Beef Vegetable Crockpot Soup

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 pound boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
– 1 tablespoon cooking oil
– 2 14 1/2 – ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
– 1 cup water
– 3 medium carrots, sliced
– 2 small potatoes, peeled if desired, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
– 1 cup chopped onion
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
– 1/2 cup loose-pack frozen peas, thawed

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet, brown meat in hot oil over medium-high heat.
2. Transfer meat to a 3-1/2- to 4-1/2-quart slow cooker. Add undrained tomatoes, the water, carrots, potatoes, onion, salt, and thyme to cooker.
3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 or 5 hours. Stir in peas. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

Steak Fajitas with Peppers

INGREDIENTS:
– 12 ounces boneless beef skirt steak or flank steak
– 1/3 cup cooking oil
– 1/3 cup lime juice
– 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
– 3 tablespoons sliced green onions (2)
– 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 2 cloves garlic, minced
– 8 8-inch flour tortillas
– 1 tablespoon cooking oil
– 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
– 1 medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips
– 1 medium chopped tomato

DIRECTIONS:
1. Trim fat from meat. Partially freeze meat for about 30 minutes. Thinly slice across the grain into bite-size strips. Place strips in a plastic bag set in a deep bowl.
2. Meanwhile, for marinade, in a small mixing bowl, combine the 1/3 cup cooking oil, lime juice, jalapeno peppers, green onions, cilantro, salt, and garlic.
3. Pour marinade over beef strips in bag. Close bag tightly; turn to coat beef strips. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.
4. Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degrees F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.
5. Meanwhile, drain beef strips; discard marinade. In a large skillet heat the 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sweet pepper. Cook and stir about 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from skillet.
6. Add beef to the hot skillet. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. Drain well. Return all vegetables to skillet. Stir in tomato. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
7. To serve, fill warm tortillas with beef-vegetable mixture. If desired, top with guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. Roll up tortillas. Makes 4 servings.

Garden Patch Spaghetti & Meatballs

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 pound ground beef
– 1/2 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
– 1 egg
– 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
– 1 jar (25 ounces) marinara sauce
– 2 cups frozen peas and carrots
– 1 package (16 ounces) spaghetti, cooked and drained
– Grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Mix thoroughly the beef, bread crumbs and egg in a medium bowl. Shape the mixture into 16 (1 1/2-inch) meatballs.
2. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook until they’re well browned. Remove the meatballs from the skillet. Pour off any fat.
3. Stir the sauce and vegetables in the skillet and heat to a boil. Return the meatballs to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through.
4. Serve the meatballs with the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle with the cheese. Serves 4.

Chili Mac & Cheese

INGREDIENTS:
– 1 pound ground beef
– 1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
– 1 tablespoon chili powder
– 1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained and cut up
– 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
– 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
– 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
– Sliced avocado
– Sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.
2. Stir the picante sauce, chili powder, tomatoes and corn in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in the elbows. Top with the cheese. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted. Top with the avocado and sour cream. Serves 4.

Skillet Four-Cheese Pasta

INGREDIENTS:
– Rotini pasta or penne
– 3/4 pound meat (chicken, turkey, beef or hot Italian sausage)
– 2 sweet red peppers
– 1 onion
– 1 tablespoon Olive oil
– 1 jar (26 ounces) marinara sauce
– 2 cups shredded Italian four-cheese blend

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Cook pasta following package directions. Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking, cut sausage into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Seed and slice peppers and slice onion for a total of 4 cups.
4. Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, peppers and onions. Cook, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until peppers and onions are tender and the sausage is cooked through.
5. Add sauce and bring to a simmer.
6. Stir in the drained pasta and 1 cup of the cheese.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the pasta and bake at 450 degrees F for 8 minutes or until cheese melts and casserole starts to bubble. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Cottage Pie with Vegetable Mash

INGREDIENTS:
– Salt and pepper
– 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
– 1/2 pound carrots, peeled and diced large
– 1 package frozen peas, thawed
– 5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled, divided
– 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
– 1 pound ground turkey or beef (80% lean)
– 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
– 3 tablespoons tomato paste
– 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a pot of salted water bring potatoes, carrots, and 3 cloves garlic to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer; cook until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
3. Using a masher, mash vegetables until mostly smooth; stir in 3 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper. Finely chop remaining 2 cloves garlic; set aside.
4. In a large skillet over high, melt remaining tablespoon butter. Add meat and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove meat from pan, leaving drippings.
5. Reduce heat to medium-high, add onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add peas and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
6. Return meat and collected juices to pan and stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes.
7. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and 1 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Transfer meat mixture to a 9-inch square baking dish. Dollop mashed vegetables over meat and spread to edges of baking dish.
9. Bake until juices are bubbling and topping is golden brown in spots, about 20 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.