot for the kids.  I didn't have to worry though as it was a pretty wimpy jalapeno.  Both kids loved the tenderloin (of course they have expensive taste) and ate the vegetable with gusto.  I really am lucky to have kids that will eat pretty much anything I put in front of them.

Tenderloin with Grilled Antipasto Vegetables
Cooking Light, August 2002

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed
Cooking spray
2 1/2 tablespoons Chile-Garlic Vinaigrette
4 cups trimmed arugula
8 cups Grilled Antipasto Vegetables
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shaved Parmesan cheese

Prepare grill.

Combine first 4 ingredients; rub over beef. Place beef on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on all 4 sides or until desired degree of doneness. Cover loosely; let stand 5 minutes.
Drizzle 2 1/2 tablespoons Chile-Garlic Vinaigrette over arugula; toss gently to coat. Cut beef across grain into thin slices. Arrange beef, 8 cups Grilled Antipasto Vegetables, and arugula on a platter; top with cheese.

Nutritional information:  calories: 343,  fat: 13.2g, protein: 33.5g, carbohydrate: 26.5g, fiber: 9.3g

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

There is a lot of football watching going on in our house this weekend.  Yesterday we watched the Steelers win (eh) and at the moment I am waiting for da Bears to hurry up and win so the Patriot's game (the important one) can start.  Although, honestly after the way Seatlle played last week I kind of hoped they would have shown up for the game today.

So the menu focus this weekend was quick and easy.  Last night for supper I threw together the following recipe that I've had floating around in my 'to try' pile for years.  I cooked everything up in the morning and just tossed it in the refrigerator and then put the casserole together right before I baked it.  It took about a 1/2 hour for it to start bubbling.  We had it with steamed broccoli (frozen that you just toss in the microwave) and a salad.

I did change it up a bit.  I used brown rice in the base and regular sour cream as I hate the funky taste of the fat free.  I added a can of black beans to the skillet with the ground beef and called it six servings instead 4.

GO PATRIOTS!!!!!!!

Cheesy Beef-and-Rice Casserole

Yield: 6 servings
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (15.5-ouce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup skim milk
3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.

Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and next 6 ingredients (water through beans); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Combine the rice, sour cream, sliced green onions, and milk in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into a baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 438 Calories; 12g Fat (29.5% calories from fat); 17g Protein; 48g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 33mg Cholesterol; 387mg Sodium.

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis

I'm working on those New Year's Goals I posted about! 

My subscription to Cooking Light ran out last year and I did not subscribe again because I thought the magazine started to decline.  Issue after issue was making its way into the box for Half Priced Books without even one recipe marked to try.  Last weekend I decided to check out the magazine index online and see what the Jan/Feb issue looked like.

I'll say I was pleasantly surprised.  There were a handful of recipes that looked pretty good and the Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis was one of them.  Meat loaf in any form tends to disappear off of the kids plates although I'll admit to chopping the onions pretty finely in my food processor; Madeleine has decided lately that she doesn't like onions because one of her daycare friends doesn't like them.  I'm sure she'll catch on pretty soon but until then the food processor is my friend.

These were good and we'll go into our meat loaf rotation.  I did make sure that none of the diced cheese was showing so all of it wouldn't ooze out while cooking.  Served this with some potato salad (courtesy of the HyVee deli) and a spinach salad. 

Cheesy Meat Loaf Minis
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 meat loaf)


1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 ounce)
Cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 425°.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.

While breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 (4 x 2-inch) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; spread 2 teaspoons ketchup over each. Bake at 425° for 25 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information
Calories:256
Fat:11.6g (sat 5.7g,mono 3.9g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:28.5g
Carbohydrate:11.2g
Fiber:0.9g
Cholesterol:112mg
Iron:2.6mg
Sodium:620mg
Calcium:159mg

Sizzling Beef and Scallions

Who doesn't want to get something relatively healthy AND tasty on the table in 30 minutes or less?  While I like to cook and actually enjoy spending time in the kitchen there are days that I just want to get something on the table fast without having to go through a drive-thru.

So I turned to the stack of Rachael Ray magazines I have next to the bed (OK, there are a lot more than just Rachael Ray but she IS the queen of 30 minute meals) and picked out a stir fry recipe I had all the ingredients for.  It took me an hour and 15 minutes.  Rachael Ray must not have a 4 year old holper and a 1 year old trying to climb her leg while she cooks.

I couldn't bring myself to use 6 tablespoons of oil so I sprayed my pan with PAM and only used a little bit of oil when adding the eggs.  My holper decided we needed to use the peas and carrot frozen mix and I added 8 oz of sliced mushrooms.  My rice was cooked at the same time so I skipped the last step altogether.

Once I got everyone either coloring with or eating crayons (kidding - I caught him before he swallowed any) it did come together rather quickly.  It is best to have everything all cut up and ready to go as a stir-fry goes pretty quickly.

Sizzling Beef and Scallions
Everyday with Rachael Ray

8 ounces London broil, sliced into short, thin strips  (I used sirloin)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil   (used less than 1 T total)
10 scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces
2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sugar
4 cups cooked white rice, chilled

1.  In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.

2.  In the skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, bell pepper and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; stir in the peas. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs until they begin to set, then stir in the vegetables. Add the egg-vegetable mixture to the beef; stir in the sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.

3.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, then cook, without stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Stir in the beef mixture and scallion greens.

Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'

I've had enough cooking bombs in the last week that I decided to stick with an old favorite for supper tonight. Supper can be on the table in under an hour, unless you have to stop every couple of minutes to fish comeone out of a cabinet, drawer or out from underneath a chair when they get stuck. Christopher finally figured out how to go forward yesterday and hasn't stopped exploring.

I served them with oven fries and broccoli. Madeleine has been randomly complaining about onions, so I threw it in the food processor and pulverized it instead of just chopping it up. They are soft enough that even those with no teeth can gum them. Plates and high chair trays were cleared.

Diner Meat Loaf 'Muffins'
Adapted from Cooking Light, 2006

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1 teaspoon dried oregano (I only use 1/2)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
2 tablespoons prepared mustard (skipped, never seem to have any)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.

Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.

Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

CALORIES 276 (28% from fat); FAT 8.6g (sat 3g,mono 4g,poly 0.8g); IRON 3.9mg; CHOLESTEROL 131mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 21.7g; SODIUM 759mg; PROTEIN 28.7g; FIBER 1.8g