Glorious Mess (Taco Salad)

This dish is basically taco salad on top of Fritos chips. I got it from my mom, but I'm not sure where she got it. I have speculated about the title a little bit. I think it sounds like a delicious mistake. Like maybe someone messed up something else and got this as a result and called it a "glorious mess" - don't quote me on that, I don't actually know. LOL.

Glorious Mess

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb. hamburger
1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can tomato sauce
squirt ketchup
squirt mustard
Fritos
lettuce, shredded
cheese, grated
onions, chopped
tomatoes, chopped
olives, sliced

Instructions:

1. Brown hamburger, remove excess liquid.
2. Add beans, soup, tomato sauce, ketchup, and mustard; cook until bubbly.
3. Serve over Fritos, top with remaining ingredients.

Estimated Calories: 748 per serving (servings size about 1/6th of meat mixture with chips and toppings)
Suggested sides: I actually don't serve anything with this, it usually fills us up all on its own!

Baked Pork Egg Rolls

Egg Rolls are traditionally fried, but after a very painful mishap (hot oil in my eyeball) I decided to try baking them, and they turned out delicious! The reason I recommend baking these egg rolls instead of frying is because this recipe calls for soy sauce and vinegar. The moisture from the soy sauce and vinegar will leak out of the egg roll - because it is impossible to seal the egg roll skin completely - and that moisture will cause the oil to splatter, and you will get a painful eyeball of hot oil (and yes, I was standing as far away as possible when that happened). So, I bake these egg rolls - which is also healthier.

Baked Pork Egg Rolls

Ingredients

16 oz. seasoned ground pork sausage
1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
1/2 carrots, grated
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. ginger
1/4 cup sesame seeds
flour
1 package Egg Roll skins

Instructions:

1. Shred cabbage, grate carrots, and slice celery. Cook in boiling water until tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, brown sausage and drain.
3. Combine sausage, vegetables, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and sesame seeds.
4. Mix water and flour together to make a paste.
5. Use fingers to spread paste along edges of egg roll skins.
6. Place large spoonful of mixture into middle of egg roll skins,

bring two opposite corners together,

pull one more corner into the middle,

roll.

7. Bake in oven at 400° for 12 minutes.

Estimated calories: 146 calories per egg roll
Suggested sides: rice, cooked vegetables

Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes

One night I didn't want to make what I was planning on making. I looked at what else I had: frozen meatballs, potatoes, and a packet of gravy. I thought, "that sounds warm and comforting." It's fast, easy, and delicious. Perfect for those nights where you don't want to spend a lot of energy in the kitchen.

Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 package of frozen meatballs (I like Great Value Homestyle)
4 cups beef bouillon
Potatoes (roughly 1 per person)
1 package Brown Gravy

Instructions:

1. Peel and chop potatoes, place them in a pot with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare beef bouillon according to package directions, add meatballs. Boil until warmed and soft.
3.When potatoes are done add 1/2 Tbsp of butter per potato and pour a little bit of milk. Mash with a potato masher.
4. Prepare gravy according to package directions.
5. Serve all together.

Estimated calories (4 meatballs): 308 calories
Suggested sides: cooked vegetables, fruit salad