Meatloaf

I never have been much of a meatloaf eater until I came across this recipe in one of my all time favorite cookbooks by Pioneer Woman.  Now, it is a regular in my cooking rotation.  Trust me, you have to try it out.  I think you will make it a regular on your menu as well!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 6 slices White Bread
• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
• 3/4 teaspoons Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 1/3 cup Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
• 4 whole Eggs, Beaten
• 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon
• Sauce:
• 1-1/2 cup Ketchup
• 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
• Tabasco To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.
Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.
With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)
Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.
Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.
Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.
Serve with mashed potatoes. Yummy!

Hot Corn Dip

Ingredients:

2 - (11 ounce) cans mexicorn, drained

2 - (4 1/2 ounce) cans chopped green chilies, drained

2 - cups grated monterey jack cheese (about 8 ounces)

3/4 - cup grated parmesan cheese

1 - cup mayonnaise (not miracle whip)

corn chips, for dipping (fritos scoops or tostitos scoops)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F Grease a 9 × 13 × 2-inch casserole dish. In a medium bowl, mix the corn, chile's, cheeses, and mayonnaise until fully combined.

Spread the mixture in the prepared casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly around the edges. Serve the dip warm from the oven with corn chips.

Jacked Up Baked Beans

Looking for a big dish to take to a party??  This is one of my favorite dishes!  It is oh so easy and frankly there is no other way to eat baked beans after you try this! 

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
2 large cans of baked beans
1 small onion
1 bell pepper
1/2 bag of brown sugar
Small bottle of ketchup
4 TBS Worcestershire
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon


Brown meat with onion and bell pepper.  Drain.  Add all other ingredients and mix well till cheese and sugar are melted.  Pour into a large baking dish and top with bacon.   Cook on 350 for 1 1/2 hours.  Enjoy the yumminess!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

Fall is by far my favorite time of the year!  My crock-pot becomes a permanent fixture on my counter top.  I can already smell all the soups and comfort meals that will be created over the next few months.  I came across this crock-pot meal the other day and had to try it out.  It was actually really good and will now be put into my Fall crock-pot meal rotation.  The kids loved it too!  I hope you enjoy it as well!!

Ingredients:

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 (10 ounce) package refrigerated biscuit dough, torn into pieces
• 1 Can of Mixed Veggies ( drained)
• 1 tsp of Cumin
• 1/2 tsp of pepper
• Sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 tsp of Onion Powder
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• Salt to taste

Add all ingredients except for biscuit dough to the crock-pot.  Cook on Low for 6-10 hours.  Tear up biscuit dough and throw into crock-pot about 2 hours before serving.  Chicken breasts should fall apart but you can also break them up a bit with a spoon.  

Shrimp Pasta

• 1 pound Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 whole Onion (small)
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cups White Wine, Or To Taste
• 1 can Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Fresh Parsley, to taste
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.
Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).
Now add an 14-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil.
Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir. 

Strawberry-Orange Salad

School has started back and summer seems to be coming to an end.  Boo!!  I absolutely love salads in the summer and this one is probably my favorite summer salad. I could seriously eat it every day!!

Ingredients: 
Spinach
Strawberries
Mandarin Oranges
Pine nuts or Almonds or any other nut of choice :)
Monterrey Jack Cheese

Dressing: 

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 cup canola oil

 Mix up dressing and pour on top of salad right before you are ready to serve.  Enjoy!

White Bean Dip

1 Can of Cannellini Beans drained and rinsed, 3 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped, 2 1/2 TBSP lemon juice, 1/3 cup oregano oil, Salt to taste. Puree all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve with pita chips or bread.