BACK BONES AND RICE

Ingredients:

3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
8 cup water
1 cup chopped onion
3 lb pork back bones, sometimes called country-style ribs
3 cup raw white rice
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste

Directions:

In a stockpot, combine the backbones, onion, butter, and seasonings. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low boil for 40 minutes. Add the rice to the pot and bring to a boil, stirring well. Boil for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, add green onions, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until rice is done. Remove the bay leaves.

Servings: 10 to 12 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

CHILI

Ingredients:

shredded cheddar, sour cream, chopped green onions, for garnish
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
ground cumin
1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
2 cup chopped celery
chili powder
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 small can tomato paste
1 can chili beans
2 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 lb mixed ground beef and sausage, browned and drained

Directions:

Brown ground beef in skillet and drain. Spray large pot with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, green pepper, and celery and saute briefly. Stir in the diced and whole tomatoes. Add cumin and chili powder, to taste, and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the beans, browned meat, and chili seasoning. Partially cover, and let simmer for 4 hours.

Serve with Cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions.

Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 4 hours 20 min
Difficulty: Easy

BEEF VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or canned
1 cup cut okra, fresh or frozen
1 cup frozen butter beans
1 cup diced celery
1 cup sliced green beans, fresh or canned
1 cup frozen black-eyed peas
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
2 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
3 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
4 quart cold water
2 tablespoon vegetable oil (if using chuck roast)
2 1/2 to 3 lb beef short ribs or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast*
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
2 teaspoon Accent

Directions:

If using chuck roast, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the ski8llet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot. (If using short ribs, you can put them right in the pot with no preparation). Add the water, seasonings, onion, and tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender. If using short ribs, remove them from the pot and cut the meat from the bones, discard the bones and fat, and return the meat to the pot. Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Add Accent, if desired, and adjust the other seasonings to taste. Just before serving, add fresh parsley to pot. To remove excess fat from the surface of the soup, swirl a lettuce leaf around the surface-it will pick up a lot of the fat.

*The chuck roast will yield more meat, but the bones from the short ribs give the soup an incredible flavor.

Servings: 8 quarts
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy

TACO SOUP

Ingredients:

Jalapenos
Chopped green onions
Grated cheese
Sour cream
Corn chips
1 1-ounce package ranch salad dressing mix
1 1 1/4-ounce package taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup green olives, sliced (optional)
1 small can black olives, drained and sliced (optional)
2 4 1/2-ounce cans diced green chilies
1 14 1/2-ounce can tomatoes with chilies
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14 1/2-ounce can mexican tomatoes
1 15 1/4-ounce can whole kernal corn, drained
1 15 1/2-ounce cans pink kidney beans
2 15-1/2 ounce cans pinto beans
2 cup diced onions
2 lb ground beef

Directions:

Brown the ground beef and onions in a large skillet; drain the excess fat, then transfer the browned beef and onions to a large crockpot or a stockpot. Add the beans, corn, green onions, tomatoes, chilies, olives, and seasonings, and cook on low setting all day (6 to 8 hours) if using a crockpot, or simmer over low heat for about 1 hour in a stockpot on the stove. To serve, place a few corn chips in each bowl and ladle soup over them. Top with sour cream, cheese, and jalapenos.

Servings: 12 to 16 servings
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 8 hours crock pot, 1 hour stock pot method
Difficulty: Easy

Poverty Meal *

When I was a child, my family used to eat this at least once a week due to the fact that it is inexpensive and a little goes a long way. We also added fresh herbs or sometimes whole kernel corn. Its even better the next day and it freezes well.

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb ground beef, browned and drained
2 (16 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (16 ounce) can water
8 ounces elbow macaroni, raw
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent.
2. Brown ground beef and drain.
3. Add ground beef, tomatoes, water, raw macaroni, salt and pepper to the onion and garlic mixture.
4. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until macaroni is tender.
5. If desired, top with Parmesan cheese.
6. Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

Serves 4

Editor's Note: I cook it a day before. I add a cube of beef bouillon, oregano, and canned kidney beans. The parmesan is a must.
Also can add a can of whole kernel corn.
I make a big batch and then transfer it into tupperware, putting some in the refrigerator and/or freezer for lunches at work. it freezes and refrigerates well.
This recipe has been called Poor Mans Meal and Slumgullion. If you check out the word Slumgullions origin, the word means (other than a reference to the Colorado landslide) anything yucky and disgusting made with less than fresh ingredients.
Whether you are in no money times, or not, this is a SUPER MEAL TO HAVE!

* A Flabbergasting Post (FP) Recipe