Comfort Food For A Cold Day

We're so lucky to live here on the Gulf Coast. The weather seldom gets really cold, and if it does it isn't for too long. So when it does get nasty outside, you want something to warm you on the inside.

I found a recipe years and years ago in one of the ladies magazines(of course I can't remember which one now :D ) for a Hamburger Stew that I've made every winter since. It tastes even better the next day, so you could make it ahead of time and eat it a day or two after making. Since I never wrote the recipe down, I'll just tell you how we make it.


Hamburger Stew

2 lbs. ground beef
small bag of potatoes- about 5 lbs. more or less, leave the skins on ( I prefer red skinned) left whole or cut in even sized chunks but you can use any kind of potato, the red skinned ones just look prettier!
2 green bell peppers seeded and cut into strips
2 onions cut into wedges
1 or 2 large cans of tomato sauce
1 or 2 large cans of peeled or diced tomatoes
minced garlic as you like( I use fresh, but dried is good,too)
salt
pepper


In a large pot brown ground beef,put in colander and rinse in hot water to thoroughly drain grease. Return ground beef to large pot and add salt and pepper,wedged onions, bell pepper strips and garlic. Saute a few minutes then add potatoes, tomato sauce and peeled tomatoes. Simmer til potatoes are done. Serve with French bread.
When my kids were younger and friends came over, this was one of the easiest recipes to stretch and feed more people. Just add more potatoes and tomato sauce :D
You can also make this ahead of time and freeze, but leave out the potatoes. When you need it, thaw and simmer with fresh potatoes until tender.
If you like an Italian flavor, use your favorite spaghetti sauce and a can of tomato sauce and a can of peeled or diced tomatoes :D
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I got the plates cut and nipped and trying to lay them out in a nice pattern. I sat out on the front porch working on it but Uncle Jack was in here crying "mamaaaaa mamaaaaa". Silly dog. I couldn't take it anymore so I came back in so he could see me :D He's really starting to show his age, you can see it in his face, and the way he has such a hard time walking around. It makes me sad sad sad. He's a Golden Retriever and April 10th he will be 7 years old, which doesn't sound too too old, but when he was one he was hit by a truck and has been babied ever since.