Chili Mac

• 1 pound ground round
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups cooked elbow macaroni (about 4 ounces uncooked)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (8 3/4-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble beef. Drain well; wipe drippings from pan with paper towels. Return beef mixture to pan; stir in macaroni and next 9 ingredients (macaroni through tomato paste). Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon onto each of 8 plates; top with cheese.

Yield: 8 servings

Burger Sliders

• 4 slices bacon
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 24 small dinner rolls

In a skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Discard all but 2 Tbsp. bacon fat. Cook onion in bacon fat until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds longer. Remove mixture from pan and let cool. Crumble bacon when cool enough to handle.

In a large bowl combine beef, bacon, onion mixture, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper, and mix well. Form into 24 small patties and chill.

Preheat grill to medium; oil when hot. Cook burgers for about 7 minutes for medium rare, turning once halfway through. Serve burgers on rolls.

Yield: 24 servings

Mexican Tortilla Skillet

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 packet store-bought or homemade taco seasoning mix
• 6 burrito-size flour tortillas
• 2 cups pureed canned or fresh tomatoes
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 1 green bell pepper (optional), seeded and chopped

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add ground beef, garlic, and taco seasoning. Cook until beef is browned, breaking it into small pieces with the side of a spoon and mixing everything together.

2. While beef is browning, slice tortillas into 1-inch squares. A pizza cutter or scissors works well for this.

3. Add tomatoes, salsa, and cut-up tortillas to skillet and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. If it seems dry, you can add a little water. Once this is heated through, sprinkle cheese over top and cover for a few minutes. Once cheese is melted, it is ready to serve. Sprinkle with chopped green pepper (if using) for a little color, crunch, and a healthy dose of vitamin C.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Beef and Potato Tacos

Filling:

2 teaspoons canola oil
10 ounces potatoes pared and diced
8 ounces extra lean ground beef
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper

Tacos:

8 taco shells
1 cup tomatoes diced
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 1/2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese shredded
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

To prepare filling, place medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 30 seconds. Add oil; heat 30 seconds more. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. cook until golden brown on bottom (do not stir), about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 2-3 minutes. Uncover and cook 1 minute longer.

Add beef, garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper to potatoes; cook, stirring to break up meat, until beef is no longer pink, 4-5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.

To prepare tacos, microwave taco shells on high until warm 45-60 seconds. Divide filling, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and cilantro evenly among warm taco shells.

Yield: 4 servings (2 tacos per person) - 8 pts.

Barbacoa Beef

Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 4 oz • Points: 4 ww pts
Calories: 161.4 • Fat: 5.0g • Protein: 24.9 g • Carb: 2.8 g • Fiber: 0.7 g

• 3 lbs beef eye of round or bottom round roast, all fat trimmed
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1/2 lime, juice
• 2-4 chiptoles in adobo sauce (to taste)
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• salt and pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 cup water

Place garlic, onion, lime juice, cumin, oregano, chiptoles, cloves in a blender.

Trim all fat off meat, cut into 4 inch chunks. Season with salt and pepper and brownon high heat in 1 tsp oil. Add liquefied spices, water, bay leaves and simmer on low two hours in a pressure cooker. (If you are making this in a regular pot, you will have to double the cooking time to at least 4 hours or more, covered on low flame and addmore water from time to time to make sure it doesn't dry out.)

Once cooked and the meat is tender, remove the meat and place in a dish. Shred it with two forks, and reserve the liquid for later (discard the bay leaf). Return the shredded meat to the pot, adjust salt and cumin (you may need to add more) to taste and add some of the reserved liquid back. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to let the flavors penetrate.