Two For Your Cow Share

We know several folks in Missoula and a few around Charlottesville who have bought a share of a local cow or pig to save on the cost of local, organic meat and keep their freezers conveniently stocked.  We got on the cow share bandwagon this fall, buying about $90 worth of beef cuts from our neighbor, who bought 1/4 of a cow from the Clark Fork Coalition's Dry Cottonwood Creek Ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley near Missoula.  We have a few larger cuts of meat, but like most cow shares, we also have lots and lots of 1lb bags of ground beef.  Here are two recipes for ground beef casserole-type dishes that we've enjoyed. 

[Ladies, as an aside, these are man-pleaser meals.  A friend of mine constantly hears from her husband that he wants "a bake" for supper.  He's from Alaska, otherwise I think he'd just ask for a casserole--bless his heart--but warm from the oven meals that combine meat, cheese and/or a starch make grown men feel loved and looked-after, I tell you.  The MM gets really excited when either one of these is on the menu.]

1. Southwestern Shepherd's Pie--a mix of sweet and spicy ground beef (cinnamon, cayenne), black beans, corn and bell pepper baked with a sweet potato crust.  More prep than recipe #2 but a serious crowd pleaser and so, so good on a cold night. 

2.  Spiced Beef Cobbler with a Cheesy Cornbread Crust--same concept, fewer ingredients and ready in about half the time.  The MM and I tag-teamed it while we put Ford to bed and sat down to eat it with a green salad by 7:30pm!

Photo from Garden and Gun

And in case you're wondering, I've already given notice to the MM that he's on Munchkin duty for part of Saturday so I can make Hoppin' John, greens and more cornbread (not as classy as biscuits, but faster!) for a New Year's Day gathering.  And yes, that did involve ordering 1lb. of Tasso ham from iGourmet.com.  Thanks to the internets and overnight shipping, we're going to have a Southern feast all the way up here in Montana.