Best MeatLoaf Recipe

IMG_3289At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there is a restaurant call 50’s Prime Time Café.  They server the classic American comfort food in a ’50s kitsch looking restaurant including vinyl chair (yes the ones with sparkles in them) in the waiting room and Formica tables in the dinning area.

The food is good and Cousin Ann’s Traditional Meatloaf is one of the items on the menu.

Meatloaf is a common dinner meal in our house and for the longest time I’ve just used McCormick’s meatloaf seasoning, which isn’t bad. Of course I use fresh veggies in it, but last year, Jennifer and I found this recipe on allears.net which claims to be the recipe from Prime Time Café.

I don’t know if it came from there or not, but it has turned out to be our meatloaf recipe of choice, sorry McCormick’s!

I’ve made a few modifications to it, one that my mom shared with me just last week.  She used Oats instead of breadcrumbs in our meatloaf that I ate growing up. I figured they had to make the meatloaf healthier right (at least a little?)

Ingredients:
2 lb ground chuck (80/20) beef
1 lb ground pork (we use Jimmy Dean low fat sausage which is a little less than 1lb)
4 eggs
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs (we use Oats)
½ cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green peppers
1/4 cup diced red peppers
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
Cracked black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
½ cup Meatloaf Glaze (recipe below)

Directions:
Dice peppers and onions (we use a food processor) and set aside for later use. Combine meats and seasonings. Add vegetables. Place meat mixture in a loaf shape on a cookie sheet with tin foil that has been sprayed or oiled.

Bake at 350º F oven for 1 hour (internal temp 155º).

Brush meatloaf with meatloaf glaze. Bake another 10 minutes. Let meatloaf set 10 minutes, cut loaf and serve.

Meatloaf Glaze
Ingredients:
1 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tsp worcestershire sauce

Tips: I recommend making this a day ahead so it can just be warmed up for supper the following night. I think the flavors are better the next day.  You can also make the meatloaf put it in the refrigerator (covered of course) and cook it the next day. If you do this, let it come to room temperature before cooking.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Ingredients

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  • 6 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded (we used 2% Kraft Sharp Cheddar)
  • 1/4 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes (I think cold butter makes the dough easier to work
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour (plus a little more for dusting, could use 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 AP)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher (or coarse) salt 
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less if you want less of a kick)
  • 1 tablespoon milk (we used 2% milk)

Instructions

  1.  Preheat oven to 350° — we cooked ours on a silicone mat, if you don’t have one, you should get one! Alternatively, Grease baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.
  2. Place first 5 ingredients in food processor, and pulse until it turns into coarse crumbs.
  3. Add milk and process until dough forms. We ended up using another 1/2 teaspoon. You want enough milk to make the ingredients into dough (not dry crumbs)
  4. Using your hands form dough into a ball, then flatten on floured work surface.
  5. Roll out dough to 1/8″ thick. Try to roll into rectangle as best as you can.
  6. 10154129_491893504243465_974278418_nWe used a pizza cutter, cut dough into one inch squares. Use a wooden chopstick to poke a hole in the center of each cracker
  7. Then we transfer crackers to the baking sheet using a pastry cutter (spatula would be fine). You can place them fairly close together, they will puff up, but not spread much, but do not double stack them.
  8. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until edges start to brown. Do not over cook.
  9. We let them cool in a colander resting on a wire rack to allow the air to circulate.
    Side note: We have a convection oven and cooked about 12 to 13 minutes.
  10. Enjoy when cool. Store in airtight container (read they will keep for up to 3 days in a cool place).

 

Somewhat Healthy Pancakes

We have these pancakes on a regular basis.  Jennifer shared with one of her friends that we had “healthier” recipe for pancakes and a request was made for the recipe.  So of course, I blogged it, ha!  Enjoy!

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Ingredients

  1. 1/4 c egg substitute
  2. 1 1/4 c low fat buttermilk
  3. 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  4. 3/4 c bread flour
  5. 2 Tblsp olive oil
  6. 1 tsp honey
  7. 1/2 tsp baking soda
  8. 1/2 tsp salt
  9. 1 tsp baking powder

Directions

  1. Pre-head griddle, test heat by sprinkling a few drops of water on the griddle, it should bubble and roll around when just right, if it evaporates right away, it is too hot.
  2. Put butter substitute or olive oil spray on the griddle
  3. Mix all dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and mix until batter is smooth
  4. Use about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake, turn pancakes when puffed and full of bubbles (before the bubbles break)

    5 Minute Chocolate Cake, Part 1

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    • 1 BIG (16 oz) Coffee Mug — we use a Disney one (of course)
    • 4 Tbsp. Self Rising Flour
    • 4 Tbsp. Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp. Baking Cocoa (We use the Hersey’s Dark Coco)
    • 1 Egg
    • 3 Tbsp. Milk
    • 3 Tbsp. Oil
    • 3 Tbsp. Chocolate Chips (we use the Ghirardelli Bittersweet)
    • Splash of Vanilla
    • Pinch of Salt

    Directions:

    1. Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
    2. Add egg, mix thoroughly. Pour in milk and oil, mix well.
    3. Greased the cup, or better yet, use the spray stuff with flour in it
    4. Add vanilla and mix, pour into the mug.
    5. Drop the chocolate chips in to the batter (that is already in the mug).
    6. Cook in microwave for 3 minutes (for a 1000 watts microwave).  Allow to cool a little.
    7. Drop onto a plate and enjoy. Of course ice cream or whip cream goes really good with it.
    8. Strawberries and whip cream optional 🙂

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    Part 2: I’m experimenting with a “healthier?” version of this recipe, I’ll post it later after a few more tries, ha!

    Frosty Cappuccino (part 2)

    coffeeThe joys of living in a small town.  I sent the Frosty Cappuccino recipe to my friend Sarah Bell because I know she loves coffee and with 2 kids, well 3 counting Donnie, I’m sure she needs as much caffeine as she can get!

    She e-mailed me back and said that she couldn’t find the Espresso Instant powder anywhere in town.  I have no idea where Jennifer and I purchased it from, but we used the last bit of it on Monday night!

    Where else to look but the Wal-mart of the Internet (which calling it Wal-mart is almost an insult, it is so much better than Wal-mart). Of course I’m talking about Amazon.

    Sure enough, the not only have it, but have the exact brand that we’ve been using.  I do have to buy a 6 pack of it but I will be drinking the Frosty Cappuccino’s for a while now!

    Enjoy!