meatloaf

This is one of my favorite recipes from my Betty Crocker cookbook. Though I do twist it up just a little. If you want a good cookbook you should check this one out. It has a bit of everything! And the best part, it has an emergency substitution chart in the back...SCORE! I'm always forgetting some ingredient and it's nice to know I can look in the back of my book for a good subsitute. Anyway, I'm posting this recipe just for my good friend, Joyce. I hope you enjoy!! Y

1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef
1 cup milk
1 tbs worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dried sage leaves (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic finely chopped (or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
1 large egg
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion chopped
1 cup ketchup divided
1/2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp mustard

Heat the oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients except 1/2 cup of ketchup and the last 2 ingredients listed. Spread mixture in an ungreased loaf pan (though I use my stoneware casserole dish). Mix the other 1/2 cup of ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard together then spread on top of the meatloaf. bake uncovered for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until juice is clear and a meat thermometer reads 160. Drain the meatloaf and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. I usually serve my meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a veggie.

Note: I've fed this to people who claim to hate meatloaf and they end up loving this. My family loves it...even my husband who swore he only likes his mama's meatloaf...of course that was before he had mine. ;)

Easy Chili

2 lb browned hamburger meat or vegetarian "meat" crumbles
4 cans chili beans
2 packs dry chili mix packets
2 cans tomato paste or tomato sauce

Combine all ingredients and simmer. Serve with crackers, sour cream and cheese! This recipe is just for a simple basic chili. Of course you can add things to make it your own!

Stuffed Peppers

1 lb ground beef
6 Bell Peppers (any color)
2 tbs chopped onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 cup rice
15 oz of marinara/spaghetti sauce
1 tsp salt
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Heat oven to 350. Brown beef with onion. Add garlic, salt, rice, and 1 cup of sauce. Stir over med heat until hot. Meanwhile, cut the tops off the peppers and clean them out. Add them to boiling water and cook for 5 mins. Place peppers into an ungreased pan and fill with beef mixture. Pour the rest of the sauce over the peppers and top with mozzarella. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!!

Note: to make this vegetarian you can substitute beef for crumbled boca burgers and firm tofu. I followed the same recipe to make 2 vegetarian peppers except I browned the crumbled tofu (half a package) with 1 crumbled boca burger. Then I added rice, garlic, and sauce. And continued to follow the rest of the recipe.

Cowboy Stew

2 lb. ground chuck
2 large onions
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans Ro-Tel tomatoes
2 cans cream-style corn
2 cans mixed vegetables (drained)

Brown ground chuck and onions together. Drain any excess grease. Add all other ingredients. Simmer on stove medium heat for 90 minutes or in crockpot on low for a few hours. Serve with crackers.

*Variations- You can also add two cans of Spanish rice if you like, I prefer it without the rice though. For you veggies out there you can use the ground "meat" crumbles.

My mouth is really set for this soup but it's just too hot right now! The first cold snap we have I am making this!

An Easy Lunch

I needed something quick and tasty for lunch yesterday. I did a quick survey of my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. Noodles, frozen raw meat, milk, cream soups, noodle soups, diced tomatoes, frozen browned ground beef, more noodles. Things that could become a meal, but most of them we'd had recently. Then it struck me, I had NEVER made anything with egg noodles for Kairi. And I mean NEVER. So this is what I created. If nothing else, Alex ate 2 helpings for lunch that day and two more today. Kairi eats it, not perfectly, but anymore getting 2 bites per meal down her is a miracle.



Almost Beef Stroganoff (or however you spell it)

~1 lb of browned ground beef (thawed and rinsed to help remove excess fat/grease)
16 oz of egg noodles
1/2 cup of milk (skim)
1 can of cream of mushroom (98% fat free)

Cook and drain the noodles. Mix in the other three ingredients. Add salt to taste. Serve!


Seriously, a super easy dish. I loved it, Alex loved it. Kairi's opinion doesn't count since she doesn't eat. :)