Green Salsa Beef

Andy defrosted some ground beef for me today, so I needed to come up with a quick dinner I could prepare for the boys and I after picking Micah up from drama practice. I was in the mood for a little Mexican-themed meal, so I whipped up this Green Salsa Beef, and it was pretty yummy. Case in point - it's the first time Nathan has asked for seconds on a dish that had green bell pepper and pinto beans in it! Nice! The best part about this recipe is that you can modify it based on what veggies you have in the house. Don't have bell pepper? Add corn. No corn? Add peas. You like black beans better than pinto beans? Go ahead. And so on. The possibilities are endless. I cook a large quantity of beans in the crock pot on the weekends and freeze them in 1.5 cup batches in Ziploc bags. When I want cooked pinto beans (with no added salt or liquid), I just defrost a bag of these and add them to any recipe. I do this with pinto beans and black beans. It's very convenient and WAY cheaper than canned beans (which I do use, but I prefer the dried beans).

Green Salsa Beef
Ingredients:
1 lb lean or extra lean ground beef
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
2 large ribs of celery, chopped
1 medium to large green bell pepper, chopped
2 cups cooked rice (I used brown rice)
1 cup green salsa
1 cup pinto beans
Lawry's seasoning
Minced onion
Shredded colby jack cheese for garnish


1. In a large saute pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the celery, onion and green peppers. Saute until soft and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add Lawry's seasoning to taste, and some minced onion.

2. When the meat is cooked, add the rice and beans. Stir to combine. Add the salsa and mix thoroughly. You can add more salsa if you want a wetter consistency. When heated through, serve topped with shredded cheese.

This meal is fast, tasty and very filling. This one is going in the recipe box.