One Pot Italian Beef and Vegetables

Everyone can use one more, one-pot meal recipe to add to their line up. Your family will ask for this dish again and again, and you won’t mind because it is low on prep time, easy to make, and taste great. Plus, there is room to add your twist to the mix.

This blog is not an add for any name brands shown. I like to share what my family buys and uses. Feel free to sub in your family’s preferred brand names or like-minded products.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground meat of choice

1 small onion or half a large onion

1 bag of 90-second rice*

14 oz canned of Italian tomatoes

1 1/2 - 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables

1 - 1 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

My daughter likes white rice, and I am not here to win every food war. You can certainly use brown rice, wild rice, quinoa. Or any 90-second grain selection you desire. You can also pre-cook a grain of choice (not microwaved) and add in 2 cups of cooked grains.

Dice the onion and then add it to a saucepan on medium-high heat. Add in your meat of choice and brown till done. Drain off excess fat.

You can use beef, turkey, chicken, or deer. If you are looking to lessen your meat intake, you can sub half to all of the ground meat with beans such as black beans, white beans, or a combination.

Next add in cooked grain, tomatoes, vegetables, and seasonings. Mix well. Cook on medium for 4-7 minutes. You can add a lid to help steam and soften the frozen vegetables. This step has been completed when frozen vegetables have softened.

Once your vegetables have softened and seasonings mixed in well it’s cheese time! Add in 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella. You know your family best. Some like it a little cheesier, and I can’t blame them. Others are more modest and can go with less cheese. You could skip the cheese, but that would be a dumb decision. (I kid.) The cheese adds a wealth of flavor and ties it all together.

Turn the eye off when you add the cheese. It will be warm enough to melt the oooie-gooie goodness. Once well melted, you are d- for done!

Serve it with burnt Texas toast, like me. Or pair it with a steamed vegetable or side salad. If you eat 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture, you will get a protein, carb, vegetable, and fat good group! It is a one-pot- balanced meal. But pairing it with a side salad or steamed vegetable helps to add volume to the plate.

Enjoy!