Easy Meat and Cheese Meals

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

12 May 2009 08:37 PM

No, I'm not featuring my favorite cheeseburger recipes. Too boring. Rather, the following recipes illustrate how easy it is to come up with unique ways to combine meat and cheese in kid-friendly dishes. Not only are these recipes delicious, but they are a cinch to prepare, and won't put a major dent in your wallet:

MACARONI AND CHEESE PIZZA

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked corkscrew macaroni

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed

1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 medium tomato, thinly sliced

1 green pepper, sliced into rings

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain well and place in bowl.

Combine eggs and milk stir into cooked macaroni. Stir in Cheddar Cheese and onion; mix well. Spread macaroni mixture evenly over a well-buttered 14-inch pizza pan.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute ground beef until browned; drain fat.

Stir in tomato sauce, basil, oregano and garlic salt.

Spoon meat mixture over baked macaroni crust.

Arrange tomato slices and pepper rings over.

Sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese.

Bake about 15 minutes more or until cheese is bubbly.

SAUSAGE AND CHEESE STRATA

Ingredients:

12 slices firm white bread, cubed

8 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed

4 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, cubed

8 ounces Polish sausage

1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

6 eggs

2 cups milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Directions:

Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

Place half the cubed bread in a dish. Cover with the cheese, meat, and mushrooms. Top with remaining cubed bread.

Beat eggs with milk and seasonings. Pour over bread, making sure to coat all of the cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove strata from refrigerator.

Bake for one hour or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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