Taco Soup

1 1/2 lb ground beef, browned & drained	1 or 2 (14-oz) cans kidney beans w/juice
1 onion, chopped, cook with meat	1 - 2 Cups water
Add:	1 pkg taco seasoning mix
1 (28-oz) can diced tomatoes w/juice	salt & pepper to taste
1 (17-oz) can whole corn w/juice
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce

Simmer 15 minutes. Put tortilla chips in bowl, add soup, and top with sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese. Serve with extra chips.

Easy Taco Rolls

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.  It was a big hit with those of us who enjoyed it.

1/2 C cooked rice	1 1/2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 lb ground beef	8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1 pkg taco seasoning	2 C salsa
1 (15 oz) can corn	1 1/2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 C water

1.  Preheat oven to 450°.
2.  Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground beef.  Cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and evenly browned.  Drain and discard any excess grease.
3.   Reduce heat to medium, stir in the taco seasoning, corn, 1/2 cup water, 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, and the cooked rice.  Cook and stir until the cheese has melted and the corn is hot.  Spoon the mixture into the flour tortillas.  Roll into a tight cylinder, and pack into an 8x11-inch baking dish (it will be a tight squeeze).  Pour the salsa over top and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese.
4.  Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese topping has melted and is beginning to brown, about 10 min.

*After following the recipe as written, we think it would be good with more rice, brown rice, black beans or any of a number of possibilities.  May have to reduce the amount of beef and add extra water; or just make more tortillas for left overs (it tastes great the next day and I'll bet it will freeze nicely.  Serve it topped with diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sliced avocados, sliced olives.

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two p. 188

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck	1 Tbsp minced onion or shallot
2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats	3 Tbsp grated carrot
1 egg, beaten	1 tsp salt
1/3 cup ketchup	ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1. Place the ground beef, oats, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Using your hands or a large fork, mix gently but thoroughly, being careful not to compact the meat. shape the meat mixture into a mounded oval or round loaf, depending on the shape of your cooker.

2. Make a foil 'cradle' that will help you easily remove the meatloaf from the cooker when it is done. Tear a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil that is about 14 inches long. Fold in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise to make a strip about 3 inches wide. Place the foil strip into the crock. The edges of the foil will come up the sides of the crock; they don't need to come out the top. Center the meatloaf in the crock, on top of the strip. cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 5 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meatloaf reads 160 to 165 degrees.

***Personal note: I thought the meatloaf was not as good as my own recipe, but my daughter loved it. I think 2 eggs were need to hold it together better. Maybe a little mustard would have helped the flavor. I also added some dry oregano and basil.

Cowboy Potatoes

This is a yummy recipe that I got from my sister, Susan. Last year I couldn't find my copy of the recipe so I called Susan and asked her if she could read it to over the phone. She had no idea what I was talking about! She had never even heard of Idaho Potato Delight. As I describe it to her she did know what I was talking about but they call it Cowboy Potatoes. That name fits it better so I'm slowly working that name into my family's repertoire.

5 - 6 potatoes, baked	green onions, chopped
1 lb ground beef	mushrooms, sliced
1 pkg dry onion mix	cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 - 1/2 cup water	sour cream

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Meanwhile brown ground beed.
Add onion soup mix and water; let simmer. To serve: Split baked potato, top with hamburger, sour cream, onions, mushrooms and cheese.

Hamburger-Corn Bake

This recipe comes with a story. My first semester at BYU (summer of 1969) I signed up for a beginning mythology class. I knew nothing about Greek or Roman mythology so this seemed like a good class for me. The teacher told us that the main thing to know was that it was important to appease the gods and in this class he was the god. We could appease him by bringing treats; his favorite was cinnamon rolls. I thought he was teasing. He wasn't.

After our final exam we were going to have a potluck picnic. He told me I better bring a really good casserole because I did so poorly on the exam. "None of that tuna casserole stuff," he said. That's what I had planned on because I was a poor college student. So I hunted for another casserole recipe that I could afford. The teacher loved it and gave me an A- for a grade. I still don't know anything about mythology, but I do know it's important to appease the gods.

1 lb ground beef	1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 med onion, chopped	1 C sour cream
12-oz can corn	1 can cream of chicken soup
salt & pepper	3 C cooked noodles (6-oz)

Brown ground beef and onion; drain. stir in corn, soups, seasonings. add sour cream and noodles. Warm through.