Mom's Meatloaf

It is rare to create something that tastes exactly the way you remember it, but that’s what happened when I used my mom’s meatloaf recipe last night. Basically, it’s perfect.

Ingredients

1 pound ground chuck

2 T chopped onion

1 T diced green pepper

1 T Worchestire sauce

1/4 t garlic powder

1/8 t pepper

1/8 t salt

1 egg

1 heel bread, broken up into bits

1/4 cup milk

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 350.

2.      Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.

3.      Put in loaf pan (don't need to grease if non-stick).

4.      Bake 50 minutes.

Caramel Pretzel Magic Bars

Pinterest is not as popular as it once was, but it is still great place to find ridiculously indulgent desserts like this. These are so sweet, I recommend cutting them into 2-inch squares because any bigger is sugar coma inducing. This is a good way to use up graham crackers now that grilling (and s’more) season is over. These were such a hit with my friends that people wanted to save the few leftovers to share at home!

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1.5 cups butter, melted
• 1-14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 25 pretzels
• 20 caramels, unwrapped & cut in fourths
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter & press in a greased 13x9in pan.
3. Pour about half the can of condensed milk over crust.
4. Layer your pretzels as close together as you like over the condensed milk/crust.
5. Sprinkle caramels, chocolate chips, & coconut flakes.
6. Pour remaining half of condensed milk on top.
7. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min until lightly brown.  Let cool completely before cutting & serving.

Tweaked from Dessert Now, Dinner Later (love this blog!!)

Italian Sausage Soup

My boyfriend loves hearty stews and soups, and he raved about this dish. The spicy sausage won him over, and we both loved all the veggies. You only have to wash one pot at the end of the night!

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage (I like Bob Evans)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 (14 ounce) cans low sodium beef broth
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans, undrained
• 1 large zucchini, cubed
• 2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1/4 t salt

Directions

1. Chop carrots and zucchini, set aside.
2. In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage with garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Stir in beans with liquid and zucchini. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
4. Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

From AllRecipes

Crispy Cod

If you love mustard, you will love this recipe. The tangy mustard offsets the sweet mayo and breadcrumbs, making this fish recipe delectable. It crisps up nicely in the oven without the work of standing over a skillet.

Ingredents
1 lb cod
2 T mayo
2 T mustard
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
salt and pepper

Directions
1. Set the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and non-stick spray.
2. Mix mustard and mayo in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper.
4. Rinse the cod fillets in cold water and pat dry. Dip the fillets in the mustard-mayo bowl, then dip them in the breadcrumbs coating evenly.
5. Place fillets on baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes.

Zucchini Fritter Cakes

Fall comfort foods, like Booberry cereal, are already hitting shelves. The October issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray arrived with lots of pumpkin-infused recipes. This zucchini fritter cake recipe stood out as the perfect way to enjoy fresh summer zucchini while it is still around. This recipe is time consuming unless you have a food processor, but the cheesy cakes were well worth the effort for me. This is perfect for a meatless Monday meal!

Ingredients

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise
1 small onion
1 cup flour
1 t baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
2 T parsley
vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) stewed tomatoes

Directions
1. Heat the tomatoes in a sauce pan and keep warm.
2. Shred the zucchini on a box grater. Place in colander, salt the zucchini and let drain. Press out any excess liquid. Mince the onion.
3. In a large bowl, mix the flour and baking powder. Make a well in the center and add the milk and egg. Whisk the milk and egg, then incorporate the flour.
4. Stir the zucchini into the flour mixture. Add the onion, garlic, cheese and parsley.
5. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Drop 3-inch cakes of batter into the pan in batches (I did 3 at a time).
6. Cook the cakes until golden, flipping once, 4 to 6 minutes. Keep warm (Rachael Ray suggests keeping them in the oven at 275 degrees).
7. Serve the cakes with the warm stewed tomatoes.

Bacon and Tomato Dip

I add tomatoes to many of my salads and sandwiches this time of year because they are so good! I love BLT sandwiches, and I found this recipe that allows everyone at the party to get a little BLT flavor. It is easy and delicious, but let’s not talk about the calories.

Ingredients

1 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup mayo

1 cup sour cream

Directions

1.       Place the bacon slices on a baking sheet lined with foil. Place in a cold oven, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Set the timer for 17 minutes. This creates perfect bacon for me every time, without the work of a frying pan.

2.       While the bacon cooks, mix sour cream and mayo together in a large bowl.

3.       When bacon is cooked, remove from baking sheet and place on paper towels to soak up excess grease.

4.       Crumble the bacon into the sour cream mix. I only use the good meaty, crispy parts of the bacon but it’s up to you.

5.       If you are serving right away, dice the tomatoes and add to the mix. I don’t use the liquid parts of the tomato.

6.       If not serving right away, refrigerate until you are ready to serve, then add tomato. Serve with crackers.