Wellness Mama Beef Recipes

I don’t ever cook special foods just for picky kids or use food as a reward, but I do let kids help cook (it encourages them to try a wider variety of foods) and let them get creative with it. This recipe was the result of their creativity one time and has been a favorite …

I’m always on the lookout for healthy recipes that can be made in bulk and frozen for later use (like when a new baby is born and cooking is difficult for a while). This moussaka recipe isn’t the quickest to prepare up-front, but it freezes really well and can be made in bulk. What’s more, …

I will never forget the feeling of digging up our first crop of sweet potatoes at our first home when we were finally able to have a good size garden. I had ordered 100 slips (baby sweet potato plants) to plant that year, but didn’t really know what I was doing and didn’t have high …

Corned beef & cabbage is a favorite meal of ours (as it is for most Americans of Irish descent) and a tradition in our house on St. Patrick’s Day. I’ve found that it’s surprisingly easy to brine my own homemade brisket too (here’s how I do it). Brining your own corned beef makes this a …

I know what you’re thinking… meatloaf cupcakes? Have I finally taken it too far?! Granted, frosted meat cupcakes may not sound like a treat, but this recipe takes plain ol’ meat and potatoes and makes them fun and appealing for kids. If you have a picky eater (more on that topic here), you know you need every …

Pizza is big business and an American favorite (and one of my kids’ favorites too!). Experts estimate that half of us eat pizza at least once a week and that in our lifetime, we will eat an average of 6,000 slices! This makes pizza a $37 billion a year industry and a favorite food for …

Beef barbacoa has skyrocketed in popularity thanks to a popular restaurant chain. I first tried this several years ago at a local restaurant and loved the depth of flavors it had. How to Make Beef Barbacoa at Home We just got a Chipotle in our small town. It’s nice to have a decent place to go to …

As a kid, I remember eating things like Hamburger Helper (or Tuna Helper *cringe*) on the regular. This MSG, hydrolyzed corn protein, and enriched wheat with folic acid infused one-pan meal was a staple of the 80s and my friends and I would bemoan its existence over equally processed school lunches (obviously, I had not been …

I’ve recently been experimenting with my new favorite kitchen appliance: the Instant Pot. What is it? An electric, programable, pressure-cooker. Think pressure cooker meets slow cooker. Why Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker? I must confess, while I’ve known about the Instant Pot for a really long time and even had one for several months before trying it …

Note from Katie: Please welcome my friend Elizabeth (also a mom of five) to share her tutorial for how to render tallow (beef fat) at home. If you missed it, also check out her recipe for solid shampoo (shampoo bar soap). Enter Elizabeth… What is Tallow? The first time we bought a share in a cow that …

It may have an unusual sounding name to native English speakers, but Pakistani kima has become one of my favorite dinner recipes. I tried this recipe at a friend’s suggestion and adapted it slightly to fit our family’s preferences. The result is a fast, easy, delicious recipe that makes for great leftovers. (If there is any …

The adjustment to eating real food can be a shock to the food bill, but this recipe is the exception. This is one of my go-to recipes because it is fast and inexpensive to make. Even my one year-old will eat cabbage when I make it this way! I love this beef and cabbage stir-fry …

If you aren’t familiar with Cincinnati Chili, you should be! I must admit, this is an unusual chili. I grew up in Texas where chili meant meat, beans and spicy, so I was a bit taken aback by this chili. Cincinnati chili throws this idea on its head with the addition of cinnamon (yep, really), dark …

It turns out that after all the childhood fear and drama about organ meats, they are actually good for you. If you aren’t already eating liver, you should be! The objection I get most often (including from my mother-in-law) is that liver is the filter organ, so it contains toxins from the body and is …

Many of my recipes are simple stir-fry type recipes because these are the ones I most often cook myself! From a convenience perspective, I certainly understand why many people choose fast food or processed food options… they save time (and sometimes money too). That being said, with a little ingenuity, it is possible to make …

This isn’t one of the most visually appealing recipes to emerge from my kitchen, but one of the simplest! It’s a quick and easy take on spaghetti without the grains. It even got an un-prompted  “This is actually pretty good,” from my Italian husband! My favorite part… it only takes one (oven-safe) pan to make …

Are you grain free now, but sometimes wish you could indulge in a pasta dish without the insulin spike and “brick in the stomach” feeling? My husband had been requesting pasta for a long time, and I’ve been meaning to experiment with a good grain-free lasagna recipe. Thanks to reader Desiree for the inspiration! I …

Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean forgetting pizza forever. This gluten-free pizza recipe tastes like regular pizza but is much more filling and protein packed. The basic idea is that instead of a flour crust, you use ground beef and spices instead. The texture is amazingly similar, and this “Meatza” is great cold for breakfast …

Being of Irish/Scottish descent, the adjustment away from potatoes was a tough one! I used to make shepherd’s pie regularly every couple of weeks because it was easy and the kids loved it. When we first got rid of grains, potatoes, and sugars, I thought this was a recipe I would have to forget. Until …