Dump Dinners

While on a Saturday morning walk about a year ago, I happened upon a man in an auto shop parking lot selling items recovered from storage units whose owners had stopped paying for them. My husband and I used to watch the reality TV show Storage Wars about people who bid on abandoned units, and I do like garage sales, thrift stores, etc., so I stopped and wandered through.

If I hadn't, I would have missed out on these finds, all for only $8! Those are Michael Jackson paper dolls, a Frankenstein who sways his hips and dances to the song Monster Mash, a cookbook, a black Beatles-type wig worn by 2nd Brother, and a really stubby screwdriver (not pictured) that allowed us to tighten some screws on our new mailbox.

The Dump Dinners cookbook (yes yes, I know) alone was worth the money. It has a lot of easy, crowd-pleasing meals that are good as leftovers too. Here are my two favorite recipes:

Meatball Casserole

-1 bag frozen meatballs (I like the Italian ones)
-1/2 lb. pasta, cooked and drained (I like mini penne)
-3 cups pasta sauce
-2 cups mozzarella cheese

*Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 dish with cooking spray. Layer the meatballs, pasta, and marinara sauce with half the cheese. Cover with foil and bake 45 min. Uncover, top with remaining cheese and bake for 10 more minutes.

Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole

-1 pound cooked ground beef (or I've done ground turkey)
-1 Tbl dried minced onion
-One 15 oz can pinto beans, drained (or I've used black)
-One 4 oz can diced green chilies
-1 cup sour cream with 2 Tbl flour and 1/4 tsp garlic powder
-Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
-1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce
-1-2 cups cheese (I use cheddar)

*Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 2-quart dish with cooking spray. Mix meat, onion, beans and chilies together. Place half the tortillas in the 2-quart dish, tearing them as needed to cover the bottom; overlapping is fine. Top with half with meat mixture, then half the sour cream mixture, 3/4 cup enchilada sauce. Repeat the layers again, cover with foil and bake for 40 min. Uncover, sprinkle with the cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes.