Meatloaf Topping/Sauce

There are several different toppings you can make to bake on your meatloaf, but this one is by far my favorite. My Granny always made it for her meatloaf, and now so do I. It's just so good.

Meatloaf Topping/Sauce

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together. Pour over top of the unbaked meatloaf. Bake your meatloaf according to directions.
Makes enough to top 1 meatloaf.

Breakfast Burritos

This freezes and reheats very well, and makes an easy meal any time of the day. Also, I use plain fat free yogurt for a healthier alternative to sour cream, and my kids love it and can't tell the difference.

Breakfast Burritos

1 (1 lb.) roll of turkey breakfast sausage
1 (32 oz.) frozen hash browns
1 dozen eggs
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
flour tortillas, warmed
toppings: sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese etc.

In a large frying pan, cook the turkey sausage until done. Drain and set aside. In the same frying pan, cook the hash browns as directed on the package until done. Remove from pan and set aside. In the same frying pan, scramble the eggs, seasoning with some salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together in the pan, adding the garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and make sure it's evenly heated throughout. Place about 1/2 cup onto each flour tortilla and add your choice of toppings. Roll up and serve. This filling freeze and re-heats really well.
Makes enough filling for about 14 breakfast burritos

Beef & Corn Noodle Casserole

On one of my first nights home from the hospital after the birth of my 7th baby, a ward member from church made this casserole and brought it to us for dinner. It was so tasty and yet so simple, the very next day I called her to beg shamelessly for the recipe, and she so very kindly shared it with me.

Beef & Corn Noodle Casserole

12 oz. pkg. egg noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 (1 lb.) pkg. frozen corn or 2 (15 oz.) cans corn, drained
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 (8 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained (opt.)
1 cup fat free plain yogurt 'or' sour cream
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (opt.)
4 to 5 cups cubed day old bread (sourdough is my favorite)
1/4 cup melted butter

Cook the egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside. In a large pot, brown the beef. Drain. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Reduce the heat to medium and add the corn, soups, mushrooms, yogurt, salt and garlic. Heat and stir to mix. Add the cooked egg noodles and the cheese if you are using it, and stir to mix well. Pour mixture into a greased 15x10-inch baking dish. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes and melted butter together until evenly coated. (You can sprinkle a little garlic salt over the bread cubes if you want a little extra garlicky flavor). Spread the bread cubes over top of the casserole. Bake @ 350* F uncovered for 35-45 minutes, until heated through and the bread cubes are golden brown on top.
Makes about 10-12 servings.

Marky's Favorite Apple Pie

I love apple pie that actually tastes like apples and doesn't drown that flavor out in a ton of cinnamon and spices. This recipe does that perfectly, and, as the title suggests, is also a favorite of my brother Mark. I prefer using Jonagold apples, but this would also be good with Golden Delicious or even a mixture of the two. Possibly even MacIntosh.

Marky's Favorite Apple Pie

1/2 cup butter

3 TBSP. flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup water

8 Jonagold apples, peeled and sliced, and cut into chunky pieces
double pie crust for 9 to 10-inch pie plate

Preheat oven to 425* F. In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir to form a paste. Add the sugar, brown sugar and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer the syrup for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place your bottom crust in your pie plate with the crust overlapping the edges of the pie plate. Fill with the apples, slightly mounding them in the center. Then take the hot syrup and pour it all over the apples. Cover the top of the pie with your top crust and seal the edges, then crimp with a fluted edge. Cut several large slits in the top of the crust to allow the pie to vent as it cooks. Bake @ 425* F for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350* F and continue baking for 35-45 minutes more. Let cool completely. This is even better when made the day before and chilled in the fridge before serving. This recipe fits better in a 10-inch pie plate when I make it, but if your apples are smaller than a 9-inch will do.
Makes about 8 servings.

Heidi's Chickpea Veggie Burger

I copied this recipe directly from Heidi's blog because I love them, and she said I could. They are easily the best homemade veggie burger I have ever eaten, and Heidi said these are so easy, you can't mess them up and you can adjust the ingredients to your own liking.

CHICKPEA VEGGIE BURGER

2 eggs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I also used cracker crumbs one time)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 medium carrot, shredded
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or colby jack, swiss, pepper jack, etc…)
1/4 cup chopped onion ( I grate my onion on a cheese grater to “disguise” them)
1/4 cup green olives (I accidentally added 1/2 cup last time I made these and it did not affect the taste)
1 TBSP. dried parsley (I left this out the second time and it was fine)
1 TBSP. lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced (or a hefty spoonful of minced garlic from a jar… lazy)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) rinsed and drained

In food processor, combine everything but the chick peas; cover and pulse four times. Add chickpeas; pulse until chopped. Do NOT puree. Refrigerate at least 45 minutes.

Shape mixture into patties and remember that they won’t shrink so they will be as big as you shape them. Cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. To make this truly healthy, serve on a whole wheat hamburger bun.

Now it’s time to give you another awesome option. I shaped my patties and laid them out on a cookie sheet lined with my silpat mat and set them in the freezer for about four hours. Place the frozen patties in a freezer ziploc bag. Now you can have a veggie burger whenever you want. I cook mine on a George Foreman grill right from the freezer and it comes out perfectly.

Makes about 6 to 7 patties.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

A simple fuss-free meal that assembles quickly and is baking in your oven in no time.

Beef Enchilada Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chilies
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can tomato soup
1 (10 3/4 oz.) can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
2 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
6 oz. evaporated skim milk
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, or a Mexican blend works great)
corn tortillas
toppings: shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, diced avocados, chopped tomatoes, sour cream

In a saute pan, brown and drain the beef. Add the onions, garlic and green chilies and cook until the onions are tender. Add the black beans and set aside. In a bowl, whisk together the soups, tomato sauce and evaporated milk until smooth. Spray a 14x10-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray and ladle about 1 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom, tilting to coat evenly. Layer the bottom with corn tortillas, cutting them into pieces to fit and covering the entire bottom. Spread the meat mixture evenly over top of the corn tortilla pieces. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over top. Pour about half of the sauce of top of that and spread it over evenly from edge to edge. Top with more corn tortillas, cutting them into pieces to generously cover the saucy meat mixture. Pour the remaining sauce over top, spreading from edge to edge to cover all of the tortillas on top, and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over top. Bake @ 375* F for 35-45 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Cut into squares and top each serving with your choice of toppings.
Makes about 10-12 servings.

Orange Julius

My Mom used to make this for us all of the time when we were growing up, and even now it's still a favorite treat whenever I make it.

Orange Julius

6 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
about 2 cups ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and enjoy.
Makes about 4 servings.

Grilled Mashed Potato Sandwiches

I know this may sound like a weird sandwich, but it's a favorite of ours and a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

Grilled Mashed Potato Sandwiches

leftover mashed potatoes, reheated
bread
butter
shredded cheese
salt & pepper

Butter one side of each slice of bread just like you would for a grilled cheese sandwich. On the unbuttered side of one piece of bread, sprinkle some of the cheese. Then with a butter knife, spread a generous amount of the reheated mashed potatoes over top. Season with salt and pepper to taste then top with another sprinkling of cheese. Top with the other piece of bread, buttered side up, and cook on a griddle/frying pan over medium heat, turning once, so that each side is browned. Cut in half and serve immediately.
*salt the potatoes on your sandwich generously, even if the mashed potatoes you are using are seasoned as they can sometimes taste a bit bland. Reheating the potatoes before putting them on the sandwich ensures they are heated all the way through as the bread can brown faster than the potatoes can re-heat in the sandwich on the griddle. Also, pepper jack cheese is my favorite for this sandwich, but cheddar is also delicious.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Frosting

These are so insanely delicious, it's crazy. I cannot even begin to tell you how awesome these are. The original recipe calls for making the cupcakes from scratch, but I revised it to use a cake mix since it was on hand at the time, and it made these quick and easy to throw together.

Coconut Lime Cupcakes w/ White Chocolate Frosting

1 (18 oz.) box white or yellow cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 egg whites
3 TBSP. lime juice, fresh or bottled
1 cup coconut

frosting:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips/chunks (I used Hershey's)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 TBSP. lime juice, fresh or bottled
1/4 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Preheat oven to 350* F. Line muffin tins with 24 cupcake liners or grease each muffin cup. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, water, oil, egg whites and lime juice. Mix until smooth, about 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Fold in the coconut. Mix until well incorporated. Evenly divide the batter between the muffin tins. Bake @ 350* F for 15-20 minutes, until tops spring back. Remove cupcakes to wire rack and cool completely. While cupcakes are cooling, place the white chocolate chips in a bowl and melt in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth. Set aside and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. With the mixer on LOW, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla, lime juice and sour cream, and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until incorporated. Frost the cooled cupcakes generously.
-Makes 24 cupcakes.
*note* even if there are tiny bits of hardened/cooled white chocolate bits when you add the melted white chocolate to the frosting mixture, it's ok. It just means you get little bits of white chocolate in every bite of cupcake and frosting, and that's not a bad thing, now is it.

Almond Bundt Cake

Another yummy cake recipe from Auntie Laralee, this time featuring almonds.

Almond Bundt Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1-2/3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 cup milk

Glaze:
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 350* F. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and invert on a wire rack. Cool 10 minutes longer. Place rack on waxed paper.
To Make the Glaze: Combine 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract and toasted sliced almonds; pour over warm cake.