Mexican Meatball Stew

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Makes: 8 to 10 servings

Prep 10 mins Cook 6 hrs to 7 hrs  (low)

Mexican Meatball Stew

Ingredients

• 2 14 1/2ounce cansMexican-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 2 12 ounce packages frozen cooked Italian-style turkey meatballs, thawed (24 total)
• 1 15 ounce canblack beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14 ounce canseasoned chicken broth with roasted garlic
• 1 10 ounce packagefrozen whole kernel corn, thawed
• Fresh oregano (optional)

Directions

1. In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker, combine undrained tomatoes, meatballs, drained beans, broth, and corn.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. If desired, garnish each serving with oregano.

Nutrition Facts (Mexican Meatball Stew)

• Servings Per Recipe 8,
• cal. (kcal) 287,
• Fat, total (g) 13,
• chol. (mg) 37,
• sat. fat (g) 6,
• carb. (g) 30,
• Monosaturated fat (g) 0,
• Polyunsaturated fat (g) 0,
• fiber (g) 6,
• sugar (g) 3,
• pro. (g) 16,
• sodium (mg) 1134,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (yes, the same one from Olive Garden)

1 pound bulk Mild or Hot Italian sausage (I use Hot, always)
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (More to taste)
1 large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
6 potatoes, cut small
1 cup heavy cream (or 1 cup milk + 1-2 TBS. Cornstarch)
1-2 Cups Kale, chopped.

My changes - replace Kale with 1 box of frozen spinach; reduce chicken broth in half; add one chopped red pepper; add 1 tsp basil

Cook the Italian sausage in a stock pot over medium-high heat until crumbled, browned, and no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain, rinse (to remove excess oil) and set aside.
Saute the onions and garlic; cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Pour the chicken broth into the Dutch oven with onion mixture; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream, red pepper flakes, and the cooked sausage; heat through. Mix the Kale into the soup 5 minutes before serving.

This soup makes about 4-5 large bowls. It can be made vegetarian if you sub in Vegetarian Sausage Crumbles.

Shepherd's Pie

Photo by: Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Lisa Powell Bailey

Shepherd's Pie

This potato-topped shepherd’s pie gets extra flavor from the cheese and carrots that are added to the mashed potato crust. And you can take a shortcut with the crust because the recipe calls for frozen mashed potatoes.

Southern Living JULY 2008

• Yield: Makes 8 servings
• Cook time:40 Minutes
• Prep time:15 Minutes
• Stand:5 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground round
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 (8-oz.) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (14 1/2-oz.) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes

Preparation

1. Brown beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until meat crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove ground beef from skillet using a slotted spoon; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Reduce heat to medium.
2. Sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic in hot drippings over medium heat 10 to 11 minutes or until tender. Stir in ground beef, peas, and next 4 ingredients. Sprinkle flour over meat mixture. Increase heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, and vinegar, breaking up large tomato pieces with a spoon. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, 3 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish or pan. Spoon Cheese-and-Carrot Mashed Potatoes evenly over meat mixture, smoothing with back of spoon.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Note: To make ahead, prepare recipe as directed through Step 2. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until thoroughly heated, shielding with aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning.