Friday, January 20, 2012

Classic Meatloaf

I am not a big fan of meatloaf. Every recipe I’ve ever just was blah… or had about 5 ingredients I thought were gross. :) HA… and I wonder why my child is a picky eater.

Anyways… found this plain Jane recipe for meatloaf and gave it a shot. For me it’s a keeper.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ketchup

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry oregano

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 lb ground beef chuck

3/4 lb ground pork

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375. Line baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, combine ketchup and brown sugar. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, whisk all the rest of the ingredients together until well incorporated.

3. Transfer the mixture onto prepared baking sheet and make a loaf 9 x 3 inches.

4. Brush loaf with ketchup/sugar mixture.

5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

1. I didn’t use onion—surprise! And I used tomato sauce instead of paste. Worked fine.

2. The mix of pork and beef made a big difference to me and I liked the sweeter sauce on top with brown sugar. AWESOME meatloaf for the picky me! Hope you enjoy!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Peanut Butter Granola Bars

A quick kid friendly recipe I ran across that my child will actually eat!! YIPPEE!!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup raisins

1 1/2 cup oatmeal

Directions

1. Heat peanut butter and honey on low until well mixed.

2. Add oatmeal and raisins.

3. Stir well then pour in a greased cookie sheet or shallow baking dish.

4. Let cool then cut into bars.

Tips from a Kitchen of Reality:

- Mine came out a little gooey but I actually omitted the raisins so I should have probably put in more oatmeal. BUT they were still tasty.

- I had to put sprinkles on top of ours for my little picky eater to try them, but they’d be great with so many other additions—chocolate chips, m&ms, nuts, etc.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Chicken~Mushroom and Rice Soup

2 large cans chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans chicken broth
2 cups instant rice
2 tsp salt
2 tsp butter
4 cups water
2 Tbsp parsley (or chives or both)
2 cups half & half

Cook everything but half & half until rice is tender. Add half & half and heat through.

Tips:


  • I do this in a crockpot for around 4 hours.

  • I use "real" chicken instead of the canned.

  • It's a wonderful way to use leftover poultry.

  • When I do this at home I use low fat versions of the soup and cream. Still yummy!

  • I've taken this to potlucks and family gatherings and it's always a hit!