Meatloaf Patties...

Picture borrowed from Allrecipes.com where Tonya made "Mini Meatloaf"
Mine were a bit thinner and larger than this one.

The other night I was scrambling to get dinner done before Hubby got home so he could have a warm meal when he got off work.... never happens to you, right? Well, it happens to me all to often I must confess.

I usually come up with something quickly that works and I just realized I should be posting some of those recipes/ideas here... What a clever idea :)

I had ground chuck in the fridge from a sale during the week, and some that I needed to get into the freezer, so that was my starting point.

Hubby loves meatloaf, didn't until he tried mom's, and I had thought about it earlier in the day, but never got to putting it together... and it takes foreevvvverrr to bake! But... I really wanted to make it for Hubby.

With limited time on my hands I put together my regular meatloaf recipe, eyeballing some of the ingredients- like usual, it's the only way to cook isn't it? and I decided to make meatloaf patties instead of an actual loaf.

I turned up the heat on those suckers and baked them in all of about 30 mins or so, a far cry from the normal 1 1/2 hours.

Here's my recipe (actually mom's recipe-Thanks mom!):
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
1 eggs
3/4 cup rolled oats
onion -small diced
ketchup- in meat to moisten.. 1/4-1/2 cup is my guess
green pepper - whatever you like, but you really need at least a little to make it delish
bacon - 2 strips or Bacon bits (mix in if you don't have bacon strips)
salt & pepper as desired
celery as desired (I don't usually add this)

Combine all ingredients...

For meatloaf: Form into loaf shape and put some extra ketchup on top, place bacon strips on top if using them, bake in baking pan at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

For meatloaf patties: Form into medium thickness hamburger size patties, be sure to mix in bacon bits, spread some extra ketchup across the top of the patties. Bake at 450 degrees for approximately 25 minutes... Watch the temperature of the patties to be sure they don't overcook. Size of patties will change cooking time.

I check mine with a thermometer to be sure it's done. I serve with mashed potatoes and green beans usually... Yum! Enjoy!

Don't like meatloaf? Every tried homemade? It's so much different... and better IMHO than restaurant versions.

I forgot to take pics... maybe next time :)

Making Meat Stretch...

I'm always after a good way to stretch the food budget and this is something that I do often... find a way to stretch meat.

Meat tends to be one of the most expensive parts of a food budget and my Hubby would say one of the last to cut out. He loves his meat... I like to eat cheap.

Here's what I do...

Purchase meats only when they are on a rock bottom sale, or clearanced. Clearanced meat doesn't mean spoiled, although you'll want to look at it (maybe smell it- no one's looking are they?) & use your best judgement.

Often time I use the crockpot and cook the meat.

If I have chicken, last time I had a whole one, I cut up carrots, an onion, some celery, add the chicken and put it in my big crockpot and then fill it with water. I let it sit high for a few hours to get it good and hot and then turn it to low until the carrots are tender. When it's done, I strain and keep the broth, veggies and chicken.

The chicken can be used for all kinds of things. This last time I made chicken enchiladas, chicken noodles (I have enough left to make ckn noodle soup using broth from this chicken too) & I have enough chicken & veggies leftover to throw together another kind of soup.

That's 3 meals together & 2-3 lunches for Hubby & I... healthy and good!


If I have a roast, I add a jar of home canned tomatoes or carrots, potatoes & onions and let is sit on low all day. If I've added tomatoes I make mashed potatoes to go along with it. Then we often have a big salad & some hearty bread to help fill us prior to digging into the meat. With the meat that's left over we have BBQ Beef sandwiches or Veggie Soup for another meal.

You can do this with just about any kind of meat as the crockpot cooks slow and evenly enough that most meats become very tender. You don't have to buy expensive or large cuts of meat to eat well!

Taco Pie...

Here's a recipe made from the frugal meal items I had on hand.
Found the recipe on allrecipes.com & altered it a bit to fit my family's tastes.

Taco Pie

1 lb ground chuck $1.79 (purchased a few weeks ago)
1 pkg lowfat crescent rolls ($.35-$.50)
refried beans ($.59)
sour cream (minimal amount, $.25)
taco seasoning -Free
onion (minimal amount)
1/2 pkg 2% shredded mexican cheese $.84
lettuce $.25
salsa -Free
jalapenos -Free
nacho/tortilla chips $.50 (we used very few of these)

Cost me less than $5!

Lay crescent rolls out flat onto glass pan. Bake at 350 F until done but not browned. While crescent rolls are baking, brown beef with 1/2 an onion, drain. Add taco mix to beef according to directions. When crescent roll layer is done, add light layer of refried beans (if you like them), then sour cream, beef, cheese, jalapenos & bake until cheese melts. Remove from oven and add a layer of shredded lettuce and salsa to taste.

This is a great inexpensive meal that you can alter easily to your family's tastes. We enjoyed it because it was different from traditional tacos and bakes.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cranberry Salad...

Growing up I never liked anything with cranberries... not that I remember. Somehow I've acquired a taste for them in some things.... I like dried ones in salads, like chicken salad. I also like them on top of salads, especially with blue cheese dressing and some slivered almonds.

Here's a recipe I grew up on.... not that I ate it growing up, no way! But now... love it! It's sweet, with a bit of punch from the oranges and cranberries and has a nice crunch from the apples and nuts. Yum...

My mom's Cranberry Salad Recipe (that she got from her mom)

1 Family size box of Jello (strawberry or raspberry)
-or 2 small boxes work too

2 diced apples

1 container frozen Indian Train Cranberries and Oranges
(found in the freezer section)

1 cup of Walnuts, chopped

Prepared Jello according to directions using 1 cup less water than directions ask for. Add other ingredients. Refrigerate until set.

I use sugar-free Jello to keep the calories down.

It's a great splash of color on your plate at Thanksgiving & tastes great with turkey.

UPDATE:

Indian Trail Cranberry Orange is no longer available in stores... 

You can find a recipe to substitute for it here.

Peppermint Mocha

It's getting cold here
& I'm ready for some yummy and warm treats & eats.

Here's something that I've grown to love that I learned from a dear friend I used to work with.
Thanks K! Love it!!- Still have your syrup by the way... want it back??

I love hot beverages in the winter, everything from coffee (which you've heard me talk about already this season-with peppermint mocha creamer non the less), to teas and hot cocoa. They have a way of warming you from the inside out and warm your hands at the same time.

This is a simple addition to your standard hot chocolate mix that makes it taste coffee shop worthy... Really!

Simply

Make a cup of your favorite hot chocolate mix and add a small amount of peppermint syrup- the same kind you get for your coffee that I talked about it here recently. Stir & Enjoy!

I sometimes add a little extra water to the mix since the syrup is sweet too... makes a bigger cup that way too!

You could try other flavors too!
Peppermint makes me think Christmas.... Helps me get in the mood for it!

If you have a simple heart warming recipe you'd like to share with me just leave a comment or a link to your blog post.

If you leave a link to your blog I'll then make a post with a link to your blog... hopefully I'll have a chance to try it and leave my review of it too.

Enchilada Bake... Yummy!

One of the best ways to save money at the grocery is to base your menus one what you are able to get inexpensively at the store, instead of making your menu and then heading out.

If you've been following my blog, you know I probably got some free Taco Bell Dinner Kits at Meijer this week. Unfortunately they pulled the coupon from the site so you can no longer use it. I plan to occasionally post recipe ideas for sale items that keep your budget in check and your family happy at the same time, so check back for more recipes if you like this one.

The Taco Bell kit I got had 10 soft taco shells, taco seasoning and a salsa packet.
I was able to use all of it with this recipe- the salsa on the side with chips.

I went looking for a way to use one of the kits in a new way, and this is what I found in my church cookbook. Thanks D.Miller for your wonderful idea!

I substituted a few things and will note that along the way...

Enchilada Bake
1 lb. ground beef (I used ground chuck)
1 15oz can tomato sauce ( I used 1/2 can crushed tomatoes)
1 pkg taco seasoning
soft tacos shells (kit came w/10 & had to use a couple extra from my fridge)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (I used Healthy Request)
1 cup sour cream (I used lite)
1 can chopped cream chillies
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (I didn't have a full 2 cups so use part cheddar & part mexican mix)

Brown beef and drain (I added a few diced onions I had in my fridge just because), drain beef. Add taco seasoning and tomatoes and simmer for 10-15 minutes (I added a little water and let it cook off) stirr occasionally. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon meat mixture onto tortillas, roll them and place them into a 9X13 pan (I used 2 smaller pans)- you might want to grease if using metal pans. In a separate bowl mix together soup, sour cream and chillies, spread mixture onto rolled tortillas and bake for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

The chillies won't be spicy hot and you can't taste the mushrooms, so don't let that stop you from trying this one!

I served with refried beans and chips and salsa.

Yummy meal that was really simple!
We had leftovers which reheated quite well.
Hope you enjoy!