I have 3 boys, and a six foot three husband, who eat ALL. THE. TIME. Keeping them fed is no small task, physically or on our wallets. That’s why we buy in bulk when possible.

The problem has always been buying meat and fresh fruits and veggies. We didn’t really have a good way to store them and keep them fresh when we bought them in bulk.

That’s why I’m so excited about our new FoodSaver FM5000 vacuum sealer. We can buy meat and fresh fruits and veggies in bulk, seal them up, and freeze them for later. It’s much for effective and efficient than our previous method and the food is fresher when we pull it out to use it.

I did a quality test with our new FoodSaver vacuum sealer. We have bought our ground beef in bulk for several years now. We used to divide it, then wrap it in plastic wrap and put 3-4 sections of meat into a ziptop bag. Then we put the whole package in the freezer. It worked fine, but the meat always turned brown before we used it. Even if it was just a couple of weeks after we bought it.

The FoodSaver vacuum sealer cut out the plastic wrap and the bag. And it kept our meat fresher! This meat had been in the freezer for 4 weeks. It was still red with just a bit of brown and was still very fresh.

We decided to make nachos for dinner one night. We used the meat we put in the freezer, cooked up some beans, and cut up some toppings for a delicious dinner.

It was a hit! And I loved how fresh the meat was still, even after 4 weeks!

FOODSAVER VACUUM SEALER – NOT JUST FOR FOOD!

My favorite part of the FoodSaver vacuum sealer is that you can use it for more than just food.

• Seal up your favorite sweaters during the months you aren’t wearing them to keep them in good shape.
• Cook your food ahead of time and seal it for camping trips for super easy meals. Just warm it up.
• Seal ice in a bag and you’ve got water storage when it melts.
• We are going to Disneyland next month and will be taking a pair of each of our boys’ clothes and sealing it in a vacuum pouch to keep it dry.

NOT ALL FOODS SHOULD BE SEALED

There’s lots of things you can still with the FoodSaver vacuum sealer, but there’s a few things you shouldn’t seal. Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and garlic are a few things you should never seal. The gases created by these foods over time are toxic and will make the food go bad.

You can find more info on the FoodSaver vacuum sealers HERE.
We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it’s a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out. See our nacho recipe below. Enjoy!

THE RECIPE

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Nachos

Prep time:  10 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  40 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

Create delicious meals and save money when you buy in bulk. Seal your foods with a FoodSaver vacuum sealer for fresher foods from the freezer.

Ingredients

• Tortilla chips
• 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
• 2 15oz cans Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ onion, diced
• 1 can green chilies
• ½ lb ground beef
• 2 tsp taco seasoning
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• 

Instructions

1. In a small sauce pan, combine 2 cans of rinsed and drained black beans, 1 diced Roma tomato, ½ onion, diced, and 1 can green chilies. Let simmer on the stove.
2. 
3. Brown ground beef in a large skillet on the stove. Season with taco seasoning. Cook until brown and temperature is 165°F.
4. 
5. When ground beef is cooked and beans are tender, lay tortilla chips on a plate. Layer ground beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, and sour cream on top of tortilla chips.
6. 
7. Serve!
8. We like to put cilantro lime rice on our nachos and tacos too. I love that it's a super easy recipe you do in your rice cooker. Check it out.

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3 GENERATION GOULASH

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3 Generation Goulash

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  30 mins

Total time:  35 mins

Serves: Serves 6-8

A hearty casserole-style dish with lots of flavor. Pasta covered in flavorful tomato sauce with vegetables and hamburger make this a wonderful family favorite.

Ingredients

• 16 oz uncooked Pasta
• 12 oz bottle Ragu Pasta Sauce
• 5-6 medium Portabello Mushrooms
• 1 Red Pepper
• 14 oz canned Corn
• 14 oz canned cut Green Beans
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbsp dried Minced Onions
• Shredded Cheese

Instructions

1. Boil water for the pasta as directed on the box. When water boils, cook the pasta as directed.
2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet on the stove.
3. Add the garlic powder and the minced onion.
4. 
5. Slice the pepper and mushrooms. Add to the ground beef. Saute until the mushrooms and peppers are tender.
6. 
7. Add the green beans and the corn. Combine until well mixed.
8. 
9. Stir in the Ragu pasta sauce and mix until the sauce coats the meat and veggies evenly.
10. 
11. Simmer on low on the stove while the pasta cooks.
12. Drain the pasta and rinse, if desired.
13. Add the pasta to the sauce and mix until the pasta is evenly coated.
14. 
15. 
16. Serve topped with shredded cheese.
17. 

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My grandma always makes her own tomato pasta sauces, but my mom always used Ragu pasta sauce. I love the option, because with my busy life and busy boys, I don’t always have the time or energy to make my own sauce. I love that Ragu pasta sauce is a part of this tradition and that it is a sauce that I can count on to deliver quality flavor.

While working on this post, I was able to learn more about the origin of Ragu and the woman who started it all. Assunta Cantisano was a woman with a dream. Assunta came to America from Italy and brought her family’s recipe for tomato sauce with her. Her neighbors loved it. And so did her neighbor’s neighbors. Before too long, people were grabbing it off of store shelves in Iowa and the Ragu tradition was off and running. Great success story, right? But it wasn’t easy fame and fortune for Assunta. She grew up during the Great Depression and she struggled as a single mom. Her hard work and perseverance clearly paid off. When people didn’t have much of anything, she gave her all to share her sauce with others. Since Ragu was born hundreds of pasta sauces have graced the shelves over the past 80 years, and has even gone on to become America’s number one pasta sauce.

Do you like to experiment in the kitchen? Right now, food.com has a contest running called Ready. Set. Cook! and they have issued the challenge to create new and unique recipes featuring Ragu sauce plus a set list of other ingredients. Think you’re up to the challenge? Check out the Ready. Set. Cook! contest over on food.com.

I love traditions and sharing them with my kids, especially this time of year. What are some of your favorite family traditions?

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PHILLY CHEESESTEAK STUFFED RED PEPPERS

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Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Peppers

Prep time:  25 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 10 servings

Serving size: 155 g

Calories: 185

Fat: 8.1 g

Ingredients

• 5 Red Peppers
• 12 oz Steak, cut into strips (smaller steaks that equal about 12 oz)
• 6-8 Portabello Mushrooms
• 1 tbsp Butter, olive oil or other oil
• 10 slices of Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions

1. Slice the mushrooms.
2. In a large skillet on the stove, melt the butter or warm the oil. Depending on what kind of oil you use, you may need to melt it.
3. Sauté the steak strips in the oil or butter. When the steak is no longer pink, toss in the mushrooms.
4. Sauté the steak and mushrooms until they are tender.
5. Preheat the oven to 400F.
6. Cut the bell peppers in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds.
7. Put a layer of foil on a baking sheet. Lay the pepper halves on the foil.
8. Fill each pepper with the steak and mushrooms.
9. Bake for 20 minutes.
10. Place a slice of mozzarella cheese on the top of each pepper and bake for 5-7 more minutes.
11. When the cheese is melted, remove the peppers from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
12. Serve.

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The post Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Red Peppers appeared first on While He Was Napping.