Dinner in a Dash: Rotel Dip

Ok, so I am cheating a slight bit tonight and posting a crock pot recipe. The reason for this is that assembling the ingredients really does happen in a dash. Then you just let the crock pot work its magic. :) Although this is really an appetizer, my family likes to eat it as a fast meal.

Crock Pot Rotel Dip

 All you need is:

1 pound of ground sausage or hamburger meat, browned and drained

1 loaf of Velveeta cheese

1 can Rotel tomatoes

Take your browned beef or sausage, the cheese, and Rotel tomatoes and

 put them in the crock pot on low for 3-4 hours. Serve the dip warm with tortilla chips.

"Dinner in a Dash" Series

   It can be frustrating to try to whip up a fast and filling dinner on a weeknight (in between soccer and gymnastics and piano and church and scouts and homework and housework and baths and dog-walking...well, you get the picture). I love to eat and I am a big fan of comfort foods, but who has time to spend hours baking and layering and chopping? Maybe on a Saturday afternoon but definitely not Monday-Friday in my home.

 So this month's challenge is to find tasty dinners that can be made in a flash, and if they please children and husbands and are filling, that's an A+ in my book. With this in mind I'm starting a new series on No Place Like Home called "Dinner in a Dash". I'd love to have you share your best easy dinners on here, too. So feel free to post a recipe in the comments box. ;)

Hearty Nachos

**This filling is just as good as a burrito, served in a warmed flour tortilla.

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

1 package dry taco seasoning

1 can Rotel, mild or hot, your preference

1 can re-fried beans

tortilla chips 

Toppings of choice: shredded cheddar or fiesta blend cheese, sliced olives, chopped jalapenos, sour cream, salsa, chopped green onions, diced tomato, etc. 

While ground beef is browning, chop any toppings needed (and warm flour tortillas, if making burritos instead of nachos). Brown beef until no pink remains, then drain ground beef. Stir in 1 can Rotel, 1 pack taco seasoning, and 1 can re-fried beans. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Spread tortilla chips on plates and call in the crowd. :) Start by spooning the hot ground beef mixture onto the chips, and then top with any veggies, cheeses, etc. that you like. 

From skillet to table in only ten minutes, feeds a hungry crowd, and can be personalized to please even the most picky eaters in your house, this take-off of Taco Bell's Nachos Bell Grande is a favorite in my kitchen.

photo credit: Tojosan via photopin cc