Mom's Marvelous Meatloaf

I know there are many unfavorable associations and mental images conjured by the word "meatloaf," but this dish really is a winner. Besides being full of heart-healthy oatmeal, this non-greasy variety is full of flavor too. The secret ingredient, Italian seasoning, makes this main dish a favorite with everyone.

1- 1 1/2 lb. extra lean or lean ground beef
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 egg
1 c. milk, ketchup, OR tomato sauce (I use a combination of all three usually or whatever I have on hand.)
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. oats
chopped onion (however much your family likes)
chopped green bell pepper (Optional, my kids don't like bell peppers, so I omit them.)

Optional Glaze (shown in picture):
3/4 c. ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard, or 1 tsp. prepared mustard

Mix ingredients thoroughly.  Spread evenly in a greased loaf pan or medium casserole dish.  Combine glaze ingredients and spread on top of meat mixture.  Bake at 375 for 1 hour.  You can also make mini meat loaves and bake them on a rimmed cookie sheet for about 20-30 min. depending on the size of each individual loaf. 

 

Almond chicken casserole

4 c. cooked rice
2-3 c. cooked, diced chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 T. lemon juice
1 c. mayo
1 c. chopped celery
1 T. minced onion
3 T. butter
1/2 c. slivered or sliced almonds
1/2 c. + crushed corn flakes

Grease 9x13 pan. Cook 2 c. rice with 4 c. water. Put rice in pan, and cover with chicken Blend soup, lemon juice, celery, and onion. Pour over chicken. Melt butter in separate dish, and add cornflakes and almonds. Cover and refrigerate if desired. If refrigerated, let sit out for 2 hours before baking. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 1 hour.

Melissa's chicken ramen salad

A few years ago, some friends and I started a "lunch bunch" playgroup. We'd each bring something to eat and the corresponding recipe to share with each other. This is the best chicken ramen cabbage salad I've had, so I thought I should include it on my blog. I think you'll enjoy it too!

1 head of green cabbage, shredded or thinly sliced
8 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. almonds or sunflower seeds (shown)
2-3 bags ramen noodles, crushed
about 4 chicken breasts, cooked, cooled and diced

Mix salad ingredients together in large bowl.

Dressing:
2/3 c. salad oil
2/3 c. rice vinegar
1/2 c. sugar (I add a little extra)
1 T. ck. boullion (or just use the seasoning packets from the ramen noodles)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper

Combine ingredients in blender or shaker. Pour over salad (you might not need all the dressing, so start with half, and add more to taste).

Three Cheers for Homemade Pizza!

Jenna and I love to make homemade pizza together, and she's quite the little helper. Because we enjoy pizza so much (and it's fast!), I've put together three different pizza recipes here. The sauce and toppings are the same for each recipe. Just pick the crust that matches your taste and time frame. The recipes are in order based on the time it takes to make them, longest to shortest. Happy eating!
My mom's pizza crust 

2 c. warm water
2 T. yeast
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. oil
4 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle sugar on after o

ne minute. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes, or until bubbles form. Add remaining ingredients. Roll out into two rectangles, and place on cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Allow dough to rise about 15 minutes. Add sauce, cheese, and desired toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. This dough also makes good breadsticks.

For a crispy crust that's easy, and my favorite actually, I use Rhodes Rolls.  Just follow the directions on the bag.  When the rolls have risen (usually about 3 hours) flatten them with your hands until they reach the desired thickness.  We like thin crust pizzas the best, so we stretched the dough 6-8 inches across.  Place sauce (Prego is my favorite), cheese, and toppings on top of crust, and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes.  

Cooking Time: 20 minutes, start to finish
Ingredients:
4 pitas
1 sm. can tomato sauce
Italian seasoning
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cheese
Your favorite pizza toppings—pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, peppers, pineapple, ham, etc.

Instructions:
Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, and place pita bread on trays. Season tomato sauce with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Spread ¼ of sauce on each pita bread. Sprinkle with cheese and other toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and pita bread is lightly browned.
Serves 4

Creamy Potato Soup and Mom's Homemade Breadsticks

This soup is fabulous for cold winter nights.  The extra veggies make it really yummy too.  If desired, frozen broccoli and/or cauliflower can be added.  

Tip:  To make this soup faster, look for bags of frozen, diced onions and sliced carrots at the grocery store.  Also, some stores carry "soup starters" which contain all the veggies you need for this soup.  

Ingredients:

7 c. diced potatoes (add any extra)

1 ½ c. chopped celery

1 ½ c. sliced carrots

1 c. chopped onion

Cut up vegetables.  Cook in 4 cups water and 4 bouillon cubes.  Cook until vegetables are tender (12 to 15 minutes after vegetables start to boil).  Add undrained vegetables to white sauce.  Heat thoroughly.

White Sauce:

1 c. butter or margarine

7 c. milk

1 c. flour

2 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

Melt butter.  Blend in flour, salt and pepper.  Add milk.  Cook over medium heat until it thickens and boils.  Continue stirring to desired consistency.  Remove from heat until undrained vegetables are added.

Makes 16 servings (1 cup each).

Breadsticks:

This recipe comes from my mom, who is the queen of speedy breadsticks.  I remember helping her roll out the breadsticks for dinner and having so much fun cooking together when I was growing up.

2 c. warm water

2 T. yeast

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

2 T. oil

4 c. flour

Stir yeast in warm water and dissolve.

Let sit for 1 minute.  Add sugar.  Let it sit until it starts bubbling (5 minutes).  Add salt and oil.  Add flour one cup at a time, stirring after each addition.  Roll into breadsticks or pizza crust.  Let rise for 10-15 minutes.  Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Variation:  Roll dough into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick.  Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the dough into inch-wide strips.  Dip each strip in melted butter; place on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Let rise.  Bake as directed above.

This dough also makes wonderful pizza crust.  (Yields two large rectangles.) 

Mom VDG's Incredible (and easy!) Salsa

My mother-in-law came up with this wonderful recipe for a fresh-tasting salsa without all the cutting, chopping, and prep time.  It's the best!

Here are the ingredients:

Your favorite store-bought salsa (I use Pace brand, medium heat)

Fresh pico de gallo (the refrigerated kind found in the salad section of the grocery store)

Cilantro

Basically, you make the salsa to your individual taste and how much salsa you need (it only keeps in the fridge for a day or two).  Roughly, the measurements are 1 cup salsa to 1-2 big spoonfuls of pico to 1 T. cilantro.  Put ingredients in the blender, and blend for just a couple seconds (just 'til cilantro is chopped up).   You still want chunks of tomato, onion, etc. in the salsa. You can always add a little more pico de gallo if you blended it too much.  

Enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips!  Thanks Mom!

Chicken Wraps

6-8 flour tortillas

1-2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Avocado

Cheese

Bacon

Mandarin oranges

Pineapple

Almonds

Salad dressing

 

All wraps use tortillas, chicken, and dressing.  Add or omit ingredients to create any combination!

 

BLT Wrap-  Use lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and ranch dressing.

Oriental Wrap-  Use lettuce, Mandarin oranges, almonds, and honey mustard dressing.

Cowboy Wrap-  Use lettuce, bacon, cheese, pineapple, and BBQ sauce.

California Wrap- Use lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, and Caesar or ranch dressing.

 

Warm tortillas to room temperature so that they are easy to fold.  Spread a thin layer of dressing on each tortilla.  Fill with desired toppings.  Fold and enjoy!  (You may need to add more dressing depending on how many toppings you add.) 

Marinated Southwestern Grilled Chicken

So, I found this recipe on Familyfun.com and thought I'd try it out. It turned out very moist and flavorful. The original recipe says to grill the chicken, but since we don't have a real grill, I just used my good ol' George Foreman. I think it would be even better on a real grill (hmmmm, maybe I can pick one up for Joe for Father's Day ;) ), but it was still yummy.

After grilling, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve tostada-style with tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, rice, etc.

Marinade:

1/2 c. fresh lime juice (about 3-4 limes)
Hint: (Roll the lime back and forth on the counter before squeezing to get the most juice out of each one.)
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 T. honey
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1-2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped

About 6- 40z. pieces of chicken, (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half)

Combine all ingredients in a ziploc bag. Pierce chicken with a fork, and put in marinade, squeezing all the air out of the bag before sealing. Rotate the bag so all the chicken is coated. Place bag in a bowl, and let it marinate at least 4 hours (or overnight) in the fridge. Take chicken out of the fridge 20 min. before you want to start grilling. Grill until no longer pink inside. (Time varies depending on what method of grilling you use.) FYI: I did try baking this once too, and it did not turn out nearly as good.

White Chicken Chili

This recipe is from my sister-in-law, Tiffany, with a few of my own additions. If you haven't tried white chicken chili, it's a fun spin-off from your everyday beef variety.

Recipe:

1 McCormick white chicken chili seasoning mix

Follow the directions on the seasoning packet, adding both variations (corn and tomatoes) found at bottom of the packet.

Then add one can western style chili beans and one extra can of Great Northern White Beans.

Enjoy with chips, cheese, sour cream, etc.

Tortilla Soup

Our Relief Society had a recipe exchange, and this was one of my favorite recipes of the evening. It's very healthy and very easy! Hooray for soup!

Ingredients:
3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
1 c. brown rice, cooked according to package directions
2 c. frozen corn, defrosted
2 zucchinis, sliced
1 can crushed or diced tomatoes, in juice
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. oil or butter
6 c. water
6 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 - 1 T. chili powder (I added this because I thought the soup needed a little kick!)

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil. Add the water, and bring to a boil. Add the bouillon, and stir well. Add the remaining ingredients to the broth. Heat through.
This soup is yummy with sour cream, avocado, tortilla chips, and/or cheese.

Kristin's Italian Sausage and Shells

So this dish is two recipes mixed together plus a few of my own ideas. Amazingly, it turned out fabulous and is now one of Joe's favorites! The zucchini makes it really good, so don't be tempted to skip it.

1 lb. hot Italian sausage (the kind that is packaged like ground beef, not the sausage links)
26 oz. jar Ragu Roasted Garlic pasta sauce
about 7 oz. shell pasta, medium size
1 medium zucchini, sliced, then halved
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 sm. can tomato sauce
1/3 c. water
3/4 c. onion, chopped

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown sausage and onion. Drain. Add pasta sauce, tomato sauce, water (rinse out Ragu jar with the 1/3 c. water and add), zucchini, 1 c. cheese, and cooked pasta to sausage. Stir well.
Spray 2 1/2 qt. casserole with cooking spray. Spoon pasta/sauce mixture into casserole. Bake, covered, at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle 1/2 c. cheese on top, and bake 3 more minutes, uncovered.
Yummy!

Pasta Noodle Skillet

½ lb. uncooked pasta
2/3 c. Kikkoman Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 T. packed brown sugar
2 T. apple juice
1 lb. lower fat, mild Italian sausage, cut diagonally in ½-inch slices
1 small red bell pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 small green bell pepper, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large clove garlic, minced (I use garlic powder)

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and keep warm. Meanwhile, blend sweet and sour sauce, brown sugar and apple juice; set aside. Cook sausage in hot, large skillet over medium heat, 12 minutes, or until no longer pink in center and juices run clear, turning pieces over occasionally. (If using fully cooked sausage, simply heat through or lightly brown until hot.) Remove sausage. Add peppers and garlic to same skillet; cook and stir about 2 minutes, or until peppers are tender, yet crisp. Stir in sausage, pasta, and sweet & sour sauce mixture and cook just until ingredients are coated with sauce and heated through.

Hamburger Stroganoff

This is one of those yummy dinners I remember my mom making when I was a kid. She always made real mashed potatoes, and that is the secret to this dinner's success. If you're really pressed for time, instant potatoes will work (some dinner is better than none, right?), but it's sooooo much better to mash your own potatoes (I've tried it both ways--instant potatoes tend to go soupy with the sauce). Enjoy a comfort food classic tonight.

Ingredients:

Mashed potatoes
6 large potatoes, more or less depending on the number of people you are serving
Butter
Salt
Milk

Stroganoff Sauce
1 lb. hamburger
1/2 sm. onion, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 empty cream of mushroom soup can filled with milk
1 16 oz. carton sour cream, I use the lite version

The sauce can be halved for smaller crowds

Directions:
Peel, dice, and boil potatoes. Drain off water. Mash with potato masher, and add butter, salt, and milk until it reaches desired consistency.

While potatoes are boiling, brown hamburger with onion. Drain off fat. Add cream of mushroom soup and milk. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir constantly to avoid burning. Add sour cream, and stir thoroughly. Heat through. Serve over mashed potatoes.

Man Catcher Lasagna

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

1 small can tomato sauce

1 small tomato sauce can of water

½-1lb. ground beef, browned with 1 sm. onion, and drained

12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1 16 oz. container cottage cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Combine spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, water, and ground beef in mixing bowl. Spread ¼- ½ cup of sauce in bottom of 9x13 pan. Place 3 ½ lasagna noodles in pan on top of sauce. Spread 1/3 of cottage cheese on top of noodles. Sprinkle 2-3 large handfuls of cheese on top of cottage cheese. Spoon 1/3 of sauce on top of cheese. Repeat layers two more times, ending with sauce. Sprinkle one more handful of cheese on top. Cover with aluminum foil; bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

Taco Soup

1 qt. tomato juice
1 can corn, drained
1 sm. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 cans kidney beans and juice (I like to use 1 can kidney beans and 1 can chili beans with sauce)
1 lb. hamburger
1 sm. onion

Brown hamburger in large pot with onion; drain fat. Add all ingredients to hamburger, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream, etc.
Sometimes I double the recipe and freeze the leftovers. (I don't double the meat though).

Chicken Biscuit Pie (Dinner)

Ingredients
Filling:
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
2 cups vegetables of your choice (left-overs or frozen ones that have been thawed)
Salt and pepper
Biscuit Topping
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3/4 cup milk

Instructions
1. Melt the butter on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or other oven-safe sauté pan with high sides. Stir in the onion and celery, then cover the pan and cook them for 7 to 8 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the flour, stirring for 1 to 2 minutes to lightly brown it. 2. Whisk the chicken stock into the pan. When it starts to thicken, whisk in the milk. Add the sage, thyme, chicken, and vegetables, continuing to stir until the mixture is heated through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 3. Remove the pan from the stovetop and heat the oven to 375 F. Meanwhile, make the biscuit topping by combining the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and use your fingertips to rub it into the dry ingredients. Add the milk and stir briskly, just until the dough pulls together. 4. Flour your work surface and turn the dough onto it. Using floured hands, knead the dough two or three times, then flatten it to about 1/2 inch thick. Using a small round cutter, cut the dough into biscuits and place as many as will fit, barely touching, on top of the filling. (You can bake any extras separately, on a lightly greased pie plate, for about 15 minutes.) 5. Bake the potpie until the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbly, about 20 to 30 minutes. Then let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving it. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Chicken Ham Sandwich

Colorful with red and yellow peppers, and spiced up with pepperjack cheese, this sandwich is perfect for lunch or dinner.


Cooking Time: 20-30 minutes
Ingredients:
4 sub sandwich-type rolls (I like the deli rolls in the bread section at Costco the best.)
Ranch dressing
3 large chicken breasts, cooked and cut into strips (McCormic’s Montreal Steak Seasoning works well)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large yellow or green bell pepper, cut into strips
Pepper jack cheese
4 thin slices of ham (optional—Joe likes extra protein!)

Instructions:
Open the rolls, and place them face up on the cookie sheet. Spread a thin layer of ranch dressing on each side of the roll. Place chicken strips, ham, and bell pepper strips on bread. Top with cheese. Place sandwich under broiler for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove sandwiches, place tops on them, cut in half, and enjoy!
Serves 4.

Red Hot Ravioli

Who doesn't like some good Ravioli with a touch of extra cheese?


1 package (about 26 oz.) frozen cheese ravioli
2-1/4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 jar (1 lb. 10 oz.) Ragu® Chunky Pasta Sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream, half and half, evaporated milk, milk or non-dairy creamer (optional)


1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, bring ravioli, water and salt to a boil over high heat. Continue boiling, stirring gently to separate ravioli, 5 minutes.2. Stir in Pasta Sauce. Cook covered and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until ravioli are tender. Stir in cream and heat through.
Serves:
4
Preparation Time:
5mins.
Cook Time:
20mins