Weekly Meal Deal: Quick and Easy Picadillo

I am a busy mom, just like most of you.  My days consist of getting snacks, cooking meals, refereeing arguments, changing diapers (which I HOPE will end soon), teaching math, running to soccer, clipping coupons, the list could go on forever!  As hard as I try, I am just not a very organized person!  I try to plan meals, really I do, it just doesn’t happen.  For one reason or another I just can’t make myself stick to a meal plan!  This is something I am trying to work on, but I just don’t see it changing anytime soon.

Seriously, today at …hmmm….3PM, I decided what would be the weekly meal deal.  I guess I just wait for it to hit me in an epiphany!   So, I try to keep basic ingredients on hand.  I have a chest freezer, which I am in LOVE with!  It holds tons of frozen veggies and meats!  That way I can buy 10 lbs of ground beef when it goes on sale and not worry about where to put it!  I love to cook with ground beef, and boneless skinless chicken breasts.   Not only can you find these on sale very reasonable, but you can make almost anything with them!  I can throw a meal together in under 30 minutes any day of the week with items from my pantry, and freezer.

I also like to prep ahead when I can.  Like today’s meal calls for chopped onions and bell peppers.  I buy them when they are in season or on sale.  I chop them and place them in quart sized freezer bags.  They keep beautifully, and I can just pull out one cup and toss it in to whatever I am cooking.  No prep work necessary when I am in a hurry.  Gotta love it.

So, today being one of those days I waited to be struck down with inspiration, I wanted to prepare something that I had all of the ingredients on hand.  This is a delicious Cuban meal that will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare.  All of the ingredients are inexpensive!  While they may not all be on sale this week at Publix, it is something that you can prepare almost any day of the week for only a few dollars!

Quick and Easy Picadillo

Quick and Easy Picadillo Printable Version

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
• ¼ stuffed green olives (manzanillas)
• ¼ tsp. oregano
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce

Ground Beef not pictured...it was defrosting.

Directions

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté onions, pepper and garlic in the olive oil.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

Add ground beef to mix.

Cook beef, crumbling it while it browns.  Add seasonings and chopped olives.

Allow to cook a few more minutes until beef is fully cooked.

Add tomato sauce while stirring.

Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer to incorporate the sauce.

Serve with rice.

Before you say, ” Well, can I leave out the olives? My ____ doesn’t like them.”  Yes, you can leave them out, but my husband hates olives (with a passion) but loves this meal!  His exact words, “You can’t really tell how disgusting the olives are in this! It’s Good!”

~eye roll~ Disgusting?? I love olives! Am I the only one?

Serving suggestions

• Allow meat to cool.  Make little Picadillo pockets by placing the cooled meat mixture between 2 crescent roll triangles. Seal and bake!
• Serve on tortillas
• Serve with rice and Cuban bread.
• Just eat the stuff! It’s that good!

Meal Deal

Ok, while I didn’t match up this meal with the Publix sale this week I will give you a mini breakdown of about what it would cost you to make this yummy dish! If you still want to see this weeks Publix ad with Matchups visit I Heart Publix! Michelle has all things Publix just waiting for you to come check out!

• Ground Beef $1.99/lb (on sale)
• 1 Jar of Manzanilla Olives $1.19
• 1 can of tomato sauce $1.00
• Onion $0.50
• Pepper $1.00
• Rice $1.00

About $6.69

Divide that by 4

You are looking at $1.67 per person!

See, I told you it was a cheap meal!