Finding an easy to make, tasty ‘go to’ meal that is as good
the first day as the third day and can be frozen and then heated again isn’t
the simplest thing to do. But I have come up with a few that fit that bill as
well as being high fiber, low fat and high protein!
Cowboy chili is one of them. My husband and boys love it
and so do I and I can get it into the oven in less than 10 minutes and have the
table set and salad made by the time it comes out all hot and bubbling with
cheesy goodness!
1 cup of beef/pork from your stash (haven’t made a stash?
Check out information below!)
1 can of chili beans (we like mild, but any of the
seasoning levels are fine)
1 can kidney beans or black beans, drained. I tend to go
with whichever I have on hand
½ cup SHARP cheddar cheese.
Mix the first three ingredients in a bowl and pour them
into an 8x8 casserole dish OR 6 individual ramekins. Sprinkle cheese over the
top and put in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven
and allow to sit for a moment or two. I sometimes stir in a heaping teaspoon of
sour cream into mine, but not always. Depends on the day.
If you plan on freezing, do so before cooking but it can be
frozen after cooking. I will also use it on low carb or high protein chips for
a nacho meal, put over a salad for a twist on taco salad or even scramble with
an egg for a nice kick to start the day.
So the stash….this is the true secret to quickly cooking so
many of the meals I make! Once a week,
for me it is usually a Saturday. Really depends if I have a long run that day
or not, sometimes it falls to Sunday. I take equal parts ground pork and ground
beef OR ground mild breakfast sausage and ground beef and cook them together,
being sure to mix and crumble well as I go. Then I let it sit for about 10
minutes and then I drain off all the fat I am able to do. Then I take two paper
towels, line a very fine colander/sieve and allow the meat to drain off more
fat into a bowl for about 30 more minutes. I sometimes get a ¼ cup of fat off
this way in addition to what the paper towel absorbs.
I don’t mind eating fat,
I think it is actually good for you, but I want to enjoy it…think avocado,
butter and whipped cream on a latte. Not extra fat in meat! Sure, you can do
JUST beef, but try it with ground pork or bulk sausage just once and I think
you’ll wonder why you ever just did beef before, too!
Then I store it in a container in the fridge. Makes pulling
off a meal SO simple! Think of all the times you have to make ground beef here
and there for recipes. Having it ready to roll is just SO wonderful. I can make
a single serving item and it’s a great way to not automatically have leftovers
when you don’t want them! It is a great way to make larger scale meals when you
do want leftovers. So win/win!
The stash is three things…this is one of them. The other
two will follow soon!
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