Pimp My Fries

Matt's really gone and done it this time, folks. He tantalized me with his description of a plate of french fries crowned with taco meat, guacamole, onions, cheese and tomatoes. How could I resist such a thing of beauty?

I call them Frachos.

A 2-1/2 pound top round roast would normally require hours of cooking to achieve fork-shreddable tenderness, but not today! I sprinkled both sides with salt and pepper and plopped it into my trusty pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon sriracha sauce, 1/4 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander, 1/2 teaspoon each dried parsley and oregano and 2 cloves garlic, chopped and 1 cup of chicken broth (because I didn't have anything else; beef or vegetable broth would be more appropriate, and water would work just fine as well). After 30 minutes at full pressure I quickly released the steam and removed the meat to find a lovely fond at the bottom of my pot.

To the fond, I added 1 chopped jalapeno pepper (seeded and ribs removed), 1 28-ounce can tomato puree, 1 cup water, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon chili powder. That simmered for about 10 minutes.

The meat was chunked and doused with sauce before topping a plate of fresh-out-of-the-grease french fries. A generous covering of jalapeno-jack cheese sealed the deal.

I'm now unable to button my pants, but it's worth it.

One Pound of Ground Beef, Two Meals for Four

To continue the theme of budget-friendly meals, I made two meals that each use 1/2 pound of ground beef, as well as some pre-frozen ingredients I had on-hand.

On Sunday, I cooked a whole pound of ground beef seasoned simply with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and refrigerated the cooked meat in two equal portions. This was to facilitate quick-fix meals for Monday and Tuesday.

Obviously you need not make these meals two days in a row--you could freeze your pre-cooked ground beef, or simply portion your uncooked meat in half-pound packages. But however you do this, a little planning goes a long way toward making your grocery budget stretch.

Each paired with a side salad, these are complete, budget-friendly meals. Mr.W was happy with both, which is good news for anyone with a picky eater at home!

Meal One: Dinner Nachos

serves 4

About 10 small corn tortillas, cut into wedges and baked at 350*F or deep-fried to crisp, or about two handfuls corn chips

1/2 pound cooked ground beef

1/2 pound colby jack cheese, shredded

toppings as desired (I used salsa, guacamole and sour cream; in hindsight, I should have added some rinsed and drained canned black beans.)

Spread corn chips on a large rimmed cookie sheet that is lightly oiled. Sprinkle with ground beef and shredded cheese. Bake in a preheated 350*F oven until cheese is melted--about 8 minutes. Top as desired.

Meal Two: Penne Bolognese

serves 4

olive oil

about 10 baby-cut carrots, finely chopped

about 1/3 cup chopped onion (I often buy a jumbo-sized onion, chop and store in the freezer)

1 2-inch piece celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or as desired (optional)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup frozen baby spinach leaves (optional)

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 pound cooked ground beef

2 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce

2 cups warm water

1/2 pound penne pasta, cooked to al dente according to package directions

about 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

about 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute carrots, onion and celery in olive oil until onion is transparent and carrot is soft. Stir in red pepper; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add spinach, vinegar and ground beef. Stir and pour in spaghetti sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.

Add cooked pasta and remove from heat; toss to coat with sauce. Top with cheeses and serve.

Man Food: Lazy Man Nachos

Sometimes you just need some fast-food to put in front of a bunch of hungry men, and this is just one of those recipes.

Yesterday I had a birthday party to attend (for which I prepared the birthday cake and some stuffed mushrooms--photos coming on those soon), AND it was man-Sunday, so I had to be really creative. Time was at a premium.

I decided on lazy man nachos, since I could prep the ground meat the day before and just throw it together. After fifteen minutes in a 400*F oven, they were ready to go.

Fifteen minutes after that, they were gone.

Lazy Man Nachos

serves 6 hungry men

2-1/2 pounds ground beef (I used 85% lean ground round)

two packets taco seasoning mix or loose-mix taco seasoning

water (according to directions on taco seasoning)

1 can red kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed

salsa (optional)

4 cups shredded cheddar, monterey jack or 'taco blend' cheese

2 18-ounce bags corn chips

Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium heat; drain fat and add taco seasoning mix and water according to package directions.

This is the stuff I use.

The package directions were to use 2/3 cup water and 1/4 cup seasoning per pound of meat, so I doubled that.

Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes. Liquid should be significantly reduced.

At this point I packed up the cooked meat and refrigerated it for the next day, which made it super easy to throw together at the last minute.

Preheat oven to 400*F.

Now you'll need two large pans; disposable foil roasters from the dollar store are perfect for this use. Spray pans with canola spray and put one bag of chips in each. Sprinkle cooked ground beef evenly over both pans. Try to get even coverage.

Sprinkle drained beans over meat. I only used one can for both pans; you could, of course, add more if you like.

Now some people like salsa and others don't, so I dolloped our favorite salsa over one of the pans and left the other pan without.

Sprinkle two cups of shredded cheese over each pan; place in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve hot.

And there will be much rejoicing.

Now my brother brought in some bags of shredded lettuce/salad blend for those who wanted to make a taco salad out of the mixture; I think that was really a great idea. Along with condiments such as hot sauce, ranch dressing and extra salsa, this was a versatile dish to feed several hungry men without emptying the pocketbook.

While I would not recommend this as a meal in itself, it was a reasonably filling heavy snack for the fellas. Try it at your next party when it's cold outside. Your guests will love it.