Meatloaf Veggie Burger

My family loves a good meatloaf, and so do I. Meatloaf is my go to recipe for company coming over and for a welcomed fall meal. But have you ever had meatloaf as a hamburger piled high with roasted root vegetables? Oh. My. Goodness. Y'all don't know food love until you've had these. My Mom used to make these when I was a little girl and here I am now making these for my family. This is a recipe I hope my children will grow up loving as much as I did. And this is a great recipe for anyone on a budget or new to cooking, too. Simple, easy and cheap.

Meatloaf Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 packet Beefy Onion soup mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 egg

Extra ketchup for smearing

1 large russet potato

1 bag carrot chips or 2 carrots for slicing

salt and pepper for seasoning

hamburger buns optional

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, using  your hands (yes, just like Mom used to do)

Mix ground sirloin, beefy onion soup mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and egg 

Tear off 6 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping meatloaf patty 

Form meat into 6 hamburger patties

Place each meatloaf patty onto a sheet of foil

Add additional ketchup to the top of meatloaf patties, smearing it across the top of the patty

Cut your potato and carrots into slices (not too thick because it takes longer to cook through)

Generously add potato slices and carrot slices to each meatloaf patty

Veggies should be over flowing, you want a bunch, trust me.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking

Wrap each meatloaf patty and its veggies in the foil sheet 

and poke a few holes in the bottom of the wrapped patty for ventilation and to let fat drain out.

Place wrapped and poked patties onto a lined cookie sheet 

Bake in over for at least an hour 

After an hour let the patties sit for a few minutes to cool off

Opening up patties straight from the oven could burn you because of the steam, so please use caution.

Put meatloaf patty on a bun and pile on your veggies from the same foil pouch

Top with ketchup or mustard or pickles or nothing at all....its so delicious any way you have it!

Best served with fries of any kind (I personally like sweet potato fries!!).

And wash it down with a sweet tea.

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Veggie Burger

My family loves a good meatloaf. And so do I. Meatloaf is my go to recipe for company coming over and for a welcomed fall meal. But have you ever had meatloaf as a hamburger piled high with roasted root vegetables? Oh. My. Goodness. Y'all don't know food love until you've had these. My Mom used to make these when I was a little girl and here I am now making these for my family. This is a recipe I hope my children will grow up loving as much as I did. And this is a great recipe for anyone on a budget or new to cooking, too. Simple, easy and cheap.

Meatloaf Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 packet Beefy Onion soup mix

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 egg

Extra ketchup for smearing

1 large russet potato

1 bag carrot chips or 2 carrots for slicing

salt and pepper for seasoning

hamburger buns optional

Preheat oven to 350

In a large mixing bowl, using  your hands (yes, just like Mom used to do)

Mix ground sirloin, beefy onion soup mix, water, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and egg 

Tear off 6 sheets of aluminum foil for wrapping meatloaf patty 

Form meat into 6 hamburger patties

Place each meatloaf patty onto a sheet of foil

Add additional ketchup to the top of meatloaf patties, smearing it across the top of the patty

Cut your potato and carrots into slices (not too thick because it takes longer to cook through)

Generously add potato slices and carrot slices to each meatloaf patty

Veggies should be over flowing, you want a bunch, trust me.

Season with salt and pepper to your liking

Wrap each meatloaf patty and its veggies in the foil sheet 

and poke a few holes in the bottom of the wrapped patty for ventilation and to let fat drain out.

Place wrapped and poked patties onto a lined cookie sheet 

Bake in over for at least an hour 

After an hour let the patties sit for a few minutes to cool off

Opening up patties straight from the oven could burn you because of the steam, so please use caution.

Put meatloaf patty on a bun and pile on your veggies from the same foil pouch

Top with ketchup or mustard or pickles or nothing at all....its so delicious any way you have it!

Best served with fries of any kind (I personally like sweet potato fries!!).

And wash it down with a sweet tea.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

My guilty pleasure is buying magazines at the grocery store. It can be anything from Southern Living, At Home Arkansas, Women's World, People...you name it, I've probably thumbed through it and took it home because I just had to have it! This new magazine from Taste of Home is great for fall cooking and busy schedules "Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups".  I'm so glad I picked up this little gem  because I'm already loving all the food & drink recipes that I see. And I don't know about y'all, but I am so ready and excited for fall!! I am itching at decorating our home with pumpkins and leaves and lighting candles and sipping cider....I'm ready, are you?! 

Today's recipe comes from page 100 of the slow cooker section. By the way, the magazine is on news stands until October 10th.  But I must tell you, as we all do, I changed it just a tad bit. My son, Matt, loves pulled pork but with more of sweet sauce. So I added a 1/2 cup brown sugar to the sauce. Feel free to add what you want too, make it your own! If you like it spicy, chop up some jalapenos and add to it! Add whatever your taste buds desire!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 boneless pork loin (4lbs)

1 can (14 1/2oz) beef broth

1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce, divided

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce, divided

1 cup ketchup

1 cup molasses

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup prepared mustard

10 kaiser rolls, split

Cut roast in half and place in a 5 quart slow cooker.

In a small bowl combine broth, 1/3 Worcestershire sauce and 1/3 cup hot sauce.

Pour over roast

Cook,covered, on low for 8-10 hours, or until tender

Remove roast, discard cooking juices.

Shred pork with 2 forks.

Return pork to slow cooker

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, mustard and remaining Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Pour over pork and mix well. 

Cook, covered, on high 30 minutes or until heated through. 

Serve on split rolls with slaw, pickles and sweet tea!!

Enjoy!

Baked Ziti & The Bread

Baked Ziti, it's a Smith family favorite. Especially for my son, Matt, who runs cross country and track. He's a carb loading man and Mama's baked ziti is the perfect meal for him.  If you like to eat cheese, pasta and meaty sauce you'll fall head over heels for this baked ziti! Oh did I mention the bread?! Oh can you hear the hallelujah choir singing? The bread is crack y'all. I mean, you'll be addicted once you eat it. Great for any Italian dinner or to slop up your next soup!
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

Baked Ziti

Preheat oven to 350

Ingredients

12oz uncooked ziti
1lb ground turkey meat
1lb ground Italian mild sausage
1-28oz jar spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
1 carton Ricotta Cheese
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta, cook and drain ground turkey and Italian sausage, and stir in spaghetti sauce.
In a large bowl combine eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Drain pasta and add to cheese mixture and toss to coat. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and bake for 40 minutes
Uncover and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 5-10 minutes longer
Let stand 15 minutes

Enjoy!

The Bread
(from the Pioneer Woman)

Preheat oven to 325

Ingredients
1 loaf French or Italian bread, any variety
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened

Put an oven rack on the lower level an preheat the oven.
Slice the bread you want in half and lay the halves cut side up on a rimmed  baking sheet.
Smear 1 stick of butter on each half. {I'm not kidding.}
Then use a knife to smear it over the entire surface of the bread, covering every inch.
Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the butter melts and the bread has to chance to warm up.
Then turn up the broiler, return the pan to the oven, and let it broil until the butter turns a beautiful deep golden brown and almost starts to blacken.

{Be sure to watch the bread the entire time during this process. Because if you are anything like me, if you turn your back for a moment, it'll burn!}

Immediately cut The Bread into strips.

**serve with soups, salads, pastas**

Enjoy!

Busy Days & Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Is it me or did summer just flown by? It feels like it just began and already its over. I miss the lazy days of summer and this summer has been anything but lazy.

We were very busy over the summer by making friends, playing a lot and taking some family time to do some traveling and camping. However, we have been so busy that dinner is usually late and quickly put together. I started thumbing through my cookbooks to find something quick and easy for dinner and something that I knew my family would chow down on and eat at a more normal time. Plus with school now session this recipe is great for the busy nights of after school activities!

In a new cookbook purchased at my favorite little shop, Euna Maes in Springdale, "The Southern Pantry Cookbook" by Jennifer Chandler is a simple recipe for "Slow Cooker Cola Chicken." The picture looked good and I just happened to have all the ingredients, so I gave it a try.

Y'all, this chicken was so tender, it kept falling off the bone as I was trying to put it on a serving plate. Hence, no pretty photo of my chicken. The chicken was moist and it had that smokey BBQ sauce flavor that we all love but at the end you could taste a little bit of the cola. So yummy!! Plus my family ate at a normal time, I barely had to do anything to make it, the ingredients are cheap and I didn't have to stand outside in this unbearable heat to grill or heat up my house to cook in the kitchen.

Enjoy!!

(Sorry I have no photo of my end result, again, it kept falling off the bone, so it didn't look as pretty)

Slow Cooker Cola Chicken

Ingredients

4 split, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 3 pounds) or any cut of chicken

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 yellow onion, peeled and quartered

1 lemon, quartered

1 (18oz) bottle barbecue sauce

1 (12oz) can cola (not diet)

Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Generously season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a slow cooker AKA crock pot. Add the onion and lemon. Pour the barbecue sauce and pop AKA soda over the top.

Cover and cook and low for 6 to 8 hours or on high for about 4 hours.

*You will need at least a 3 1/2 quart slower cooker for this recipe.*

**Slow cookers cook best when the lid remains tightly in place. Opening the lid often will require additional cooking time.**

Enjoy!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Looking for something a little different for dinner tonight? This meal is so easy to make and the kiddos will love it! Goes great with a side salad and fills the tummy up to be left satisfied. Hope your tribe enjoys this as much as mine did!

Bubble Up Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ lbs ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (7.5 oz) can refrigerator biscuits, cut into quarters 
• 1 cup shredded low fat Mexican Cheese 
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Lightly mist a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
• Brown ground beef  in a large skillet or sauté pan. Drain fat.
• Combine the beef, enchilada sauce, tomato sauce and black beans, together.
•  Stir the biscuit pieces into the meat mixture.
• Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly. 
• Bake for 25 minutes. 
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese on top. 
• Bake an additional 10 minutes. 
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Homemade Italian Meatballs

Eating meatballs in this family is like eating your veggies. It's a must. We have meatballs at least a few times a month and its pretty much my go to when I have to feed a crowd.

These are great served in crock pot full of spaghetti sauce or on their own. Put them in a zip lock baggie for a quick high protein treat, or eat them on a sub smothered in sauce and mozzarella cheese, or even served them on top a pizza and wash down with a cold beer! These are simply delicious and you can't go wrong any way you choose to eat them! 

Enjoy!

Homemade Italian Meatballs

Ingredients

2 slices sourdough bread

8 oz ground turkey

3-4 Italian sausage links (casings removed)

1 cup minced onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 TBSP milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cloves minced garlic

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parcment paper

Process bread in a food processor

Combine crumbs, turkey, sausage, onion, basil, Parmesan cheese, milk, salt, pepper, garlic and egg.

Mix well, go on, get your hands in there and get dirty! 

Use a small spoon to shape turkey mixture into meatballs, dropping them on the lined baking sheet. 

Bake 20-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through.

Country Sausage Gravy

 Delicious Biscuits and Gravy....I don't think you can wrong with a biscuit smothered in a country sausage gravy. I've always loved country gravy. Put a bunch on a chicken fried steak, cover your mashed potatoes with it, dip your french fries in them and don't forget to use your bread to wipe your plate clean...get every last bit of goodness in your belly, cause this stuff 

is delicious.

Country Sausage Gravy

1 roll pork sausage

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

*4 cups whole milk

salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, {I don't have a large enough skillet, so I use my dutch oven} fry sausage on medium heat until no longer pink and cooked through.

2. Stir in the flour, salt and pepper all at once. Slowly add your milk about 1 cup at a time. Stir until your gravy starts to thicken and gets hot and bubbly. *If you like thick gravy, use a little less milk. Boil for a few more minutes and add salt and pepper to taste.

See, its that easy!

Enjoy!