Try Something New

A few days ago I tried something new for supper. It was one of those days when you need a quick meal and I just happened to have all the necessary ingredients laying around. I tried a Knorr packaged mix from a nice friend from New Zealand. It was for Greek Style Pita Filling. The package called for ground Lamb....would that be lamburger???? I wonder..... This was the only substitution I did knowing that others more picky than myself would complain if I used lamb (which incidentally I love). It turned out great! I really liked it and in fact I can tell that it would be really really good with the lamb. Yummy and quick and two thumbs up. If you have the chance to try it out....give it a try. BTW thank you Alison!

Today is another such rushed supper and I am making a super quick kid friendly recipe that was sent to me in a recipe postcard swap. It has already passed the test in this house so it was a safe bet and used things I just happened to have on hand. With the exception of taco seasoning mix.
Here is the recipe for a Quick Taco Bake if you would like to try it.





Taco Bake

Makes 6 (1 cup) servings



1 pkg (14oz) Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 pkg (1-1/4 oz) Taco Seasoning
3/4 cup Sour Cream
1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar, divided
1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 400F. Prepare macaroni dinner as directed on package. While noodles are cooking, brown meat and drain fat away. Add seasoning mix and water to meat and simmer 5 more minutes. Stir sour cream into already prepared macaroni and cheese. Spoon 1/2 of the macaroni and cheese into a 8 inch baking dish: top with ground meat, 1 cup of the cheese and top with the remaining 1/2 of the macaroni and cheese. Cover with lid or foil and bake in oven for 15 minutes. Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Should you find yourself without a packet of Taco Season Mix, this recipe will work just fine.....and is probably cheaper:)



Taco Seasoning Mix


1/4 cup dried minced onion
2 T paprika
2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 T salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2T cornstarch
1 T granular garlic
1 tsp cumin

Mix all together. 2 tablespoons are equal to one packet of taco seasoning mix. Keep the rest in a sealed container for another use. This recipe makes enough to equal 6 packets. I just happen to keep dried minced onion in my cupboard which may be unusual....I'm not sure if other people do. I bought it one year when I was making dip mixes for Christmas presents and have found it useful in the times that I have run out of onions. You can get in here in the East Indian spice section in fairly large bags. Maybe there's a cup and a half in a bag and it's cheap and handy to have around. Now, I always keep some in the cupboard just in case. You could substitute onion powder if you don't have minced onion but you'd want to check the conversion amount on the Internet first.