Not to throw more fuel on the fire, but I’m here to remind you (in a very peaceful, calming, mom-type voice) that busy people are hungry people. Dinner must be served. Don’t shoot the messenger, you had to know it was coming.

Denial – it ain’t just a river in Africa.

(I love that joke.)

Here’s an easy meal for you to make in the morning and stick in the fridge for later in the day. It looks like tacos, but it’s actually a Mexican spin on traditional Sloppy Joe’s. You can serve it on hard shells, soft shells, tostadas, or plain old hamburger buns. We have here a recipe that’s meant to bend the rules, people! If you’re a first-born, type-A, rule following kinda gal, you might want to look for a different, more rigid recipe. Or, have Jimmy John’s tonight.

Anyway, this recipe comes together so fast, you’ll have no excuse not to check a couple of chores off of your ‘to do list’ this afternoon. Like walking the dog. Or quizzing your punk on his Spanish vocab. Or helping to glue foam letters on poster board, fishing paper out of a jammed printer, and writing a thank you note to your kid’s teacher.

Actually, forget all that. In the time you’ve saved by making this simple yet nourishing supper, I recommend that you plop down on the patio with an icy cold beverage and enjoy a few moments of solitude.

You’ve earned it.

SLOPPY JOSE’S
Serves: 4
Source: cookscountry.com

2 T. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
½ t. salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. chili powder
2 T. cumin
¼ t. cayenne pepper
1 lb. ground beef (I used the sale Tall Grass Ground Chuck)
Ground black pepper
1 t. brown sugar
1 c. tomato puree
½ c. ketchup
¼ c. water
¼ t. Tobasco
1 minced chipotle chile (cut this if YOU CAN’T HANDLE the heat)
1 15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
Taco shells, heated according to instructions on box, or hamburger buns

Shredded cheese (Sargento Cheeses are on sale) optional
Shredded lettuce if desired (romaine is on sale) optional

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and salt and stir until coated with the oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. If onion begins to burn after 5 minutes, reduce heat to low. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne and cook, uncovered, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until just pink, about 3 minutes. If mixture appears greasy, drain off the oil and return the meat mixture to the pan. (Mine was; I did.)

Add ¼ teaspoon pepper, brown sugar, tomato puree, ketchup, water, Tobasco, chipotle, and black beans. Simmer until sauce is slightly thicker than ketchup, 8 to 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Spoon meat mixture into taco shells or buns, top with cheese and lettuce if desired, and serve.

NOTE: This recipe is easily doubled and freezes well.

(Pardon me, won’t you, while I go feather my hair. Have you seen my crazy comb?)

Boar’s Head roast beef is on sale this week, and that’s all the inspiration I needed to re-create the French Dip sandwich from my eighth grade days. Well, that and I needed a quick dinner for tonight. So, grab your Member’s Only jacket and let’s party like it’s 1983 – we’re making French Dip today!

As an added bonus, I took the liberty of looking up the Top 40 songs from 1983. For a more authentic 80’s feel, I recommend that you hum anything off of this playlist while you make dinner tonight:

1). Safety Dance / Men Without Hats

2). Come On Eileen / Dexy’s Midnight Runners

3). Rio / Duran Duran

4). Little Red Corvette / Prince

5). Mr. Roboto / Styx

No thanks necessary. I live for this stuff.

FRENCH DIP SANDWICH

Makes 4

Source: foodnetwork.com

• 2 T. butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 T. flour
• 2 T. dry sherry
• 2 cans beef consumme
• 1 ½ lbs. good quality deli roast beef (Boar’s Head is on sale)
• Grill seasoning blend for steak, such as Montreal Steak Seasoning, or salt and pepper
• 4 sandwich rolls, split and toasted (Sendik’s whole grain hoagie rolls are on sale)

In a large, shallow skillet over moderate heat, melt butter. Add shallots to butter and sauté 2 minutes. Add flour to butter and shallot and cook a minute longer. Whisk in sherry and cook until liquid is nearly evaporated. Whisk in consumer in a slow stream. Bring sauce up to a bubble and allow to simmer over low heat until ready to serve sandwiches.

Pile meat loosely across your work surface. Season meat with grill seasoning or salt and black pepper. To assemble sandwiches, use a pair of kitchen tongs to dip meat into the au jus, then pile into rolls. Serve sandwiches with small cups of just for dipping.

Personally, I LOVE cilantro. I can’t get enough of it in my diet. Next to basil, it’s my favorite herb. And I guess that’s one of the reasons I adore this soup. Even if you’re in my dad’s cilantro-hating camp, make the soup. C’mon, try it. Just leave out the cilantro. Swap in some Italian parsley if it makes you feel better.

This albondigas (that’s Spanish for meatballs!) soup is delicious and hearty – perfect for a blustery winter night. The original recipe, which I’ve been making for years, calls for ground beef and ground pork sausage. I like it that way too – but, as I mentioned on Monday, I’m trying to lighten things up a little bit, so I decided to use ground turkey breast and turkey breakfast links (removed from their casings, of course). I also used chicken broth instead of the beef broth that was called for.

The end result with the changes was actually quite good. We enjoyed the soup with a big green salad and a side of hot and gooey nachos – okay, I know those aren’t exactly light. But I only had one or two. For real!

I’m going to list the original recipe here, just so you have it. You can try it either way. And whether you choose to use the cilantro or not – well, that’s up to you!

ENJOY! Stay warm!

MEXICAN MEATBALL SOUP WITH RICE & CILANTRO

Serves: 6-8

Source: Bon Appétit Magazine, December 2000 issue; p. 142

• 2 T. olive oil (I used one)
• 2 ¾ c. chopped onions, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
• 2 small bay leaves
• 5 14 ½ oz. cans beef broth (I used 1 ½ cartons of the sale Imagine Chicken broth)
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (I used two 14 ½ oz. Dei Fratelli Tomatoes, on sale)
• ½ c. chunky tomato salsa
• ½ c. chopped cilantro, divided

• 1 lb. lean ground beef (I used sale ground turkey breast)
• ¼ lb. bulk pork sausage (I used 3 turkey sausage links, removed from their casings)
• 6 T. yellow cornmeal
• ¼ c. whole milk
• 1 large egg
• ½ t. salt
• ½ t. ground black pepper
• ½ t. ground cumin

• ½ c. long grain white rice

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium high heat. Add 1 ¾ c. onions, 2 garlic cloves, and bay leaves; sauté 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes with their juices, salsa, and ¼ c. cilantro; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the ground beef, pork sausage, cornmeal, whole milk, egg, salt, pepper, cumin, then remaining 1 cup onions, 2 garlic cloves, and ¼ cup cilantro in medium bowl. Mix well. Shape meat mixture by generous tablespoonfuls into 1 to 1 ¼ inch balls.

Add rice and meatballs to soup and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice and meatballs are tender, again, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into serving bowls (heated bowls, if you’re feeling fancy!) and serve.

And he, he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast.”

~ The Grinch, 1966

So, I know all ten of you are hanging around just dying to know what in the heck your favorite frugal blogger is whipping up for Christmas dinner this year (you were wondering…weren’t you?). Well, all this shopping and merry-making has taken a toll on a frugal gal’s pocketbook. But I haven’t any plans to resort to peanut butter sandwiches or canned meat – although, who knows – Spam might come into play in January.

I’m going with beef, as always. I leave turkey for Thanksgiving, and ham for Easter. But Christmas dinner for the Dam’Fam has to be beef!

I absolutely love this recipe that I got ages ago from my lovely Aunt Vickie. My aunt is well-traveled and adventuresome, fluent in French, and of course, a wonderful cook. She made this boeuf (as the French say) tenderloin many years ago when she was feeding a ginormous crowd for Christmas. I’ve adopted the recipe and have been making it ever since!

Now, I’ll confess: I would absolutely love to serve a standing rib roast. A rib roast is both fabulous and impressive, but $9.99 a pound is enough to give a frugal gal sticker shock to linger long into the New Year. If you (like me) have your sweet little heart set on serving boeuf for Christmas dinner, but your head is minding the pennies, tenderloin is a no-brainer at $4.99 a pound!

Also on my Christmas table will be roasted garlic mashed potatoes (with the sale Yukon Golds, naturally), sauteed green beans and carrots, crispy popovers, and for a decadent finish, a luscious chocolate mousse.

All the best for a lovely, memorable, and delicious Holiday! ~ Leah

BACON WRAPPED BEEF TENDERLOIN

Serves: 10-12

• 1 c. ruby port
• ¾ c. soy sauce
• ½ c. good quality olive oil
• 1 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Several dashes of tabasco
• 1 4-6 lb. beef tenderloin, trimmed
• 16-20 slices of best-quality bacon

Combine all marinade ingredients in a large glass measuring cup. Place beef in a large ziplock bag and pour marinade over meat. Press out air and squish the bag to coat the beef with the marinade. Refrigerate overnight, turning several times if possible.

Preheat the oven to 450. Drain the beef. Place a rack inside a roasting pan; place the beef on the rack, tucking the thin end under to ensure even cooking. Wrap bacon slices around the beef, securing with toothpicks (*see note). Insert thermometer into the thickest portion.

Roast tenderloin for 25-30 minutes for medium rare (140 degrees). Tent beef with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Transfer beef to cutting surface and cut into slices. Transfer to platter and serve.

*NOTE: I never do the toothpick step; I don’t think it’s necessary. I just wrap the bacon around the beef, making sure the loose ends are tucked securely beneath the tenderloin. Save your toothpicks for cocktail weenies!

(Sad, isn’t it?  Maybe if a sale at the grocery store is enough to get me this excited, I need to get a new hobby.  Maybe I need some new friends.  Maybe if I serve these tacos, I’ll get some new friends.  Maybe those new friends can introduce me to some alternate interests….hhm…it’s worth a try.  And  I’m not above  - beneath? – bribing people for their friendship in exchange for tacos.)

I digress…I’ll try to pull myself together.

I don’t usually cook dinner on Fridays, but those sale chuck roasts were just so darned tempting, I gave in to my carnivorous side and headed for the kitchen.  It seemed like the right thing to do.  Plus, the chores on my ‘to do’ list aren’t all that attractive today: vacuuming, folding whites, scrubbing crusty blue goo out of my kid’s sinks, etc…I think not.  The obvious choice is to while away a rainy afternoon in the kitchen.  C’mon, let’s go!

If you choose not to make these tacos today  – like for instance, if you HAVE interesting hobbies and a whole gaggle of friends who are tempting you with other activities – they would make a great Sunday supper!  And a bonus:  your house will smell divine!

BEEF SOFT TACOS WITH SALSA

Serves: 4

Source: epicurious.com

• 1 T. oil
• 1 ½ lbs. boneless beef chuck, cut into ¾” cubes  (on sale this week!)
• 1 c. bottled chunky salsa (I used the medium hot Pace Salsa that’s on sale)
• ½ c. beef broth (or slightly more; you’ll want enough liquid to cover all of the beef)
• 2 T. chopped garlic
• 2 T. packed brown sugar
• 1 T. soy sauce

• ¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 T. fresh lime juice

• 12 6” flour tortillas
• Shredded cheese (or, use the sale pepperjack and shred it yourself)

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Saute half of beef until browned on all sides, about three minutes.  Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl.  Saute remaining beef until brown, about another three minutes.  Return all beef to the pot.  Add salsa, broth, garlic, brown sugar, and soy sauce and stir to blend.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover pot and simmer until beef is tender, stirring often, about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Uncover pot and simmer stew until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.  Mix in cilantro and lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat tortillas and wrap in a clean dishtowel to keep warm.  Serve stew with tortillas and shredded cheese.

Note:  Just a thought (and only a thought; I’ve never actually tried this), but if you didn’t feel like futzing with cubing all of the beef, you could probably sear the whole roast on both sides, cover it with the remaining ingredients, and then cook it off like a regular pot roast.  I think it would be good shredded on tostadas, or sliced and served over rice with the gravy.  Just a thought.  If you try it like this, let me know!

BEEF BURGUNDY

KAT-N-CHEESE, GT

SERVES 6

PREP TIME: 1HR

COOKING TIME; 8HRS

• 7 Strips bacon
• 3 med onions, minced
• 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 5 lbs cubed beef, browned
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup burgundy
• 32oz Beef Stock
• ¾ cup flour
• ¼ cup grated carrots
• 8oz small mushrooms or sliced mushrooms
• Grapeseed Oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tbl fresh Thyme
• 1Fresh Bay Leaf
• You’re Choice of fresh grated Saxon Big Ed, grated Fontinella or crumbled blue Cheese

In a large pot, fry bacon until crisp. Set off to side and cut into ½ inch pieces.  In the bacon fat sauté onions and garlic, remove onion/garlic mixture.  Set skillet off to side saving bacon fat.  In a clean pot heat app. 3 tbl of *Grapeseed oil.  Brown beef, caramelizing exterior.  Add bacon, pepper, herbs, onion/garlic mixture, burgundy and one cup of beef stock.

Using the skillet with the remaining bacon fat, on medium heat, add flour a small amount at a time until all of the fat is absorbed into the flour.  Slowly add remaining beef broth, creating a thick sauce.  Add Gravy to the beef mixture.  Slowly cook in a low temp oven (250 degrees) or in a crock pot on low for at least 8 hours.  I typically use the crock pot and cook over night.  Serve on egg noodles or rice.  Topped with your choice of grated cheese, I recommend Saxon Big Ed, Fontinella or Crumbled Blue.

• Grapeseed oil requires only about one half as much to achieve the same results as other oils.  It has a much higher smoke point, as much as 400 degrees, creating browning at a faster rate without smoking or burning.

You know Sandra Lee, right?  The uber-perky blonde on the Food Network, who’s always planning a party or making dinner out of pre-packaged ingredients?  I think her show is called “Semi Homemade”?  Going to the outer limits with her attention to detail, Sandy features instructions for fancy ‘tablescapes’, themed flowers and party favors…even wacky window treatments to tie in with her meal d’jour.  Some even require the use of a hot glue gun.

Who has time for that?  I mean, seriously.  If you’re using pre-packaged ingredients, doesn’t that indicate that you’re probably challenged for time?  More than likely you don’t have all day to cook from scratch, let alone scour Michaels and JoAnne Fabrics in search of silk flowers and calico for a party-themed cornice board.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Having said all that, I’m pulling a Sandra Lee on you today, minus the faux flower napkin rings and handmade placecards (besides, I haven’t seen my glue gun in years).  My daughter has requested Spaghetti & Meatballs for dinner, but we have a jam-packed schedule later on, and 100% homemade is just not in the cards this afternoon.

You know by now that it’s important for me to use real food in my cooking, but I do take the help from convenience products now and then.  Today I’m going to make the meatballs from scratch (with the Tallgrass ground beef that’s on sale), but punt with the marinara and use jarred Alessi’s sauce (also on sale).  The end result will taste homemade, because I’m going to blast the meatballs in the oven to quickly brown them, then finish cooking them in the sauce on the stove.  This method not only saves time, but also eliminates the icky, greasy mess on my stovetop from browning them in hot oil.

Alongside we’re having a simple tossed salad (romaine is on sale) and mini Italian baguettes (also on sale).  I might pick up an extra baguette or two to make subs with the leftover meatballs another night this week.  Genius, right?

Enjoy this time saving version of Spaghetti and Meatballs, and mum’s the word about my Sandra Lee moment.  I’ll deny it to the never ending!

SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

Serves: 6

Source:  Barefoot Contessa Family Style, by Ina Garten, pp. 102-103

For the meatballs:

• ½ lb. ground veal
• ½ lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground beef (Tallgrass lean ground chuck is on sale!)
• 1 c. fresh white breadcrumbs (4 slices, crusts removed, pulse them in your food processor – Classic Wonder Bread is on sale and would be fine here)
• ¼ c. seasoned dry breadcrumbs
• ½ c. grated Parmesan (ahem, ix-nay on the een-gray an-cay)
• 2 t. salt
• ½ t. freshly ground pepper
• ¼ t. ground nutmeg
• 1 extra large egg, beaten

• Your favorite jarred sauce (Alessi’s is on sale, I used two jars of their basic marinara)
• 1 T. fresh Italian parsley, minced
• Hot cooked spaghetti
• Grated Parmesan for serving

Preheat the oven to 425.  Line a cookie sheet with foil for easy cleanup, spray it lightly with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients plus ¼ cup warm water.  Don’t over mix, or you’ll have tough meatballs.  Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2” balls, you will have 14-16 large meatballs. (**See note.)

Place the meatballs on the sheet pan.  Bake them for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned on the outside.  Meanwhile, place the jarred sauce in a 4-6 quart saucepan.  Stir in the Italian parsley. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

Transfer the meatballs to the saucepan and cover.  Simmer on the lowest heat for 25-30 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through.  Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the Parmesan cheese at the table.

**Note:  I always make my meatballs much smaller; I usually end up with about two to two and a half dozen.  After I’ve browned them in the oven, I separate them out, cooling and freezing a dozen or so for a rainy day.  I’m always happy to find them in the freezer when I don’t feel like cooking!

I’ve been digging my heels in over Tall Grass ever since it came on the meat counter scene a few months back.  It’s a little on the pricey side (actually, a lot on the pricey side), and as my husband would tell you, this blogger doesn’t need another expensive habit. Plus, if I’m staying true to the penny-pinching theme of this little blog, I can’t in good conscience prattle on about a product that isn’t exactly FRUGAL.   But since the Tall Grass Ground Chuck is on sale this week for a very reasonable $3.99/pound, I decided this was the perfect time to give it a try.

My uber health-conscious friend Lori has raved on and on about the benefits of Tall Grass Beef since summer began: “You don’t have to feel guilty about eating Tall Grass,” she says.  Her personal favorite are those cute little sliders you can find at the meat counter – her family loves them!

I did a little research prior to making these burgers.  According to the Tall Grass website, their beef is lower in both saturated fat and total fat than regular beef; also, their cattle are grass fed only (hence the name, I suppose), and are not treated with antibiotics or hormones.

This all sounds great of course, but there’s still that little matter of the steep price tag!  Still, I wanted to try it, based both on my friend Lori’s glowing review, and all of the good information I had read.  The $3.99/pound ground chuck sealed the deal!

Whether they’re made with Tall Grass or plain old ground chuck, these cheeseburgers are THE BEST!!  They were featured in the grill issue of Bon Appetit two or three years ago, and have become a summer tradition for me.

The original recipe calls for a coffee glaze that you brush over the burgers while they’re grilling, but I’ve never bothered with that. Seems a little bit too putzy for me  and I’m not much in to putzing today.  Besides, with the bacon, cheese, grilled onions, and the amazing spicy ranch sauce, ‘coffee glaze’ might be a little overkill!

A couple of notes on the recipe:  don’t shy away from the jalapenos; if you’re careful to seed and de-rib (is that a word?) them, you won’t have a problem with the burgers or the sauce being too hot.  Of course, you can make them both as spicy as you like by adding more cayenne pepper (or leave a few of the seeds on the peppers).  I used the sale bibb lettuce, the sale wheat hamburger buns, and if I hadn’t already had a fridge full of sliced cheese, I would have used the sale Sendiks Salsa Jack, too!

Oh, the verdict on the Tall Grass?  It was excellent!  The burgers were juicy and flavorful.  Bargain shopper that I am, I’m headed back to the Store this afternoon to snap up a few more pounds.  I’m gonna stash ‘em in the freezer for the next time I have a Jalapeno Cheeseburger craving.    Enjoy!
JALAPENO CHEESEBURGERS WITH SPICY RANCH SAUCE

Makes 8 Burgers

Source:  Adapted from “Jalapeno Cheeseburgers with Bacon & Grilled Onions” on epicurious.com

Ranch Sauce:

• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. sour cream
• ½ c. chopped cilantro
• the juice of one lime
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, minced and seeded (I’ve also used adobo sauce if I’ve had it on hand)
• ½ t. cayenne pepper

Burgers:

• 2 lbs. ground beef (I’ve also used ground turkey, which is also terrific)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ¼ c. chopped fresh parsley
• 2 T. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T. minced, seeded jalapeno
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. ground black pepper
• ¼ t. cayenne
• 1 red onion, thickly sliced and skewered for easy grilling
• 16 slices of bacon, cooked and drained on a paper towel
• 8 hamburger buns
• 8 lettuce leaves
• 8 slices of your favorite cheese
• Sliced tomato, if desired

Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together to blend.  Season with salt and pepper.  Chill until ready to serve.

Gently mix all of the burger ingredients together in a large bowl.  Form the mixture into eight ½ to ¾ inch thick patties.  Place on a baking sheet; cover and chill at least two hours.

Prepare the grill (medium high heat).  Grill the skewered onions alongside the burgers until they begin to soften.  Grill the burgers for 5 minutes; turn burgers, and grill until cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes longer for medium.  Top each burger with cheese and allow the cheese to melt.

Toast the buns, if desired.  Place lettuce on each bun bottom.  Top with a burger, then with grilled onions, bacon, and sauce.  Cover with bun top.  Serve, passing any remaining sauce at the table.