My meatloaf recipe

I guess I should tell the story of how my recipe came to be. Many years ago, when Brian & I were still newlyweds, he had been laid off, and me being without driver's license, had no way of getting to & from a job, had I been able to find one. One day, during this time of "you & I against the world," I was blissfully ignorant of just how tight our money was at the time. Being a newly wed at the time helped immensely...looking back now, I don't know why I wasn't more stressed out.  But I digress...back to my recipe. Brian had mentioned that he was in the mood for meat loaf, and I decided that I would deliver on his request. However, when it came to having all the ingredients, I was just a few short...well, actually, short just one ingredient...ketchup!! However, I had some steak sauce, some Italian dressing, an egg, & some saltines. I could crush the saltines use as bread crumbs, but what to use in place of ketchup?!? At first, I added the steak sauce...I got about 1 teaspoon from the bottle. Yup...it was now empty as well. That's where the Italian dressing came into play. The only other condiment that I had in the fridge was Miracle Whip, and well, EWWW...that was not going into a meatloaf. So I added all the ingredients I had: hamburger, 1 egg, steak sauce, Italian dressing, crushed saltines, salt & pepper. I mixed them all up and formed them into a nice loaf, and baked it. I was nervous when I served my husband his plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, & green beans that evening, but I didn't say a word about what I used in the recipe. He went on and on and on about how good it was, how moist it was, and how it didn't have the "sweet" taste to it..."like my mom's." So ever since then I've made it that way, however, over the last 17 or so years, I've tweaked it here and there, and I do add a small squirt of ketchup to it now as well.  But here is the recipe anyway. And just for the record...I don't really measure anything when I make it.

Meatloaf

1-1.5lbs. lean ground beef
1 lg. egg
a squirt of Italian dressing
a squirt of ketchup
a squirt of steak sauce
1 tsp. Emeril's Original Essence (or just add salt & pepper)
bread crumbs (enough to bind it all together and form a loaf)

Mix all the ingredients together and form into a loaf shape. Place in a loaf pan, that's been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake for 45-60 minutes @ 375*. I usually serve with mashed potatoes, & corn; one of Brian's favorite meals.

Chicken fingers

Okay, tomorrow is Wednesday, my "official" What's On Hand day of the week. I have chicken fingers/tenders on the menu. I have two packages of organic, boneless skinless chicken fingers, that I was able to purchase for a steal. Nearly 50%, because I found them in the mark down section, of the meat department, at my local Kroger store. You can get some incredible deals on meats this way; I always check there first when I need to replenish my meat, especially beef, stock. I also have 2 opened bags of potato chips; one is BBQ flavor, the other is sour cream & onion. Both bags have gone stale and no one wants to eat them. What I am planning to do is this: I'm going to crush the chips, and use them to coat the chicken fingers, before I oven fry them!! It's a great way to use up those crumbs of chips, that no one wants to eat, or those chips that have gone stale. No sense (or rather "cents"-haha!) in letting them go to waste.

Chicken Fingers

1.5lbs. chicken fingers
1 egg
3/4c. milk
1-2 cups crushed potato chips (any flavor)

Preheat oven to 400*F. Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Crush potato chips in a sealed Ziploc baggie, using your hands or a rolling pin; set aside. Lightly beat egg in a mixing bowl or shallow dish; add milk & mix. Dip chicken into egg/milk mixture and then into crushed chips. Place chicken fingers onto prepared baking sheet, and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

Notes: This is a very kid friendly dish. And it's also a great way to let the kids help prepare the meal. They will have a blast crushing the potato chips for you!! I usually serve my chicken fingers/tenders with a salad, and either mac & cheese or oven baked French fries. Enjoy!

Easy Mexican Skillet

I'm not sure where I got this recipe, but it's super simply, and super tasty! Especially if you like foods with a Mexican/Latin flair. Even my husband likes this, even though I have to serve out his portion, before I add the wee bit of sour cream, but still, he likes it. I hope you'll give it a try as well.

Easy Mexican Skillet

1 lb. ground beef (I usually use ground round or sirloin: less fat)
1/4 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
1-16oz. can diced tomatoes (Ro-Tel can be used for added spice)
1-8oz. can tomato sauce
dash of salt
1 T. sugar
1 tsp. chili powder (I use 1/2 chili powder-1/2 ground cumin)
1 c. uncooked macaroni (can use any pasta you have on hand)
1/2 c. sour cream

Brown ground beef, onions, & peppers; drain off fat. Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Bring to a boil. Cover & reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream, & serve.

Serves: 4

Notes: This recipe can easily be doubled to serve larger families or dinner guests. You could also add more heat to this recipe by adding some chopped jalapeno pepper. I usually serve this dish with a nice side salad, & some crusty bread or rolls.

Zuppa Toscana

If you've ever eaten at the Olive Garden and ordered their Soup, Salad, & Bread sticks lunch special, you'll know what I'm talking about when I say, their Zuppa Toscana is DA BOMB!! It is, by far, my favorite soup in the world. It's what I order almost every time I eat there, and I've finally found a recipe that comes very, very close to the real thing. And it is SO easy to make. The recipe posted here, make 4 lunch size portions, or 2 entree size portions. For my family of 4, I double the recipe so that we have leftovers. I am making this soup tonight, along with a nice salad, and some garlic bread sticks.

Zuppa Toscana

2 3/4 cups chicken stock or broth (I prefer stock, but have used low sodium broth with great results)
1/4 c. heavy cream (I use half & half; again it's healthier)
1 or 2 medium size Russet potatoes
2 c. chopped kale
1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage (I use mild because of the kids)
1/4 tsp. salt (I use coarse sea salt to get lower sodium)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I use a bit less, again because of the kids, but you can add more, if you prefer a bit more heat)

Combine stock/broth & heavy cream in large saucepan over medium heat. Wash unpeeled potatoes well and slice into approximately 1/4" slices. Quarter the slices & add to broth mixture. Add the chopped kale.
Grill or saute sausage (I usually get the bulk ground Italian sausage, but you can use links, but remove casing before adding to soup.) Grain sausage well, and add to the soup. Add salt & crushed red pepper, & simmer about 2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Notes:
If you use Italian sausage links, you may also leave casings on, and then cut sausages, on an angle, bout 1/2" thick. It is purely a personal preference. I prefer to use the ground sausage. I usually serve this soup with a nice garden salad, and garlic bread or bread sticks. I also sometimes use homemade chicken stock.

Enjoy!!

What's On Hand Wednesday

I've decided to declare Wednesday's as my day to solely concentrate on using up my freezer & pantry surplus. As of today, I have approximately 12 pounds of chicken, in various forms, in my freezer. I have thighs & legs, BLSL chicken breasts, and BLSL chicken fingers (which I purchased from the marked down meat section at my local Kroger). I laid out a package of the BLSL breasts for tonight's dinner. BLSL=boneless skinless, by the way. Anyway, if my concerted effort to only buy what foods we absolutely need, I am using up what we have, even if it's only a little at a time. So for tonight's dinner, I will be preparing: oven fried chicken breasts, a box of Betty Crocker scalloped potatoes, a box of Italian pasta salad, a can of green beans, & for dessert, I'll open a can of lite sliced peaches. The can of green beans is only for my picky eaters; my husband & my daughter. Neither of them will eat the scalloped potatoes or the pasta salad. However, my son & I will thoroughly enjoy both the potatoes & the pasta salad tonight, and I'll enjoy having leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Anyway, since most of you know how follow directions on the boxes of potatoes & pasta salad, I thought I'd share with you how I oven fry my chicken.

Oven Fried Chicken

1 pound of BLSL chicken (breasts, tenders, thighs, etc.)
1/2 cup Frying or Baking Magic (can be found where the Shake n Bake is, only look up on the higher shelves)
1tsp. Penzeys 4/S salt (or seasoned salt)
ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375*. Add enough canola oil to just cover the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan/dish. Combine Frying Magic, salt & pepper in a gallon size baggie. Add pieces of chicken, and shake until all pieces are well coated. Add chicken to pan, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning once halfway through baking time.

Notes:
I talk a lot about Penzeys spices, etc. You can go here to check out their spices & extracts. You won't be disappointed at all! Also, the Frying or Baking Magic is very similar to Shake N Bake, only much cheaper. I use it whenever I make chicken or pork chops. You can add a wide variety of seasonings to it, to make dishes to your liking. I've used lemon pepper and garlic pepper seasonings, but always seem to go back to my beloved 4/S salt from Penzeys. Also, when oven frying, I like to use canola oil, and I only cover the bottom of the baking pan. Some people, when oven frying, use much more oil. It really is a personal preference, however, I like using less because it's healthier.

What's on hand...?

In an effort to use up some, if not most of my surplus food & staple supplies in my walk-in pantry, I have decided to limit my grocery shopping to only what we absolutely MUST have to get us through. Things such as fresh milk & dairy, fresh fruits & veggies, fresh meats, and the occasional carton/tub of ice cream and the obligatory "emergency" frozen pizza!! I have an abundance of foods in my pantry, as well as enough flours, sugars, oils, etc. that I could open my own bakery!! There are canned soups, canned fruits & veggies, pastas, sauces, pudding mixes, cake mixes, Tastefully Simple products (cheese ball, dip, soup, bread & pasta mixes), cereals, etc. I have also decided to eat healthier foods, etc. So, I am hoping that by announcing here on my blog what my plans are, that it will help make me accountable. I am going to try and post my recipes more often, as well as try & get creative again in the kitchen. So stay tuned....you never know what I might come up with in my kitchen with "what's on hand!!"

Brian's Pigs in a Blanket

These are not your traditional Pigs in a Blanket. Not the hamburger mixture wrapped in cabbage & cooked in a tomato broth, nor are they a wiener wrapped in biscuit or crescent roll dough. Nope! These little boogers are one of my husband's favorite meals and/or snacks. They are, however, not one of my favorite things to make, simply because I struggle with part of the recipe. You see, these little piggies are browned hamburger "logs" (or you could use sausage links, ground sausage, Italian sausage, etc), that are wrapped in pie crust dough, then baked until the pie crust is golden brown. He loves them!! I can not make a homemade pie crust to save my life!! I've tried at least 4 or 5 different versions of pie crust recipes over the last 17 years, and I always end up frustrated & mad!! So I usually opt for the store bought version. I usually buy a store brand if available, but Pillsbury ready to bake pie crusts will work too!! Or if you are gifted in the pie crust making area, by all means, make your own!! It will make the recipe much cheaper!! Anyway.....

Brian's Pigs in a Blanket

1lb. ground beef (I try to use ground sirloin if I can get it cheap or from the mark down bin)
salt & pepper, to taste
1tsp. Emeril's Original Essence (or a seasoned salt)*
double pie crust (I use store bought)

Mix above ingredients all together, and form the burger mixture into 2-3" long logs, that are approximately 1/2" in diameter. Cook hamburger logs until browned on all sides & cooked through. Remove from pan, onto paper towel lined plate to cool slightly.

Preheat oven to 375*. Remove pie crust from wrapper, and roll pie crust to approximately 1/8" thickness, on a lightly floured surface. Using a knife (any kind will do) cut pie crust into 3-4 inch squares. You will have scraps of pie crust. Place hamburger log onto square and roll up, folding the edges if necessary, and place onto ungreased baking sheet. Once all logs are rolled, bake for about 10-12 minutes or until crust turns golden.

Makes: approx. 15-18 piggies :o)
* You could use any seasonings you'd like: Italian, Mexican, fresh herbs, etc. This is just what I usually use. I've also used 4/S salt from Penzey's Spices!! It's yummy!

Notes:
I usually double this recipe, so Brian will have enough for his lunch for a day or so; or when he wants/needs a snack. This is an extremely frugal recipe, and could be easily tweaked to make the hamburger stretch farther. I usually serve this with a big green salad and/or rice pilaf.
What do you do with all your pie crust scraps? Well, I usually roll them out into a big sheet of dough, place on baking sheet, and then sprinkle cinnamon & sugar on it, and bake until golden & flaky!! My whole family loves this, and it makes a nice easy & frugal dessert. I like to add a freshly sliced Granny Smith apple, on the side,  to go with my cinnamon sugar crust...it's delicious!!