Shepherd's Pie in a Cast Iron

Our daughter loves to cook with cast iron. While home one weekend she made us her version of Shepherd's Pie. The twist was, that by using cast iron, she could do it all in one pan. Brown the burger (or any ground meat) on the stove top, then make your layers and pop it in the oven. Simple is very good and the layer of cheese on top - even better.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef or other meat (venison, turkey etc.)
1  pkg. (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (or choice of leftover cooked veggies)
4 cups seasoned mashed potatoes
8 oz. (1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown meat in cast iron skillet. Drain. 
Place vegetables on meat (in skillet) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. 
Top with mashed potatoes, spreading to cover. 
Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, top with cheese, continue baking 10 minutes or until cheese melts. 
 Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes. Serves 6.

Cowboy Frosted Flakes Meatloaf

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner

  The hubby's older brother recently sent home a recipe for me to try - a meatloaf. He'd found a recipe for meatloaf in one of his cowboy magazines that sounded interesting so he thought he'd pass it along. Interesting it was, because this meatloaf was made with "Frosted Flakes."
   Now, I can say that I've used oatmeal, potato chips, bread and crackers as a binder for a meatloaf, but never Frosted Flakes. To make the recipe more interesting, 1 cup of water was added to the pan. That was a new one on me, too. 

  The texture was very good and it sliced nicely. Because of the water the meatloaf was very moist which is always a plus. If you like sweet BBQ, this might be a style you'd like, but I like a little more kick. My brother-in-law said that it passed the test with him just fine.

Cowboy Meatloaf

inspired by

(Rowe Family ranch in Burwell, Neb.)

American Cowboy magazine

2 lb. hamburger

1 T. minced onion

1 packet dry Lipton Onion Soup mix

1 1/2 cup crushed Frosted Flakes

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup

salt and pepper

topping - 

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray coat a 13x9x2 baking dish.

In a large bowl, break eggs and mix well. Add burger, onion, onion soup, crushed cereal, ketchup, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Shape into loaf in baking dish. Pour 1 cup water around base of meatloaf. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. 

In a small bowl, mix ketchup and brown sugar until smooth.

Uncover, drain excess liquid and spread topping over meatloaf. Bake 15 minutes more.

**Cook's tip - for more flavor use corn flakes instead of frosted, BBQ sauce instead of ketchup and top with a layer of 3 strips of bacon while cooking before adding topping.

Smoked Beef Brisket

A platter of brisket courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    We bought a beef brisket from our local butcher and were determined to try this piece of meat that seemed ominous. It's great if you get it right, but if you go wrong you've wasted a bunch of cash.
    Keep in mind that brisket takes FOREVER - low, slow and a real long time, so planning is important. I tried to start early, but didn't get it on the smoker until about 9 a.m. It still took until after 10 that night before we finally got to close to the desired temperature. 
    Next time I'll smoke during the late afternoon and let it be low and slow in the oven, all night long. Almost every brisket recipe that I consulted said to let it smoke for around 5 hours, give or take, and then wrap tightly in a few layers of foil and continue to cook on low about 6 more hours (in the oven). It's so much easier that way.
    This is how we pulled off a great first attempt at the crown jewel of the BBQ world.
 
Smoked Beef Brisket
9 lb. beef brisket, fat trimmed to 1/4 inch
7-8 T. olive oil
4 T. garlic powder
3 T.  cracked black pepper

6 T. dry rub of choice (I used Old Man Larry's Spice Rub)
1-1/2 cup beef broth

Note: To fit our electric smoker, the brisket was cut in half.

Drizzle olive oil over beef and rub in well to coat. Sprinkle dry rub, garlic powder and pepper over meat, coating well on all sides.

Place in plastic container and refrigerate over night. (Some cover meat in plastic wrap before storing in a container.)

Rubbed brisket

About an hour before cooking, remove brisket from refrigerator and let sit, covered on counter to come to room temp while preparing grill.

Soak apple chips in water 30 minutes. Make sure there's a water pan in the smoker at least half full of water or apple juice.

Coat grill grates with cooking spray. If using charcoal, light coals in chimney until glowing and add to smoker. Bring to 220-225 degrees.

Using a well oiled plunger, inject beef broth into brisket. (As much as you can or about 1/2 cup.) Reserve remaining beef broth.

Place brisket in smoker and cook 5 hours or to 160 degrees, adding chips every hour or so and charcoal as needed, if using. 

Remove brisket to foil line pan. Preheat oven to 220 degrees.

Brisket in the smoker

Try injecting 1/2 cup more of beef broth. Wrap brisket in 2-3 layers of foil and continue to cook in 220 degree oven another 6 hours or until an internal temperature of 210.

Remove from oven, unwrap and let rest - awhile. You'll want to tear in and try a sample but don't. Wait 20-30 minutes. Save all liquid possible. 

Slice against the grain at least 1/4 inch thick.
Serve immediately or place sliced brisket in container and cover with remaining broth and juices to reheat later in the slow cooker for 1 hour.

Serves 15-20.

Brisket portion just out of the smoker

Tater Tot Casserole

Tater Tot Casserole out of oven.

    I tried a tater tot casserole right out of a national magazine (almost) and that bright idea become a failure. Not to accept defeat, I waited and researched. 
    Now I must admit that it was difficult to stick to the recipe. Tator tot casserole, or Cowboy Casserole as some call it, has almost as many variations as meatloaf. Some are cream soup based while others offer a tomato sauce filing - almost like a Sloppy Joe.
    I really wanted to add some corn, black beans and chili powder but I refrained. This dish was going to be cheesy and user friendly. See what you think, but feel free to use the options to add a little extra to an easy weeknight dish.
 
Tater Tot Casserole
1 1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
1-2 tsp. minced onion (or 1/4 cup real onion added while beef is cooking)
1 tsp. minced garlic (or 1 clove added while beef is cooking)
sprinkle of salt and pepper
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup

Simple ingredients.

1/8 cup milk or half and half
1/4 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded Colby Jack cheese, divided
32 oz. bag of tater tots

Options - 1 can corn, drained, 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained, 1/2 bell pepper, diced, 1 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp. paprika, 1/8 cup bacon bits, 1 T. parsley or cilantro or 1 can diced tomatoes, drained.

Spray coat or grease a 13x9x2 casserole dish. Preheat oven to 400.

Spread tots in single layer on bottom and up sides of casserole.

In medium bowl, combine all other ingredients and 1 cup of cheese (saving 1 cup for topping).

Spread meat/soup mixture evenly over top of casserole.

The bottom layer of tots and mixed filling

Bake 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese. Return to oven and bake at least 15 - 20 minutes more until bubbly.

Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes to let cheese settle. Cut into rectangles and serve with side salad or baked beans.

Serves 8.

Casserole ready for oven.

Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole

Photo courtesy of Maggie Armstrong.

   When I first read the name of this recipe it didn't sound very exciting. However once I read the ingredients and instructions, I became curious. This reminded me of the layers of a lasagna. Instead of noodles, layers of thin sliced zucchini are alternated with meat and cheese. 
   Once I actually tasted this casserole, I was totally won over. This was the grand prize winning dish at a local holiday recipe contest. It was the biggest surprise of the day for everyone that had the chance to try it. Congratulations to a great local cook.

Ground Beef Zucchini Casserole
Grand Prize Winner, Nora Miller, Patoka

2 cups zucchini unpeeled, sliced

2 T. butter

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tsp. garlic salt

1 tsp. dried oregano leaves

2 cups cooked rice

16 oz. small curd cottage cheese

1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup

Preheat oven to 350º. Melt the butter in a skillet over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs, brown lightly. Set bread crumbs aside.

Brown ground beef and onion stirring until ground beef is crumbly; drain. Add the garlic salt, oregano and cooked rice and mix well. 

Layer one-half of the unpeeled zucchini, the ground beef mixture, cottage cheese and remaining zucchini in a 9x9 baking pan. 

Spread the soup over the top and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 45 minutes.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

Photo courtesy of Maggie Armstrong.

    After having tried various ways of cooking roast, I've learned that they all need a little something added in to help with the flavor. Over the years, I've tried onion soup mix and Italian dressing, but this recipe tries something that I've not - a combination of ranch and au jus mixes. This turned out to be a great idea and one that I'll try. After tasting these tender beef cuts at a local recipe contest, I was sold on this idea.

Crock Pot Beef Roast

Maralu Pollock - Princeton

large chuck roast

1 pkg. ranch dressing mix

1 pkg. aujus mix

1 stick butter

4 or 5 pepperoncini and about 1/4 cup of juice

Put large chuck roast in bottom of crock pot. Sprinkle with 1 package ranch dressing mix, and 1 package Aujus mix. 

Add 1 stick butter, 4 or 5 pepperoncini and about 1/4 cup of the juice. 

Put on high and let cook 6 hours.

Salsa Meatloaf

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   Meatloaf has always been a staple at our house. It's easy to do, just toss it in the oven while you go on your merry way with other chores. It was also one dish that almost everyone in the house would eat, if I was careful. Now that their tastes have expanded the door is open to a range of possibilities.
   One of our sons never cared for meatloaf because I made it to please the crowd (boring), but when he learned that you can dress it up with jalapenos, bell peppers and a variety of spices for different flavors, he's come on board and offered a few variations. Recently he got creative and used salsa instead of ketchup and taco flavored tortilla chips instead of bread crumbs to add some twists on this classic dish.

Salsa Meatloaf
2 lbs. ground beef
1/3 red bell pepper, diced fine
1/3 yellow bell pepper, diced fine
1/3 green bell pepper, diced fine
1/4 cup onion, diced fine

1 tsp. roasted garlic
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup salsa plus 1/3 cup for topping
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 cup crushed taco flavored tortilla chips (Doritos)

Preheat oven to 350. 
Spray coat a 11x7 baking dish.

Mix all ingredients, saving 1/3 cup salsa. Combine well. Shape into a loaf and place in baking dish. Pat any cracks together. Top with remaining salsa.

Bake 45 minutes and carefully drain excess grease. Return to oven for 20 minutes more.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6.

Bacon Ranch Burger Tacos or Nachos

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

   Whenever bacon is on sale you can count me in. I stock up because, well, who can't use some extra bacon? A few weeks ago, with a stock pile of bacon that I either needed to use or freeze, I came up with the idea of adding some to tacos. A little more flavor just couldn't hurt.
   This is a very easy dish to do and that little bit of bacon gave the tacos a nice flavor. They can be topped with whatever you like, but the Ranch dressing is a good flavor combination with the bacon and burger instead of sour cream or salsa.

Bacon Ranch Burger Tacos
1 lb. ground beef
6 slices bacon, cooked
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup shredded Mexican or taco flavored cheese
6 soft shells
1 can refried beans
Ranch salad dressing (Spicy Ranch if you prefer)
toppings as desired - chopped tomatoes, lettuce, sour cream, chopped onion or salsa

Brown ground beef until no longer pink. Drain excess grease and return to stove. 

Add water, taco seasoning and bacon. Cook according to package directions. 

Heat beans in small saucepan over low until warm. Stir frequently.

Layer 2 T. warm beans in center of soft shell. Top with bacon burger mix and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Pour ranch dressing over cheese and roll up, tucking edges under. Repeat for as many tacos as you wish to serve and warm in microwave 25 seconds.

Bacon Burger Nachos
Spread leftover bacon/burger taco filling on top of nacho chips, sprinkle with a little chopped onion and shredded cheese. Microwave 25 seconds. Serves 1.

Chili Cheese Taco Meatloaf

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     One of the most versatile dishes is meatloaf. It can be made in a variety of ways with different ingredients. It just depends on what's in stock. A few weeks ago we tried adding some diced peppers for flavor, seasoned the meat with taco seasoning and for a new twist used chili cheese Fritos instead of bread or crackers for texture. What a success!
    This was very easy to make using common ingredients and baked in the oven while I did household chores. The chili cheese corn chips added a nice subtle flavor that made the dish unique. This is well worth a try and will be a repeat at our house.

Chili Cheese Taco Meatloaf
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/2 lg. yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 lg. green bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, without seeds and veins, diced
1 pg. taco seasoning
1 cup chili cheese Fritos, crushed
3 slices bacon

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all ingredients except bacon in medium bow. Mix well until thoroughly combined.

Spray coat a 11x7 inch pan. Pour meatloaf mixture into pan and shape into a loaf. Lay strips of bacon lengthwise over meatloaf.

Bake 1 hour, draining excess grease off after 30 minutes.

Serves 4-5. 

Meatloaf out of oven and cooling.

Grilled Chipotle T-Bone Steaks

Photos courtesy of  the Cooking Corner.

    After what seemed like weeks of pork dishes, you know, ribs, chops and ham, not to mention brats and hotdogs, the hubby requested a break from pig. I couldn't blame him a bit. Luckily I found some steaks on sale that weekend so he was in for a treat - T-Bones.
    One of my sons had recently introduced me to a new flavor of spice rubs, so while I was getting the grill ready, I let the steaks marinade in a chipotle spice rub. It never hurts to try something new. 
   This little beef treat made the hubby happy and the steaks had a good flavor that was subtle and not overpowering at all. It was well worth the test and quite easy to do.

Grilled Chipotle T-Bone Steaks
2 T-Bone steaks (about 3/4-inch thick)
1 T. McCormick's chipotle and roasted garlic seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder

4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
cracked black pepper and Kosher salt.
 
Place steaks on a plate and season with spices and sprinkle with Worcestershire. 

Let set in refrigerator until needed.

Spray grates with cooking spray. Heat grill to 375 degrees.

Place steaks on hot grill over medium flame for 5 minutes per side. Remove to indirect heat for 3 minutes more per side for medium to medium well. (More time over indirect for well done and less for rare.)

Serves 2.
*For thicker steaks adjust as needed, increasing slightly.

BBQ Bacon Burgers

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     A few weeks ago hamburger was on sale and I decided it was time to start practicing for the upcoming holidays. After all, it's grill season and who doesn't love the flavors of bacon and barbeque sauce?
    What makes these burgers so good is that they have all of the flavors mixed right in with the meat and are not only full of flavor, but very moist. The flavored BBQ/mayonnaise mix pull all of the flavors together for one really good burger.

BBQ Bacon Burgers
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1-1/2 tsp. onion flakes, dried or minced
1-1/2 tsp. mesquite BBQ seasoning
1 lb. ground beef
4 sturdy buns
optional toppings - sliced onion, lettuce leaves and thin sliced tomato

Mix mayonnaise and BBQ sauce. Pour half in a medium bowl and set remaining aside.
On top of mayo/BBQ mixture in bowl, crumble burger. Add spices and bacon. Combine ingredients until well mixed.

Shape into 4 large patties. Heat large skillet and cook patties about 6-7 minutes each side until juices run clear.*

While burgers are cooking, spread buns with remaining BBQ/mayo. Good served with onion, lettuce and tomato on a sturdy bun.

Makes 4.

*For grilling, preheat sprayed grill to medium (about 350 degrees) and cook burgers 6-7 minutes each side until juices run clear.

Queso-Stuffed Taco Burgers

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Making stuffed burgers is a challenge. It's a 50/50 shot. You either get them right or you don't. There are times I hit it just right and the cheese doesn't ooze out the sides and it's great. But then there are those times that I almost get it, but not quite. Close but no cigar and the cheese flows out of the burgers like small volcanoes. The taste may be great, but the presentation, not so much.
    Recently I tried to stuff queso flavored cheese into a burger mixed with taco seasoning. The idea sounded tasty and the ingredients were simple. However, I did not seal the edges well and the cheese oozed out once again. This time I learned how to hide that small flaw. If you cover the burger with another layer of cheese, no one will ever know and you'll have an incredible cheesy taco burger.

Queso-Stuffed Taco Burgers
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
4 1/4-inch slices of Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese for inside burgers
4 1/8-inch slices of Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese for topping burgers
 
Combine ground beef and taco seasoning in medium bowl, mixing well. Shape into four large sections. Split each in half into (8) thin patties.

Place a section of cheese into center of each burger. Top with the other thin patty. Press edges of each burger, crimping, until completely sealed.

 Cook on hot skillet 4-5 minutes each side, rotating for hot spots as needed. Flip and add another half slice of queso cheese. Cook 3 minutes more until juices run clear and cheese is melted.

Remove to prepared bun with slice of onion and lettuce if desired.
Makes 4 burgers.

Cheeseburger in Paradise Pie

Photos courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    Years ago I found a recipe on the back of a baking mix box for a cheeseburger pie. The family loved it. Not long ago, I ran across the inspiration for this idea on the internet. It was attributed to the music legend Jimmy Buffet. I have no idea if it's truly his recipe, but never the less, I made the dish, didn't stick to the recipe and added a few extra things just to make it fun. What a nice easy dinner. 

Cheeseburger in Paradise Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 lg. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
dash of Worcestershire sauce, about 1 tsp.
1 cup shredded cheese (I used 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup cheddar)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup baking mix
2 eggs

Optional - (My touch on this is to go red and green). Add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper and any of the following -  1/2 tsp. parsley, chives or cilantro to the top before baking.

Another option is to add 1/4 cup each green and red bell pepper when cooking beef and onion.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray coat a 9-inch pie plate.

Brown ground beef and onion in medium skillet about 8 minutes until cooked through.

Pie ready for the oven.

Drain excess grease.

Mix in salt, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce. Pour into pie pan and top with shredded cheese.

In medium bowl mix eggs, baking mix and milk. Stir well, breaking up as many lumps as possible. Pour over meat and cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes or until knife comes out clean.  Serves 4-5.

Asian Meatballs

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

     The girls were coming over for cards and I picked an Asian theme for the appetizers that night. I thought finger foods such as egg rolls, wontons and chicken wings would be fun or at least different. 
     I came up with the idea of meatballs coated in an Asian sauce. The meatballs turned out very moist, easy to make and they reheated well. It was also nice to keep them warm throughout the night.

Meatball ingredients.

Asian Meatballs
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 cup Panko crumbs
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
1/4 cup onion, minced
1 T. parsley

Sauce
1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minces
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 400. Spray coat a baking sheet.

In medium bowl combine all meatball ingredients until well blended.

Shape into 1 to 1-1/2 inch balls and place apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

When meatballs are done place in sauce bowl, working in batches and stir to cover. Place in slow cooker on low to keep warm. Pour remaining sauce over meatballs and keep warm until ready to serve.

Makes 16 meatballs. Recipe easily doubled.

Meatballs out of the oven.

Crunchy Onion Burgers

Photo courtesy the Cooking Corner.

    A good burger makes everybody happy but when you get to put a new twist on it that's even better. This dish came from a back-of-the-box idea that my son found on the French fried onions that you use at Thanksgiving with green beans. It turned out to be a great idea. They are thick, juicy and the onions add a nice crunch and texture to the burger. 

Crunchy Onion Burgers
1-1/2 lb. ground beef
2 cups French fried onions
3 T. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Combine beef, 1 cup of French fried onion and garlic powder in medium bowl. Shape into 6 patties. (They'll be big.)

Heat large skillet over medium high heat. Place burgers on hot skillet and cook until juices run clear, turning once after about 4-5 minutes. Total cooking time no more than 10 minutes.

Top burgers with remaining 1 cup of fried onions and serve on bun of choice. Makes 6.

Note - Burgers will look charred to almost the point of seeming burnt (probably because of the Worcestershire sauce) but they're not.

Serves 6.

Eye Round Steaks

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    The hubby introduced me to eye round steaks a few years back. They had not been in my previous cooking experience. I have learned that these little lean, round medallions are best seared and then simmered in gravy. A little moisture and flavor additives can go a long way.
    Using a slow cooker is another way to ensure that these steaks come out fall-apart tender. But if you need dinner faster than 6-8 hours, simmering these covered on the stove will do the trick.

Eye Round Steaks
6 eye round steaks
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. McCormick's hamburger or steak seasoning

Seasoned steaks.

cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
1 T. oil
1 can or jar of brown gravy

(optional - 1 clove diced garlic, 1 T. diced onion, and/or 1 cup sliced button mushrooms.

Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Sprinkle spices on both sides of meat.

Working in batches, brown meat on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside, keeping warm.

If using optional ingredients, saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Return meat to skillet, pour gravy over meat and cover with lid. Simmer, covered for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Serves 6.

Related article

• Chimichurri Marinated Steak
• Buffalo Terres Major Steak w/ Smashed Potatoes and Cut Green Beans
• How to Grill the Perfect Steak
• This surf and turf dish will please all of your guests this holiday season
• Dinner in 25 minutes: Seared Beef with Pomegranate and Balsamic Dressing

Smoked Brisket Nachos

Photo courtesy of the Cooking Corner.

    
     Did you ever wonder what to do with leftover brisket? One of the easiest ways to recycle this great smoked meat is to layer it on chips and make nachos. The smoky flavors blend with the tender brisket to melt in your mouth with just a small cheesy crunch. As with any nacho, your options of toppings depend on your taste and what's in the fridge. How easy is that?

Smoked Brisket Nachos
1/2 cup smoked beef brisket, shredded
1/4 cup onions, diced 
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese or 1/8 cup melted processed cheese (like Cheese Wiz)
tortilla chips
1/8 cup jalapenos, diced (optional)

Spread chips on plate. 
Warm brisket in microwave for about 30 seconds.

Layer meat on top of chips. Sprinkle onions and jalapenos on nachos. Drizzle or sprinkle cheese over meat. 

Microwave to warm about 30 seconds.

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