Inspired Resourceful Creative: Western Meal-in-One

Monthly meal plan going well. Only one hitch I was looking at the September calendar when I made my plan, so I wasn't so far behind when I made it. Added 2 more meals to the plan to compensate for flipping calendar to new month 3 days late. :)

This meal was already on the list though. I got this meal from my MIL's stash of recipes. I don't know where she got it. My MIL passed away about 6 months into our marriage. My FIL has passed 6 month before we got married. There was DH and I newlyweds living 2 1/2 hours away in an apartment and a whole house and garage of stuff to tend too. I felt so bad for my husband. He's an only child and I know he was feeling like an orphan at this time.

He put me in charge of sorting the kitchen. I got to thinking what reminds one of home? Mom's favorite recipes! Only problem was DH and his family ate breakfast, lunch and dinner out everyday most of his childhood. I know weird huh? Or maybe I think that, because my family ate every meal in. The amount of times I ate "out" as I child I can count on one hand.

DMIL did start cooking when she retired, which had only been one year. She also cooked sporadically over the years for special occasions. It was a challenge finding recipes. I found a few written recipes and then I looked through the few cookbooks she had for pages with splatters on them. Always the sign of a recipe that's been used and could potentially be a good one.

Some where in there I found "Western Meal-in-One." DH remembered liking it. I made it a few times as newlyweds and we liked it. The recipe however had languished in my recipe box for years when I came across it again on meal planning night. DH and I wondered why hadn't this been made in years? It was in a category called "Casseroles" in the recipe box. There were only 2 recipes in that catagory and neither had been made in years. I mostly look under the type of meat or style of cooking when needing a recipe. So, this recipe has been refiled under "Beef." It was very good and hope to make it again in the near future.

Western Meal-in-One

(The colors in this dish were just beautiful.)

1 pound ground beef

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can petite cut tomatoes, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup chopped ripe olives
3/4 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Brown ground meat in oil until crumbly. Add garlic, salt, onion, green bell pepper and chili powder. Saute for 5 minutes or until vegetables are limp. Mix in tomatoes, kidney beans and rice. Add a little water or tomato juice as needed. Turn into a greased 2-quart casserole. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.