Baked Veggie Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1/2 red pepper, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1/2 lb ground beef
• 12 oz whole wheat penne pasta
• About 12 oz pasta sauce
• 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.
• Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-low heat.  Saute peppers, onions, and garlic just until softened.  Add ground beef and brown, keeping drippings in the pan for flavor.  Remove from heat and add pasta and pasta sauce, stirring until well-coated.
• Spoon half of the mixture into a 2-qt baking dish, cover with half of the cheese.  Repeat with remaining pasta and cheese.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Spicy Mexican Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

• 1 4-5 pound chuck roast (venison works great too!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 cups diced green chile peppers
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper
• 5 oz hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Water

Instructions:

• Season roast with salt and pepper.  Place in crock pot and sprinkle onion over meat.  Add remaining ingredients.  Pour in enough water to cover 1/3 of the roast.
• Cover and cook on High for 6 hours, then reduce to Low for 2-4 more hours.  Meat is done when it is tender enough to fall apart.  Shred meat.
• For burritos, place shredded meat in a frying pan with a cup of the cooking liquid.  Simmer until thickened.
• Also great in enchiladas.

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground or shredded beef (great way to use up leftover roast!)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pkg dry enchilada sauce mix
• 10 10" flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 + 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook meat with onion in a skillet. Drain.
• Prepare enchilada sauce according to package directions. Pour 1/4 cup of sauce in a 9" x 13" pan.
• Divide the meat and cheese evenly amongst the flour tortillas. Roll tortillas tightly and place seam-side down in baking dish.
• Pour remaining sauce over tortillas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings (i.e., lettuce, cilantro, olives, sour cream, etc.)

String Pie

Ingredients:

• 8 oz spaghetti noodles
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBS butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 24 oz spaghetti sauce
• 1 lb ground beef, cooked
• mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9"x13" pan.
• Cook noodles according to package instructions.
• Combine Parmesan cheese, butter, and eggs. Stir into the cooked and drained noodles. Spread in the bottom of the pan.
• Layer cottage cheese, spaghetti sauce, and ground beef on top of the noodles.
• Bake about 50 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella on top and continue baking for 10-15 minutes.

Crock Pot Italian Shredded Beef

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp onion salt
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 .7-oz package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• Sliced onions
• 1 5-lb rump roast (venison roast works great, too!)

Instructions:

• In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except onions and roast. Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Place roast in crock pot and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat. Add onions.
• Cover and cook on Low for 10-12 hours, or on High for 4-5 hours.
• When done, remove bay leaf and shred the meat with a fork.
• Serve on French bread.