Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Anyone who knows my cooking and eating habits prior to 2005 probably won't believe that I made this, never mind enjoyed it!

Sour Cream Noodle Bake

Servings: 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ease of difficulty: Easy
Variations: I prefer ricotta and had it on hand so I used that instead of cottage cheese. I've also heard it's great with cream cheese.
Source: Pioneer Woman

1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces egg noodles
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup sliced onions
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown chuck in a large skillet. Drain fat, then add tomato sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir, then simmer while you prepare the other ingredients.

Cook egg noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Add plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add to noodles and stir. Add green onions and stir.

To assemble*, add half of the noodles to a baking dish. Top with half the meat mixture, then sprinkle on half the cheddar. Repeat with noodles, meat, cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until all cheese is melted.

* I choose to combine everything (rather than layer)
 

Slow-Cooker Shredded Beef Tacoes

I love tacoes.

Slow-Cooker Shredded Beef Tacoes
Servings: 4
Time: 4-6 hours
Ease of difficulty: Crock pot = easy
Variations: I completely omitted the pepper
Source: Gimme Some Oven

1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef (boneless chuck roast)
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Flour tortillas
Favorite taco toppings

Method:

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl.

Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. Once the oil is hot (it will shimmer a bit in the skillet), place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side.

Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Remove the beef from the slow cooker and shred with two forks. Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the slow cooker, and mix into the shredded beef.

Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.