Shape Shifter Dish-The Swiss Army Knife of savory dishes!

Why do I call this the “Swiss Army Knife of Savory Dishes”?

I call it the Swiss Army Knife of Savory Dishes because it can become so many dishes all from one easy, budget friendly base. Plus you can create this with any ground meat you wish.  Ground Beef, ground Pork, ground Chicken or ground Turkey.  Even the plant based ground ‘meats’ will work well here.

This is one of my favorite dishes because not only is it so very versatile but I can double or triple the quantity, freeze half the ‘base’ and still have dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.  Our kids called it ‘goulash’ when they were young and always asked for second helpings.  Their favorite was adding cooked penne pasta but also loved the Sloppy Joes version.

Make Ahead and Freeze

This recipe freezes extremely well.  I suggest doubling the recipe and freeze half for another night when you have no time to cook.  Freezer food to the rescue!  The portion you freeze should be cooled and put into a ziplock freezer bag, silicone freezer container, or vacuum pack bag.  Be sure to label and date your bag or container before you freeze.  It will be great for 6 months in the freezer.

Thaw it in the refrigerator and then make it into your family’s favorite option.

Don’t freeze this dish with cooked pasta. The pasta absorbs a lot of the moisture.  You can always add more tomatoes, tomato sauce, or just plain water to revive it.

Shape Shifter Dish

I call this the Swiss Army Knife of savory dishes because once you've created the 'base' there are so many ways to customize this to what's in your pantry or what you like for dinner tonight!

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• 12" Skillet

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound Ground Beef See notes on substitutions
• 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Jalapeno, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 28-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
• 2-3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper

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Instructions

 

• In a large skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil and then add the onions and jalapeno. Saute until the onion has turned translucent. Add the garlic and the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Break up the beef and mix with the veggies as it cooks.
• When the beef is fully cooked (no pink meat), pour in the tomatoes. Stir to incorporate and reduce the temperature to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken.
• At this point this 'base' can be cooled and frozen or continue to add more ingredients as you like. See suggestions in Notes.

Notes

• This base can be made with ground beef or pork or chicken or turkey.

Here are some suggestions to customize the base

• Use as is for Sloppy Joes

• Make Goulash! Add cooked pasta like bowties or spaghetti (whatever you have in your pantry)

• Serve it over rice as it is

• Make a casserole by adding pasta or potatoes plus any veggies you like.  Top it with cheese of your choice and bake until the cheese is melted and meat and vegs are hot

• Use it as a burrito filling (add some cumin as you cook the meat)

• Get creative and invent your own original dish!

Keyword Freezer Friendly, Low Cost, Quick

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