Shepherd's Pie with Red Bell Peppers

Shepherd's Pie with Red Bell Peppers
by Michelle Jones, Founder @BetterBudgeting

Category: Recipes, Frugal, Dinner, Beef
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

I've been making variations of this frugal dinner for my family for more than 20 years, it's just that GOOD! Though traditionally made with lamb, we prefer ground beef, and, HOMEMADE mashed potatoes. This yummy dinner is easy on the budget and easy to make, it just requires a bit of time. If you wash dishes and clean up as you go, that will help!

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground chuck (or ground turkey)
Olive oil
Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 large Vidailia sweet onion, chopped
1 each of red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, chopped in large chunks
Brown gravy mix (enough for 2 cups of gravy)
6 med-large potatoes, cut into quarters, boiled and drained
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper
Milk
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

In large skillet, brown ground beef and drain. While browning ground beef, in 2 separate pans with a drizzle of olive oil, saute sliced mushrooms in one, and the onions and bell peppers together in the other.

When ready, stir the mushrooms into cooked and drained ground beef (NOT yet on the peppers, let them continue to simmer on low heat). Next, to the ground beef mixture, add brown gravy mix with 2 cups water (or as directed on pkg.). Heat until gravy is thickened, then simmer while preparing mashed potatoes.

How to Make Homemade Mashed Potatoes...

When potatoes become fork tender, drain and place into mixing bowl while still hot.

Mix on med-high speed until fluffy.

Add 2 T. butter and salt/pepper as desired. Add a splash of milk and continue mixing until potatoes are smooth.

In a 10x13-inch baking dish, layer beef mixture, then the sauteed onions and bell peppers.

Spread mashed potatoes over veggies evenly, gently drag fork over potatoes if desired, then top with shredded cheese. Bake for 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Michelle

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Holiday Brunch Casserole

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Holiday Brunch Casserole

Here is a casserole that my sister made and I love it. It's a great meal for work potlucks. I have to make 2 - 9x13 dishes of it because my co-workers gobble it down. See the optional changes at the bottom of the page. It tastes really good with the green chilies.

Ingredients:

1 pound bacon
1 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 pinch dried parsley
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. In a separate skillet, melt the butter and fry onions and mushrooms until tender. Place potatoes in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt, garlic salt, and pepper. Top with bacon, then onions and mushrooms. In a large bowl, beat eggs with milk and parsley. Pour over casserole. Top with grated cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until set. If preparing and baking the same day, cook for 45 minutes.

Optional ingredients:

Diced can of green chili (TASTES GREAT WITH IT!)
I only use 1/2 an onion
Bacon substitutes--sausage (tastes great with sausage, easier than bacon), shrimp

Submitted by Christine Duval

Crescent Quiche with Ham and Turkey

Crescent Quiche
by Reader Recipes @BetterBudgeting

Category: Recipes, Frugal
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 - 6 servings

In my endless search for a good casserole this one turned out quite delicious, easy to prepare, and economical.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 roll tube of crescent rolls

Any type of lunch meat, approx. 1/2 lb (I used sliced ham and turkey)
1 cup shredded cheese (any type you like, divided into 3rds)
1/4 cup each of banana peppers and bread & butter pickle slices
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. dried italian seasoning
1 tsp. dried dill
1/4 tsp. salt
 

Directions:

You will need an 8x8-inch pan. First, open crescent rolls and separate in half, keeping triangles together press half of dough into bottom of your pan. Then sprinkle 1/3 of shredded cheese over dough, then begin layering your lunch meats, evenly spread banana peppers and pickles & sprinkle another 1/3 of cheese. In a bowl whisk eggs, milk and spices, then pour 1/2 of the mixture over casserole, place the other half of dough on top. Pour the remaining egg mixture on top, then sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese.

Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil, increase heat to 375 and bake an additional 20 minutes. If center is still 'liquidy', place foil back on and bake an additional 5-7 minutes. Cool slightly and serve with a green salad.

Submitted by Gina Siska

Get more recipes at www.FrugalFamilyRecipes.com and your free subscription to our money saving newsletter, Living a Better Life®, at www.BetterBudgeting.com

Shepherd's Pie - Ground Turkey, Dried Onions

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Shepherd's Pie

Here is my recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey, browned
Onion (I use dehydrated onion so my kids will not see it and I don't have to chop it)
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables, thawed in the microwave
Mashed potatoes, instant works just fine
Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown the meat with onion and place in the bottom of a casserole dish. Layer the vegetables and then the mashed potatoes. Top with cheddar cheese and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.

It's not the real thing but my four kids eat their vegetables this way.

Submitted by Jodi Hale
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Get More Recipes and Money Saving Tips at http://www.betterbudgeting.com/

Print Grocery Coupons at http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/

Editor's Recipe: Shepherd's Pie - Steak, Country Gravy

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Shepherd's Pie

I was reading the recipes you have for Shepherd's Pie (view Michelle's recipe at 21 Shepherd's Pie Recipes), my wife used to make it and I wanted to make sure I remembered the directions. I thought I'd send you our version since I didn't see it listed. We use steak, usually tri-tip (or triangle steak for those outside of California) and instead of the brown gravy use white peppered country gravy.

Ingredients:

Tri-tip steak
Onion, chopped
White country gravy
Can of corn
Mashed potatoes
Shredded cheese

Directions:

Brown the tri-tip with chopped onions. Place mixture in casserole dish. Add and mix in the gravy and a can of corn (drained). Top with mashed potatoes. Cook at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese and bake another 5-10 minutes, or until cheese melts and starts to brown. Can also broil to give the top a nice color for the last 5 minutes instead (only with a top broiler...and WATCH closely so as not to burn the cheese and ruin the flavors).

I fell in LOVE with this version after the first bite....enjoy! =)

Submitted by Josh Donovan
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Get More Recipes and Money Saving Tips at http://www.betterbudgeting.com/

Print Grocery Coupons at http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/

Shepherd's Pie - 4 Ingredients

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Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb. hamburger meat
6 medium potatoes
3/4 milk
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown and drain hamburger meat. Boil potatoes until tender. Drain. Add 3/4 cup of milk. Mash until smooth. Layer three ingredients in 2 qt. casserole dish. First hamburger, then mashed potatoes and finally shredded cheese. Bake in over at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese melts.

Submitted by Lisa Clewis
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Get More Recipes and Money Saving Tips at http://www.betterbudgeting.com/

Print Grocery Coupons at http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/

Shepherd's Pie - Sausage and Frozen Veggies

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Shepherd's Pie

Here is my version of Shepherd's Pie. I kind of made this one up myself.

Ingredients:

1 lb of Jimmy Dean Hot Sausage (or use ½ sausage and ½ ground beef)
1 pkg. frozen peas, carrots, onions (or any combination of veggies you like)
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 pkg. instant potatoes
Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown sausage and beef, drain. Add frozen veggies. Make gravy and add to beef and veggies. Simmer. Make instant potatoes. In casserole dish put in sausage and beef mixture. Smooth potatoes on top of meat. Add cheddar cheese and bake at 350 for 15 mins.

Submitted by Sheri Duncan
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Get More Recipes and Money Saving Tips at http://www.betterbudgeting.com/

Print Grocery Coupons at http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/

Ham and Potato Casserole

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Ham and Potato Casserole

1 pkg of diced ham ($2.25 at Wal Mart in Louisiana)
1 pkg shredded cheese (2/$3.00 again at Wal Mart) Use your favorite type of cheese
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup, even cream of chicken works well
1 pkg of frozen hash browns

Mix all ingredients in casserole dish and pop in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Don't know how many adults it would feed, but I feed twelve children under four years old, including "seconds." The kids love this dish. And, my own family loves it. I generally feed 4-5 people and add a salad. My husband, myself, and three to four college aged grandsons depending on who is home that night! I usually make a fruit desert or jello to add to menu.

Submitted by Ginger
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Chicken Casserole with Broccoli

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Chicken Casserole (with Broccoli)

3 (boiled/cooked) boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup/or cream of chicken
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 bag of frozen broccoli
1 box of croutons
1 bag of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Shred the chicken into small pieces.  Mix the soup and mayo.  Place the broccoli in the bottom of a casserole dish to cover the bottom.  Then layer the chicken pieces over the top.  Next, pour the soup mixture over the chicken and broccoli.  Add the cheese on top.  Lastly, crush the croutons and pour over the top of the entire dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 - 40 minutes (until hot all the way through).

Yummy!

Submitted by Angela Clark of Florida
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Sausage Rice Casserole

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Sausage Rice Casserole

Ingredients:

1 lb pork or turkey sausage
8 cups of prepared rice
1 envelope of dry Beefy Onion Lipton Soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
2 cups hot water

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and put in a 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake covered for about 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Serve with peas or green beans. Cost is about $5.00 for the whole meal. Feeds a big family of 8!

Submitted by Gina Webster
http://www.frugalfamilyrecipes.blogspot.com/

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole

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Easy Chicken & Broccoli Rice Casserole

3 small boxes Rice-A-Roni Broccoli Rice
6 chicken breasts
6 cups water
3 T. butter
Large baking dish

Preheat oven to 450 Degrees. Grease large baking dish. Boil chicken until done. While chicken is boiling, pour water, rice box contents, and butter into baking dish and stir. Drain chicken, shred into baking dish, and stir. Add salt & pepper to taste. Bake uncovered roughly 30-45 minutes. Yield: About 6 Servings

This recipe is one I just made up one night when I didn't really have anything else in the house. It is very budget friendly and my daughter just loves it! You could also use any other kind of rice or even scalloped potatoes with it.

Submitted by Rebecca Coleman
www.FrugalFamilyRecipes.blogspot.com

Chicken Casserole

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Chicken Casserole

1 pkg. macaroni and cheese dinner
1 can chicken (6.5oz)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T. onion flakes
1 can french fried onion rings
2 T. butter

Combine macaroni and cheese dinner, chicken, cream of chicken soup, onion flakes, pepper flakes and chicken broth in 2-quart casserole. Microwave on full power 16 minutes, covered. Stir once. Rest, covered for 5 minutes. Add butter and mix well. Top with onion rings.

Submitted by Angie of KY
www.FrugalFamilyRecipes.blogspot.com

Cheezy Tomato Pasta Bake

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Cheezy Tomato Pasta Bake

8 breakfast sausage links
1 12oz can of tomato sauce (I use Kroger brand because it tastes the same as Hunt's and it's cheaper :)
4-5 slices of Colby jack cheese
8oz bag of egg noodles
4oz mushrooms (I omit this item because I'm not a fan, but my husband loves them!)
3 T. water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start to boil your egg noodles. Boil the sausage links for 5-7 minutes and then saute them in a saute pan until they are nice and brown on the outside and not pink on the inside. Saute your mushrooms in the yummy drippings of the sausage links. Chop links into 1/2-inch pieces and dice mushrooms as well. Drain pasta and put in glass casserole dish. Pour tomato sauce over pasta, add water to thin out the sauce (so it's not so concentrated). Stir in the sausage and mushrooms. Top with cheese slices and pop in oven for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and enjoy!!!

Submitted by Beth Martyniak
www.FrugalFamilyRecipes.blogspot.com

Hot Dog Cornbread

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My kids loved this growing up and now my grandsons do, too!

Hot Dog Cornbread

3 hot dogs
2 T. mustard
2 T. sweet relish

Make cornbread as usual and pour into 9x9 inch dish. Cut hot dogs into thirds and then slice lengthwise almost all the way through. Carefully place the hot dog pieces in the cornbread in three rows of three. Stir together mustard and relish and fill the hot dog cavities with this mixture. Bake the cornbread as usual.

You can also fill hot dogs with cheese or other favorite condiments, but we love the mustard and relish!

Submitted by Charlene R.

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Definitely sounds like a fun treat for the kids, Charlene! This should be fine with any type of cornbread too, southern or sweet. - Michelle

Mock Goose - WWII Recipe

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This is a recipe that comes from the lean years of the Second World War when the rations for items like sugar, fat, meat, eggs and such were very small. I cook it regularly and serve it with other vegetables. At the moment that is carrots and cabbage which are in season here.

Mock Goose

2 lbs potatoes. If the skins are good I scrub them - if not I peel them - and cut them into thin slices

2 large cooking apples, or 3 smaller eating (dessert) apples, I don't peel them but wash and take out the cores, I then chop them into small pieces

One pint of stock - vegetable or any other

1 good tablespoon of cornstarch (cornflour)

Chopped sage leaves - 2 or 3

4 oz grated cheese, I like a good strongly flavoured cheese, but it depends on taste

Directions:

Take half of the potatoes and mix them with the apples and sage in a flat dish. Make a nice layer of the rest of the apples on top and put three quarters of the stock over the top. Cover with foil and cook in a medium oven, 350 degrees, for three quarters of an hour. The potatoes should be soft.

Mix the rest of the stock with the cornstarch and pour onto the dish, move the dish to mix with the stock already in there. Sprinkle the cheese on the top and put back in the oven - uncovered - for 15 to 20 minutes.

This is a dish that can be changed and added to. I often use leftover gravy as the stock, I have put sliced carrots and onions with the apples and potatoes. I have put sliced tomatoes on top and these are all good, but my favourite is the basic straightforward recipe.

What I find interesting is that many American recipes are sweet for British tastes. I have the "More With Less" cookbook which I really like, but I often have to adjust the sugar.

Best Wishes

Submitted by Maureen Sinclair

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Thanks for sharing this recipe with us, Maureen, very frugal indeed! :o) - Michelle

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

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My boys love this recipe.

Cheesy Tuna Casserole

2 cups cooked macaroni
1/3 chunk of store brand cheese (like Velveeta but cheaper)
2 cans of tuna
1 10 oz. bag frozen peas
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
¾ soup can of milk
Small snack size bag of potato chips or ¼ cup of bread crumbs

Stir ingredients together and sprinkle with bread crumbs or crushed potato chips and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. It’s great.

Submitted by Beth Meadows

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Thank you Beth, my mom and I used to make Tuna Casserole often when I was growing up and I love it too. Have never tried it with potato chips or bread crumbs on top, sounds yummy! - Michelle

Mexicali Casserole

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Mexicali Casserole

1 cup raw rice
1 can, or one pound cooked kidney beans (or bean of choice), rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can of corn, drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 diced onion
2 cups chicken broth
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
salt & pepper to taste
cheese, optional

Mix all ingredients in large casserole and bake (at 350 degrees), covered, for 1 hour or until rice is done.

Note: Can top with cheese the last five minutes of cooking or serve cheese as a topping when serving. I tend to not add cheese because I'm watching my weight, but my kids and husband like it, so I serve it on the side.

Faye from Arizona

Macaroni and Cheese, Baked

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Hi there, I wanted to add a recipe that uses specific bakeware for optimal results. Of course, the FoldTuk isn't necessary for the recipe, but since I have found that it cooks faster and more evenly, I thought this particular recipe would be a neat contribution to your site.

Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 medium sized box of Mueller Elbow Noodles
3 bags of cheese: 1 bag (4 oz.) Kraft shredded sharp cheddar, 1 bag (4 oz.) Kraft shredded mozzarella, 1 bag (4 oz.) Kraft shredded Colby-Jack cheese
3 large eggs, beaten
1 and 1/2 cups milk, approximately

Preparation:

Boil noodles, drain excess water, layer into 6-cup (1.42L) FoldTuk, or casserole dish (with cheese, noodles, cheese, noodles, cheese… etc.) Add milk, pouring evenly over entire dish. Pour eggs over the top of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until browned on top.

Submitted by Joanna

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Joanna, your Macaroni and Cheese dish sounds easy and delicious, thank you! - Michelle

Tater-Tot Casserole, Variation

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When I make the Tater-Tot Casserole, I add a can of green beans, a can of whole kernel corn, and about 1/4 tsp garlic powder - no cheese. I bake the tots ahead of time until they are crispy, then mix it all together and bake - the kids love it.

Thanks,
Eileen A. McAllister

Note: The recipe that Eileen is referring to is our original Tater-Tot Casserole recipe that we featured at BetterBudgeting.com... you can view the recipe here.

Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Pot Pie

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Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Pot Pie

My kids love these!

2 qt baking dish

1 lb ground beef
1 can of corn
1 can of tomato soup
and then topped with potato tots

Bake at 425 degrees for about 30-40 minutes until potato tots are golden brown and heated through.

I also used this method for chicken pot pie.


1 lb of chicken breast, cooked and cut up into bite size pieces
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
2 cans of mixed vegies

Mix these together, spread in a 9 X 13 dish, then top with potato tots.

Bake at 425 degrees about 30-40 minutes until potato tots are golden brown and heated through.

Hope you all enjoy!

Submitted by Anne Wood