Skillet Sloppy Joe Pot Pie takes a weeknight dinner classic to the next level by baking it in a cast iron skillet topped with cheddar cheese and biscuits.

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Originally this was going to be my Pi Day recipe. My husband thought that it was a stretch to make a sloppy joe pot pie in a cast iron skillet topped with biscuits for Pi Day but it doesn’t have to be pie to celebrate pie day, it just has to be round! Cast iron skillets happen to be round. Although when I found out that National Sloppy Joe Day was on March 18th I decided to postpone. Instead I shared a Dubai chocolate tart for pie day which I think was a good trade off since now I got to have both.

The first time I made a sloppy joe pot pie it was topped with tater tots, but even when I precooked them before baking them on top I didn’t feel like the tater tots were crispy enough. Maybe I like my tater tots extra crispy (truth) but I was not prepared to share what I considered to be a lack-luster recipe. However I still wanted it to be a fairly simple recipe so I ended up using refrigerated biscuits instead. Yes the biscuits are going to be a but soggy but in this situation I am okay with it.

SKILLET SLOPPY JOE POT PIE WITH BISCUITS

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Yield: 8 Servings Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 Minutes 35 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and minced (~1-1/2 cups)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and minced (~1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp yellow mustard
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded (~2 cups)
• 1 (16.3 oz.) can refrigerated biscuits (8 count)**

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack on the bottom third.
2. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet* over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking up gently, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Remove meat to a paper-towel lined plate and return skillet with meat great to heat.
3. Add the onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Stir in the brown sugar, chili powder, mustard, salt, and pepper until evenly distributed. Add the beef back to the skillet along with the tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and cook about 5 minutes, stirring often, until starting to thicken.
5. Remove from heat, spread mixture evenly in the skillet, sprinkle 1-1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese on top, then arrange the biscuits evenly over top of the cheese.
6. Bake for 15 minutes until the biscuits are starting to turn golden brown. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese over the biscuits and bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Allow the casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

*Or other oven-safe skillet. **Can use homemade if you prefer, but cook time may vary.

Source: Adapted from Mama Knows Gluten Free and my Root Beer Sloppy Joes.

Love eggs benedict? Put a burger on it and you’ve made eggs benedict burgers. Add a little chili crisp to the Hollandaise while you’re at it.

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Eggs benedict is one of my favorite brunch dishes. The proof is in how many variations and inspired dishes I’ve shared on this blog of mine. Normally I make my Hollandaise with Greek yogurt but I went with the classic this time. Well, classic with a little chili crisp added in.

According to The Kitchn the best chili crisp is made by Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp, and in fact is the one I have used for years. Don’t have chili crisp and/or don’t want to buy it? You can use any other chili oil/sauce you have on hand or just omit if you prefer.

On top of my medium cooked burger, besides my chili crispy Hollandaise sauce, you will find not just Canadian bacon but pan fried Canadian bacon, and of course the signature poached eggs all sandwiched between toasted and buttered English muffins instead of served open-faced.

You can definitely pick this burger up and eat it with your hands or fork and knife it if you prefer. I served mine with a side of tater tots which we excellent in the extra Hollandaise and yolk drippings.

More Brunch Recipes:

• Pretty in Pink Margarita from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Strawberry Tea Cakes from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Fruit and Granola Tart from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Blackberry Streusel Muffins from Blogghetti
• Lemon Lavender Cupcakes from Art of Natural Living
• Easy Cranberry Pomegranate Fizzer from A Little Fish in the Kitchen

EGGS BENEDICT BURGERS

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Yield: 4 Servings Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp chili crisp*

BURGERS & EGGS, ETC

• Four 1/4 lb (1lb total) ground beef burger patties, seasoned to taste
• 4 eggs, cracked and placed in individual ramekins
• 8 slices of Canadian bacon, pan fried if desired
• 4 English muffins, split, toasted and buttered

Directions

1. Prepare the hollandaise: In the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks, butter, lemon juice, and salt. Cook over simmering water, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes minutes. In last minute, whisk in the chili crisp and set aside.
2. Next, grill the hamburgers directly over medium-high heat, turning once, 3-5 minutes per side. Check for doneness using an instant read thermometer**.
3. While the burgers are cooking, fill a wide sauce or saute pan with two inches of water. Bring to a low simmer and gently pour eggs into the pan. Cook 3 minutes, then remove carefully with a slotted spoon and let drain.
4. To assemble, place a butter on the English muffin bottom halves. Top with two slices of Canadian bacon, one poached egg, and drizzle with hollandaise. Serve immediately.

Notes

*If you can't find chili crisp you can use any other chili paste or hot sauce you prefer - or omit. **You can cook burgers to different temperatures for desired doneness, such as medium-rare (130-135°F), medium (140-145°F), medium-well (150-155°F), or well (160-165°F). But be aware that the recommended temperature is 160°F for safety.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original and AllRecipes.

Why make regular sloppy joes when you can have Skull Sloppy Joe Bombs? Easily assembled with a few ingredients for a spooky fun dinner.

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In case the skull deviled eggs weren’t enough, I have another skull recipe for you this week – skull sloppy joe bombs! Similar to the popular pizza skulls, but made with sloppy joe and a little cheddar cheese instead.

Could I have make sloppy joes from scratch? Maybe even stuffed with them a different variation of chicken gumbo sloppy joes? Absolutely. But this recipe for skull sloppy joe bombs is more about the appearance so I decided to take the easy way out and make this semi-homemade. Because not everything needs to be homemade. Sometimes you want a quick, easy, and fun recipe.

What do you need to make Skull Sloppy Joe Bombs?

• Ground beef
• Can of sloppy joe sauce (or homemade)
• Cheddar cheese
• Can of prepared pizza dough (or homemade)
• Most importantly, a skull baking pan

Once you have all your ingredients and tools, you just need to brown the beef, add the sloppy joe sauce and cheddar cheese, cut the pizza dough into 6 squares and place over each skull cavity, fill with sloppy joe meat, seal, and bake! If you need more than six sloppy joe skull bombs you could buy a second pan but they come together so quickly you could probably get away with reusing the same pan.

Welcome to 2024’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event!

If you’re new here, Welcome! If you’re a returning haunt, welcome back!

#HalloweenTreatsWeek is a yearly Halloween blogging event that is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife . This spooky event is an online, week-long event that is filled with some frightfully fun Halloween treats and recipes from some fantastic Halloween loving bloggers!

For this year’s 7th annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 12 hauntingly talented bloggers who are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! You can follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media to collect all of these frightful recipes to use at your own Halloween parties and events!

• Cherry Pie Murdered Cinnamon Rolls from Semi-Homemade Recipes
• Mummy Jalapeno Poppers from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Ouija Board Planchette Cookies from Savory Moments
• Pumpkin Spice Blondies from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Antipasto Eyeballs from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Count Chocula Pop Tarts from Sweet ReciPEAs
• Pumpkin Pear Soup (Spiderweb Soup) from Art of Natural Living
• Jalapeno Ranch Skeleton Cheeseball from Jen Around the World
• Melted Witch Bark from For the Love of Food
• Biscoff No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake from A Day in the Life on the Farm

SKULL SLOPPY JOE BOMBS

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Yield: 3-6 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 25 Minutes 25 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 15 oz. can of sloppy joe sauce (or homemade)
• 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 13.8 oz. can of prepared pizza dough (or homemade)
• Skull baking pan

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add ground beef, stirring to break it up into small pieces, and cook until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add sauce and cheese, stirring until combined. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400℉. Working on a clean surface, roll out dough to a 15x10-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 (5x5-inch) squares.
3. Lay one square of dough over each cavity of a nonstick 6-cavity skull-shaped pan. Fill the dough by scooping about 1/3 cup of filling in the center of the dough square (you may have excess filling). Fold sides of dough together and pinch tightly to seal. 
4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly golden, 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan and  serving.

Source: Adapted from AllRecipes and Food Network.

Can I have a side of Cheetos with my meatloaf? Better yet stuff it inside to make a BBQ Cheetos Meatloaf! It’s cheesy tangy goodness.

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With a long list of recipes on this website that include Cheetos in the ingredient list, National Cheese Doodle Day is a food holiday I don’t like to miss – except I nearly missed it this year! Guys, I literally baked this BBQ Cheetos meatloaf last night after realizing it was coming up only the day before that. Talk about a close call.

I almost phoned it in. But as luck would have it, a coworker gifted me a bag of Cheetos for helping her with something last week. In an effort to not inhale the bag straight up (or maybe dip them in chocolate?), I decided to inhale it in meatloaf form, inspired by my Cheetos Cheeseburgers. My dad is probably shocked that I willingly made meatloaf after a childhood full of hatred for it.

After a quick trip to the grocery store later, and a not so quick cooking time in the oven (add a shorter cook time to the reasons why meatloaf muffins are superior), I had this BBQ Cheetos Meatloaf on the dinner table. Served with a side of roasted broccoli or marinated green beans to make up for the copious amount of Cheetos and cheese in this thing.

But at the same time, are crushed Cheetos really that much worse health-wise than bread crumbs? I would argue that they are basically equal in this situation. Hey, I went for a side of broccoli instead of more Cheetos (or Cheetos mac and cheese), I call that a win. But I may have eaten plenty while I cooked – ha!

BBQ CHEETOS MEATLOAF

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Yield: 6-8 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

MEATLOAF

• 2 lb. ground beef
• 4 tsp steak seasoning
• 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 small onion, grated
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup crushed Cheetos (4 oz. crunchy)
• 6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 2 tsp mustard

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Add all the ingredients for the meatloaf mixture into a large bowl and gently combine. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray. Press meatloaf mixture into the pan.
3. In a medium bowl, combine honey, barbecue sauce, and mustard. Spoon half of it evenly over meatloaf. Bake for 30 minutes, brush top with remaining topping, and bake about 30-40 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: Adapted from my Cheddar-BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Muffins.

What’s better than Frito Pie? Cheetos Pie of course! Made with ground beef, onion, tomato, green chiles, chili beans, corn, taco seasoning, cheddar cheese and obviously Cheetos.

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I’m up to my usual antics, swapping out Fritos or Doritos in a recipe for Cheetos because they are clearly superior. And it’s an excuse to have Cheetos in my house because normally I cannot control myself around them.

I have successfully done this swap already with Cheetos Walking Tacos and Chopped BBQ Ranch Salad with Cheetos so why not a Cheetos pie instead of Fritos Pie? Just in time to sneak onto your menus for Cinco de Mayo in a few days.

Cheetos Pie is a simple two pan meal, cooking up ground beef and onion, then adding taco seasoning, chili beans, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and corn. Spread this mixture over Cheetos in a baking dish, top with cheddar cheese and bake! Then all that’s left is serving it with your favorite taco toppings – reminds me of a walking taco casserole.

The only downfall to using Cheetos instead of Fritos to make Cheetos Pie is that the Cheetos don’t retain as much crunch as the Fritos when baked with moist ingredients. But to be fair the Fritos are not perfectly crispy either in the same scenario so it is only a minor texture change.

What’s next on my Cheetos crusade? At least in the savory realm, I think I need to try my Mom’s Frito Taco Salad with Cheetos. But I have some wild ideas about sweet incorporations as well to add to my list of Cheetos Cookies, Chocolate Covered Cheetos, and Cheetos Marshmallow Crispy Treats. Don’t be scared, haha.

CHEETOS PIE

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 35 MInutes 35 MInutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz.) bag Cheetos
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1 (15 oz.) can chili beans
• 1 cup corn kernels*
• 1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Favorite taco toppings

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Evenly spread the entire bag of Cheetos in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground beef and onion, cooking until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft. Drain excess fat.
4. Stir in taco seasoning until well blended. Add diced tomatoes, beans and corn, mixing until distributed and warmed through. Remove from heat.
5. Spread meat mixture evenly over the Cheetos, then sprinkle the cheese on top.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
7. Serve immediately with your favorite taco toppings.

Notes

*Fresh, frozen, or canned work just fine. If using canned be sure to drain first.

Source: Adapted slightly from Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts.

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This retro frito taco salad recipe came out of my mom’s recipe box. Made with spinach, taco seasoned ground meat, onion, tomato, pinto beans, radish, cheese, Catalina dressing, and of course Fritos corn chips.

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This Frito Taco Salad is the next recipe card that I pulled from those that my mom gave me over the years. But she often didn’t supply a source so I initially wasn’t entirely sure where this one originated.

While searching the internet to determine if this was one of her own creations, I discovered that there are many interpretations of the same dish. Some use Romaine lettuce, beans, corn, or taco seasoning, bur the most consistent thing was ground meat, Catalina dressing, and Fritos corn chips.

Her recipe originally did not call for taco seasoning (just salt and pepper) or pinto beans but I decided to add them because I felt like to be a taco salad it needed taco seasoning, right? After all, where would the taco flavor come from if I didn’t use the taco seasoning? But she did use spinach (albeit half as much) instead of Romaine and radishes so I kept those.

Have you ever had a Frito taco salad before? What’s in your version? This salad actually reminds me a lot of a Doritos salad or as I made it, Cheetos salad. Also similar to a walking taco, or again in my case a Cheetos walking taco (do you see the trend here?).

MOM'S FRITO TACO SALAD WITH CATALINA DRESSING

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Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10M 10M

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 lb. ground beef or turkey
• 1 package of taco seasoning (or 2.5 Tbsp homemade)
• 1/3 + 1/2 cup Catalina dressing
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 5 oz. fresh baby spinach
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup sliced radishes
• 1 (14 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or a blend)
• 16 oz. bag Fritos corn chips

Directions

1. Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add meat and brown, breaking into smaller pieces, until no longer pink on the outside, about 5 minutes. Add taco seasoning, 1/3 cup dressing, onion, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2. In a large bowl, combine spinach, tomato, radish, beans, cheese, and remaining 1/2 cup dressing*. Add meat mixture and and Fritos, then toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

*Stop here if you are preparing ahead of time. Otherwise the Fritos will get soggy.

Source: My mom gave me this recipe in May of 2007, but while digging through old recipe boxes of hers I found a similar recipe from a Charlene Reid of West Junior High School that originally used 1/2 head of lettuce.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Why make regular burgers when you can have bacon & pimento cheese burgers!? Top your traditional patty with prepare pimento cheese and thick crispy bacon.

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Not only is May National Burger Month and Beef Month but today is National Burger Day! While the patty of this burger creation may be standard salt and pepper seasoned ground beef, the topping is less traditional.

Inspired by my favorite pimento cheese dip (which comes with or without candied bacon bits) from Bleu & Fig, this burger is topped with pimento cheese and thick crispy bacon. I originally was going to top it with candied bacon but decided to keep it more savory – TBH mostly because I was lazy.

But you know what? There’s nothing wrong with taking the easy way out. Heck I didn’t even make my own pimento cheese, I actually bought it from Bleu & Fig, because why dabble with a recipe when you know where to get the good stuff? I did link to a recipe in the ingredient list if you want to make your own.

Southern Food

• Bacon and Cracklin Bread from That Recipe
• Blackened Mahi Mahi from Art of Natural Living
• Pimento Cheese Macaroni Salad from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Skillet Shrimp Boil from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• South Carolina Bird Dogs from Palatable Pastime
• Southern Fried Potatoes from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Southern Style Hush Puppies from Jen Around the World

We share Recipes From Our Dinner Table! Join our group and share your recipes, too! While you’re at it, join our Pinterest board, too!

BACON & PIMENTO CHEESE BRUGERS

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Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 10 Minutes 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 lb. ground beef
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 cup prepared pimento cheese
• 4 burger buns, toasted
• 8 strips of thick bacon, cooked

Directions

1. Add ground beef to a large bowl and season with cocoa, salt and pepper. Form into four equal patties and then let sit at room temperature. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Grill the burgers about 4 minutes per side or until desired doneness (toast buns towards end of cooking time). Remove from the grill and cover with foil.
3. To assemble burgers, place a burger on the bottom half of a bun and top with pimento cheese, 2 slices of bacon, and top half of the burger bun.

Source: Inspired by Bleu & Fig. and adapted from my Brutus Burgers.

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It may seem a bit extra to make smoked burgers, but they are well worth the extra cooking time. Topped with spicy garlic aioli they are hard to beat!

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #BBQWeek. The sponsors, Rainier Foods and Intensity Academy, generously provided samples to participants to aid in the creation of the #BBQWeek recipes and prize packages to give away to the readers.  However, all opinions are mine alone.

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Not only is today the first day of the virtual #BBQweek blogger event, but I am heading to Memphis, TN for the World Championship BBQ Competition tomorrow! I used to go every single year since I first lived in Memphis starting in 2007, but between getting married, moving, and then COVID we have missed the last several.

In the past we were just guests, crashing our friends’ teams tents, but this year we finally joined the team. Bob and I are helping with the smoked wings so keep your fingers crossed for us. To be honest, I just helped come up with the rub blend that Bob uses, he does all the meat smoking. If it’s a winner maybe I’ll share it afterwards ;-).

In the meantime, how about some smoked burgers served with air fryer potato wedges, watermelon cucumber salad, and smoked corn on the cob?

Just like the wings, Bob and I teamed up for this recipe. He added the Rainier Foods The Essentials Seasoning to the patties and then once they were properly smoked I topped them with a spicy garlic aioli made with Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Garlic Goodness. Perfection!

Enter the win the giveaway provided by our generous sponsors located at the end of this post and check out the other recipes shared today below…

Monday #BBQWeek Recipes

Starters and Sides

• Bacon Cheddar Jalapenos from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Lemon-Garlic Roasted Potato Salad from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Grilled Kale Salad with Grilled Croutons and Garlic Dressing from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Spicy Hummus Dip from Art of Natural Living

Main Dishes

• Barbecued Pork Burgers from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Beef Kafta from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chai Teriyaki Shrimp Salad from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Grilled Glazed Blackberry Chicken from Blogghetti
• Grilled Zesty Greek Chicken from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Jalapeno-Marinated Pork Kabobs from Sweet Beginnings
• Margarita Grilled Shrimp from Jen Around the World
• Southwestern Chicken Skewers from The Freshman Cook
• Sweet and Spicy Chicken and Pineapple Skewers from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

SMOKED BURGERS WITH SPICY GARLIC AIOLI

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Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 1 Hours 30 Minutes 1 Hours 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

BURGERS

• 1-1/3 lb. ground beef chuck
• 1 tsp Rainier Foods The Essentials Seasoning
• Red onion, sliced
• Tomato, sliced
• Leafy lettuce
• 4 toasted burger buns

AIOLI

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Garlic Goodness

Directions

1. Preheat your smoker to 225 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise and Intensity Academy Saucy Queen Garlic Goodness - set aside.
3. Shape ground beef into 4 patties and sprinkle both sides with Rainier Foods The Essentials Seasoning.
4. Place the seasoned patties in your smoker and cook for 1-1.5 hours or until the internal temperature is 140 degrees F - whichever comes first.
5. Remove the burger patties from the smoker, assemble on toasted buns with spicy garlic aioli, other desired toppings, and serve immediately. 

Source: My husband

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Frito Pie, Tacos in a Bag, Walking Tacos – no matter what you call them I bet you haven’t tried Cheetos Walking Tacos before and it’s high time you changed that.

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I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine (born in Colombia and has also lived in Europe) about how eating while on the go is a very American concept. Many other countries would never dream of rushing a meal but here in the US, where being overworked is a virtue, it is a necessity – a way of life. (But I am in no way praising this fact.)

This discussion started when I mentioned I was going to make walking tacos with Cheetos instead of Fritos (much like my Cheetos salad instead of Doritos) and my friend had not heard of such a thing. To be fair it is quite the American dish to begin with: Fritos corn chips topped with taco meat, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and any of your other favorite taco toppings. I’ve also seen recipes for Doritos walking tacos.

Walking tacos are aptly named by the ease at which you can walk around with it, hang out around a campfire, or tailgate for a game, without the need for plates and little mess to clean up. They are also sometimes called tacos in a bag, or Frito pie. Whatever you call it, I associate it most with fair-type food, where you are indulging in something nostalgic while enjoying some other kind of entertainment at the same time, which often requires being mobile.

With today being #NationalCheeseDoodleDay , I decided it was time to make a Cheetos version of this American delicacy. If it’s good on Fritos and Doritos, why not another cheesy corn chip-like item to serve as the vessel? Surely more cheese cannot be detrimental to the integrity of the walking taco and I was correct. Which means if you liked this recipe you should also check out my Cheetos Pie!

What are Cheetos Walking Tacos made with?

• Cheetos
• Ground Beef
• Onion
• Taco Seasoning
• Died Tomatoes with Chiles
• Kidney Beans
• Shredded Cheese
• Lettuce
• Sour Cream

Don’t have anywhere to go? Just dump the Cheetos out onto a ::gasp:: plate and assemble with your favorite toppings.

Check out a couple of my other blogger buddies that are also celebrating #NationalCheeseDoodleDay !

• Cheetos Cheddar Beer Bread by Sweet ReciPEAs
• Flamin’ Hot Cheeto Mozzarella Sticks by Jen Around the World

CHEETOS WALKING TACOS

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2-1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning
• 1 (14 oz.) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chiles
• 6 snack sized bags of Cheetos bags
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Jalapeno slices, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a large skillet pan over medium heat, add the oil until hot. Add the onions and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks, until no longer pink, about another 5 minutes. Drain excess fat.
2. Stir in taco seasoning, kidney beans, and tomatoes to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
3. To assemble, slice open the longer side each Cheetos bag*. Fill each bag about 2/3 full with meat, top with cheese, lettuce and sour cream. Garnish with jalapenos if desired. Serve immediately. 

Notes

*Alternatively you could dump each into a shallow bowl and assemble with toppings.

Source: Adapted from NeighborFood and Taste of Home.

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This hamburger chop suey is a throwback comfort food recipe that is easy to make but also a little different. Just try it, you’ll love it!

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I am still working through the giant catalog of my mom’s recipes. I first started with the ones she had made copies of for me when I left for college, but after my most recent trip to Maryland we found even more! Literally four boxes of recipes cards. I actually discovered the origin to a couple of her more frequently made recipes and a couple others written in short hand which were neat.

Now I have even more recipes to work through. And I am totally digging these retro, minimal ingredient, few step recipes. I’ve not felt particularly inspired in the kitchen lately and many of these recipes are comforting on many levels, so I find myself drawn to them more than ever.

This hamburger chop suey doesn’t seem to appear in any of my memories, but given that it has chow mein noodles I am sure she made it for my brother and I at some point. It’s totally her style too, combining unsuspecting ingredients into something delicious. According to the internet, it can also be another name for goulash and has Italian-American origins. All I know is that this is most definitely not that.

The original recipe calls for a can of mushrooms, but since neither Bob nor I like mushrooms we substituted that for chickpeas. We also added a bit of broccoli to pump up the vegetable content a bit more. And finally we spiced it up by adding a little chili oil.

One year ago: Strawberry Spinach Salad Pizza

Two years ago: Pesto Chicken Salad

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HAMBURGER CHOP SUEY

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Yield: 6 servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 head of broccoli, florets cut
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed chicken and rice soup
• 1 (10.5 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (8 oz.) can chickpeas, drained *
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup raw rice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• Chili oil, to taste
• Chow mein noodles

Directions

1. In a large skillet, head olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and brown until most of the pink is gone. Add onion, celery, and broccoli and sautee for 5 minutes.
2. Add soups, chickpeas, water, rice, and soy sauce. Bring to a simmer, cover, turn off heat, and let steam for 20 minutes.
3. Season to taste with chili oil. Serve topped with chow mein noodles.

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