Cattle Work and Lunch

This has been the season for cattle work as the calves and their mamas find new pastures with fresh green grass. As the ranchers, my husband and daughter, spend their days in the pens, I prepare lunch with beef from our ranch. Here are two favorite recipes made with ground beef.

Ground beef is so easy to prepare in a variety of ways, and I usually request a big portion of a beef carcass be ground and packaged into 2-pound packages for our use. Recipes often call for 1 pound of ground beef; I use a 2-pound package after removing enough for 2-3 patties that I freeze for later use. Ground beef, often called Hamburger, has been associated with less expensive budget meals and perhaps a less tender or tasty cut, but we have it made 90/10, so there is very little fat to drain. The origin in the hamburger is not very clear, but the prevailing version is that at the end of the 1800's, European emigrants reached America on the ships of the Hamburg Lines and were served meat patties quickly cooked on the grill  and placed between two pieces of bread.

Mexican Cornbread                                                         

1 ¾ ground beef

1 onion, chopped

Brown in skillet. Add hot sauce or picante sauce to taste.

1 (Jiffy or Martha White) cornbread mix

Ingredients to make mix (egg and milk)

Mix as if making cornbread and add
1 can creamed corn

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

To assemble: Put ½ of cornbread mixture in bottom of oiled iron skillet (must be oven-proof). Add ground beef mixture. Add cheese. Add remaining cornbread mixture. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Mixture should appear set, not runny. Serve with picante sauce and/or sour cream.  

Cavatina

This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks - Essence of Kansas, Taste 1. The Kansas 4-H Foundation did a series of 3 cookbooks several years ago. It is fun to use the recipes and see where they came from. This one was submitted by a Greenwood County 4-Her, who is now a 4-H mom herself! 

8 oz curly noodles

2 pounds ground beef

16 oz spaghetti sauce

8 oz tomato sauce

1 (4 oz) can mushrooms

2 oz pepperoni, chopped

4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cook noodles using package directions. Cook ground beef in skillet until brown and crumbly; drain. Add spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, mushrooms and pepperoni. Heat until well mixed. Mix with noodles in large casserole dish. Top with cheese. Bake at 350° F. for 20 minute or until cheese melts.