Tag: ground beef

Beef Tamale Pie

While living this new normal life, my thoughts of cooking are changing. My once passion for cooking is turning into a thing I dread daily. I am getting tired of making a mess, I am over cleaning the kitchen constantly, and quite honestly, I am sick of my own cooking! On top of that, when I place my weekly grocery order, I find out that the store is out of many of the items I requested.

And while it is so easy to be petty, there is much to be thankful for, though. We have food in our freezer and plenty in the pantry. We have not lacked for food on the table and in our bellies. My family is still healthy. We do not battle the loneliness of isolation because we have each other. No matter how much I complain about being in the kitchen, I am oh so thankful!

I found a handwritten recipe from my Aunt Janis last week. I knew, without a doubt, it would be delicious coming from my aunt. This recipe for Beef Tamale Pie seemed simple enough, and I almost had all the ingredients. Since I had no chili mix in the house, I substituted taco seasoning, and it was terrific! I cooked everything in one skillet, so I had minimal cleanup, which is always a plus.

*Note:  My cousin, Regina, told me that she often puts chopped jalapeños in the corn meal mixture for a little extra zip!  Sounds great to me!  

Print Pin

Beef Tamale Pie

Course Main Course
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 medium green bell pepper chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 envelope chili mix
  • 1 (14.5-ounce can) petite diced tomatoes drained
  • 1 (15.25-ounce can) whole kernel corn drained
  • 1 cup self-rising yellow corn meal
  • 1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
  • water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400℉.
  • In a large skillet brown the beef, drain.
  • Add onions, bell pepper, salt, chili mix and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Stir in corn.
  • In a bowl mix corn meal, shredded cheese and enough water for spreading consistency.
  • Drop mixture by spoonfuls over beef mixture and slightly spread out.
  • Bake 20 minutes or until the cornmeal mixture has browned.
  • Serve warm with desired toppings.

Mama Maria’s Meatballs

Mama Maria's Meatballs

I am so excited to share this recipe. I can’t say I have been making anything keto for years but, this is one of the first recipes I tried that I have made over and over again.

This recipe comes from a great cookbook, Keto Restaurant Favorites by Maria Emmerich. I have tried a few recipes in this book, and they have been great.

These meatballs are not only delicious but super simple. I double this recipe every time. To simplify things I purchase marinara sauce rather than make homemade. Rao’s Homemade Sauce is our favorite low-carb marinara, and I can find it easily in my local stores.

Mama Maria's Meatballs
Print Pin

Mama Maria's Meatballs

Keto, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free
Course Main Course
Servings 8
Calories 449kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef
  • 1/4 c. chopped onions
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 lg. eggs
  • 1 c. grated Romano cheese plus additional for serving
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. Italian seasoning
  • 2 tsp. fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 c. mushrooms about 1 lb., finely chopped
  • 1 c. beef broth
  • 2 c. marinara
  • Fresh Basil for garnish

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350℉
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onions, garlic, eggs, Romano cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Add the mushrooms to the meat mixture.  Slowly stir in the broth, 1/2 cup at a time.  The mixture should be very moist but still able to hold its shape when rolled into meatballs.  Form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs.  Arrange the meatballs in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning occasionally, until evenly browned.
  • Serve with marinara.  Garnish with extra Romano cheese and fresh basil, if desired. 
  •  Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, please on a rimmed baking sheet in a preheated 350℉ oven for about 3 minutes.  

Notes

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 449; Fat: 34g; Protein: 29g; Carbs: 6g

Keto Vegetable Beef Soup

keto-vegetable-beef-soup

Before I started keto, it was nothing to bake a cake with 2 cups of butter and a pile of sugar and wheat flour. Or to load a baked sweet potato with butter and sugar. Many people think of keto as a bad thing. I guess they think you are sitting around eating sticks of butter, and bacon and sausage.

I read a lot of material before starting this diet. At first I did not think I could do it. When you hear that it is high fat and low carb and you were raised during the time that low fat was always preached you have to retrain your way to thinking entirely. It wasn’t until I had kept up with my macros for weeks that I figured out that I wasn’t adding a bunch of fat to my diet. What I was doing was controlling the carbs and protein in my diet. Pre-keto I did not keep up with the nutritional counts of my daily intake. I can honestly say that my days consisted of a pile of carbs, many calories and tons of fat though. After you have been eating very low sugar and carbs for months, it does not take a journal to figure out that a muffin, bowl or cereal, or toast with jelly for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and a taco salad for dinner is off the charts, even with no snacks. Throw in a sweet tea here or there, and you are on a carb and sugar overload!

Today I have a fabulous Vegetable Beef Soup for you. This soup is amazingly good, and it all started when I was cleaning out the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. I used turnip roots in place of the potatoes in most vegetable soups and zucchini instead of beans or peas. The bacon, which I almost did not add, was the key ingredient. The smoky taste that it added was a hit with my family!

 

keto-vegetable-beef-soup
Print Pin

Course Soup
Keyword ground beef, beef broth, bacon, carrots, zucchini, turnip roots
Servings 12
Calories 282kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon chopped and browned
  • 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup diced carrots
  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 29 ounces Green Pepper and Onion Diced Tomatoes
  • 2 medium zucchini seeds removed and diced
  • 1/2 cup diced turnip root
  • 32 ounces Beef Bone Broth
  • 2 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon Knorr Homestyle Chicken Stock concentrate

Instructions

  • Cook bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon.
  • Add onion and carrot to the bacon grease and cook until the vegetables start to soften,  
  • Add the ground beef to the skillet with the vegetables and cook until the beef is no longer pink.  
  • Pour the beef mixture from the skillet into a slow-cooker.  
  • Add the diced tomatoes, zucchini, turnip root, beef broth, tomato paste and chicken stock concentrate and stir to combine. 
  • Cover the slow-cooker and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 4 to 6 hours.  

Notes

12 Servings: 6 g. Net Carbs; 17 g. Fat; 25 g. Protein; 282 Calories

Keto Chili

 

I have been busy “ketoizing” some of my favorite recipes.  Mainly cold weather foods that my family enjoys.  There are a few that I am getting a little frustrated with, Beef Stew being one of them.  I have discovered an excellent potato substitute, but I just have not found the taste I’m looking for.

Chili is also one of our favorite meals.  There is nothing quite like curling up on the couch with a fire in the fireplace,  a hot bowl of chili, and your favorite movie.
 
I recently read about black soybeans and could not wait to try them!  It took me a while to find them, but I finally found them near my Mom’s house in Cumming, at Whole Foods. (Since making this I have found the black soybeans at Ingles in a neighboring town.)
 

The nutritional facts on a 1/2 cup of black soybeans is 8 grams of carbs and 7 grams of fiber — pretty awesome, making them have only 1 net gram of carbs.

Soybeans are high in protein and fiber, low in saturated fat and cholesterol, lactose-free, and a great source of omega-3 fatty acids.
I thought they were terrific and have plans to stock up on a few cans the next time I visit my mom.

3 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder was perfect for my family, but if you are cooking for people that don’t care for the heat and spice, you may want to add less.  I added diced avocado to my bowl, along with sour cream and cheese and it was fantastic!

 

Print Pin

Keto Chili

Course Main Course
Servings 8
Calories 392kcal
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 3 slices bacon diced
  • 2 lb. ground beef or ground venison
  • 1/2 c. diced celery
  • 1/2 c. diced yellow onion
  • 1 (14.5-oz.) can beef bone broth
  • 1 (10.5-oz.) can Chipotle Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • 3 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder or to taste
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. Swerve brown sugar
  • 1 (15-oz.) can black soy beans rinsed and drained

Instructions

  • Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towels, set aside.   
  • Add onion and celery to the pan and cook, stirring, until tender.  
  • Add beef and cook, breaking up, until cooked through.
  • Pour mixture into a slow cooker.  
  • Add broth, Rotel, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, Swerve brown sugar, and soy beans, stir to combine. 
  • Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.  
  • Serve topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and reserved bacon.

Notes

Beef:  
3.5 g carbs
20 g fat
43 g protein
392 calories
 
Ven ison:
3.5 g carbs
17 g fat
43 g protein
362 calories

Beef and Veggie No Nachos PLUS Keto Taco Seasoning Mix

 

beef and veggie no nachos

Mexican night is something I can always throw together. I keep all of the ingredients on hand and when I fail to plan dinner I can still have something on the table in very little time.

Sugar has thrown a wrench in many of my old recipes though.  Mexican night being one of them.  I always kept the little packets of taco seasoning in the cabinet as a standby. That is completely out now. It has sugar, and although it is a small amount, it is out!

I have made a homemade taco seasoning mix that is better than anything bought! I have added it to beef and chicken with great results.  I plan on using it in all of my recipes that have taco seasoning added, starting with a Mexican Chicken Soup tonight,

I recently made these tasty nachos using my new taco seasoning and they were delicious and filling. The nutrition content does not take into account for your toppings. Please add your shredded cheese, sour cream, and healthy avocado when figuring your macros.

keto taco seasoning mix
Print Pin

Keto Taco Seasoning

A wonderful homemade sugar free taco seasoning!
Cuisine Mexican
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. chipotle chili powder or regular chili powder
  • 1/4 c. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. Swerve granulated
  • 2 tsp. Dutch cocoa powder

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk to combine.  Store in an airtight container.  

Notes

1 serving = 1 tablespoon
Use 1 tablespoon per pound of meat.
Net Carbs = 1 g.
Fat = 1 g.
Protein = 1 g.
Calories = 13

 

Print

Beef and Veggie No Nachos

Course Keto, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword ground beef, zucchini, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, mushrooms
Servings 4
Author Amye Melton

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/4 c. water
  • 2 c. diced zucchini
  • 1 c. whole mushrooms
  • 1 c. diced green bell pepper
  • 1 c. diced red bell pepper
  • 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425℉.
  • Brown meat.  Add taco seasoning and water and stir to combine.  Boil for a few minutes, remove from heat and set aside.
  • Place diced vegetables on a large baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.
  • Place in preheated oven and roast, flipping the vegetables occasionally, until tender/crisp or desired doneness. 
  • Remove from oven.
  • To assemble:  Place 1/4 of the vegetables on a plate.  Top with 1/4 of the meat mixture.  Top with cheese, sour cream, and avocado.  
  • Serve.

Notes

Net Carbs = 6
Fat = 17
Protein = 34
Calories = 317