Hamburger Skillet Casserole

At the request of a friend, I'm posting a recipe that originally came out of a gluten free cookbook with many changes to make it an easy, flexible, one dish meal that tastes great even on a reflux, GFCF diet! The seasoning measurements are estimates as I have never measured what I use just sprinkled it in until it smells nice and tastes fabulous :)

1/2 lb ground beef
8 oz gluten free pene pasta (for this I use De Bolles brand)
roughly 2 cups of veggies, fresh or frozen (I've done both ways and use any number of veggies)
3-4 cups of broth, any kind will do and the more you use the stronger the flavor (I've even used chicken broth with beef before and it tasted great still)
water to finish covering pasta
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/4 t. ground ginger
salt to taste
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in cold water for thickening

Brown the beef in a large skillet (I actually use my wok). Drain, rinse and return to pan. Add in pasta, seasonings and broth. Add water until the pasta and veggies are completely covered. Boil until pasta is tender and fully cooked. The dish will have thickened and sometimes it's thick enough as is but if you'd like to make the broth more like a gravy then stir in the cornstarch and water mixture to thicken before serving.

Non traditional Red beans and Rice

So without onions, peppers and garlic I wasn't sure how exactly to use red beans for red beans and rice, but I had some on hand and wanted to give it a go. What I mixed up came out really delicious and is something I will definitely be making again!

1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight
1 1/2 t. paprika
1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t. dried cilantro leaves
1/2 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1/2 pound ground turkey, browned
3 bay leaves
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
1-2 stalks celery, cleaned and sliced (I used one but I'm not a huge celery fan)
water
salt to taste
cooked brown rice, enough to feed your family

Put the soaked beans in a stock pot and cover with water. Add all the ingredients except salt and rice. Bring to a boil, then turn down and simmer for a few hours until the beans are good and tender. Watch the water level. I had to add a little here and there to keep them hydrated. After the beans are completely tender, let boil until the water thickens and add salt to taste. Serve over brown rice and enjoy!