Mini Meatloaves

Here's a fun twist on the same ol', same ol' Meatloaf recipe. The recipe is actually quite simple, but the meat is baked in a muffin pan instead of a loaf pan! It was so easy and made such a delicious dinner. My 3-year-old loved it because they looked like big meatballs (she LOVES meatballs!). I made it a complete dinner by adding Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans and Crescent Rolls. Enjoy!

Mini Meatloaves (from e-mealz.com)

1 lb ground sirloin (could substitute with ground turkey!)

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

2/3 C italian breadcrumbs

1/3 C lemon juice (I did not have a lemon so I left it out)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Mix meat, onion, breadcrumbs, lemon juice and egg in large bowl. Pack mixture evenly into 6 greased cups of muffin tin. Distribute cheese evenly in a mound, over each mini loaf. Bake for 30 min @ 350 degrees, until done.

Bow Tie Lasagna

Here's a good, easy, cheap and quick recipe for your repertoire. I always have pasta on hand and I'm always looking for new ways to use it besides boiling it and adding meat and jarred sauce. This is like lasagna, just de-constructed and you can make it all in your skillet! I also love the idea that you can use fun pasta shapes like bow ties! Use whatever you have! Sounds good, right? Add garlic bread and a salad and you've got a meal to be proud of! Just don't freeze this because it has sour cream in it!

Bowtie Lasagna (from TastyKitchen.com)

1 pound Ground Chuck

5 cups Bow Tie Noodles

3 cups Spaghetti Sauce (or Pizza Sauce, Whatever You Prefer)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning (or More, Make It To Your Taste)

½ cups Mozzarella Cheese

½ cups Sour Cream

Fry ground chuck in small pan. Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions.

After noodles are cooked, drain and drizzle with olive oil. Mix in your spaghetti sauce.

Add your fried hamburger, seasonings, cheese, and sour cream. Fold together and allow it all to combine and melt together, over low heat, for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve to your family and be prepared to have it disappear before your very eyes.

Braised Roast Beef

Hello all, good to be back in the blogging world. A few months ago I discovered the wonderful world of Pinterest and I've never looked back! I've gotten so many great ideas, not just recipes, but ideas for my home, decorating, kids, and tons more. I love it. It's my go-to site for almost everything now!

Yesterday I had a roast beef dilemma. I wanted to make one with a recipe I had but it was for the crock pot and mine just broke (it cracked!) so I couldn't do that. So, of course I looked on Pinterest for a roast beef recipe. Found this one almost immediately and loved how it sounded and amazingly I had all of the ingredients in my pantry! I used a chuck roast, like the recipe says, but mine was boneless...either way is fine. I served it with scalloped potatoes, green beans and corn. It was gobbled up! And I might add, it made my house smell DIVINE.

Braised Roast Beef -- from "The Bake-Off Flunkie" (the site has pictures, too!)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 6-oz can tomato paste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)

6 cloves garlic, pressed
1 2-1/2 to 3 lb bone-in chuck roast

1. In a medium bowl (I used a 4-cup glass measuring cup), combine everything except the roast; mix well.

2. Make the foil packet: Tear a large sheet of heavy-duty foil (mine was about 18x18) and put the roast in the center. Bring up the top and bottom edges. ...and fold them over 3 or 4 times. Fold up both sides 3 or 4 times.

Very carefully unfold the top (you will have to unfold all of the folds a few times) and pour in the vinegar-tomato paste mixture. Refold everything and put the packet in a baking dish to catch any leaks (and there will be some leaks).

3. Heat your oven to 325. Bake the roast for 4 hours. Let it rest for 10 minutes before you open the packet.

4. Use tongs to take the meat out of the packet, transferring it to a cutting board or plate, and cover it with foil. The meat will come apart in large pieces when you try to pick it up....oh, yeah...

5. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve (you might have to press it through) to make a sauce. Slightly pull the meat apart with a fork and serve it with the sauce.

Serves 4-6 people.

Ranch Burgers - Craving Fulfilled!

Well I'm pregnant and I have cravings from time to time. One of them lately has been a big, juicy hamburger! I don't care for burgers that often; if I have to choose between a burger and a hot dog, the hot dog always wins. But, the baby wants it so I found a recipe that sounded easy and yummy and went for it. It truly was easy and very quick. I cooked them on my George Foreman grill and they were perfect - but you can use your outdoor grill or even the stove top.

It's important for me to make meals that my whole family loves, so I'll usually tell you what my 2-year-old thinks of what I made. Just to give you an idea, she's been sick with a throat infection for a few days and hasn't wanted to eat anything. She's had next to nothing all day, but tonight, she ate (most) of the burger! I told her it was like a big meatball and I think that's how I sold it..haha. Good luck!

Ranch Burgers (from E-Mealz.com)

(makes 4-6 burgers, depending on how big or small you like them!)

1 lb ground round (or lean ground beef or ground turkey!)

1 packet ranch dressing mix (I used Hidden Valley)

2 T honey dijon mustard (I couldn't find honey dijon so I bought regular dijon and mixed in honey)

1 C mexican shredded cheese

Hamburger Buns

In medium bowl mix together ground meat, dressing mix, mustard & cheese. Shape into 4- 6 patties. Cook on stove or grill until juices run clear & center is no longer pink. Place patties on hamburger bun with desired condiments.

You can serve this with chips or fries and maybe even some cold fruit, like watermelon, if it's summer time.

Hi! And Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry

Wow, so a whole year went by! Well, I'm back and I've got a new recipe for you to try. It was a hit with my family tonight - even my 2-year-old ate it! I think it would be a good meal to make for a crowd - it's easy and delicious.

I got it from E-Mealz. It's a meal subscription web site that's super cheap. You pick the store you shop at, specify how many people you are feeding and sign up for a meal plan. E-Mealz will prepare a 5-day meal plan including ingredients and coupon deals. The best part is that they plan the meals around what's on sale at your grocery store that week. I've been a member for a while now and I mostly like this. I like that it's cheap ($5 a month) and that I'm saving money each week during my grocery shop. The meals we've tried have been really good. Sometimes I'll see a meal and know my family won't eat it, so I'll take some of the ingredients and make something I know we'll like. Check it out and see if it will work for your family!

Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry (from E-Mealz.com)

1 T cornstarch

1 T water

1⁄4 t garlic powder,

zip bag

1⁄2 lb boneless top sirloin steak, cut into 3" strips

1 T vegetable oil

2 c fresh broccoli florets (I used a frozen bag of microwave steam broccoli and added it after I cooked the onions)

1 c onion, cut into wedges

1 T vegetable oil

1⁄3 c soy sauce

2 T brown sugar

1 t ground ginger

1 T cornstarch

1⁄2 c water

1 bag egg noodles (or rice, your choice!)

In zip bag combine cornstarch, water & garlic powder. Add beef. Seal bag and turn to coat. In large skillet or wok over med-high heat, stir fry beef in oil until no longer pink; remove and keep warm. Stir-fry broccoli & onion in oil for 4-5 min & return beef to pan. In small bowl, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, cornstarch, and water until smooth; add to pan. Cook and stir for 2 min until thickened. Serve over noodles.

Cook egg noodles according to pkg directions. Season w/ salt to taste.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

I made this the other night for my parents and my Dad actually said it was one of the top 3 favorite meals that I've made for them! Wow! I got this from Tasty Kitchen, which is one of my favorite cooking sites. It's recipes that people submit and they're approved by the Pioneer Woman herself (read her blog - it is hilarious and delicious!).

My Notes: I made this recipe exactly as it said and it really was delicious and super easy. I love my crock pot! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff (from TastyKitchen.com)

2 pounds Stew Meat
2 cans Golden Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream Of Mushroom Soup
½ cups Chopped Onion
1 clove Chopped Garlic
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 package Onion Soup Mix
½ cups Water
1 bag Egg Noodles
4 ounces, weight Softened Cream Cheese
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream

1. In crock pot, add the meat, soups, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, onion soup mix, and water.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 5 hours.
3. Prepare egg noodles per package.
4. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream just before serving. Mix in egg noodles.

Pasta e Fagioli

I love this soup for so many reasons. I feel like I sound like a broken record, but it's cheap to make and so easy it's stupid. My favorite thing about this soup is that it tastes JUST like the Pasta e Fagioli from the Olive Garden, which I love way too much. It's savory, a little spicy and so comforting. This recipe makes 4 quarts of soup so you can easily freeze this for another day! I think it tastes even better when all the flavors have time to get acquainted. I got the recipe from a message board a few years ago when I was on this diet called First Place. So, it's healthy too!

My notes: This calls for ground beef but you could certainly use ground turkey...sometimes I prefer the turkey against the beef. Please, oh please, drain the beans. After making this so many times I'm not sure I can ever use the gunk (what is that liquid anyway?) that the beans are packed in. It grosses me out. Drain and rinse please-and-thank-you. For the spaghetti sauce, I usually use Hunts Traditional sauce. It doesn't come in 32oz cans, so I use one whole one plus about half of another. I usually use ditalini pasta, like the Olive Garden does, instead of shell pasta. I also use dried parsley. You must serve this with crusty bread...there will be so much goodness at the bottom of your bowl that you'll want to sop up. TRUST ME! :)

Pasta e Fagioli

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water, divided
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, slivered
1 cup celery, diced
2 14.4 ounce diced canned tomatoes
1 cup canned red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained
5 1/2 cups beef stock
2 teaspoons leaf oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
32 ounces spaghetti sauce, no sugar added
4 ounces dry shell pasta

Preparation: Saute beef in 1/4 cup water in a large 8-quart pot until beef starts to brown. Drain. Add 1/4 cup water onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce, and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Makes about 5 quarts of soup! Make at least one day before serving for best flavor. Freezes wonderfully. Serving size 1 1/2 cups.

HoBo Special

This is an old family recipe that I love to make when I a) have no money or b) have no time. You could make this meal for less than $5 and in about 10-15 minutes! It's not gourmet by any means but it's not supposed to be. I mean, it's called "HoBo Special" for a reason! It's one of those feel-good, comforting meals. My Great-Grandma made this during the Great Depression, so it's time-tested and approved!

My notes: I almost always make this meal a little differently than the time before but I will give you the classic recipe. You can swap out ground beef for ground turkey if you'd like. It would save some calories and some $$. You can also substitute whole wheat pasta for regular pasta, but that will up the price. I don't measure the garlic powder...put in a good amount and then keep tasting. You don't want it too garlicky but you want flavor. I usually put in a few shakes of Tabasco or even some red pepper flakes for a little heat. The hubby likes it hot! You can serve this with a small salad and garlic bread.

HoBo Special

1 lb ground beef
3/4 lb elbow macaroni
2 14oz cans of Campbell's Tomato Soup
Lots of garlic powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Start by boiling some water in a small pot. Pour in the elbow macaroni until it's al dente. Meanwhile, brown the ground beef/turkey and drain out any excess fat. While still on the heat, pour in the 2 cans of tomato soup and stir to combine. Add in the garlic powder, salt & pepper to taste. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Add the macaroni and stir to combine. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Picante Roast Beef Sandwiches

This is one of those meals where you don't need to know anything about cooking to make this. It's foolproof, I promise. It's also cheap to make, has less than 10 ingredients, isn't bad for you and will be done in less than 30 minutes. That all adds up to a great weeknight meal, don't you think?

My notes: I do everything the recipe says but add cilantro. I just wish I could go to the grocery store and only get like 2-3 sprigs of cilantro instead of a whole bunch. I just don't need or want that much cilantro and I hate wasting the money. So, add it if you want but you won't necessarily miss the flavor if you don't add it. Enjoy!

Picante Roast Beef Sandwiches (from FoodNetwork.com)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onions
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces sliced roast beef, sliced into strips
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (4-ounce) can minced green chiles
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt and ground black pepper
4 sandwich rolls, sliced in 1/2

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute 3 minutes, until soft. Add roast beef slices and saute 3 to 5 minutes, until browned on all sides, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes, jalapenos, lime juice, and cumin and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, to heat through and reduce slightly.
Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Spoon onto sliced rolls with plenty of sauce and serve.