Empanadas

I am really trying to be good about using up things in the fridge, and it's actually kind of fun to have things we don't normally eat. We had some left over ground beef from burgers the other night, and some pie crusts from a baking experiment I had done. Voila: easy empanadas.




Preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Prepare ground beef with taco seasoning, according to package. I added about 1/3 cup of chopped red onion.


Cut prepared pie crusts into 12 rounds (6 from each crust - most packages have two). Spoon a heaping portion of meat onto each round.



Cover with a second round. Use the tines of a fork to seal around the edges and poke holes in the top to release steam.





Bake for 20 minutes and serve with black beans, salsa and sour cream. Enjoy!

Corn Cake Fiesta

DH named this one and I guess it fits. It's a spin on traditional tacos and we both enjoyed it.

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 pkg taco seasoning mix

2/3 cup water

1 pkg corn muffin mix

1 egg

2 tbsp melted butter or shortening

3/4 cup water

1 can black beans

1/3 cup medium salsa

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1/2 lime, sliced

1/3 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

In a medium bowl, combine corn muffin mix, melted butter, egg and 3/4 cup water. Set aside.

In a small pot, combine drained black beans and salsa. Leave on low while preparing remainder of meal.

Saute ground beef or turkey in a hot skillet, until cooked through. Drain fat. Add taco seasoning mix and 2/3 cup water. Let simmer.

Heat a griddle or pan and spray with nonstick butter spray. Ladle corn mixture onto hot skillet as you would pancake batter (2-3 per pan). Allow to cook to golden on one side and flip. As they finish arrange on a platter, until all are completed.

Spoon black beans over corn cakes. Spread taco meat over black beans. Sprinkle cheese on top. Put sour cream in a plastic bag, snip the corner and pipe over cheese. Garnish with red onion and limes.

Bourbon Cheeseburgers

There's nothing better than a burger on the grill. If you make your own burger patties, try this recipe for added kick.

1 lb ground beef

1/4 red onion, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2-3 white mushroom, minced

1/4 cup bell peppers, minced

2 tbsp bourbon

montreal steak seasoning

pepperjack cheese

burger rolls

Combine all ingredients and form into burger patties. Grill to the desired temperature. Melt pepperjack cheese on each patty and remove from grill. Serve with favorite condiments.