Hello!
I spent a lot of time in the garden this past weekend. Pulling up plants and a few weeds. All I have left right now is a few tomato plants and carrots. I dug up some carrots and froze some, and wanted to put some in the vegetable soup I made. I still have a row and a half to dig up. Probably one of my least favorite things to do in the garden.
The vegetable soup I made turned out to be some of the best I think I have ever made. I really don’t know why, but it is. I just wanted some vegetable soup. I even got brave and added some green beans. I typically don’t add green beans because I don’t like them in my vegetable soup. I love green beans, just not so much in my soup. The only thing I really did differently was I got a roast out of my freezer and cut it in small pieces and cooked it until it was tender, and added it to the soup, and I added the broth as well. I usually dice up round steak or just cook some hamburger and add it to my veggie soup, this roast must have made a difference because it sure is good.
Combining flavors is what happens in vegetable soup. Some flavors don’t complement each other and some do. Which brings us to this week’s recipe. This recipe is combining flavors you probably wouldn’t even think to do. These work just fine.
This recipe made me giggle, because of the name. Garbage can dinner. It first made me think of a group of bearded guys in dirty torn clothing standing around a fire in a 55-gallon drum at a train yard. I must watch too many old movies.
Actually, it’s quite good. Comfort food, old fashioned food, and did I mention it’s quick to cook? It’s always nice to have a nice warm meal when the weather turns cooler, and it brings everyone to the table. Once you mention the name, most people just get curious about what you are trying to feed them.
If you do have a little extra time, when you are planning this meal, it seems to pair well with cole slaw and homemade rolls. If you just want to keep it quick and simple, just a side salad will do.
Garbage Can Dinner
Ingredients:
1-pound lean ground beef
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
7 cups frozen has brown potatoes
Cooking spray, to taste
2 teaspoon all purpose seasoning blend, such as Lawry’s seasoned salt
1 ½ cups canned corn, drained
Cheddar cheese, to taste, shredded
Ketchup, to taste for serving
Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add the beef, salt and the pepper and cook, while crumbling, until it is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes.
2. Drain the excess grease and pour the beef into a large bowl. Set it aside.
3. In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the hash brown potatoes and spray the tops of the potatoes with the cooking spray. Cook until they are lightly crispy and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the seasoning blend, and the corn to the hash brown potatoes and cook, stirring frequently, until the corn is warmed through, about 2-4 minutes.
5. Add the cooked beef mixture to the hash brown potato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is heated through.
6. Evenly sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the beef dinner. If you want the cheese melty, put a lid on the pan and let it set with the heat off for a couple of minutes.
7. Serve the beef dinner drizzled with the ketchup.
Enjoy!
