3 (or 4 or more) Way Meat Mix

This week's blog post is a little longer and actually contains multiple recipes. That's because this post is based on a meat mix recipe. This recipe is part of my collection of what I always refer to as my “investment recipes” because just like a good financial investment these recipes pay off over time.

This meat mix is a recipe I found in one of my fairly old cookbooks in my cookbook collection. (yeah, I am dorky enough to actually collect old cookbooks) In that book it was simply called 3 Way Meat Mix. Over time I have adjusted the recipe to more to my tastes and come up with more ways to use the base mix. In fact just about every time I make this I come up with ideas for more ways to use it. The ones here are my current favorites.

So to start you need to make the meat mix:

3 Way Meat Mix

½ cup chopped onion

1 Tablespoon oil

2 lbs ground beef

2/3 cup ketchup

½ cup water

¼ cup coarsely chopped celery

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon vinegar

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

Sweat the onion in the oil just until it because fragrant then add the ground beef and cook until browned (breaking the meat up while it cooks)

Drain well.

Add the rest of the ingredients bring to a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove the lid and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes to cook off most of the liquid. (watch so the mixture doesn't burn)

Remove from the heat and cool.

Use a measuring cup to portion the meat mix into zip lock bags each containing 2/3 cup.

I just use regular sandwich bags for this step, remove all the air then store all the bags together in a gallon size freezer bag that is labeled.

Store the bag of the meat mix in your freezer until you need a quick dinner.

Each bag of meat mix will be enough for 1 or 2 servings depending on your appetite and what you serve as sides with it.

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Dinner #1 Quick & Easy Chili

1 1/3 cups (2 of your bags) of 3 Way Meat Mix

1 can (14 ½ to 16 oz) dark red kidney beans (undrained)

½ to 1 cup tomato (or tomato based vegetable) juice

1 Tablespoon chili powder (or to taste)

Hot sauce to taste (I use Chipolte Tabasco)

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat. The amount of juice you need will depend on how thick you like your chili. As for the hot sauce, I will leave the amount up to you.

Serves 2

I usually only add the ½ cup of the juice and I consider the consistency to be perfect. You might notice in the photo of the chili I serve my chili over rice and I get 2 very generous servings from this recipe.

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Dinner #2 Quick & Easy Sloppy Joes

2/3 cup (1 bag) 3 Way Meat Mix

Hamburger bun, toasted

Heat the meat mix and serve on a toasted hamburger bun. This will either make 1 double open faced sandwich (covering both the top and bottom buns or 2 more traditional sandwiches)

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Dinner #3 Cheesy BBQ Sandwich

2/3 cups (1 bag) 3 Way Meat Mix

2 slices cheddar cheese

2 slices bread, toasted

Heat the meat mix.

Place toast on a baking sheet. Spoon hot meat mix over bun, top with cheese and broil until cheese melts.

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Dinner #4 Taco Salad

2/3 cup (1 bag) 3 Way Meat Mix

½ teaspoon cumin

¼ – ½ teaspoon chili powder

Salad mix (I use the kind from the bag in the grocery store)

toppings of your choice

I used:

sliced olives

sour cream

salsa

grated cheese

sliced green onion

tortilla bowl (optional)

*feel free to use whatever toppings you like on your taco salads.

I like to use a baked tortilla bowl for my taco salad but that is totally optional.

Add the cumin and chili powder to your thawed meat mix and heat. (I use the microwave for this)

Place your salad mix onto a plate, into a bowl or into a tortilla bowl, top with the heated meat mix. Top with your favorite taco salad toppings and enjoy.

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Other ways to enjoy the meat mix

Now for some other ideas for using this meat mix.

Serve the heated mix over cooked rice with or without toppings of you choice.

Mix the thawed meat mix with mayo, a bit of mustard and a bit of chopped dill pickle and use it as a sandwich filling.

Serve the heated meat mix over a baked potato

Now its your turn, I am sure you will find ways I haven't even thought of to serve this meat mix. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think Chocolate chip cookies were the first small batch cookie recipe I looked online for. It was also the one that took the longest to find/re-write to make it similar to my family favorite recipe. I made so many failed batches of cookies on the trail to this recipe. One of the things I love about chocolate chip cookies is how quick they are to make. You mix them up and bake immediately. Most of the recipes I found for the small batch ones required that the dough either be chilled in the fridge or frozen for a while before baking. I am assuming that this was to make the cookies not spread too much. Even with the chilling I had a lot of spreading issues with most of the recipes. I felt this was a fault in the balance of butter to flour in the base recipes so I started playing around with the balance. I am really happy with the recipe I have come up with, it is the closest to my family favorite recipe that I have able to come up with.

So like the other small batch cookie recipes on this blog this one makes 1 dozen or fewer cookies. I have been getting 12 cookies every time on my test batches. (the only time I got more was when I dumped in some extra chocolate chips to empty the bag)

Be sure that when you combine the flour, baking soda and salt that you really stir it together. Since we are talking about such small amounts it is extra important to really mix it so everything is evenly spread through the dough.

As with all my baking I only use real butter so that is what this was tested with, if you insist on using margarine your results may vary. Also before you ask I use regular butter not the un-salted variety so that is what the amount of salt is balanced for.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter, softened to room temperature

¼ cup dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 egg yolk

½ cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350° Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt really well and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the butter and both types of sugar and using a small mixer beat them together thoroughly. (you want this mixture to be light and well combined)

Add the vanilla and egg yolk to the butter mixture and again combine well.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and slowly mix to combine well.

Carefully stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop or spoon portion out your cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool.

Store in an airtight container.

Quick and Easy Caramel Coffee Cake

I have fallen in love with this recipe because not only is it really yummy it is so quick to make. The secret is it is made entirely in the microwave!! Yeah, in the microwave. I timed making it this time and in under 20 minutes (closer to 15 minutes) I had a delicious coffee cake ready to eat. That time includes allowing time for the coffee cake to cool down so you won't burn yourself on the hot caramel.

I love fast and easy recipes like this because they are great to pull out when someone drops by and you feel you want to serve some kind of snack. By the time the pot of coffee is finished brewing this little beauty will be almost ready. No one needs to know how easy it was. (we won't tell if you don't)

Quick and Easy Caramel Coffee Cake

2 Tablespoons butter

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons chopped nuts (I like walnuts the best but pecans would be good too)

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon spice (cinnamon, apple pie spice, or pumpkin pie spice- use what you have)

1 cup Bisquick or other baking mix

¼ cup water

Put the butter in a 1 quart casserole dish and put in the microwave for about 30 seconds (on high) to melt.

Stir in the brown sugar, nuts, corn syrup, and spice then put back in the microwave for about a minutes. You want the mixture to be bubbly.

Tip the casserole slightly to get the mixture to run to one side and place a shot glass (or small juice glass) in the center of the casserole dish. When you set the casserole down the sugar mixture should surround the bottom of the glass.

Now combine the baking mix and water to make a thick dough. Drop the dough onto the sugar mixture (by spoonfuls trying to keep it evenly spaced around the glass)

Microwave at 70% for 4 minutes (if your microwave doesn't have a turntable rotate the casserole after 2 minutes)

Use a wooden pick to check that the dough is cooked all the way through (pick inserted in the dough should come out clean) if not cook it up to 30 seconds more at 70%.

Remove the casserole dish from the microwave and immediately remove the glass from the center of your coffee cake. (be careful it will be very hot)

Turn the casserole dish upside down on a serving plate, allow the dish to remain on the coffee cake for 1 minute to allow all the caramel mixture to drip down onto the coffee cake. Remove the casserole dish and allow your coffee cake to cool a few minutes before serving. 

Quick & Easy Summer Pasta Salad

I love a good pasta salad especially on that has lots of veggies in it. If it is also incredibly easy that is even better.

This salad is great because you can change it up depending on what is in your fridge. This time I used the veggies I list in the ingredients list but feel free to change them up depending on what you like and what you have on hand. (more about that after the recipe)

Since the salad needs a few hours to set so the flavors can blend it is great for those days when the temperatures are soaring. Just put the salad together in the morning and let it hang out in your fridge until dinner time.

If you want to turn this salad into a meal instead of a side dish just add a cup or so of cooked meat.

Quick & Easy Summer Pasta Salad

¾ cup uncooked spiral shape pasta

¼ cup finely chopped onion*

¼ cup finely chopped celery*

¼ cup finely chopped green bell pepper*

¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper*

1 hard cooked egg, diced

1 Tablespoon sliced ripe olives

2 Tablespoons prepared Ranch salad dressing

1 Tablespoon Italian salad dressing (I prefer a creamy style on in this)

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dried basil

dash of salt and pepper

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine the veggies, diced egg, olives and the cooked pasta.

In a small dish combine the two salad dressings and the seasonings. Stir to combine well.

Add the dressing mixture to the pasta mixture and toss to coat.

Cover and chill in the fridge until serving time.

• You can use any combination of veggies that add up to 1 cup. I like to stick with around 4 because that number of flavors seems to combine well. In the past I have used corn, cucumber, radishes, tomato, peas, and a lot more that I can't think of at the moment. Also you can vary the type of onion to your preference. Red onion and green onion are my personal favorites but use what you have/love.

This is a recipe that you can definitely change up depending on what you have on hand and what you love to eat. The combinations are practically endless.