#1,803: Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I ended up throwing this recipe into my oven a little late, and knew my family was too hungry to let this cook for an hour if I made it into a loaf pan.  So I got out my trusty pampered chef square brownie pan and made these mini size so they would cook faster.  I flipped these over when they were about 3/4 of the way done cooking so both sides could brown up more, which I'm glad I did, but the brown sugar/BBQ sauce that was on the bottom got a little overdone, hence the darker spots you see in the photo.  My family LOVED this.  Especially my non-meat eating 4 year old!  Seriously, we had to cut him off after asking for more 4 times.  I will definitely make this again for my crew!!

½ cup light brown sugar

½ cup BBQ sauce

1 small onion, small diced (about 1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

2 eggs

¾ cup milk

1 cup finely crushed Ritz Cracker crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.  Lightly spray a 9x5 loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.

Spread the brown sugar into the bottom of the pan evenly. Top the brown sugar with the BBQ sauce. Set the pan aside.

In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients and using your hands mix everything together evenly. Try not to over work the meat, which will result in a dense loaf.

Place the meat on top of the BBQ sauce and press evenly into the pan.

Bake the meatloaf for 60-70 minutes until the juices run clear or a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 160°F/70°C. (I baked mine at 375 degrees for about 15 min, then turned the heat up to 400 for about 15 min or so). 

Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes. Drain the excess fat and transfer the meat to a platter to serve. (Because I used ground turkey AND made these in mini form, there was no excess fat to drain off). 

#1,802: Enchilada Sloppy Joes

There were 2 things that drew me to making this recipe for my family...the limited number of ingredients, and the word "sloppy joes."  This was a super fast recipe that Allison (age 9) and I threw together one afternoon for dinner for our family.  I was shocked how much my family enjoyed this as much as they did!  Even my picky eaters happily ate this.  Although Matthew was upset that I would put "lettuce" (cilantro) in it!  Ha! 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 small jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, diced (I omitted)

1 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso Enchilada Sauce (I used about 3/4 of a can)

½ cup cilantro, chopped (I used more like a tbsp)

1 cup shredded pepperjack cheese

4 hamburger buns

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add in the ground beef and cook, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. Pour in the enchilada sauce, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the cilantro.

Turn the oven on to broil. Place the bun bottoms on a baking sheet and lightly toast. Top the buns with the meat mixture, then the cheese. Place the bun tops on the baking sheet, cut side up (to toast) and place the baking sheet in the oven. Broil just until the cheese is melted and the top of the buns are toasted.

Place the top of the buns on the mixture and serve.

#1,801: Eggless Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Yes I made this banana bread in a bundt pan.  This is what happens when you are at your mom's house and are making this at 9 pm, and realize she doesn't have a loaf pan!  Whatever! The kids were all skeptical of this weird looking "doughnut" but surprisingly they all really enjoyed it!  I personally thought the batter was a little dry, so I added a heaping spoonful of sour cream to give it a little more moisture. Although this bread was a bit dense, it was still quite good. 

⅓ cups White Sugar

⅓ cups Brown Sugar

⅓ cups Butter, Softened

2 cups All-purpose Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

¼ teaspoons Baking Soda

¼ teaspoons Salt

1 cup Mashed Ripe Bananas (we used 2)

1 cup Chocolate Chips

1 heaping spoonful of sour cream

In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter for about 5 minutes (mixture does not get smooth). 

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with bananas, beating after each addition (the batter will be thick). Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon into a greased 9-inch x 5-inch x 3-inch loaf pan (I used three 5.75 x 3 inch loaf pans). Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until bread tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

Summer Electronics Rules

I'm sure you've seen something similar to this list floating around facebook and pinterest.  I know that's where I first saw this idea...and loved it.  So I created a "must complete first..." summer chore list before the kids can watch tv, use an iPad, or listen to their music on their iPod/phone (old phone, only plays music and some apps).

Of course, Brian and I like to go to the gym after lunch and I personally like to take a nap, so if it's before 8 am (please let me sleep!), or between 1-3 pm, they can do whatever they want.  I hope this works...

Summer Rules

If it’s before 8 am…go ahead and watch tv or use an iPad.

If it’s after 8 am:
Did you:
Eat breakfast
Make your bed
Brush your teeth
Get dressed

Now choose 3 more things to do (without whining, arguing, or fighting with your siblings!):
Read for 20 minutes
Write or draw for 20 minutes
Play outside for 30 minutes
Complete at least 3 pages from your workbooks/summer packets (needs to get checked)
Play a game with Matthew (or each other) WITHOUT arguing
Write a letter (with drawings) to someone.  (You actually have to mail it).  It needs to be at least 8 sentences.
Clean up a room in the house (not your bedroom)
Build with legos or rainbow looms for 20 minutes
Play an educational game (i.e. IXL) for 20 minutes on the computer…if it’s available
Work on learning your new prayer
Vacuum the kitchen
Emptied upstairs garbage cans
Made mom and dad’s bed

#1,800: Whipped Chocolate and Cherry Pie

Do you know how many years ago I pinned this recipe??  FOUR!!  When I knew book club was coming up and I was looking for a recipe to make, I figured it was long over due for this recipe to be made, tried, and reviewed!  My kids watched me make this and were begging to try it, so I brought home the leftover pieces for them to try.  They raved about this recipe/pie.  Personally, I thought it was good and enjoyed it, but it wasn't the best thing I've ever eaten (I'm more of a french silk girl...the cherries (although I liked them) could have been omitted for me. LOL).  But I would definitely make this again, and I can think of a few family gatherings that this pie would probably go over well at.  

22 large marshmallows

2/3 cup milk

7 oz milk chocolate candy bar, chopped

1 container (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided

1 graham cracker crust (10 inches)

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

In a large saucepan, combine the marshmallows, milk and chocolate. Cook and stir over medium-low heat until smooth. Cool completely. (This would make a very rich, but excellent hot chocolate!!)

Fold 3/4 cup whipped topping into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Top with pie filling and remaining whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. Yield: 8 servings.

#1,799: Ricotta Stuffed Meatballs

I was not sure my family was going to enjoy these meatballs, but they LOVED them.  We enjoyed them so much we had them as meatball subs, and again a few days later with spaghetti.  These were really simple to make and I was going to cook them in the crockpot as directed, but I started them too late and still wanted to eat them for dinner.  So I threw the uncooked meatballs in a 9x13 pan, poured a jar of spaghetti sauce over it and baked at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes or so.  They were done, and my family was happy!

1½ pounds lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)

½ cup plain breadcrumbs

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons milk

1½ teaspoons salt, divided

1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

1 cup ricotta cheese

½ cup Parmesan cheese

½ cup grated mozzarella cheese

1 (29 ounce) jar pasta sauce

In a large bowl combine the beef, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, milk 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Use your hands to fully mix the seasonings with the meat. Form the meat into 1½ - 2 inch meatballs.

In a medium bowl combine the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Stir to combine.  Spoon the mixture into a large zip-top bag and cut off the corner of the bag.

Form a well in each meatball, careful not to push all the way through. Squeeze about a teaspoon of the cheese mixture into the meatball and pinch the meatball closed so non of the cheese is exposed.

Pour half of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the meatballs on top of the sauce and top the meatballs with the remaining sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours.

If you choose to not use the slow cooker method, follow all the instructions as written, but use a 9x13 baking dish to cook the meatballs at 400°F for 30 minutes.

#1,798: Sausage Biscuit Bites

So I made these Sausage Biscuit Bites several weeks ago but didn't read the directions correctly and ended up browning/crumbling the sausage mixture and then adding on top.  They still tasted good, but it wasn't what exactly like the original recipe and I figured it was changing the taste/texture a little.  So I held off on posting this recipe until I could make it again and give it a second try.  I was super leery about adding the raw meatball on top of the biscuit, because I was afraid the grease would seep into the biscuit and get it all soggy.  So I decided to pre-cook the meatballs partially and then add to the biscuit and let it finish cooking.  I think that was a very good idea!  My family loved these little bites, and we ended up eating them for dinner.  I decided to make these larger, and used regular canned biscuits (not the grands kind) and did not cut them up at all.  So I had 10 biscuit meatball muffins instead.  I also had extra meatballs/filling leftover so I just baked those on a cookie sheet and served them on the side (I only used 1 can of biscuits for my family/dinner).  We really, really enjoyed these and I will/would definitely make these again!

2 (10 count) cans flaky biscuits (Grands Jr)

1 lb sausage (Tennessee Pride)

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400.

Mix uncooked sausage and cheese gently until well blended. Shape into 40 balls of equal size.

Remove biscuits from cans and separate each biscuit into two layers, making 40 total biscuit layers. Press one layer of biscuit into cup of lightly greased mini-cupcake pan. Repeat with remaining layers.

Place sausage-cheese ball in each biscuit cup. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until biscuits are browned and sausage balls are bubbly.

#1,797: Tamale meatballs

I had super high hopes for this recipe, but I had to admit, I didn't love this.  I liked it, and if you told me I had to eat it I would, but I certainly will not be voluntarily making this again.  Chloe ate one thinking it was a regular meatball (which she likes) and wasn't a fan of this either.  Not bad, just not great.  Maybe if you baked these in the oven, and not in a crockpot they would be better because they would have a little crispy/crusty coating to it.  I didn't like these enough to give them a second try. 

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1½ cups cornmeal

¾ cup tomato juice

½ cup flour

4 cloves finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons salt

Sauce

5 cups tomato juice

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl, combine all of the meatball ingredients. Form into balls the size of a golf ball. Place in the bottom of a slow cooker.

Combine the tomato juice, chili powder and salt. Pour over the tamale balls.

Cook in the slow cooker on low for about 6 hours, or until cooked through. Serve over rice.

#1,796: Italian Ground Beef Casserole with Biscuit Topping

I am ashamed to see/post/admit, that it's been a month (almost ONE MONTH) since I posted my last recipe.  My goodness, this school year, although wonderful, is really taking a toll on my blog!  :)  It's been a busy, busy couple of weeks and my blog has unfortunately had to take a back seat.  However, there is only 2 days of school left, so let's hope that helps get this blog back in action!!

I've still been making a few new recipes, but with our schedule being so crazy, we've been eating a lot of faster, old favorites instead.  But I still have a few more to post (hopefully tonight...???) that we've made and tried and just not posted.  THIS is one of those recipes.  I think I made this 3-4 weeks ago!!  So as I totally expected this got mixed reviews from my crew.  2 really enjoyed it, and 2 preferred the bread topping.  Some of my kids definitely have my aversion to meat!  We will all eat it, but it has to taste just right or we don't like it.  :) 

I would definitely make this again though (with my additional seasonings...see recipe below).  It was so simple to make and I liked that I could make the meat mixture ahead of time and then just reheat, and throw together when we were ready to make it.  I love any meals I can at least partially prep ahead of time.  

1 lb ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

salt and pepper

¾ cup water

1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
I also added some garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning.  I thought it was bland without it. 

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

1½ cups frozen peas, carrots and corn (or any mixed vegetables), thawed (I omitted)

1 (16 oz) can refrigerated flaky layer biscuits

1 tablespoon butter, melted

½ teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the ground beef, breaking up as it cooks. When it is about half-way cooked through, add the onion and continue to cook until the onion is soft and the ground beef is fully cooked. Drain, if necessary, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  This is where I also added the garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper, and Italian seasoning.

Add the ¾ cup water, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spread half of the hot meat mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with ⅔ cup of the mozzarella, then spread the vegetables evenly over the cheese. Top with another ⅔ cup of mozzarella. Spread the remaining meat mixture over the top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Open the biscuits and split each biscuit in half lengthwise, making 16 thinner biscuits. Arrange layers of the biscuits over the top, overlapping, in 3 rows of 5 each. (You will have one half of a biscuit leftover.)

Brush the melted butter over the tops of the biscuits. Sprinkle with the oregano. Bake the casserole until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

#1,795: Stuffing Crusted Chicken

I made this super simple recipe for dinner tonight and my family really enjoyed it.  This is so super simple it would make a great weeknight dinner because by the time my side dish was ready, so was the chicken.  Allison enjoyed this chicken cut up into strips and eaten on a little roll.  The rest of the family ate this sans-sandwich.  This will definitely be going onto our dinner menu again.

1½ pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I used chicken tenders)

2 eggs

6 oz seasoned stuffing mix 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Trim fat from chicken breasts and slice into strips.  Beat 2 eggs in a shallow bowl, set aside.

In blender or food processor pulse stuffing mix until it's a fine crumb and transfer crumbs to a shallow bowl or plate.

Coat each chicken strip in the egg and then with the stuffing crumbs. Repeat until all chicken is coated.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and place the chicken on the pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping once.  

If you would prefer to pan fry your chicken: Fill skillet with oil about ½ inch deep. Heat oil over medium until it begins to ripple or until bubbles form immediately on the back of a wooden spoon inserted into the oil.  Fry for 4 minutes on each side.

#1,794: Baked Sloppy Joes

This was a really easy sloppy joe recipe and my family enjoyed this different take on a simple, traditional meal we eat often.  The hardest part of this recipe is trying to get the biscuit to stay closed.  I don't know if it was just me or the biscuits I used, but these did not want to stay sealed shut.  I thought it was going to be a big messy pool coming out of the oven, but as you can see from the ones I photographed, it wasn't bad at all.

1 lb Ground Beef or Turkey

Onion, 1/2 cup chopped

15 oz Tomato Sauce

1 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp Seasoning Salt

Jumbo Biscuits, 1 package of 8

Start by browning your ground beef or turkey and then add chopped onions. Allow to cook for until your ground turkey is completely cooked through.

Add tomato sauce, brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, and seasoning salt. Allow to cook together for 3-4 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Flatten your biscuits and then add about 2 spoonfuls of sloppy joe mix to each biscuits. Fold biscuit over and pinch end together.  Place on a cookie sheet and allow to cook for 13-15 minutes or until your biscuits have started to brown on the top.

#1,793: Thai-Style Vegetable Rice

I made this vegetable rice for dinner when my mom was visiting one night.  Although we both enjoyed it, it wasn't something we wanted to take again for lunch the next day.  So I took the leftovers to a coworker who also enjoy it, but agreed, eating it once was enough.  We both thought it lacked a little flavor.  It was good, but it wasn't great.  I personally wouldn't make this again, but was glad to have tried it.  I pulled this recipe out of my Family Circle magazine.  

1 1/4 c chicken broth
1 c frozen edamame (shelled)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (1 cup)
1/2 c thinly sliced carrots
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 c uncooked instant brown rice
1/4 c unsweetened light coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cashews

In a slow cooker combine the broth, edamame, sweet potato, carrot, curry powder, cumin, ginger, and garlic.  Cover and cook on low for 4 1/2 - 5 hurs, or until sweet potato and carrots are tender.  Add the uncooked rice into the cooker, cover and cook 10-15 minutes more or until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in coconut milk and cilantro.  Sprinkle each serving with cashews. 

#1,792: Hamburger Mac

I was shocked when my picky eating 4 year old asked for seconds of this Hamburger Mac meal.  Any meal that he wants more of and doesn't make his "don't make me eat this" face is a good meal at our house.  I should get a picture of the pathetic look he gives us at most meals.  

2 cups uncooked macaroni
1 Tbsp olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

Pinch chili pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1 large can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes (I omitted and added 1/2 a can of petite diced tomatoes and some jarred spaghetti sauce)

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt  and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Start cooking the pasta: Get a large pot of hot water heating and begin cooking the macaroni as per the directions on the macaroni package.

Brown the beef and onions: While the water is heating and macaroni cooking, prepare the sauce. In a skillet, brown the ground beef in a tablespoon of olive oil on high heat. Stir only infrequently so that the ground beef has an opportunity to brown.  When the beef has mostly browned, add the onions to the pan and toss to combine. Cook until the onions are soft, about 4-6 minutes.

Add seasonings, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Mix in the drained and cooked macaroni and the parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Add freshly ground black pepper and  salt to taste.

#1,791: Pasta with Sausage and Ricotta

I thought MOST of my family would enjoy this meal, but figured the typical ones would balk at it (ahem my 4 and 6 year old).  Shockingly, my family really enjoyed this dinner, but most surprisingly was my picky 4 year old.  Generally, dinner consists of him crying and whining that he doesn't like dinner and doesn't want to eat.  So I was super shocked when he not only ate seconds, but came and gave me a fist bump afterwards.  LOL.  I guess he liked it.  

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion

6 ounces mild pork sausage, casings removed

1 14-ounce can no-salt-added whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, with their juice (I used jarred spaghetti sauce)

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt plus 1 tablespoon, divided

12 ounces thin tube-shaped pasta, such as pasta al ceppo (I used spaghetti)

6 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese

10 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I omitted)

Put 2 quarts of water on to boil in a large pot.

Meanwhile, combine oil, onion and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring and crumbling the sausage with a spoon, until the onion is golden, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Add tomatoes, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook until the tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon salt to the boiling water, stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until just tender.

Just before the pasta is done, return the sauce to medium-low heat. Add ricotta and basil and stir until combined. When the pasta is done, drain well and toss with the sauce and Parmigiano. Serve at once.

#1,790: Chicken and Waffle Bites

There aren't a ton of recipe that I make that my entire family (and I mean everyone!) goes ga-ga over.  I was a little disappointed in my crew for making such a big deal about this recipe and raving about how great it was.  I made chicken and waffles with frozen chicken tender and freezer waffles.  (This is such a silly recipe I almost didn't post it!).  Sadly, I can't take credit for this super easy recipe either as I found it here.  I was supposed to make these waffle bites using mini freezer waffles, but I can't find them in my town (or at least where I shop...unless I want chocolate flavored!), so I just got regular sized ones and cut them into quarters.  My family loved this so much I've made it twice already.  So sad that THIS is what they want for dinners.  LOL  

Frozen mini waffles, toasted

chicken tenders, cooked

real maple syrup (this was pushing it with my family, so I omitted)

toothpicks

Slice your cooked chicken fingers into 3-4 pieces each. Break your toasted mini waffles apart.

Sandwich 1 piece of chicken between 2 mini waffles. Secure with a toothpick. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm.

#1,789: Peanut Butter Cup Brownies

I originally made these to take to book club with me, but Brian and I had to get up early the next day to give a presentation for a grant we won and I decided it was best to stay home and go to bed early.  Plus my mom was in town and I didn't want to leave her home too.  So my mom and I enjoyed a few of these (hers with a scoop of ice cream on top) and I took the rest to share with some of my teaching team members.

The original recipe has you made homemade brownies, and although I'm not opposed to that at all, I was taking the lazy route and used a box mix.  I made these in my brownie pan from Pampered Chef so all of these have nice edges to them.  I also used my Pampered Chef mini tart shaper to push a hole/well into the center of these and where I put the peanut butter filling.

These are really, really good brownies.  They are a little bit addicting and it's hard to stop after eating one.  Or at least it was for me.

I omitted these ingredients and used a box mix (with oil, egg, and water) instead.
3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tablespoon water

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1 large egg*

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or grease 12 muffin cups.

I omitted this step and made a box mix of brownies.  In a medium sized microwave-safe bowl combine sugar, softened butter, and water. Microwave on high for about 45 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir in 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips until melted. Stir in egg and vanilla extract, mix well. Add flour and baking soda, stir until combined. Allow the batter to cool to room temperature (doesn’t take very long). Then, stir in 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Spoon batter evenly into muffin cups.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until top is set and a toothpick inserted into center comes out slightly wet. After brownies are out of the oven, wait for centers to fall. This should happen upon cooling. If not (they did not for me) then tap the centers with the back of a teaspoon or a mini tart maker to make a hole for the peanut butter.

Place peanut butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 45 seconds then stir. While brownies are still warm spoon about a tablespoon full of peanut butter into the center of each brownie. Top with remaining semi-sweet chocolate chips. Cool completely in pan.

Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator. To reheat the brownies just pop ’em in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.

#1,788: Banana Oat Bread

I'm always looking for easy things to give my kids for breakfast that hopefully has some sort of nutritional value to it!  (The Avenger's cereal my son picked out is not cutting it!!).  My kids really like banana bread (without nuts), so when this recipe added some oats, I was excited to try getting these non-oatmeal loving kids to get some oats in them!  They loved this bread...well the girls did.  Matthew liked it but the Avenger's cereal kept winning out.  Don't judge this bread by how brown it is...I MAY have forgotten it in the oven and over-baked it!  Oops!

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1¼ cups)

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I omitted) 

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease a 9-inch square baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisked together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. Add the vegetable oil, vanilla and mashed banana, beat until combined.Whisk in the flour mixture by hand, about a third at a time, until combined. Stir in nuts.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

#1,787: 3 ingredient stuffing meatloaf

There is no shortage of meatloaf recipes on this blog!  We also absolutely love stuffing muffins at our house, and my non-meat-eating picky 4 year old loves meatloaf stuffing muffins, so when I found this recipe that only uses 3 ingredients, I knew I wanted to try it.  It's always so hard to get dinner on the table during the week.  Although this recipe needs 45-60 minutes to cook, you can get it in the oven very quickly, so you have time to go through backpacks, check homework, or sit down and pretend you can't hear your kids calling you while you watch Real Housewives (that's not me, lol).  

1.5 – 2 lbs of Hamburger (I used ground turkey)

1 box of Kraft Stove-Top Stuffing Mix

1/2 cup of Milk

Add all three ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix until everything evenly distributed.  Place the mixture into a baking dish and cover with foil.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then place your meatloaf into the oven, and bake for one hour.  (I uncovered mine at about 35 minutes and I added some ketchup to the top the last 10 minutes of baking. Mine did not take a full 60 minutes).  

#1,786: Oven Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders

So I had intended to make a different chicken recipe for dinner and realized I was out of eggs and couldn't make it after all.  So I switched up our dinner menu and quickly threw together this oven baked parmesan chicken instead.  I am not a big fan of baked chicken but not only did I enjoy this chicken, but my kids really did too!  Allison even wanted to take the chicken for lunch the next day.  

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves or tenders

1 cup garlic bread crumbs

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. (I skipped this step) Pound chicken with a meat mallet to 1/2-in. thickness. 

Place bread crumbs and parmesan cheese in a large resealable plastic bag. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time; close bag and shake to coat. Transfer to a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes or until no longer pink. 

#1,785: Chicken Meatballs

So my family loves meatballs.  Ok, maybe I love meatballs and want an excuse to make them for dinner. Now if I try to serve meatballs with pasta, my family could care less about them, but I add them on bread and make a sub sandwich, they have a very different opinion!  I got some ciabatta bread from the grocery store bakery and toasted them up before adding the meatballs and some cheese...the girls were fighting over these!  They were SO good.  Ground chicken was super expensive at the store this week so I used some ground turkey instead.  And I was shockingly out of tomato sauce so I added some pizza sauce that was left in the fridge.  :)  This was a very good recipe!  

1 lb ground chicken (I used ground turkey)

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

3 strips bacon, finely diced

1 egg yolk

2 tablespoons homemade tomato sauce (I used pizza sauce)

3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Preheat your oven to 400º and place a rack in the upper third of your oven.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook until a good amount of fat has been rendered out, about 1 tablespoon or so.  (I didn't cook the onion or garlic before adding it to the meat mixture...I was too lazy).  Add the diced onion and the garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the bacon is crispy.  Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Combine the ground chicken, egg yolk, tomato sauce, parsley and the bacon, onion and garlic in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and mix well.  Form meatballs and roll into little balls, about 1 tablespoon of mixture per ball.  Place the formed meatballs into a large baking dish about one inch apart.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through (I flipped mine over once). 

These can be served as an appetizer, alongside your favorite pasta, over zucchini noodles, etc.  As you can see above, I put my cooked meatballs in a bowl and poured spaghetti sauce over it, then added it to toasted ciabatta bread with melted mozzarella.