My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

ground beef

Best Bowl of Red (aka: Awesome Chili)

by


Best Bowl of Red

For years I’ve been attempting to recreate the best chili I’ve ever had and finally developed this Best Bowl of Red. A Bowl of Red is the most complimentary slang term for a perfect bowl of chili and to me, this is the best!

This chili is an amazing combination of flavors starting with 80/20 ground beef and Italian sausage, and moving on to the tomatoey, spicy, thick sauce. I made sure the herb/spice combination will reach perfection after simmering for a couple of hours – chili powder, not too much cumin, garlic, paprika, and oregano. Balance out the salt and pepper, and yes a bit of Worcestershire sauce and the flavor palate is complete.

Here’s a bowl of it right out of the pan, piping hot with no condiments yet. You can see why it’s called Bowl of Red (thank you paprika):

Best Bowl of Red

Now here’s the controversial part…

Beans!  I usually scoff at beans in chili.  Southerners don’t put beans in chili, but I’m finding out that they enhance my recipe quite a bit – both the texture and the flavor.  So there.  I put pinto beans in this chili and it works.  Don’t judge (or if you like them in chili, you’re welcome).

Best Bowl of Red

Serve with sour cream, your favorite shredded cheese, onions, fresh saltines (my favorite) or homebaked cornbread (Bret’s preference) and you have a perfectly rounded, hearty meal.

You’ll want to make this all year round, but especially right now while the weather is frosty cold. It’ll sure warm you up.

I know there are a lot of chili recipes out there, but to me this one is finally the best! If you enter a chili competition and win, let me know (and send me my 10% please….). Enjoy!

Best Bowl of Red

Best Bowl of Red

Yield: 5 - 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes

Finally - I put together the perfect ingredients for the perfect chili!  Spicy, tomatoey, and hearty. 

Ingredients

  • 3/4 lb ground beef (80/20 best)
  • 3 links mild Italian sausage
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 C water
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes*
  • 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans, drained
  • 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
  • 1 (14.5 oz) Rotel tomatoes**
  • 3/4 C ketchup
  • 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
  • 2 1/2 tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika, plain or smoked (I use smoked)

Instructions

  1. Heat a Dutch oven or large stew pot over medium heat.  Add the ground beef and break up into small pieces.  Remove the sausages from the casings and add to the beef.  Stir until almost browned, 3-4 minutes.  Drain off as much excess grease as you can.
  2. Add the chopped onion and stir until slightly translucent and onion is fairly tender.
  3. While the meat and onion are cooking, heat the 2 cups of water in the microwave for 1 minute, then add the bouillon cubes until dissolved.  Pour the liquid into the pot.
  4. Add the drained pinto beans, tomatoes, ketchup, and tomato paste.  Stir in the chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper, and paprika.
  5. Bring to a boil while stirring, then turn down heat to lowest Low, cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so to prevent sticking.  At the end of 2 hours, add 1/2 to 1 cup more of water (according to how thick you want it), then simmer for 1/2 hour more.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  6. Serve with cheese, onions, sour cream, and saltines (or freshly baked cornbread).  Store cooled leftovers in a tightly sealed container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

*If you don't have bouillon cubes handy, use 2 cups of beef stock or broth (I adore "Better than Bouillon" if you can find it).

**If you can't find Rotel tomatoes, use diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of chopped jalapenos (or green chiles).  I use Rotel medium and it's just right on the heat - use mild if you're not into spicy.

I rub the oregano ( use Mexican oregano) between my palms before adding to the chili, to bring out the aroma of that wonderful herb.

Adjust the seasonings to your tastes and add water if you want thinner chili.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 412Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 1358mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 6gSugar: 15gProtein: 27g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Susan Blades
Category: Soups, Stews, and Salads

Beef Potato Bake

by

 
Bret made a wonderful brisket in December and I froze half of it since we can’t eat that much meat before it goes south.  

This Beef Potato Bake originally called for ground beef, but I really wanted to use that tasty brisket.  It has the basics – beef, onion, potatoes, cheese, so I knew it would make a quick, hearty lunch.

I haven’t cooked with canned cream of mushroom soup in a long time.  It seems like everything from my early cooking years had some sort of cream soup in it – mainly because it made a good gravy.  

After looking at the ingredients in the soup (wow – that sodium!), I put it aside for years and make most everything from scratch.  This recipe, though, blends the soup nicely with the other ingredients and makes a nice creamy binder for the meat and potatoes.

Bret and I both had two helpings, so I guess it’s a successful new recipe!  

Besides slicing the potatoes, Beef Potato Bake is a fairly quick throw-together dish.  Since it uses on-hand ingredients, I’ll keep this recipe handy to make with ground beef or leftover brisket.

Beef Potato Bake

Beef Potato Bake

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Inactive Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours

Very good, hearty dish for a quick meal. Add peas, or celery, or whatever you like.

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 onion, , chopped
  • 1/2 lb cooked brisket, , chopped
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 C chicken broth
  • 1/4 C milk
  • 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp regular or smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 3 C thinly sliced potatoes, (2 to 3 large baking potatoes)
  • 1 C shredded cheddar/Monterrey Jack blend cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small pan, saute the onions in the oil til almost tender. Add the brisket and stir till warm. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the soup, broth, milk, mozzarella cheese, garlic salt, paprika and pepper until well blended.
  3. Lightly spray a casserole dish and place an overlapping layer of potatoes on the bottom of it (half of the potatoes). Pour half of the soup mixture over the potatoes, then half of the brisket/onion mixture over the soup layer. Sprinkle half of the cheese over that layer.
  4. Repeat with the rest of the potato, soup, brisket, cheese. Cover the dish with lightly sprayed aluminum foil (so the cheese won't stick to it) and cook for 1 hour.
  5. Remove the aluminum foil and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
  6. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving - it will firm up some.

Notes

Tips and Stuff :  You could use ground beef instead of cooked brisket.  Just brown the beef with the onions (without adding the oil) and drain the grease.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 piece
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 818mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 23g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Casseroles

Hearty Hamburger Cauliflower Soup

by

 
It’s officially soup season. Yay! It’s been in the thirties and forties this week, so the soup recipes came out and got sorted through.

Just when I had decided on one to make, my friend Sherry emailed me this recipe for Hearty Hamburger Cauliflower Soup – an easy Fall soup recipe she created for her family.

Hamburger Cauliflower Soup

Sherry says, “I wanted to use cauliflower in a healthy soup recipe instead of potatoes and couldn’t find a recipe that wasn’t cream based.”

Well, she did a great job because it turned out beautifully. It’s comforting, full of good stuff, and delicious.

The cauliflower is tender and soaked in some of that wonderful beefy-tomato broth and is a great addition to the soup. Here’s a photo of it hot and steamy right out of the pot…

Hamburger Cauliflower Soup Bowl

I was looking for a soup or stew to take to a friend of mine who just got out of the hospital and this Hearty Hamburger Cauliflower Soup was perfect. I took it over to them steaming hot with fresh crackers and a few slices of Double-Layer Pumpkin Pie.

When I got home I slipped on my jammies and fluffy socks and enjoyed a bowl of it while binge-watching Columbo. Now, that’s the life! I think we’ll double this one next time.

Hamburger Cauliflower Soup 3

A lot of my readers have given me feedback on this recipe and many are thrilled that it’s a keto soup. Others add other vegetables like green beans, carrots, even broccoli! Also, if you don’t want to use bouillon or don’t have any in the cabinets, replace two cups of the water with beef broth.

Make it a delicious vegan soup by replacing the bouillon with water, adding more vegetables and herbs, and leave out the ground beef.

Use whatever is in season (but don’t forget that wonderful cauliflower) and make this hamburger soup your own.

Hearty Hamburger Cauliflower Soup

Hamburger Cauliflower Soup

Yield: 4 - 6 bowls
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Delicious, hearty, very versatile soup full of good stuff.

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 Medium Onion, (roughly chopped)
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 (14.5 oz) Can Stewed Tomatoes
  • 3 Cups water
  • 3 Beef bouillon cubes
  • 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Garlic Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Basil
  • 1 tsp Celery flakes
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1/2 Large Cauliflower head, (cut into florets)

Instructions

  1. Add the oil to a large pot and turn heat on medium.  When oil is hot, saute the onion until almost translucent.  
  2. Add the hamburger and brown. Drain excess grease. 
  3. Add the stewed tomatoes, water, bouillon cubes, onion powder,  basil, garlic salt, celery flakes and salt and pepper. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
  4. Add cauliflower florets and simmer (very slow simmer) for 1 hour.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

If you don't want to use/don't have beef bouillon cubes, use 3 cups of beef broth in place of the cubes and don't add the 3 cups of water called for.

I added a another cup of water to her original recipe (called for 2 cups) because I wanted to make sure and have enough to take to my friend.

Remember to drain off excess grease after browning the hamburger meat and before you add the rest of the ingredients so the soup won't be oily.

Be sure and add the cauliflower when the recipe calls for it - you don't want it to get mushy.

Next time I might add even more vegetables - the broth base of this is soooo good!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 bowl
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 260Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 533mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 22g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Soup