Southwest Skillet Dinner

This recipe is on the cover of a Pillsbury cookbook that I’ve had for more than 15 years.  Pillsbury calls it “Chuck Wagon Skillet Dinner”, but I asked the boys to come up with a new name.  “Marvelous Meaty Zucchini” was Patrick’s suggestion.  The recipe below has been scaled up for a family of 6 plus some leftovers.  Also, I use my own taco seasoning blend instead of a package.  I can remember a time when this dinner brought cheers, especially from the younger boys.  It’s easy to eat if you have teeth missing or just had your braces tightened.  It’s also very quick to make, it has vegetables built right in, it reheats well, and it tastes good too.  We like to serve this with a side of sweet cornbread muffins to balance out the spice.

My taco seasoning blend:

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

This recipe above makes enough seasoning mix for about 2 lbs. of ground beef.  I use 1 tablespoon taco seasoning blend and 1/4 cup of water for every 1/2 lb. of ground beef.  Just save any extra for another meal.