Meatloaf Muffins

To be fair, I actually like these the best in our family. But the boys will eat them so they're getting thrown on this site!

I love this recipe from Kraft Foods because it is EASY and versatile. I also like them because I am a big fan of the crunchy outside of meatloaf and with muffins, you get lots of crunch!

My favorite is the Mexcian variety - I like some spice - and no cheese of course. Stephen would prefer the Italian version with LOTS of mozzarella.

I just made a batch of Mexican and a batch of Italian today, flash froze them and now have them on hand for a quick meal!

Any other variation ideas? Let me know!

Ingredients
For all varitations you'll need the following...
1 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix
1 cup water

Then you can mix & match your recipe from these options...

Italian
Seasoning - 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Add-in - spaghetti sauce (I used pizza sauce)
Cheese possibilities - shredded mozzarella

Mexican
Seasoning - 2 tsp chili powder
Add-in - salsa or taco sauce
Cheese possibilities - Mexican style

Mediterranean
Seasoning - 1 tsp dried oregano
Add-in - chopped roasted red peppers
Cheese possibilities - crumbled feta

American
Seasoning - 1 tsp garlic powder
Add-in - barbecue sauce
Cheese possibilities - shredded cheddar

Directions
Heat oven to 375°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, water and seasoning until well blended. Press into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.

Make indentation in center of each with back of spoon; fill evenly with 3/4 cup add-ins.

Bake 30 min. or until meatloaves are done (160°F). Top with 3/4 cup cheese; bake 5 min. or until melted. Let stand 10 min.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

Another great freezer meal! This is especially great for families with kids - what kid doesn't like spaghetti sauce mixed with fun-shaped pasta, cheese and topped with pepperoni?! And it is SO easy to assemble! Love that!

Sorry, no step-by-step pictures this time. Just a shot of the finished product.

Pizza Pasta Casserole

INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 jars (28 ounces each) spaghetti sauce
• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta, cooked and drained
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces sliced pepperoni


DIRECTIONS
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta.

Transfer to two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with cheese. Arrange pepperoni over the top. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.

Bake the second casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. I like to write these directions right on the foil so they are helpful wherever they end up!

Mexican Beef and Corn Bread Pie

Mexican Beef and Corn Bread Pie

Ingredients

Meat Mixture
1 pound lean ground turkey

½ - 1 cup of your favorite salsa (I used Wholly Salsa Mild)

½ package taco seasoning (I used McCormick’s 30% Less Sodium Taco Seasoning)
10-ounce package frozen whole-kernel corn

Corn Bread Mixture
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Whites of 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon canola or corn oil

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the turkey for 4 to 5 minutes, or until no longer pink, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the remaining meat mixture ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer while you prepare the corn bread mixture.

In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, and baking powder, and sugar and salt if desired. In a small bowl, stir together the egg whites, milk, and oil. Pour into the dry mixture. Mix lightly to avoid overbeating- this is VERY important!

Spoon the meat mixture into a baking pan – I used a 9x13 pan but it would work well in a 10-inch square pan. It did NOT work well for me in an 8-inch square pan. Spoon the corn bread mixture over the meat; spread lightly to cover the surface.

Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until the corn bread is golden brown. Do not overcook!

FYI: My only complaint - the crust can get a little dry. Any suggestions?

Kabobs or kebabs?

However you spell it, they are yummy!

I marinated the meat all afternoon in Kraft's Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing & Marinade. So easy and excellent!

I think red and yellow peppers are beautiful.

I also added zucchini, mushrooms, and - my favorite - pineapple. The pineapple really completes it for me. And I convinced Stephen of the same. Small victory for me.

Yum.

Nice job with the grill Stephen. The best part - very little clean-up!

So how do you spell it?

French Dip Sandwiches

This is in the crock pot right now. It is another Mom favorite. For a while, Stephen would request it every time we went to my parents. Now I make it at home, but I still think it tastes better when Mom makes it!

This is a great meal to make ahead of time. The meat can be frozen with some juice so it doesn't dry out when thawed. My mom would make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate the juices so the fat would be easier to skim off the top. I usually cook the meat seven hours on low because it is almost too tender after nine hours and falls apart when slicing.

The recipe comes from an old issue of Quick Cooking.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 beef bottom round roast (3 to 4 pounds)
5 cups water
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 envelope onion soup mix
1-1/2 teaspoons browning sauce, optional
1 garlic clove, minced
12 to 14 French rolls, split
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Directions:
In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until tender; transfer to a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cut the roast in half; place over onions. In a large bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, soup mix, browning sauce if desired and garlic; pour over roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours or until the meat is tender. Remove roast with a slotted spoon and let stand for 15 minutes. Thinly slice meat across the grain. Place on rolls; sprinkle with Swiss cheese. Broil 3 to 4 in. from the heat for 1 minute or until the cheese is melted. Skim fat from juices; strain and serve as a dipping sauce. Yield: 12-14 servings.

The Taco Ring

This will be my contribution to Super Bowl Sunday. Stephen had a college roommate whose mom introduced us to this glorious food. We ate WAY too much of this in college but we still love it!

I don't eat cheese so Stephen sprinkles his on top after it bakes. The cheese could go in with the filling if you prefer.

The Taco Ring

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey
1 envelope taco seasoning (less, if desired)
2 crescent roll cans (8 oz. each)
Shredded cheddar cheese
Taco fixings (optional): lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, etc.

Brown ground beef or turkey; drain fat. Season with taco seasoning according to envelope directions. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll both cans of dough; separate into 16 triangles. Arrange triangles on a pizza stone or greased cookie sheet with short sides of triangles toward center, overlapping into wreath shape and leaving a round opening in center. On a pizza stone, this could make an inner and outer ring. You may also make two rows on a cookie sheet instead (tips still overlapping). Lightly press short sides of dough to flatten slightly. Evenly distribute the taco meat along the widest part tips of the dough. If desired, sprinkle shredded cheese over the meat (cheese may also be served on the side after baking instead). Pull end points of triangles over filling and tuck under dough to form ring. (Filling will be visible. Bake according to package directions (11-13 minutes). Cut into 16 pieces and serve with taco fixings on the side. Serves 2-4 people as a meal or more as an appetizer/snack.