Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf

I have only had meatloaf a handful of times and I like it... enough. It's definitely not something I would eat everyday! But sometimes I have a craving for meatloaf. I think this recipe was pretty good... definitely one of the better meatloaf's I've had.

I got this recipe from Our Best Bites, but they got it from America's Test Kitchen.

Glaze
1/2 cup chili sauce (or substitute ketchup, but I liked chili sauce)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar (or white vinegar in a pinch)

Meat Loaf
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
2 medium cloves garlic , minced
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt (or whole milk)
1 pound ground beef chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal (I used more pork instead of veal)
2/3 cup Saltine crackers , crushed (about 18), or quick oatmeal, or 1 1/3 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
6 – 8 ounces bacon , thin sliced (8 to 12 slices, depending on loaf shape)
INSTRUCTIONS
1. For the glaze: Mix all ingredients in small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened and set aside.

2. For the meat loaf: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in medium skillet. Add onion and garlic; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients. (I again skipped this step, but I added the garlic into the meatloaf with all the other ingredients below.)

3. Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk or yogurt. Add egg mixture to meat in large bowl along with crackers, parsley, and cooked onion and garlic; mix with fork until evenly blended and meat mixture does not stick to bowl. (If mixture sticks, add additional milk or yogurt, a couple tablespoons at a time until mix no longer sticks.)

4. Turn meat mixture onto work surface. With wet hands, pat mixture into approximately 9-by-5-inch loaf shape. Place on foil-lined (for easy cleanup) shallow baking pan. Brush with half the glaze, then arrange bacon slices, crosswise, over loaf, overlapping slightly and tucking only bacon tip ends under loaf.

5. Bake loaf until bacon is crisp and loaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour. Cool 10-15 minutes. While meal loaf is cooling, re-heat remaining sauce and brush some over meat loaf if desired. Slice meat loaf and serve with extra glaze passed separately.

Lamb Gyro with Tzatziki sauce

I absolutely LOVE greek food. So I decided I would try to recreate on of my favorites... gryo's!! It turned out amazingly. I used the recipe I found on FoodNetwork.com (but I always make some changes, especially because I HATE onions.)

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped or shredded (didn't use)
• 2 pounds ground lamb (I only used 1 lb. so I cut all the seasonings in half)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon dried ground rosemary
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Tzatziki Sauce, recipe follows
• tomatoes, diced (topping)
• feta cheese (optional)

Directions

Process the onion in a food processor for 10 to 15 seconds and turn out into the center of a tea towel. Gather up the ends of the towel and squeeze until almost all of the juice is removed. Discard juice.

Return the onion to the food processor and add the lamb, garlic, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper and process until it is a fine paste, approximately 1 minute. Stop the processor as needed to scrape down sides of bowl. (I just skipped this step)
To cook in the oven as a meatloaf, proceed as follows: (This is the method I used)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Place the mixture into a loaf pan, making sure to press into the sides of the pan. Place the loaf pan into a water bath and bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until the mixture reaches 165 to 170 degrees F. Remove from the oven and drain off any fat. Place the loaf pan on a cooling rack and place a brick wrapped in aluminum foil directly on the surface of the meat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees F. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes and feta cheese.
(Here's how it looked after it was done.)

To cook on a rotisserie, proceed as follows:
Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place on top of 2 overlapping pieces of plastic wrap that are at least 18 inches long. Roll the mixture in the plastic wrap tightly, making sure to remove any air pockets. Once the meat is completely rolled in the wrap, twist the ends of the plastic wrap until the surface of the wrap is tight. Store in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to overnight, to allow the mixture to firm up.
Preheat the grill to high.
Place the meat onto the rotisserie skewer. Place a double-thick piece of aluminum foil folded into a tray directly under the meat to catch any drippings. Cook on high for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium and continue to cook for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165 degrees F. Turn off the heat and allow to continue to spin for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 175 degrees. Slice and serve on pita bread with tzatziki sauce, chopped onion, tomatoes, and feta cheese.
(This is my husbands with the onions, but I did mine without) Then we topped with the Tzatziki sauce.

(This is the recipe for the sauce. I LOVED this sauce)

Tzatziki Sauce:
16 ounces plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (I bought a hothouse cucumber which doesn't have seeds)
Pinch kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
5 to 6 mint leaves, finely minced

Place the yogurt in a tea towel, gather up the edges, suspend over a bowl, and drain for 2 hours in the refrigerator. (I didn't have time to do this so my sauce was a little runny... but still delicious)
Place the chopped cucumber in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid. (I just put it in a few paper towels and tried to squeeze as much juice as possible out) In a medium mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt, cucumber, salt, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and mint. Serve as a sauce for gyros. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week.


(This was how my sauce looked, it was more runny than it should be because I didn't use the tea towel)


The finished product (I forgot to put feta on it! Darnit!!)

Salmon Patties

So I have never been a huge fan of fish! I love shrimp, crab and lobster but I couldn't stand the "fishy" taste of fish. Well here is a recipe I love with Salmon.

(okay it's only canned salmon but there has to be some real stuff in there right?)
1 can (soup size or 2-3 tuna fish size) Pink Salmon
1/2 sleeve crushed up crackers (can be either ritz or saltines)
1 egg (if you add too much cracker and the don't stay together add an extra egg)
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients into a bowl. Heat oil (shortening works best) in large skillet over med-high heat. Form into patties and fry until golden brown on both sides. Serve with salad or any other favorite.
Super easy and delicious.

Easy Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2 in.
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
seasoned bread crumbs (I use Italian)
2-3 tbsp. Olive oil
8 slices mozzarella cheese (If you can't find slices you can use shredded)
16 oz. spaghetti sauce
Shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Heat oil in large skillet on Medium-high heat. 2. Whisk together egg and milk in small (but wide) bowl. 3. Dip chicken into mixture then into bread crumbs (in another wide bowl). Brown chicken on  both sides (roughly 3-4 minutes). Then place chicken in greased baking dish. Put 2 slices of cheese on each breast (or a handful). Pour jar of spaghetti sauce over them then sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and chicken is cooked through.

This is a personal favorite for me. When I go out to Italian restaurants I usually get chicken parmesan and though this isn't exactly like that it's pretty good for a homemade version. Hope you enjoy!

Cashew Chicken

If you love chinese food (let's face it, who doesn't!) You will love this recipe!***  This was so easy (30 minutes) and was amazing!!

1 pound boneless, chicken breasts (cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes)
2 Tbsp. soy sauce + 1/4 cup soy sauce (to add to mixture at the end)
1 Tbsp. cornstarch + 1 tsp cornstarch (to thicken at the end)
3 Tbsp. Oil (1 for chicken, 2 for cabbage mix)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms.
1 small cabbage (shredded, I just bought a head and chopped)
1 tsp. sugar
6 oz. package of cashews
1 can water chesnuts
rice or chow mein

In bowl mix together and let sit for 15 minutes
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat 1 Tbsp. Oil. Add chicken and cook. Add onion and mushrooms. Stirfry until soft. Remove. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil add cabbage and sugar. Stirfry 3-4 minutes and add chicken. Add cashews, waterchestnuts and heat a few minutes more. Mix 1 tsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup soy sauce and add to mixture. Cover and steam for about 1 minute. Uncover and cook until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice or chow mein.

Cheesy Chicken with Artichokes

1 14 oz can chicken broth

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I usually use 2-3)

1 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts ( I haven't been able to find these so I just buy the cans. Buy the quarters not the hearts)

nonstick cooking spray

2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms ( I use the whole package)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic (1 clove fresh)

4 tsp cornstarch

3/4 c. evaporated milk

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground white pepper (regular pepper works fine)

2 tbsp dry white wine or chicken broth

1/3 c. finely shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Pour the can of broth into a large skillet; bring to boiling on high, add chicken. Reduce heat. Cover and cook about 15 minutes or just until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Drain, reserving 3/4 cup broth. ( I just reserve it all... I love sauce!) Cover chicken and keep warm (I put in microwave.) 

Meanwhile, cook artichoke hearts according to package directions. Drain and keep warm. (Since I use the canned I just put in a pan with a little butter and lemon juice and boil until warm.)

For the sauce, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel; lightly coat skillet with cooking spray. Preheat skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic; cook just until onion is tender. Stir in cornstarch (make sure to add slowly and stir well it will get clumpy... I usually use a whisk.) Add reserved broth, evaporated milk, salt, and white pepper; cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in the 2 tablespoons wine or broth.

Place a chicken breast half on each dinner plate. Arrange artichokes around chicken breast. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

This is truly a favorite at my house!! I at least make it 2 times a month.

Cabbage Rolls

So this is the easiest recipe in the world. And it will make your kids eat cabbage and a full serving of vegetables (with V8.) My son is 10 months old and he loved sharing with me.

1 head of cabbage
1 lb hamburger
1/4 c. rice (not instant)
3 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1 bottle of V8 ( I think it's 32 oz.)
(You could put in whatever other vegetables you would like, but not necessary)

Mix hamburger, eggs and rice and season with salt and pepper. Cut the end off the cabbage and gently pull off each leaf. Put a spoonful of mixture inside leaf of cabbage and roll folded side down in pot. After all of them are stuffed and in the pot cover completely with V8 and cook for 2 1/2 hours on low-medium heat covered. (On my stove I set it to 4.) Once cabbage is soft and hamburger is cooked through it's ready to eat.  *You probably need to season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!! Easy and tasty!

Lemon Baked Chicken

I also forgot to take a picture of this meal... sorry!

1 chicken cut up and skinned ( I just used 3 to 4 breasts)
2 Tbsp. oil
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients (except chicken). Pour over chicken; cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, basting occasionally. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer to brown chicken. (It took mine a little longer to cook through about 1 hour total.)

Ham Stuffed Manicotti with Cheese Sauce

Just to warn you I didn't take a picture.. I had family visiting and just forgot. Also the recipe calls for onion and green pepper but I didn't use them.

4 oz. Manicotti shells (8 shells per box) * I used 2 boxes and would have liked to have more.
1/4 c. chopped onion                               2 tbs. cooking oil
3 c. ground cooked ham (8 oz.)                 3 tbs. grated parmesan cheese
1 -6 oz. can chopped mushrooms ( I used fresh)
1/4 c. chopped green pepper                   3 tbs. butter
3 tbs. flour                                               2 c. milk
4 oz. shredded swiss cheese (1 c.) * I bought slices and cut them up

Cook manicotti noodles in water 15-20 min. until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water (do later so they don't get cold and stick together.) Saute onion in oil until tender. Add ham and mushrooms until cooked through then cool. Stir in parmesan, set aside. In saucepan cook green pepper in butter until tender; blend in flour, add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thick and bubbly. Stir in swiss cheese until melted. Mix 1/4 c. cheese sauce in ham and mushroom mixture. Fill each shell with about 1/3 c. ham filling. Arrange in greased baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with paprika. *Make a double sauce recipe if you like extra! Bake covered 350 degrees 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and warm throughout.

This was delicious I definitely recommend it, however, it was very time consuming!

Chicken Scallopini

1/4 c. flour                                         1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt                           1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 tsp. paprika                                  Lemon Slices (optional)
1/4 c. margarine
3 Tbsp. water
Chicken breast or cut up chicken (deboned may be used)

Remove skins from chicken. Mix flour, garlic and paprika. Coat chicken with flour mixture; brown in margarine. (Just brown both sides don't worry about cooking through yet.) Remove chicken from pan. Stir water, lemon juice and bouillon into pan, loosening brown particles on bottom. Add lemon slices and heat 1 minute. Put chicken back into pan and pour broth over chicken cook on low heat until cooked through and no longer pink. (roughly 15 minutes but mine took longer.)

Rouladen (German Beef Rolls)

1 lb. boneless round steak (ask butcher)
1 onion, diced (didn't use)
1/4 c. flour
5 to 6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 c. water
Mustard
Parsley
1 tsp. bouillon ( I just used one cube)

Cut round steak in half, horizontally, and pound until very, very thin. Spread each strip with mustard, parsley, onion, and bacon. Roll up and tie with string (I didn't have string so I just used toothpicks, but I couldn't get them out very easily.) Combine flour, salt and pepper. Roll beef rolls in flour mixture. Brown in hot oil (medium high). Add water and bouillon; simmer until tender. Make gravy out of drippings and serve over beef rolls.

To make gravy I just added 1/4 c. flour to drippings and salt and pepper to taste.

Make sure you cook long enough to make them tender. Mine were pretty tough.

Pasta with Ham-Mushroom Sauce

2 cups sliced fresh shiitake or button mushrooms
1 small red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips (I didn't use this)
1 medium onion, chopped (again I didn't use this)
1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic (1 clove)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons snipped fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 ounces cooked ham, cut into thin bite-size strips
1 9 ounce package refrigerated fettuccine ( I just bought fetuccine noodles and made them regularly)
Finely shredded parmesan cheese (optional)

1. For sauce, in a large skillet cook mushrooms, sweet pepper, onion, and garlic in hot butter until tender. In a medium bowl combine evaporated milk, basil, cornstarch, and black pepper. Stir into vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in ham. Remove from heat. (I made sure to heat enough for ham to be heated through)

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Serve sauce over pasta. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

* I take all the pictures so you know what the meal really looks like and sometimes I don't think they look that great... But trust me it's delicious! I wouldn't post the recipe if I didn't think so!!

Poulet D' Artichoke

2 can artichoke hearts, drained
2 2/3 cups diced chicken breasts (about 4 chicken breasts; boiled)
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise (when I made this it tasted really potent of mayo so I would use 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon curry
1 1/4 cup grated cheese (enough to cover)
1 1/4 cups bread crumbs, tossed with 2 tablespoons melted butter

Arrange artichoke hearts and chicken in 9 x 13 inch pan. Combine other ingredients, except the bread crumbs and cheese. Pour over chicken. Sprinkle cheese on top and then bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 8.

Beef and Cabbage Wraps

8 8-inch flour tortillas
12 ounces lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped red or green onion (again I don't eat onion so I don't use this)
2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrot (coleslaw mix)
1 cup loose-pack frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup bottled barbecue or hoisin sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1. Stack tortillas and wrap in foil. Heat in a 350*F oven for 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large skillet cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir coleslaw mix and corn into meat mixture in skillet. Cover and cook about 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring once. Stir in the 1/4 cup barbecue or hoisin sauce and the sesame oil. Cook and stir until heated through.

2. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the filling below center of each tortilla. Fold bottom edge up and over filling. Fold opposite sides in, just until they meet. Roll up from the bottom. If desired, serve with additional barbecue or hoisin sauce.

* I love cheese on most things so I added some cheese on top of these as well.

Lemon Chicken with Asparagus

Okay so I had never had asparagus until I got married and tried a recipe that called for it and honestly I didn't like it... however, I tried the frozen boil in bag asparagus for this recipe and I definitely liked it alot better. If you know how to pick out fresh asparagus then props to you and you sure can use that but for those of you like me that had never tried it before I suggest the frozen ones!

Nonstick cooking spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 pound fresh asparagus (frozen boil in bag)
1 cup water (don't need with frozen asparagus)
1 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of chicken or cream of asparagus soup
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Hot cooked couscous (this is pretty similar to rice so if you don't want to try this you can just use rice)

1. Lightly coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add chicken; cook in hot skillet for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and no longer pink (170*F), turning once. Meanwhile, snap off and discard woody bases from asparagus. If desired, scrape off scales (with frozen skip to step 3.)

2. Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm. In same skillet combine asparagus and the water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine cream of chicken or asparagus soup, broth, and lemon juice. Cook and stir until heated through. Serve sauce with chicken, asparagus, and hot cooked couscous.

Cafe Rio Salad

So now that you've made tons of leftover meat from your Cafe Rio burrito's. Take it and make a delicious salad.

Flour Tortillas
leftover shredded pork/beef
lettuce or a bag of salad
tortilla strips
leftover rice and black/pinto beans
cheese (I used mozzarella)
cilantro dressing (recipe below)

Heat up flour tortillas they are best if they are crunchy so either put them in a skillet with some butter for a few minutes on each side or place in oven until they start to brown. Put all ingredients on top as if you were making the burrito (rice, beans, meat) then cover with lettuce or bag of salad, top with tortilla strips then cover with dressing and cheese as desired.

Cilantro Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced (they look like green tomatoes, look by the peppers)
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalapeno (if you like it spicy keep the seeds in it, if you like it mild remove the seeds)
blend all ingredients together... and voila! The picture doesn't make it look that great, but trust me it's scrumptious!

Crock Pot Ham

This is delicious and the easiest thing in the world.

8 lb (or whatever size you can find) picnic ham (bone-in)
2 cups brown sugar

Place 1 1/2 cups brown sugar at the bottom of the crock pot, then place ham flat side down in crock pot covering with the other 1/2 cup brown sugar rubbing into meat. (No need to add water). Cover and cook for 6-8 hours depending on size. I served mine with a side salad. But would be great with any other dishes.

* If you have never tried ham with mustard try it. My husband loves dijion.

Cafe Rio Style Burrito

6 pounds pork butt/shoulder (I just use a Roast)
1 19 oz. can Red Enchilada Sauce
8 burrito style tortillas
1 can Dr. Pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cilantro (I used the dried, but you can use fresh as well)
*toppings for burrito - black or pinto beans, rice, and any other wanted toppings. 

Put pork in crock pot with 1/2 cup water bake for 5 hours or until tender enough to shred. Pull the meat out and let cool for 30 minutes then shred. In separate bowl, mix the enchilada sauce, dr. pepper, salt, garlic salt, brown sugar and cilantro. Pour 1/2 of the mixture over the meat and mix. Put your toppings rice, beans, etc into tortillas and top with meat mixture fold burrito and place in casserole dish. Pour the remaining mixture plus about 1 lb of cheese over top and bake at 350 for 10 minutes or longer if desired. (until cheese is melted).

Steak & Mushrooms

4 beef tenderloin steaks, cut 1 inch thick (mine were a little over 1 1/2 inches)
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
1/4 cup seasoned beef broth
1/4 cup whipping cream (not heavy)

In large skillet cook steaks in hot oil over medium heat until desired doneness, turning once (allow 7-9 minutes for medium-rare, or 10-13 minutes for medium doneness. Transfer steaks to serving platter; keep warm.

In the same skillet cook and stir mushrooms for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in broth and cream. Cook and stir over medium heat about 2 minutes or until slightly thickened. Spoon mixture over steaks and serve.

*I made this with homemade mashed potatoes and doubled up on the 1/4 cup broth and cream to make extra sauce which made barely enough for 2 people who love extra sauce.

Stroganoff (2)

1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced round steak
1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup chopped onion (again used onion salt, just a few pinches)
1/4 cup butter
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1 pound wide egg noodles


Brown meat, mushrooms and onion in butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add broth. Cover and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Gradually blend 1/4 cup water into 2 tablespoons flour and slowly add to sauce while stirring. Cook and stir until thickened. Slowly stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

This one is my mother-in-laws recipe.. so delicious but more time consuming. If you have the time try this one first!