Frances Ellen Speaks!

Archive for November, 2009

1 lb. ground beef, lean
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 or 2 cans of your favorite vegetable (or leftover veggies)
Instant Mashed Potatoes, you choose the amount of servings
OPTIONALS: Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 can Creamed Corn

Cook beef and onions in skillet until the meat is browned. Spoon into a baking casserole dish.

Prepare instant mashed potatoes. Add Shredded Cheddar, if you like. ** Place the prepared potatoes around the edges of the casserole dish on top of the beef.

Fill the center with vegetables (If using canned veggies, remember to drain beforehand.)

Bake in 425 oven for 15 minutes.   Serves 3 or 4 people.

**FOR A CHANGE OF PACE – Pour the can of creamed corn, straight from the can, over the beef, BEFORE adding the potatoes and veggies. Great!

3 cans Vegetable Broth
3 cans Beef Broth
1 cup lentils
1 cup barley
1/2 cup dry black eyed peas OR dry kidney beans
3 tblspn olive oil
1 lb (2 cups) Italian sausage OR Italian turkey sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped very fine
1 tblspn fresh basil (use dried if you must, but add only 1 tsp.)
1 tblspn fresh parsley (use dried if you must, but add only 1 tsp.)
1/2 tblspn powdered thyme
3/4 tblspn dried oregano
1 tsp pepper
1 – 8 oz can stewed tomatoes OR Italian cubed tomatoes
Optional Ingredients:
1 can beans, drained (northern, kidney OR cannelloni, your choice)
brown or white rice
1 can mixed vegetables
pastina
bouillon cubes (with water)

• Pour all broth into a large pot
• Add lentils, barley and dry beans. Simmer for 1/2 hour.
• In separate pan, brown sausage on all sides in olive oil. Drain off oil, if necessary. After sausage is cooked, cut into bite-size pieces. Add to soup.
• Chop celery, carrots, garlic and onion. Add to pot.
• Add all seasonings and the can of tomatoes to pot.
• Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.
• About the Optionals – I usually serve this soup as the main course (with French or Italian bread) so I like it to have a lot of body. I often add some OR all of the Optional Ingredients.
• NOTE: If you decide to add rice or pastina, you must add another 3 or 4 cups of water along with a bouillon cube for each cup of water.

As with most homemade soups, the longer it cooks, the better it gets. I have put this soup all together in the morning and left it cook on low until dinner. Excellent! Remember to check it from time to time, though.

This makes a huge amount of soup, but it freezes well. I put it into freezer containers holding 3 or 4 servings each. Believe it or not, it comes out of the freezer better than when it went in, if that’s possible.

Enjoy. It’s worth the trouble and one pot will feed a family several times.