Texas Hash

The photo doesn't do it justice! It tastes better than it looks!

Don’t let the name “hash” scare you. This is an old family recipe that is delicious. It’s just meat, rice and tomatoes, don’t be afraid. I found my Grandmother’s handwritten recipe in my recipe box the other day and had to make it. I think this is actually my dad’s recipe that my grandmother used to make. She note up in the corner “Ernest’s recipe”. Ernest is my daddy and the reason I love cooking. He got his love of cooking from his mother. I’ll let you in on a little secret....he failed the First grade. Yes, surprising isn’t it? Well, apparently he didn’t go to school enough to get a report card! See his little trick was to pretend like he was sick and then he’d just stay home and cook with his mama. Isn’t that sweet? We make fun of him for it so it’s okay if you want to too. He was the baby so she didn’t make him go to school if he was sick (read in a sarcastic tone). It makes me laugh.....but I benefited from it all my life. Sorry Daddy, your secret is out. Love you! :-)

Now that I’ve told my Daddy’s secrets, let’s get started on one of his recipes. This one is so easy and quite delicious too! I apologize for the lack of photos, but it’s such a simple recipe I thought you could probably figure it out. Okay, fine, I actually forgot to take pictures! But I think you’ll be fine if you following these directions. By the way, here's a copy of my grandmother's hand written recipe. I cherish this recipe.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 pound ground beef (or turkey, which is what I used)

1 bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 – 16 oz can tomatoes (I like to use the ones with Italian seasoning)
1/2 cup uncooked rice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder (or more if desired)
1/8 teaspoon pepper
 

Directions:

In a large skillet brown meat (do not drain) add pepper and onion and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and heat thoroughly. Pour in 2 qt casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. I decided to cut some fresh basil and toss that in at the end too. You can't go wrong with fresh basil, right?

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!