Post-Nutcracker Munchies

Hello, all (and by all, I mean the one or two people who are possibly reading this)!  Its been awhile since my last blog, but it was Nutcracker season.  Let me explain - when you work for a ballet studio that puts a full-scale performance of the Nutcracker on stage every year around Christmas, that one performance owns you for the entire semester beforehand.  Production week is especially crazy, requiring all able-bodied employees/volunteers/parents to sacrifice all of their time, energy, and money to the ballet gods.  Hence, no blogging for me.  Heck, no cooking for me.  Until now!  I am officially on Christmas break, meaning I don't have anything to do but cook, eat, and snuggle with my baby.  Be prepared for mucho blog-arino!

To start things off, I wanted to make something easy, comforting, and covered in cheese.  I found this recipe on Pinterest (the most amazing site ever created, in my humble opinion) and decided to give it a whirl, seeing how many re-pins, likes, and what-have-you it recieved.  I adapted the recipe a smidge to suit the tastes of the hungry bear, er, my husband.  You should do the same!  I hardly ever use recipes as exact directions.  As Captain Barbosa once said, "they're more like guidelines, really."  This dish is originally called "Cowboy Casserole", however we aren't cowpeople and the hubby doesn't like the word "casserole," so I decided to call it "Beef Tot Pie".  Like pot pie... get it?  My cleverness astounds me at times.

Start with olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms over medium heat.  About one medium onion & one smallish pepper.  I only use a handful of mushrooms and mince them very finely.  I enjoy the earthy flavor mushrooms give a dish, but abhor the texture.  Its like eating little sponges.  Oh, and salt & pepper the veggies.  Remember: season every layer.  Salt & pepper are the most under-utilized seasonings in your house, and they usually can make the difference between good and bad food.

Now to the other stuff -- this is what you'll need.  That's the 2.25 lb package of ground beef, but I only used half of it.  So, I guess you could say I used a pound and a smidge.  Whatever -- it really doesn't matter!  As long as your in or around a pound, you're fine. Note: I think a half beef, half sausage blend would be delicious in this recipe.  Just a thought.

Once the veggies have had a chance to sweat it out a bit, throw in your meat & brown away.  When browned, transfer to a mixing bowl & set aside.

Layer about half the bag (30-32 oz bag) of tots in the bottom of a greased pan.  I used a 2 quart Pyrex but, again, whatever you want.

To the beef and veggies, add a mixture of one can of mushroom soup, 4 tablespoons of sour cream, and 1/2 cup milk.  This is what makes it creamy deliciousness.

Then add one 14 oz (drained) can of corn, and about 1 cup of cheddar cheese.  I also added a pinch or two of cayenne at this point, fearing a lack of "punch".

Spread the  beefy, creamy, cheesy stuff over the layer of tots.  It looks like gray dog food, but trust me - it'll all turn out.

One more layer of tots and another cup of cheese, and you're ready to hit a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes, or until it has reached the melty-ness you desire.

All finished!  This is pure comfort food -- carbs, meat, cheese.  I liked that the bottom layer of tots get kinda mushy from absorbing the soup mix, while the ones on top get crsipy.  I think next time I will use Ore-Ida tots, as the Great Value ones were a tad bland.  A very minute difference, but one I think might help.  You could use any kind of meat/cheese/potato combo for this.  I love recipes like that.  Oh, and the hungry bear approved of this dish, although he's started to complain that he'll gain 10 pounds over Christmas.  That's what the holidays are for, though - right?  Eat, drink, and be merry ... and fat.

Cheeseburger Pie - Oh, My!

I can haz cheezburger.  Cheezburger pie, that is!  Who doesn't love some meaty, cheesy goodness?  What I don't love, however, is the carb-laden bun (and what it does to MY buns!).  Luckily, I found this recipe for a delish cheeseburger "pie" that seriously delivers the classic burger flavors while skipping the bread.  The following recipe is for your basic cheeseburger flavor profile, but what's great is that you can mix it up however you'd like - swap out veggies, cheeses, try some new sauces.  Cooking is all about experimentation, and this dish allows you to do just that, while making it virtually impossible to have a bad outcome.

Okay, so let's talk Pyrex.  The name of this dish is "Cheeseburger Pie" and the recipe does, in fact, call for a pie dish.  My hubby, however, has an aversion to savory dishes served in the classic pie shape -- so I just went with this square Pyrex casserole dish. 

Start with 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped green pepper, and a little minced garlic in a pan with a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil, for all you non-Rachel Ray lingo people).  Add in 1 lb ground beef and brown.  Season with salt & pepper.  I used 93/7, but whatever floats your boat.

For the filling you'll need a can of tomato soup, about a teaspoon of taco seasoning (doesn't make the meat "taco-y", just gives it some flavor) a couple hits of Worcestershire and little oregano.  *Note:  I added two drops of liquid smoke after tasting and finding it lacking that "certain something".  The liquid smoke definitely gave it that grilled burger taste!.

You also need 1/3 cup of crushed cheese crackers - I had some Italian Cheez-Its lying around, so I used those.  You could use any kind of cracker or bread crumb, though.  Its not really for flavor, but rather to help the meat stay together & give the whole thing a little body.



Once browned, drain & return to pan.  Add in all the seasonings, soup, & crackers.  Filling's done!

Now for the cheese!  Mix 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, mustard powder, and Worcestershire, and 1/4 cup milk.  Add 2 cups of cheese.  I used half cheddar, half jack cheese.  Spread cheese mixture on top of meat.  Now just throw that bad boy in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Until it looks like this!  SO melty & yummy...

I topped mine with some spicy ketchup (sriracha & ketchup mixed) some slices of Claussen pickles, and diced onion.  My husband switched out ketchup for plain mustard which, after tasting it, I thought was the best choice.  It tasted like a Whataburger cheeseburger!  This is definitely a keeper, as it got rave reviews from the hubby & was super easy.  I think next time I'll add some turkey bacon to the filling and spread a layer of barbecue sauce under the cheese.  Top with some crispy French's fried onions and viola! - a western bacon cheeseburger! 

Well, that's all for now!  I'm off to check on the de-frosting status of a certain turkey in my fridge.  I'm hoping it gets thawed before tomorrow afternoon so I can pop it in the oven & share a few days worth of creative turkey recipes with all of you.  Toodles!  :)