Lori’s Easy  Meatloaf   or Meatloaf Muffins

You can do either with this recipe.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour  Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes for meatloaf and about 40 minutes for muffins.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 egg
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup dried bread crumbs (I use seasoned bread crumbs to give it a little more flavor)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1/3 cup ketchup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, onion, milk and bread OR cracker crumbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Fill muffin pan with mixture. Don’t overfill or there will be a mess with all the fat. Using a spoon or your fingers make a dent in the top of your muffin for the topping.
• If making a regular meatloaf, this will make about a 5×9 loaf. You can also form it into a loaf and put it in a baking dish. Make a ditch in the top from one end to the other for the topping.
• In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and spoon into the dent of the muffins or in the ditch in the top of your loaf.
  Bake at 350 degrees  for 1 hour for a whole meatloaf or about 25 – 30 minutes for muffins. Always best to check the temp of your meat with a meat thermometer.

Serves 8

• 3lbs red potatos
• 1/4 c butter (real)
• 1/4 c flour
• 4 c half and half
• 2 c chicken broth (use vegetable stock for vegetarian version)
• 2 c milk
• 16oz velveeta cheese (melted)
• white pepper
• garlic powder
• 1tsp hot sauce
• 1/2 lb bacon fried crisp and crumbled (omit for vegetarians)
• 1 c chedder cheese shredded
• 1/2 c fresh chives chopped
• 1/2 c fresh parsley chopped

1) Dice unpeeled red potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes

2) Place in large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil.

3) Let boil for 10 minutes or until 3/4′s cooked.

4) In a separate pan, melt butter, then add flour, mix til smooth.

5) Place over low heat and gradually add half and half, chicken broth and milk. Stirring constantly.

6) Continue to stir until smooth and liquid begins to thicken.

7) Add melted Velveeta.

8}  Stir well.

9) Drain potatoes and add to cream mixture.

10) Stir in pepper, garlic powder and hot sauce.

11) Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

12) Place soup into individual serving bowls, top with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, chives and parsley.

Vegan *Chicken* and Dumplings
Chicken pieces: Use a prepared faux chicken of your choice. Prepare the broth:

•     1/4 cup margarine
•     1/2 cup onion, diced
•     1/2 cup celery, diced
•     1/2 cup carrot, diced
•     1 bay leaf
•     1/4 cup flour
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1/4 teaspoon pepper
•     6 cups vegetable broth

Melt the margarine, add veggies and bay leaf  in a large soup pot. Cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Here’s a video of Charley chopping up some veggies!

And here’s Lori chopping up onions!

Add *chicken*, cut into bite size pieces. Let cook for another 30 minutes or so, making sure the *chicken* is done.

Dumplings:

•  2 cups Bisquick baking mix
• 2/3 cup milk

Mix together until a soft dough ball forms.

Drop the dough in spoonfuls into the broth. Cover the pot and reduce to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, just until dumplings are cooked. Do not overcook.

Here’s a video of dropping dumplings.

Here they are boiling.

1 bag BOCA meat crumbles

1 box ziti

2 cans spaghetti sauce

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon EVOO

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded cheddar

Boil ziti for 8 minutes. Drain and hold back 1 cup of the water.

Heat EVOO in deep frying pan. Add meat crumbles and onion powder. Cook for 4 minutes stirring constantly.

Add both cans of spaghetti sauce and the 1 cup of pasta water.

Simmer for 10 minutes, covered.

Mixed sauce with ziti.

Spray casserole dish with cooking spray.

Add 1/2 of the zita and sauce mix. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup of cheddar.

Add remaining half of ziti and sauce mix. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!

 Easy Vegetarian Bean Burritos

2 Cans Vegetarian refried beans

1 pack (10 count) large tortillas

Shredded cheese, the taco mix is really good in these but whatever you have on hand is good too.

small freezer bags

Open both cans of the refried beans, pour into a bowl. Divide between the tortillas evenly, placing beans in the middle of the tortilla. Spread the beans from to about 1 – 2 inches from each side. (Will post pics next time I make them.) Top beans with shredded cheese. Fold sides toward the middle, fold bottom over the beans and roll. (I’ll actually video this for you the next time I make them.)

Place in freezer bag, squeeze out the air, store in freezer until you are ready to consume the  yummy goodness!

To heat, remove from freezer bag, wrap in paper towel, heat for 1 minute or until warm depending on your microwave.

These are a huge hit in our house by the meatetarians because we think the vegetarian refried beans have a better taste!

Serves about 4

•  5 large tortillas
• 1 bag of Boca Meatless Crumbles (or the brand you like)
• 1 pack of taco season or 3 tablespoons of taco seasoning recipe below
• Cheese sauce made with white cheese (mozzarella, pepper jack, Monterrey jack or any combination of those) Also posted below.
• Shredded cheese for topping. I used Cheddar because we all love cheddar here. You can use any cheese you like though.
• 1 tablespoon EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
• 2/3 cup of water

9×9 baking pan

1. Heat EVOO in skillet, add meatless crumbles. Cook until thawed, stirring often.
2. Add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup of water to meat. Mix well, turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. While the crumbles are simmering make the cheese sauce.

To put them together, divide the crumbles equally among the 5 tortillas, close to one edge, not in the middle. Spread it from side to side and roll up the tortilla. (I’ll post pics of this step the next time I make them.) 5 rolled enchiladas will fill the 9×9 baking pan. Top with cheese sauce.

Pre baking

Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, top with shredded cheese, return to oven until cheese is melted.

Taco Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (substitute chili powder for less heat)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Use 3 tablespoons per 1 pound of meat or meatless crumbles. Mix with 2/3 cup of water when using.

Cheese Sauce

Cook time: about 10 minutes

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated of your favorite cheese

1. Melt butter; remove from heat.
2. Stir in flour and seasonings, whisk until smooth not lumpy.
3. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. The key to this (and another other sauce roux is to add the liquid slowly and whisk quickly!)
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
5. Cook for 5 minutes longer; add cheese slowly. Stir until smooth and well blended.

Buttery Corn

1 can (15oz) whole kernel corn

4 tablespoons butter (or margarine)

1/2 to 1 teaspoon of pepper

salt to taste

Drain 1/2 of the water from the corn. Place remaining water and corn in medium sauce pan, add butter, salt and pepper.

Corn ready to cook

Stir and cook over medium heat until most of the water and butter are absorbed by the corn. Stirring often.

That’s it! The corn soaks up all that yummy butter and it’s like eating corn on the cob without dealing with the cob! One of the favorites in our house!

Here’s a video of about how fast the corn should boil. Right click on the link and select open in a new window/tab.

Cheese Sauce

Cook time: about 10 minutes

3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated of your favorite cheese

1. Melt butter; remove from heat.
2. Stir in flour and seasonings, whisk until smooth not lumpy.
3. Gradually add milk, stirring until well mixed. The key to this (and another other sauce roux is to add the liquid slowly and whisk quickly!)
4. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
5. Cook for 5 minutes longer; add cheese slowly. Stir until smooth and well blended.

Peas: Add a 1/4 teaspoon of sugar when you are cooking them. It will make sweet peas sweeter! Got someone who loves cheese? Make a cheese sauce for them. Make the cheese sauce, drain the peas and mix them together. My husband asks for these every holiday!

Green Beans: My secret add a teaspoon of butter to them along with some salt and pepper.

Carrots:  candy them. (recipe under Side Dishes and Veggies)

Scrambled Eggs: Add cheese. Not at the end, but while you are cooking them. The cheese melts in and you can’t even tell it’s there!

I have one that for the longest time would not eat cheese or drink milk. So by mixing the cheese in at the beginning she couldn’t get enough of them. I slipped up one day and asked her if she wanted scrambled eggs and cheese, she shrieked in horror and said no! But she said she wanted scrambled eggs. Funny thing, she still doesn’t believe there is cheese in them and won’t eat them anywhere but home!

Candied Carrots

16 ounces sliced carrots
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
pumpkin pie spice to taste (I usually use about 1/2 teaspoon)

1. In a medium sauce pan combine the butter, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
2. Stir until the butter and sugar are both dissolved and smooth.
3. Drain carrots and add to butter/sugar mix. Cook until carrots are thoroughly heated on medium heat, about 5 minutes.

I’ve been serving this one to my family for years and no matter how much I make, there are never leftovers!