Hero's Feast Hand Pies

Pie Filling

1 pound ground beef

6 slices thick cut bacon (this is just a minimum)

8 oz Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/2" cubes (You can use a bag of Simply Potatoes)

2 leeks, chopped (clean in salad spinner) (you can use any onions)

4 cloves garlic minced

2 teaspoons dried thyme

3 table spoons flour

2/3 cup low sodium beef broth

Salt & Pepper to taste

You can add any vegetables you like, I use carrots sometimes. Saute the carrots with the leeks and add a few minutes.

Instructions

Cook the ground beef in a large skillet.

Add the broth, thyme, salt and pepper and the flour after draining the ground beef. Cook stirring for 5 minutes to thicken broth. Remove to a mixing bowl and wipe out the skillet.

Fry the bacon in the large skillet. Keep some of the bacon fat in the skillet. Set the bacon aside and crumble into smaller pieces.

Cook the potato cubes in the large skillet in the bacon fat. Cook 7 minutes.

Remove potatoes to the mixing bowl.

Saute the leeks and garlic in a small skillet, 5 minutes. Add to the mixing bowl.

Assemble

Prepare a pie shell in a pie dish. I use the rolled pastry in the refrigerated section. 

Combine all of the above ingredients in the mixing bowl and add to the pie dish.

Top with the second pastry roll, cut to vent or make a lattice as you wish.

To make hand pies, I like philo dough, but it is pricy to buy. You could also make individual sized pot pies.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 375. Bake on middle rack 40 to 45 minutes.

Shortcut Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more if needed
1 1/2 pounds 85 percent lean ground beef
1 onion, diced small
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
2 fresh thyme sprigs or pinch dried thyme
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces frozen mixed peas and carrots
1 pound frozen mini or regular potato tots (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup shredded sharp yellow Cheddar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 

Heat a large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes, then add the oil. When you start to see wisps of smoke, crumble the ground beef evenly into the pan. Let the beef cook undisturbed until browned on one side, 3 minutes, then start breaking it up and turning it to brown any remaining pink spots, about 4 minutes more. Transfer the beef with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl; set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium and discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the onions, garlic and thyme, stir to combine and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the cooked beef, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs if using. Fold in the peas and carrots.

Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square casserole pan, and top with the potato tots and Cheddar. Bake until the potato tots are crisp and the meat layer is bubbling up the sides, 20 to 25 minutes.

Country Style Hash Browns

Ingredients

1 Package Ore-Ida® Shredded Hash Brown Potatoes
1/2 Cup Ore-Ida® Chopped Onions
1 Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Pepper Jack Cheese Shredded
1/3 Cup Roasted Red Peppers, chopped
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Tablespoons Butter Melted
Diced ham (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Coat 11x7 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together soup, sour cream and salt. Stir in Hash Browns, Onions, cheese and red peppers and diced ham until well mixed. Spoon evenly into baking dish.
In a medium bowl, mix together breadcrumbs and butter. Sprinkle evenly on top of Hash Brown mixture.

Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced green onion if desired.

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 cup red enchilada sauce 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut 1/2-inch-dice
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
• 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 1/2 cups reduced sodium canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 medium low-carb whole wheat flour tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory)
• 1 cup reduced-fat shredded Mexican cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped scallions, for garnish
• reduced-fat sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:
  
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place 1/4 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in large skillet. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant. Add cubed butternut, Rotel tomatoes, black beans, water,  cilantro, cumin and chili powder and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef or sweet Italian sausage

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 red bell pepper, chopped, about 1/2 cup

1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can ripe olives

2 tablespoons olive tapenade

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf basil, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or small clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces rigatoni, cooked and drained

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation

Sauté ground beef, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet until onion is tender and beef is lightly browned. Drain off excess fat; add tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, olive tapenade, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir well; stir in ziti or elbow macaroni and 1 cup of the cheese; transfer to a 2 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the remaining cup of cheese. 

Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

4 cooked chicken breasts, cubed

1 can fire roasted dices green chilies, drained

1 3 oz. package cream cheese

1 T milk

1/4 t ground cumin

12 corn tortillas

8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

1 can La Perefedera mild red enchilada sauce

1 can black beans

In a medium bowl stir together cream cheese, the 1 tablespoon milk, 1 T of the diced green chilies, and the cumin; add chicken. Stir until combined.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla near an edge; roll up. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.  Place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish.

Mix the remaining diced green chilies with the red enchilada sauce and black beans and pour over the tortillas.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remainder of the shredded cheese. Bake about 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

Buffalo Chicken Enchilladas

9 tortillas
3 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
1 cup 2% Mexican blend cheese, shredded
3 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Pour enchilada sauce in a bowl and begin by whisking in 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce. Set aside.

Add shredded chicken to a bowl with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Pour in about a 1/2 cup of enchilada/buffalo sauce mixture and mix thoroughly. Stir until mixture comes together.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/buffalo sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. Take each tortilla and fill it with a few heaping tablespoons of the chicken mixture. Roll each up and set it in the baking dish, seam side down. Pour another 1/2 cup or more of enchilada/buffalo sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining shredded cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Immediately after taking enchiladas out of the oven, add crumbled gorgonzola on top. Garnish with the green onions and cilantro and serve. Yield: 9 enchiladas.