Our Favorite Meatless Meals

Lent is in full swing and for us that means no meat on Fridays. We usually have one or two meat free meals a week so it's not that big of a stretch for us, but I thought I'd share a couple of our favorite meatless meals today for Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday.

Taco Pie
(This recipe actually calls for a pound of beef. I cheat and use the Morning Star Farms "fake" meat found in a green bag in the freezer section, usually near the breakfast items.)

1 bag Morning Star Farm's Crumbles
1 small onion, chopped
1 packet or 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 small can tomato sauce
dash of Tabasco sauce
8 oz can of biscuits
1 cup refried beans (Make sure to get the vegetarian ones if you use canned!)
1 cup cheese

Cook Crumbles and stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, onion, and hot sauce. Heat until hot and bubbly. Simmer 15 minutes or until thickened. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate. Press biscuits over bottom and up sides of plate. Spread beans over dough. Top with taco mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 375. Top with cheese and cook another 5minutes or until cheese has melted.

Pasta Fagoli
This is our traditional Good Friday meal, served alongside a piece of crusty bread.

16 oz. elbow mac (uncooked)
4 small cans tomato sauce
1 can vegetable broth
1 can white beans
2 cloves crushed garlic
1/8 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Olive oil

Start pasta. In a separate pot, saute garlic and oregano in olive oil. Do not brown (But if you accidentally do, don't worry. I usually burn it.) Add sauce, broth, beans, and Tony's. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.

Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Potatoes
4 large baked potatoes (My favorite way to bake potatoes is in the crockpot. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Wrap in foil. Cook on Hi 3-4 hours or Low 8-10 hours.)
3 cups broccoli florets & stems, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
2 green onions chopped
1 1/3 cup shredded cheese (I just use whatever's on hand.)
Tony's

Steam and drain broccoli. Cut a thin slice from the top of each cooked potato and scoop out insides, keeping skins intact. Mash potatoes and beat in sour cream until smooth. Add broccoli, onion, and 1 cup of cheese to mashed potatoes. Season to taste with Tony's. Refill potato shells. Arrange in shallow baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

And of course it would not be a round-up of meat free meals without our family favorite, Bean and Cheese Enchiladas.

I'm also adding this to the Lent Link Up at Catholic Icing (one of my new favorite blogs). Check it out for lots of great Lent ideas for the whole family to enjoy.