I've been making this dish since my children were little. It was something quick and nutritious to serve, and I loved that there wasn't a lot of mess or cleanup, especially then when my days were so busy! Now, it's kind of evolved into one of Mom's "signature dishes" to them, and it's an old standby that I can fall back on when I need something healthy and substantial that I know they'll eat. Here's the recipe:
Beef, Beans and Tomatoes
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef (80/20)
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained
1 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1 can black olives, any size (optional)
1 bag shredded cheddar, mozzerella or colby jack cheese
1 handful of diced onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Place a pad of butter into a large skillet. Melt to coat bottom of pan. Pour in tomatoes and beans. Add onions and garlic. Cook on medium/medium low, uncovered, approximately 15 minutes to allow some of the liquid to evaporate. In a separate skillet, cook meat just until done, not overcooked and crispy. Drain off fat. Add beef to the tomato and bean mixture, stirring everything together nicely. Since I love black olives and usually seem to have them on hand, I've always tossed about 1/4 c. to 1/2 c. of olives, halved, into the mixture at the end. Gently stir them in. Add the cheese over top to coat entire mixture thoroughly. Cover and reduce heat to low. When cheese has melted, remove from heat and serve.
