BBQ Frito Pie

Today my job consists of creating recipes that include my KC Masterpiece Original BBQ Beans.  I originally created these beans as a side dish so I’ve had to be a bit creative to fit them into a center-plate meal.  The goal is to get these into a circular for Walmart so the recipes need to have simple ingredients, be cost-friendly, and easy for the home cook to prepare on a weeknight.  My first idea is a BBQ version of Frito pie.  I’m very impressed with how well this turned out and will be adding this recipe to our weeknight repertoire.  It took me 30 minutes from start to first bite so that’s always a plus for me on a busy weeknight.  It has a sweet BBQ flavor that is kid-friendly plus, hey, you can even sneak a few beans into the mix.  The Frito topping gives this casserole a really nice salty crunch that rounds out the sweetness.  I hope you enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings         Prep Time: 15 minutes         Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 1 (16oz) can KC Masterpiece BBQ Beans
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
• 2 cups Fritos corn chips, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Brown ground beef with onions in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  Drain fat and return to skillet.
3. Stir in KC Masterpiece beans, brown sugar, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, and mustard over low heat until ingredients are combined.
4. Add beef/bean mixture to a casserole dish.  Top with crushed Frito chips and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

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Beef Noodle Soup (Freezer-Friendly)

It’s 1 degree today in MN, but with the windchill it feels like -18F.  Brr!!!!!  When the weather is this frigid, I can’t help but think of my mom.  I remember getting off the bus in grade school on a day like this.  I would run as fast as I could into the house to get out of the cold while being careful enough not to biff it on the icy driveway.  As soon as I got inside I could smell the soup.  It was so warm and inviting just like my mom!  She would snuggle me up in a big blanket and feed me this soup with buttered saltine crackers.  It’s not fancy, but it’s comfort and it reminds me of home.  Stay warm people, eat your soup, and call your mother!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. coarse kosher salt
• 1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless beef roast or stew meat, cut in bite-size cubes
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 5 1/4 cups homemade chicken stock or store-bought reduced-sodium broth
• 3 cups water
• 1 (16oz) package baby carrots
• 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups egg noodles
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Season cubed beef with salt and pepper.  Add beef to pot and brown on all sides.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add onions cooking for about 5 minutes until they are softened but not burned.
3. Add flour to beef/onion mixture and stir to coat for about a minute.
4. Slowly add chicken stock and water.  Scrape up any browned bits from the pan and stir until slightly thickened and raw flour taste is gone.
5. Add carrots and potatoes.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
6. Remove from heat and allow to cool in an uncovered shallow container.  Once cooled, transfer to freezer-proof container.
7. Remove from freezer the night before cooking.  Place mixture in slow cooker and heat on low for 6-8 hours.  One hour before serving add egg noodles and parsley.

Note: Soup will keep frozen for 2 months.