When Kitchen Experiments Go RIGHT!

For those that know me, I am a hot mess in the kitchen - always have been! I wear an apron to keep myself clean, but that doesn't keep the counters and floors clean! The dogs can usually manage to clean up the floor, and my little dog taunts me by hoovering under foot just to be sure to catch the droppings while they are fresh!

Anyway, we were out of our usual boneless skinless chicken breasts, that I typically serve twice per week in a variety of recipes that repeat themselves on a monthly cycle, so I had to get creative with what we could eat using ground beef, ground turkey, and the odds and ends of vegetables I have in the fridge this week. Fortunately, both Monday and Tuesday nights experiments turned out quite well!

---------------

Pork & Beans Soup
(you can use just about any meat you want, cut up chicken pieces, ground beef, ground turkey, stew meat, etc.)

1 package Kirkland (Costco brand) smoked pulled pork (or ~ 2 lbs of meat of your choice
1 can black beans (you can use any type of beans that you like)
1 can corn (creamed or regular)
2 cans Swansons organic chicken broth (really, any kind would work)
Other veggies as desired (mushrooms, onions, carrots, etc.)

I used a rice cooker on the "slow cook" setting, but one could use a crock pot or just a stock pot on the stove.

Cook pork according to package directions. Let cool and then chop into smaller pieces (it is already pretty shredded up). While the pork is cooling, start the rest of the soup.

Pour broth into cooking pot + 1 can water. Add corn & beans with their liquid contents into the broth (this also adds to the flavor). Add other veggies as desired (I didn't use anything else other than the corn & beans, but onions would have been a nice addition.)

The pork is very salty, as is the broth, so extra salt is not needed. However, you can add other spices as you like such as Italian spices or Mexican spices for a slightly different flavor.

After the mixture as simmered, add the pork, and then cook until desired temperature, or let simmer in the crock pot.

---------------

Macy Mexican Casserole

1 - 2 lbs ground beef
1 package taco seasoning
1 package fresh mushrooms or other veggies as desired (corn, bell peppers, green chili's, jalapenos, etc.)
1 package frozen chopped onions (or onion/pepper mix) or 1 fresh chopped onion
1 jar of salsa (or chopped fresh salsa)
rice (we use Jasmine rice, but anything will work)
shredded cheese  (Mexican blend is best, but regular cheddar or Monterrey Jack will work as well)

Cook rice according to package directions. While the rice is cooking, cook the ground beef and add taco seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Chop mushrooms and cook together with onions and other veggies.

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, combine the meat, veggies, and rise. Mix together well. Add salsa if desired, or serve on the side if not everyone likes salsa.

Top with cheese. Bake at 350 for 10 mins or until the cheese is melted. Serve with chips or tortillas on the side.