Meatloaf Patties

Making meatloaf patty style does three things:  It insures everyone gets plenty of topping, your meat is always cooked through, and it saves time since it cooks faster. Bonus?  It's freezable. Zip on down to the bottom to see how to freeze them for later.

Meatloaf Patties

olive oil

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1-1/2 Tablespoon chicken broth

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

2-1/2 Tablespoons bread crumbs (use quinoa flakes for GF)

1 egg

1/2 c ketchup (or more to your taste!) BBQ sauce can also be used

Chop/dice onion. I do mine pretty small  so there are never any crunchy onions in my meatloaf.Cook onions in oil with salt/pepper until completely cooked. Turn off heat. Add Worcestershire sauce, broth, and paste. Mix and cool a little. Mix eggs and bread crumbs...Add tomato/onion mixture to it. and beef. Form into 3-4 hamburger patties. Put on jelly roll pan (cookie sheet with sides) and drizzle with ketchup. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until done. 

To grill... Heat ketchup separately  mostly to get the chill off. Grill meatloaf patties on medium heat for for 5-6 minutes. Flip, add ketchup and grill for another 5-6 minutes.
You can make more than one batch at a time. TO FREEZE....Form patties and put on wax paper lined cookie sheet. Freeze and then bag. To cook, thaw and cook according to directions above.

Catfish Parmesan

Catfish Parmesan

4 catfish fillets with or without bones
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or less depending on your taste and strength of garlic)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
nonstick cooking spray


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Combine eggs and milk in shallow bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in another shallow bowl.
Dip fillets in egg mixture and then into bread crumb mixture. Coat fillets evenly and pat firmly. Arrange fillets in greased baking sheet. Spray fillets lightly with cooking spray

Bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. (1/2 pound whole fillets (no heads) cook for 25 minutes) Serve as is or with tartar sauce.

Cherry Torte

This is my dad's favorite dessert. My grandma used to make it for her family. Whenever we'd have it at their house my grandpa would eat the cherries for me. Now dad does. Lately though I've split the recipe into two dishes and made one with the cherries and one with just a little of the filling for my nephew and I. 

Cherry Torte                                                                                          Printable Recipe

1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (can use light)
1 package Dream Whip ( plus 1/2 c milk and 1/2 t vanilla)
10 graham crackers (this means 40 of the little rectangles)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted


Add crackers to a gallon bag and use a rolling pin to make into crumbs. The smaller the better.
Add to butter and mix til crumbly.

Mix Dream Whip according to directions using the Dream Whip packet, milk, and vanilla.

Add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix until creamy.

Layer 3/4 of the butter crumb mixture in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. (I used a smaller dish here since I split it.)
Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture onto crust.

Then pie filling...

Then the rest of the cream cheese mixture...

Sprinkle with remaining butter crumb mixture.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

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Pretty individual desserts in a parfait glass. 

Crock Pot Pot Roast

Crock Pot Pot Roast                                                                                 Printable Recipe

3 Tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 boneless chuck roast, trimmed (3 to 4 lbs)
salt
pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (more or less onions as you like)
Handful baby carrots
2 small ribs celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Small potatoes, quartered


Heat oil in pan (preferable not a non-stick). Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Sear roast on all sides until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Place in large crock pot.
Add flour and tomato paste to pan and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine, broth, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.

Pour over roast in crock pot.

Mix vegetables, garlic, and spices in bowl and add to crock pot.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.  Add quartered potatoes to liquid  after 4 hrs. If you use Yukon they will hold their shape.  Serve in bowl so you can ladle the yummy gravy over the top.

Berry Smoothie

Berry Smoothie

1/3 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup orange juice
3 ounces (weighed) vanilla yogurt (we use Cultural Revolution from Kalona, an organic yogurt made with cane sugar when we don't have our own homemade goat yogurt)
1/2 ripe medium size banana
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
optional: 1/4 cup powdered egg whites (we use NOW Foods brand)


Yes, I measure. :) Add it all to a tall glass and blend with hand blender. You can add protein powder if you like.

YUM!!

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili

1 pound ground beef (turkey or chicken works too)
approx 2/3 cup water
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
4 teaspoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 of a 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate hunk, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon pepper
dash ground cloves


1 can (16 ounces each) kidney beans


Hot cooked spaghetti
diced onions
shredded Mexican blend cheese


In Dutch oven or large pan with high sides cook the onions and beef in water until meat is no longer pink.
Add garlic, tomato sauce, chocolate, spices, and vinegar. Cook for 10-15 minutes on low to medium heat until everything is cooked through and it thickens some.

In separate pan heat the beans and liquid from the can until beans are soft but still hold their shape. Approximately 5-10 minutes.

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For a "2-way"......spaghetti and meat mixture

" 3-way"...spaghetti, meat mixture, and beans

"4-way".....spaghetti, meat mixture, beans, and cheese

"5-way".....spaghetti, meat mixture, beans, cheese, and diced onions

Roasted Pork Loin

Roasted Pork Loin

2 pounds boneless pork loin
rub (see recipe below)
sliced Provolone
buns
creamy coleslaw (optional)


Pork Rub :
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t cumin
1-1/3 T granulated onion powder
1-1/3 T granulated garlic powder
1 T Nature's Seasoning
3/4 t white pepper
1 t salt


Mix rub ingredients together. Shake (never touch with porky fingers) on pork loin and... gently massage in. Sprinkling a little more as needed. It's quite flavorable you don't need a ton. This amount of rub will do 3-4 loins.Couple different options for the next step. You can sear it on a grill, in an oiled pan, or not at all. I discovered that the last option was still tasty after I forgot to do it once. Place on a rack in a pan and place in 350 degree oven. Cook approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes until meat thermometer poked in the thickest region reaches 155 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. With sharp knife slice pork very thin.
Serve on a bun with provolone between the meat so it melts and coleslaw on the side or on the sandwich as a condiment. I love to eat this meat cold, straight from the fridge!