Cheesy Italian Beef Bake

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 jar chunky garden style tomato pasta sauce
1 package cream cheese - softened
1/3 cup sour cream
2 cups original Bisquick mix
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375 F.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet then drain. Return the ground beef to the skillet and stir in the pasta sauce.

Mix the sour cream, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp of the Italian seasoning in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour half of the beef mixture into a greased, 9 X 13 baking dish. Then spread an even layer of the cheese mixture onto the beef and add the remaining ground beef.

Stir 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the Bisquick mix and milk in a bowl until well blended. Pour over the final layer of ground beef.

Bake uncovered at 350 F for approx. 30 minutes or until the Bisquick is a light golden brown. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning and salt/pepper to taste. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Taco Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
1 chopped onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 jar salsa
Canned crescent rolls

Corn chips
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups sour cream

Heat oven to 350 F.

Brown the ground beef and onions. Stir in the taco mix and salsa. Mix well.

Press crescent rolls in bottom and up sides of a 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle broken corn chips on top. Spread ground beef mixture on top.

Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread with a layer of sour cream and top with the cheese.

Bake for 15 more minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly!

Beef, Tomato and Bow Tie Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups cooked bow tie pasta
4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef along with the garlic in a large skillet. Drain.

Continue to cook over medium heat while stirring in the tomatoes, salt and pepper;
stirring occasionally. Add pasta, toss and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Stuffed French Bread

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 loaf French bread
1 package taco seasoning
1 can nacho cheese soup
2 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 350 F.

Brown the ground beef and drain the fat.

Cut off the top of the French bread to form a tunnel and pull the bread out of the middle. (Save the bread top as you'll need it later).

Return the ground beef to the skillet and stir in the taco seasoning, nacho cheese soup and crumbled bread that was pulled from the loaf. Pour this mixture into the shell of the bread loaf and cover it with the cheese. Place the bread top back onto the loaf and wrap it in aluminum foil.

Bake at 350 F for approx 15-20 minutes. Let it stand for a few minutes, then slice into individual servings.

How exactly should you deal with your butcher?

Here are 10 quick tips:

1. It's a matter of trust
2. Be prepared
3. Learn your cuts
4. Know portion sizes
5. Looks can be deceiving
6. Grades aren't everything
7. Freshness? Ask the right questions
8. Get beyond labels
9. What your meat ate
10. The joys of ground meat

To find out more about these tips, click here.

Cheesy Beef and Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef
1 chopped onion
5-6 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 lb. of your favorite noodles, cooked and drained (small noodles work best)
1 lb. grated cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. oil

Heat oven to 350 F.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion. Cook
until the onions are golden brown then add the ground beef.

Once the meat is cooked through, add the spaghetti sauce and salt to taste.

Simmer until it's heated throughout.

In a 3 quart casserole dish, layer the sauce, noodles and cheese. (You can do as many layers as you want, just start with the sauce and end with the cheese.)

Bake at 350 F for approx 45 minutes. The cheese should be nice and crispy!

6-8 Kaiser Rolls (toasted)
2 LBS. ground beef (80-20 blend)
1 PKG. Thick Cut Bacon
4 OZ. Crumbled Bleu Cheese
Coarsely Ground Black Pepper (You'll need a lot!)

Shape Ground Beef into 6-8 patties. The thicker the better! Coat each side with ground pepper. EAT BACON! You need enough to make a nice crust when grilling. If you're not a SALLY and you like it hot, add more pepper!

Set up your grill for INDIRECT cooking and pre-heat the coals. EAT BACON! You need them nice and hot to get a nice sear and to form the pepper crust! Cook on the HOT side for 3 to 5 minutes on first side. Flip burgers and grill another 3 to 5 minutes. Move burgers over to the indirect heat side of the grill. Add bacon and top with about a teaspoon of bleu cheese (if you like it rich, you can add more). Cover grill until cheese softens. Toast the rolls and EAT!

You can serve these with lettuce and tomato if you want, but they are DAMN GOOD just the way they are!

No, this isn't just some cleverly frosted cake with a drawing of a t-bone on it. It's actually made of meat... and potatoes... and gravy!

"The Black Widow," owner of the Black Widow Bakery no less, created this and documented the entire process for us.

Is it the only meat cake ever? Of course not. In fact, Martha Stewart made one. It's got vegetables in it. Sorry, but that just spoils the whole thing. So don't send us any stupid email. We just like this one the best. Deal with it.

Check out the meat cake extravaganza here.