Best Meatloaf (I've ever had)

The title says it all!!! This is the BEST
MEATLOAF I have ever eaten!!! It would truly
be a shame if you don't get a chance to try this
wonderful & delicious recipe.

Meatloaf is a comfort food...it brings back
memories of Mom's Sunday dinners & family time
spent together after church. My mom was an
incredible woman. She told me she could not even
boil water when she married my dad, but at the end
of her life (58 yrs. old & 31 yrs of marriage she could
make anything including my sisters 4 tiered wedding
cake!!!) It was amazing...as was she!

Meatloaf was made many times (to stretch the
budget) in my family & I remember it always
being good. My mom also made "hash" (leftovers
of whatever kind of meat & potatoes that we had)
even better..but this recipe which I found through
sisterscafe.blogspot.com has gone to the top of my
list for meatloaf.

I changed the recipe somewhat with the
ingredients I had on hand & absolutely
LOVED IT!!! My family paid it high 5's too.
What's great is that besides having a wonderful
comfort food it makes 2 loaves so one can be put
in the freezer to be enjoyed another night or for
sandwiches...they are a "10" too!

P.S. This meatloaf is not dry like alot of meatloaves
usually are. It is moist & tasty & the "Sweet Sauce"
is to die for..Enough said...

RECIPE (makes 2 Lg. Loaves)
3 lbs. ground beef (or 1 1/2 lb. gr. turkey &
1 1/2 lb. gr. beef...lean..whatever you want)
1 lg. onion, chopped finely
1 (8oz.) box stuffing mix (any flavor)
1 8oz. can of tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 c. fat free, light or reg. sour cream
1 packet of dry ranch dressing
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. oregano
1 egg

Sweet Sauce (Topping)
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
1) Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
I used my Kitchen Aid Mixer which is one of my
Favorite Kitchen Items. My sweet daughters
went in together & gave me this wonderful Mixer
years ago. I love it!!! & use it just about on a daily
basis!!

The photo below shows the "paddle" attachment
that works beautifully for this.

2) Mix all ingredients thoroughly. SEE BELOW:

3) Divide into two 9" loaf pans. Do not cover.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F. for 1 hr.

4) Remove loaves and drain any accumulated

grease in pans. I pour it into a 5lb. heavy duty

alumunium type can that I keep until filled. Top

with Sweet Sauce and bake an additional

30 min.

5) Done and fabulously delicious!!

6) This meatloaf (paired with homemade mash

potatoes and asparagus with balsamic sauce) is fit

for a king...or queen...Hope you love it!!!

P.S. I will post the asparagus with Balsamic Sauce

in a few days...it's fantastic too!!

Chicken/Cheese/Broccoli Soup w/Bread Bowl

What's for dinner??? When it's really cold
outside (like it has been here) There's nothing
better than comfort food..Something hot,
filling & tastes simply out of this world!!!

One of the great things I have found in doing
this blog for the last 6 months (besides finding new
wonderful people to have in my life..like all
of you!!!) is finding great recipes & rediscovering
old family favorites that have been handed
down from generation to generation.

One of my New Year's resolutions was to use up
the food we have & make meals from the
ingredients I have on hand...
This is one of those recipes..I had a lot of
broccoli, & chicken to use up..So this is what
I came up with...Hope you like it...

So let's begin to make this phenomenal
"Chicken/Cheese/Broccoli Soup"...and
Bread Bowl (next time the bowl will be from
scratch...I promise & I'll give you the recipe)

I love the eye appeal this has when using the
Sourdough French Bread as a "Soup Bowl."
This recipe is from Liz K. as adapted by Sister's
Cafe...

I have changed the recipe to include chicken
(I always like to have more protein if possible)
& mixed Mexican cheese I had on hand...

RECIPE
1 can chicken broth (about 2 cups)
1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. butter
Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp.)

2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (sharper...better)
1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 c. Mixed Mexican cheeses
2-3 c. steamed broccoli florets (chopped in pieces)
3 chicken breasts (skinless/boneless/cooked) diced
1 Lg. Round Sourdough French Bread

Directions:
Simmer chicken broth & chopped onions for
15-20 min. in a covered saucepan, until onions
are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 min.

In a separate lg-size sauce pan, melt butter
& then add flour and pepper. See Photo Below..
Cook together for a couple of minutes until thickened..

Add warm milk until blended...Then add chicken

broth w/onions, cheeses, steamed broccoli, &

lg. pieces of diced chicken. Stir & heat together

on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken..

As shown in next 3 photos...

Ouuu..it looks sooo good & smells even better!!!!

I wish you could SMELL IT!!

Now for the Bread Bowl.....I had planned to make

them from scratch, but the afternoon flew by &

(I made Bread pudding instead..that will have to be

for another post) Wish you could smell that too!!!

Anyway I needed this done to take dinner into a dear

friend (& her family) who just came home from the

hospital..So I was fine with store bought...See Below:

Looking further below... shows how I cut the "Top"

off with an electric knife (It's easiest I think) & then

cut a circle around the loaf (leaving about 1/2"

of bread creating the "bowl". Then pull out (by hand)

the soft bread..

(You can use that to eat with the soup..Same with

the top..You can eat it with the soup or maybe with

some spinach dip like we did...)

It is out of this world....Try it & let me know what

your family thinks...

It is so delicious & Comforting on a Cold, Gray

day outside...It's nice to be cozy & warm &

have a delicious nutritious meal that you

know will leave your family cozy & warm on

the inside, too.

Easy/Favorite "Chicken Tetricini" Recipe

As promised a few days ago (I made this for a new
mom & dad in our church) I told you I would give
you this great recipe for "Chicken Tetricini."
So here it is....

I got this a number of years ago from my wonderful
friend, Ingrid. I have a number of her recipes and all
I have tried have been fantastic. Needless to say she
is a great cook....and doesn't she have a beautiful name...

Anyway I thought you should have a chance to try this
easy & great tasting main dish. It's truly one that
I make at least once a month. We eat a lot of boneless,
skinless, chicken and this is a delicious recipe to use it in.

Recipe

1/4 c. margarine (I used 1 cube= 1/2 c.)
1/4 c. flour (maybe add more as needed to thicken)
1/2 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 c. Chicken broth (I used 1 14oz. can=2c.) = extra sauce
1 c. Whipping cream (also increased this to 2 cups)
3/4 c. Real Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 pkg. Spaghetti (16oz.) I increased this to 24oz.
2 cans chicken or 2 (cubed) chicken breasts

Boil water. Add spaghetti. In another bowl, (I used a
sauce pot) melt margarine over low heat Add flour to
make a paste. Mix in salt & pepper, & chicken
broth. Add whipping cream. Stir.

Add chopped chicken. When spaghetti is ready, drain
& put in serving bowl. Add sauce & stir until combined.
Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top & stir.

****optional: add some fresh (finely chopped)
parsley or dried parsley flakes.

*******GIVEAWAY ALERT........COMING SOON
Keep checking back... Can't wait to give something
away!!!

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

I was thinking about what to have for dinner
tonite....I wanted to make something light....but filling..

Monte Cristo Sandwiches came to mind...........
These are sooo good.......I was first introduced
to these little babies years ago in a Make-a-Mix
Cookbook.......I then found them again at Disney-
Land (in the Blue Bayou Restaurant) at the
Pirates of the Caribbean Ride.

They're the best....especially with the homemade
Boysenberry/Strawberry Jam (one of the
jams that will be at Santa's Gift Shoppe Boutique
Dec. 4th & 5th this year)....You've got to try them..
This is my own take off of them......The flavors of the
luncheon meats, cheese, confectioners' sugar, & jam
blends together and melts in your mouth.....Yumm!!!!

RECIPE
12 slices white bread
6 slices ham
6 slices turkey
6 slices Swiss cheese (original recipe says 12 but 6
tastes great)
Mayonnaise to cover 12 slices of bread
1 c. Complete Pancake Mix (original recipe uses
Make-a-Mix batter...but this is easier I think)
1 c. milk
2 eggs

Take 2 eggs, milk, & pancake mix and beat until
smooth.... Set aside....

Take 12 slices of bread and spread mayo on each.
Place a slice of Swiss cheese, ham & turkey on each.

Cut off crust (save for birds, or freeze for stuffing)
on all sides....and cut into 2 diagonal pieces for
each sandwich.....

***You can use a skillet @ 350 degrees or a
frying pan & put it medium to hot (just keep
an eye on it) Put some butter in a warm frying
pan so sandwiches will not stick.

Dip each triangle sandwich into egg mixture.
Place in frying pan or skillet. Watch carefully
until done (a minute or two) on each side or
until swiss cheese is melted.

To Finish: Garnish with confectioners' sugar
& jam on top of each sandwich.....

Tip: To make confectioners' sugar look like
a dusting....use a shaker or very small strainer
& tap sides as sugar is placed over sandwiches.

They are great for brunch, lunch or dinner.....

Fast/Easy Salmon Fillets

This is a Fast/Easy Dinner....I buy A Wild

Salmon Fillet Slab (usually at Winco or Food

Maxx for about $6.00) It feeds about 3-4 persons

(depending on the size you want)

I start with a frying pan warmed up (so that you

will not have to use very much canola oil) I use

the oil decanter (in the above photo) I love it.......

It's one of my favorite kitchen items.....I got

it at Linen 'n Things but I'm sure they sell them

(for about $4-$5 at any Kitchen store)

Recipe

1 large salmon fillet (salted/peppered)

1/4 c. Parsley (fresh or I used dried parsley flakes)

1/4 c. lemon juice (I used lemon juice in a bottle)

1 lemon (sliced for garnish)

1 sprig dill (for garnish) optional

I sprinkle a few slots of canola oil over the frying
pan and because it's hot just swing the oil around
in the pan to cover the bottom of it....

TIP: (A large salmon fillet will cut into

smaller pieces easier after the fish is cooked)

Salt & Pepper the fillet...Sprinkle some parsley

flakes in the pan and place the salmon fillet on top

(Fleshy side down) for a few minutes to seer juices

in....flip over (I use a pancake turner) on the skin

side & fry a few minutes more....

At this point I add some lemon juice &

continue to finish the fillet until done....Flipping a

couple more times (Not very much longer)

until done......

TIP: Roll the lemon on the counter a few times

back & forth before cutting & it will produce

more juice.

***The salmon is done when it FLAKES

when a fork is put to it....Enjoy!!!! It's

delicious.......

Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is absolutely the best Sweet & Sour
Chicken I've had in a long time..... My family
was raving about it as well when we had it for dinner
last night. This is on my Top 15 of All Time -
Favorites...I hope you'll give it a try and see if
it'll be one of yours....

This recipe is from The Kitchen Cafe.....The only
thing is that I had a little trouble when I dipped
the chicken pieces into the cornstarch, then into
the egg mixture, then into the frying pan.....I
managed to make somewhat of a mess.....especially
with the cornstarch/egg mixture.

That being said.......it was worth it....The smell
coming from the oven reminded me of Panda
Express... It was heavenly......I know Rachel Ray
is always saying she wishes her TV audience
watching could have smellavision....I wish
you could have that too.

Note:(I think the best tasting chicken is @ Vons...
when I try others I'm disappointed with the flavor.
It's a 4 lb. bag in the Meat section of the market and
it's called "Young Boneless/Skinless ice glazed
chicken" (and it's frozen) I was able to make this meal,
as well as dinner for another night (Malibu Chicken
w/mustard sauce.....It's my take of Sizzler's Malibu
Chicken which I will post another day in the near
future) The chicken breasts were huge and there
were a lot of them. I think it was a good value....

RECIPE
For the chicken:
3-4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
Salt & Pepper
1 c. cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. canola oil (I didn't use that much I used a few
shakes from my oil decanter......I cannot
think of what its called..Does anyone
know the name of this kind of oil bottle???

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season
with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and
then in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not
cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking
dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and
pour over chicken.

Sauce:
3/4 c. sugar
4 Tbsp. ketchup
1/2 c. vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic salt

Bake for 1 hour at 325F. Turn chicken every
15 min. If you like extra sauce, make another batch
of sauce and bring to boil on stove top. Stir constantly
and let cook over medium heat until thickened
and reduced...(about 6-8 min)

(The sauce is so great you probably will want
that extra batch)

BBQ Chicken (Fast/Easy)

I love.....this BBQ Chicken....and so does everybody
else who has tried it.....I'm told......it's really juicy &
delicious..... I really like to BBQ (when it's not hard
& it ends up tasting really good!) I tried a few different
ways of BBQ-ing chicken & this (for me) is the fastest
& easiest way to get Great Results.....

1) I get the chicken (a bag about 4lbs.)
@ Vons on sale price for about $8-$9.99 for
10-12 boneless/skinless breast pieces) The
number of the chicken breasts in the bag can
vary, but the taste is the BEST. Sometimes it
will be $5-$6..then I really stock up. The
flavor is the best tasting out of all the different
chicken breasts & tenders that I've tried.

2) TIP....I fry it on the stove first before I BBQ....
I do 1/2 of the bag at a time....Put a little canola
oil in a HOT frying pan...(you'll use less oil that
way) spread it all around, then I sprinkle garlic
powder.....lite salt.... and pepper on both sides
of the chicken pieces.

TIP..(seer on both sides to keep the juices in....)
Let cook on med. heat til 3/4 done..

3) Put on plate and ....TIP....brush each piece
with a brush or two of oil (on each side) so the juices will
stay inside the chicken...(that was a Bobby Flay's TIP....)

4) Pre-Heat BBQ grill to around 350F-375F....(you
may want to do this before you start cooking the chicken
on the stove so it'll be ready to go when you are)

5) When the grill is ready....put chicken on.....
let cook for a minute or two (with cover of grill
down...to get that smokey flavor) and then flip
chicken over and cook on other side......then start
brushing a coat of BBQ sauce (I used Kraft Honey
BBQ sauce) on one side, grill for a few min. (always
shut the lid in between... to keep the smokey
flavor in the chicken) then the other.....

6) Then repeat (I did it 3 or 4 times) just for a min.
or 2 each time...til they have finished cooking.......
and look done......and enjoy!!!