Category Archives: Carnivorous Recipes

Much against my will, I occasionally will cook meat dishes because all my children now eat meat.

Individual Meatloaves with Mashers

Individual Meatloaves with Mashers

1 lb Ground Beef or Yves Just Like Ground Round
1/3 c Dry Breadcrumbs
1 /3 c Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Egg, beaten
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Dried Parsley
1/4 c Ketchup
1 tsp Djon Mustard

6 slices Bacon, uncooked

Preheat oven to 350F
In large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, egg, salt and parsley.
In a small bowl combine the ketchup and mustard; set aside.
Coat the 6 wells in a Texas Muffin Tin with vegetable oil spray.
Line the side of each well with one slice of bacon.
Evenly divide the meat mixture between the 6 portions, pressing in firmly.
Top each meatloaf with the ketchup mixture.
Bake in AirFryer for 25 – 30 minutes, rotating pan after  13 minutes.

While Meatloaves are cooking, make mashed potatoes using 6 medium-large potatoes.
Once cooked to desired doneness; drain off water (save for another use if preferred) add about 1/4 cup of butter, S&P and milk to taste and to attain desired consistency.

When Meatloaves come out of oven, top each one with an ice cream scoop of the mashers or pipe a rosette of mashers.
Sprinkle with a bit of shredded Cheddar, chopped Green Onion and Bacon Bits.

  • You can sub in Yves Just Like Ground Round, omit bacon rashers in Muffin Tin.

Mexican Skillet

The young grandsons always went on and on about Nana’s Mexican Skillet so I had to have a look at what all the fuss was about?
Meh, it’s pretty good. Like all recipes, you bring your own heart and soul into the recipe. The recipe found its way into our rotation when the kids are visiting.

Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet

1/2 Onion, diced
1 pound Ground Beef or 1 pkg Yves Just Like Ground Round
1/4 cup Taco Seasoning (I use my own Seasoning Mix)
14 oz canned Tomatoes, diced
1 cup canned Corn Niblets or fresh Corn on the Cob, niblets removed from cob
3/4 cup Long Grain White Rice, uncooked
2 cups Beef Broth (Water and 1 McCormick’s Beef Flavoured Cube)
1 1/2 cups Colby Jack Cheese, shredded (or a combo of shredded cheddar and mozza)

Taco Toppings:

Sour Cream
Diced Avocado
Sliced Black Olives
Chopped Cilantro
Salsa
Sliced Green Onion

Cook onion in a large skillet over medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add ground beef, using a wooden spoon to break up and crumble.
Cook until no longer pink; drain and discard fat.
Return skillet to the heat.
Add taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, corn kernels, rice and beef broth; stir until combined.
Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cover; cook for 25 = 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Give a final stir, top with shredded cheese; cover and cook on low for about 3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Top with Toppings of your choice.

Serves 4 – 6

Pulled Pork Tamale Pie

I make Pulled Pork quite often and end up with tonnes of left over Pulled Pork; there are only so many Pulled Pork Sandwiches Luke can consume! I was delighted when this recipe for Easy as Tamale Pie from Kitchen Meets Girl came through Ay Sontespli’s Kitchen !
I used to make a Tamale Pie from a recipe that I found in one of those Canadian Living Mini Cookbooks that, for a limited time, you used to be able to get when you filled up at Petro Can…I have long since lost the cookbook, to my dismay;  I have tried a few times to make Tamale Pie from memory which meh, sort of worked?  Anyway, I do think my problem has been solved with the discovery of this recipe.

Pulled Pork Tamale Pie
Pulled Pork Tamale Pie

3 ounces Butter, melted
1 cup Cornmeal
3/4 cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk*

1 (440ml) can Tomato Sauce
1 Tablespoon Epicure’s Poco Picante Salsa  Mix
1 1/2 teaspoons each: Oregano, Basil, Parsley
1 teaspoon ground Cumin

2 cups shredded pork
1 Tablespoon Epicure’s Poco Picante Salsa Mix

1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese or Tex Mex Cheese
Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Green Onions

Preheat oven to 400F.
Lightly grease a 9″x9″ pan; set aside.
In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
In another bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk and melted butter.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, the batter may be lumpy.
Pour batter into prepared baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes.

While cornbread is baking, combine tomato sauce, Epicure’s Poco Picante Mix, oregano, basil, parsley and cumin together in a small bowl or large measuring cup; set aside.
In another small mixing bowl combine shredded pork with Epicure’s Poco Picante Mix; set aside.

Remove cornbread from oven after 20 minutes; it won’t be quite set in the centre….that’s okay.
With a fork, poke holes all over the top of the cornbread.
Pour tomato sauce mixture over crust.
Evenly spread shredded pork over tomato sauce topped crust.
Top with shredded cheese; cover with foil and return to oven for an additionally 20 – 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and cornbread is cooked through. (test by inserting clean knife in the middle, it should come out without goopy cornmeal on the end of the knife)
Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Remove from oven, top with chopped cilantro or chopped green onions and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Serve with Tossed Green Salad, Guacamole and Sour Cream

* if you don’t have Buttermilk on hand, pour 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice into a measuring cup then add enough milk to measure 1 1/2 cups; let sit for 10 minutes.

Serves 6

Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef

Alright so you made that roast beef, loads of mashed potatoes and now you have heaps of leftovers, right? I offer you a wonderful solution:Paula Deen’s Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef found over at Food.com. I made a few changes…as I am known to do, so I have listed how I made it. My husband was thrilled that I even presented him with a lil serving of Ketchup to go with his portion. This Shepherd Pie reminded me of an Aussie Meat Pie which also begs for a good dollop of Ketchup.

This Shepherd Pie is different from all the ones I have seen; it uses mashed potatoes for the “crust” and has a biscuit topping! I don’t EVER purchase Bisquick Baking Mix but a few years ago I realized that someone MUST have posted home made versions of the stuff; I was right. I make up a batch of biscuit mix now and again and keep it in the fridge for when I am feeling particularly lazy and don’t want to make ’em from scratch.

I poured the goopy Biscuit dough on top of the meat filling as directed in the recipe but my son Ryan said next time I should scoop it on in mounds. I think he might be on to something with that suggestion.

Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef
Shepherd Pie with Leftover Roast Beef, Mashed Potato Crust and Biscuit Topping

1 Onion, chopped
3 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 pounds Leftover Roast Beef, cubed
3/4 cup Gravy (use leftover Gravy if you have it; if not, stir 1 Tablespoon Gravy Mix into 3/4 cup cold water, whisk until no lumps remain)
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper
3 cups Mashed Potatoes, leftover
1 cup Frozen Sweet Peas
1/2 cup diced Carrots
1 – 1 1/2 cups Milk
2 cups Biscuit Mix
4 Tablespoons Butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly spray a 9x9inch square pan with vegetable oil spray.
Beef Layer:
In a large skillet over med-high heat sauté onion in olive oil.
Add minced garlic and continue sautéing for another couple of minutes.
Add beef, stir well.
Add gravy and heat to boiling; cook for 1 – 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat.
Add worcestershire sauce,  salt and pepper; set aside.
“Crust”:
Layer mashed potatoes halfway up the sides of prepared baking dish.
Spread beef mixture over mashed potatoes.
Next, add frozen sweet peas and diced carrots.
Biscuit Topping:
Combine biscuit topping mix with enough milk to make a goopy dough.
Scoop biscuit dough and drop in mounds onto vegetable layer.
Brush with melted butter.
Bake in preheated 350F oven for 35 – 45 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Let stand a few minutes before serving.

Serve 4 – 6