Hamburger Pie

Start to Finish: 60 minutes

Ingredients:
Homemade Mashed Potatoes or one 24-ounce package refrigerated mashed potatoes
1-1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash black pepper
2-1/2 cups frozen cut green beans, thawed
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup shredded American cheese

Directions:
1) Prepare mashed potatoes; set aside. In a large skillet cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add salt and pepper. Stir in thawed beans and soup. Pour into a greased 2-quart rectangular baking dish or casserole.
2) Spoon mashed potatoes in mounds on beef mixture. Sprinkle cheese over potatoes. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese begins to brown.

Servings: 6

Notes: Mmmm, yummy. This is really the only way that my husband will eat green beans and not complain the entire time. Mashed potatoes and meat are always great together.

Variations: Really, the green beans could be taken out, but where is the fun in that?

Estimated Price: $8.50

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 376 cal., 16 g total fat (8 g sat. fat), 80 mg chol., 796 mg sodium, 34 g carbo., 4 g fiber, 23 g pro. Daily Values: 14% vit. A, 43% vit. C, 10% calcium, 18% iron

Potato Skins

Start to Finish: 70 minutes

Ingredients:
6 large baking potatoes (such as russet or long white)
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 t0 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
Several drops of hot pepper sauce
2/3 cup chopped Canadian-style bacon, or 8 strips crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
2/3 cup finely chopped tomato (1 medium)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion (1)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/2 cup dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1) Scrub potatoes; prick them with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until tender; cool.
2) Cut each potato lengthwise into four wedges. Scoop out the inside of each potato wedge. Cover and chill the leftover white portion for another use.
3) In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, and hot pepper sauce. Using a pastry brush, brush the insides of the potato wedges with the oil mixture. Place the potato wedges in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle wedges with bacon, tomato, and green onion; top with cheese.
4) Bake about 10 minutes more or until cheese melts and potatoes are heated through. If desired, serve with sour cream.

Servings: 12

Notes: This was a really delicious snack. It was easy to make and had a lot of flavor.

Variations: We did not put hot sauce on the kids.

Estimated Price: $6.50

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving (2 wedges): 72 cal., 5 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 14 mg chol., 174 mg sodium, 3 g carbo., 1 g fiber, 5 g pro. Daily Values: 5% vit. A, 7% vit. C, 8% calcium, 5% iron

Easy Risotto

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
2/3 cup uncooked arborio rice or long grain rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
Dash black pepper
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Directions:
1) In a medium saucepan cook onion in hot butter until tender; add rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in water, bouillon granules, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes (do not lift lid).
2) Remove saucepan from heat. If desired, stir in peas. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Rice should be tender but slightly firm, and the mixture should be creamy. (If necessary, stir in a little hot water to reach desired consistency.) Stir in Parmesan cheese.

Servings: 3 or 4 side dishes

Notes: This was great. It was creamy, tasty, and pretty filling as well.

Estimated Price: $4.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 179 cal., 6 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 10 mg chol., 571 mg sodium, 25 g carbo., 6 g pro. Daily Values: 5% vit. A, 21% vit. C, 12% calcium, 11% iron

Upside-Down Pizza Casserole

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can Italian-style tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (4 oz)
1/4 cup sliced, pitted ripe olives (optional)
1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 package refrigerated biscuits (10 oz)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large skillet cook beef until brown. Drain off fat. Stir in tomato sauce, mushrooms, and, if desired, olives. Heat through. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Flatten each biscuit with your hands. Arrange the biscuits on top of cheese. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Servings: 5

Notes: Good. I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms and thought they were subtle in this meal. Biscuits on top were great (we always use the Grands biscuits- YUM)!

Variations: It is a pizza casserole so you can be creative with the toppings- chicken, pepperoni, ham, pineapple. The ground beef, mushrooms, and olives could really be substituted for anything.

Estimated Price: $6.50

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 507 cal., 26 g total fat (10 g sat. fat) 103 mg chol., 1,251 mg sodium, 33 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 35 g pro. Daily Values: 3% vit. A, 10% vit. C, 16% calcium, 26% iron

Bean and Cheese Burritos

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
6 to 8 flour tortillas (7-8 inch)
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 can refried beans (16 ounces)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/3 bottle salsa
Dairy sour cream (optional)
Guacamole (optional)

Directions:
1) Stack tortillas and wrap tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes to soften.
2) Meanwhile, for filling, in a skillet cook onion in hot oil until tender; add refried beans. Cook and stir until heated through. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling onto each tortilla just below center and to within 1 inch of the edge. Divide cheese among tortillas. Fold bottom edge of each tortilla up and over filling. Fold opposite sides in over filling. Roll up from the bottom. Place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through. To serve, top with lettuce and salsa and, if desired, sour cream and guacamole.

Servings: 3-4

Notes: Like most cooking, this tastes much better than the store bought burritos. Very quick and easy to make.

Variations: They are burritos so you can add hot sauce, tomatoes, chicken, beef, really whatever you want inside.

Estimated Price: $6.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 542 cal., 24 g total fat (11 g sat. fat), 52 mg chol., 991 mg sodium, 20 g carbo., 10 g fiber, 23 g pro. Daily Values: 31% vit. A, 31% vit. C, 41% calcium, 28% iron

Fried Rice

Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (1 stalk)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups cooked white rice
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sliced green onion (2)

Directions:
1) In a small bowl combine eggs and the 1 teaspoon soy sauce.
2) Pour the sesame oil into a wok or large skillet. Preheat over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and garlic; stir gently to scramble. When set, remove egg mixture from wok and cut up any large pieces. Remove wok from heat.
3) Pour the cooking oil into the wok or skillet. (Add more oil if necessary during cooking.) Return to medium-high heat. Stir-fry celery in hot oil for 1 minute. Add mushrooms; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4) Add cooked rice, carrot, and peas. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes until heated through. Add cooked egg mixture and green onion; cook and stir for about 1 minute more or until heated through.

Servings: 6 side-dish servings

Notes: This was quick, easy, and had good flavor. Served with pot stickers.

Variations: It's stir fry, you can really add or delete any vegetables you want.

Estimated Price: $4.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 141 cal., 6 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 71 mg chol., 418 mg sodium, 18 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 5 g pro. Daily Values: 31% vit. A, 8% vit. C, 3% calcium, 5% iron

Herbed Leek Tarts

Start to Finish: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
4-1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (6 medium)
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper (1 small)
2 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence or dried basil, crushed
6 ounces Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded (1-1/2 cups)
1 package rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crust (15 oz/ 2 crusts)
2 tablespoons chopped almonds or walnuts

Directions:
1) For filling, in a large skillet cook leek and garlic in hot oil about 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat; stir in sweet pepper, mustard, and herbes de Provence. Cool slightly; stir in shredded cheese. Set filling aside.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unfold pie crust according to package directions. On a lightly floured surface, roll one pie crust into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a baking sheet. Spread half of the filling in the center of the pie crust, leaving a 1-1/2 inch unfilled border. Fold edges up and over filling, pleating as necessary. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the almonds over filling. Repeat with remaining pie crust, filling, and nuts.
3) Bake about 25 minutes or until crusts are golden. Cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets. Cut each tart into twelve wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: 24

Notes: This was so good. I had never had leeks before and they are DELICIOUS! This would be a great appetizer, but we used it as a very filling meal. I thought that it was very flavorful and was surprised at just how much I liked it.

Variations: My husband added barbecue sauce on his, he thought it tasted too healthy.

Estimated Price: $11.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 135 cal., 8 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 11 mg chol., 122 mg sodium, 12 g carbo., 3 g pro. Daily Values: 9% vit. A, 11% vit. C, 9% calcium, 3% iron

Ranger Cookies

Start to Finish: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup coconut
1 cup raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or mixed dried fruit bits

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir i9n any remaining flour. Stir in rolled oats, coconut, and raisins.
2) Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown and centers are set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Servings: 48 cookies

Notes: We make cookies with Katie often and while looking for something besides sugar cookies we came across this recipe and had all of the ingredients. Of course we used dried cranberries since they are so good. Everyone loved the cookies and we will definitely make these again. Yummy! The cookbook says that "these energy packed cookies are ideal for a late-afternoon snack. Take them on long hikes and car trips to keep the munchies at bay." Sounds good to me!

Variations: Big Ranger Cookies- Prepare as above, except use a 1/3-cup measure or scoop to drop mounds of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press into 3-inch circles. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light brown and centers are set. Cool on cookie sheet for a minute and then transfer to wore rack to cool. Makes about ten cookies.

Estimated Price: $6.00

Cookbook: Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Nutrition Facts per serving: 355 cal., 15 g total fat (9 g sat. fat), 47 mg chol., 162 mg sodium, 53 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 5 g pro. Daily Values: 6% vit. A, 1% vit. C, 3% calcium, 9% iron