(This recipe is from the Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes, printed in 1978. Sunset says of this recipe: No one is quite sure of the origin of the one-dish meal called Joe’s Special. A staple of several San Francisco restaurants, it has been popular in that city for at least two generations.)
2 pounds ground beef chuck, crumbled
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (or more to taste)
½ pound mushrooms, sliced (optional)
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon each nutmeg, pepper, and oregano
1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained; or ½ pound fresh spinach, washed, drained, and chopped
4 to 6 eggs
(1/4 to ½ cup Parmesan cheese, if desired)
Brown ground beef in oil in a large frying pan over medium heat; drain off fat. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms; reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft. Stir in seasonings and spinach; cook for about 5 minutes longer.
Add eggs; stir mixture over low heat just until eggs begin to set. Stir in Parmesan cheese at this point (if used).
Makes 6 servings.
You could add other vegetables and use different seasonings to alter this basic recipe to suit your family’s tastes. This is how we like it, though. Also, we serve this in large flour tortillas, with shredded cheddar cheese and salsa.
As I searched for an image of Joe’s Special, I came across an online recipe which is almost identical to mine at Howstuffworks.