Mini Meatloaf

I started making these mini meatloaves a few years ago. They're easy to make and yummy. The sizes are perfect for portion control, and there are no burnt, dried corners. Give them a try!

Here's the meat. I use part pork and beef. 

Here's our ingredients. Minus the bread crumbs. I usually use a mix of panko and regular, but my regular were expired!

Before I mixed everything. I mix by hand, and you should too!

Shape the meat into four loaves. 

Sorry for the blurry pic. This is what happens when you try to take a picture with one hand. Anyways, this is the glaze. I use a mix of ketchup, worcestershire sauce, mustard and brown sugar.

Once they're glazed, put them in the oven. They'll be ready in about 35-45 mins, so you have plenty of time to whip up some mashed potatoes to eat on the side.

Give my recipe a try. I used to think I didn't like meatloaf, but I didn't realize how versatile it is. If you don't like certain ingredients, don't add them. If you like others, add those instead. This could work with a ton of different variations, but this is how I like to make it. 

2/3 Cup Ketchup

2 TBL Brown Sugar

1/2 TSP Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 TSP Mustard

1/2 LB Ground Beef

1/2 LB Ground Pork

3 Slices of White Bread, Soaked in Milk and Drained

Panko Bread crumbs

1 Egg

1 Small Onion, chopped Finely

1 Clove of Garlic, minced

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a pan with tin foil and lightly grease.

Mix the brown sugar, ketchup, worcestershire sauce and mustard in a small bowl until well combined. 

Mix the beef, pork, bread, panko bread crumbs, egg, onion, and salt and pepper until combined. Add in some of the glaze. Separate the meat into 4 equal portions. Mold them into small loaves and place them on the pan. Coat with the remaining glaze. 

Bake in the oven for 45 mins. 

Slow Roasted Chicken

So I've been trying to find a great roasted chicken recipe, and this is it. It comes out so moist, it's falling apart. You hardly need a knife to cut this chicken. 

Here's our spice rub. Easy to make, and probably all ingredients you have in your pantry.

The aromatics. I just cut these into quarters and stuffed them inside the bird.

Before the rub.

And after! Throw it into the oven. Make sure you use a thermometer. I don't have a time for this chicken. It usually takes around 5 hours to cook though, so this isn't a weekday meal (unless you're like me and only have days off during the week!)

Well, well well. Look how nice it turned out.

And dinner is served.

Slow Roasted Chicken

2 Tsp Salt

2 Tsp Paprika

1 Tsp Pepper

1/2 Tsp Onion Powder

1/2 Tsp Thyme

1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Onion, quartered

1 Lemon, quartered

3 Garlic Cloves

1 Roasting Chicken (about 4-5 Pounds)

Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Mix together all the spices in a small bowl. Rinse and dry the chicken. Rub the chicken with the spice mixture, inside and out. If you have the time, let marinade in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight. If not, just go ahead and stuff the cavity with the onion, lemon and garlic.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Insert a thermometer into the deepest part of the chicken. Cook until an internal temperature of 175 degrees. Let rest for 10 mins to finish cooking and reabsorb juices. Carve and serve.

Chicken Pot Pie

Here's my recipe for chicken pot pie. It's easy to make, and very filling. I do use store bought crust, because I'm lazy. If you're super awesome, feel free to make your own.

Here's our broth that we're going to cook the chicken and veggies in. I used some box chicken broth, threw in some extra water and chicken bouillon. 

Hello, veggies. I used some carrots, potatoes, frozen corn and peas. 

Make sure to cut your potatoes into even size pieces.

Go ahead and throw it all in the pot.

Cut the chicken in same size cubes as well.

Make sure the chicken stock covers everything.

In the meantime, I prepped my crust. I pricked it all over with a fork and threw it in the oven for 5 mins to pre-bake it so it wouldn't get soggy when I put everything in it.

Let's start the gravy then.

I melted some butter and threw in the onion I had prepped. 

Add in some flour and seasoning and mix it up!

After the gravy has thickened, add in the veggies and chicken.

Into the pie crust!

Top that bad boy, prick him again, and throw it in the oven. 

About halfway through, the edges started to get brown. This is when I covered the edges with foil.

Buttery, savory, yummy chicken pot pie. How golden you look. 

Chicken Pot Pie

3 Chicken Breasts, cubed

1/2 C Carrots, chopped

1/2 C Peas

1/2 C Corn

2 Small Potatoes, cubed

1 Can Chicken Broth

Chicken Bouillon

4 TBL Butter

4 TBL Onion, chopped

4 TBL Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Pepper

1/4 Tsp Celery Seed

2/3 C Milk

A few ladles from the chicken broth

2 Pie Crusts

Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a pot, combine the chicken, carrots, peas, corn and potatoes. Add the chicken broth, chicken bouillon, and water to cover. Cook for about 15 mins, or until the chicken is done and the veggies are soft. Skim regularly. Remove the chicken and veggies, reserving liquid. 

Prepare bottom crust. Place into pie pan and prick with fork. Bake for 5 mins, then remove and set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly whisk in the milk and some chicken broth. Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened.

Add the chicken and veggies and combine well. Pour into prepared pie crust. Add the top crust and pinch around edges. Make a few holes for steam to escape. Bake for 30-35 mins, covering edges with foil about halfway. Let sit for 10-15 mins, the slice. 

Pot Roast

There's something delicious, simple, and homey about pot roast. You walk in the door, and it's such a strong and hearty smell. Nothing better on a cold, cold Chicago night. Let's see how I did it!

Here's the butter melting in the pan.

Hello, pot roast.

This is what i season it with.

Be generous!

Coat with some flour.

And into the pan it goes!

It turns a wonderful brown color. Don't flip it around too much. I usually let it sit for about 5 mins per side.

Here's our gravy mix. I know, it's not the healthiest. Or totally home-made. But sometimes you just need something simple and easy.

Make sure to brown on all sides!

Pour some gravy in the bottom of your dish.

Put your meat in. Mine barely fits right now!

Here's the gravy. Now it looks gross. You probably don't want to make this now. But keep going! It gets better. A lot better.

Throw on the cover and put it in the oven. I baked it for 3 hours to start with at 300 degrees.

Right before the timer is up, get out the veggies. You could really use whatever you like, but I chose potatoes, carrots, and onions. Cut them up.

I didn't cut the carrots cause they're baby! Just look at them!

See, I told you it would get better. Look how much it's shrunk also.

Throw in the veggies, and pour some gravy on whatever is exposed.

Put the lid back on and bake for an additional hour.

Mmm, dinner. The meat was just falling apart. The potatoes were cooked perfectly, but strangely the carrots almost felt like they could have gone in for an extra 10 mins on some of them. So make sure your carrots are all close to the same size!

Pot Roast

1/3 C Flour

2-3 LB Rump or Pot Roast

2 TBL & 2 Tsp Butter

1/3 Envelope of Dry Onion Soup Mix

2/3 C Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used the reduced fat one)

2 Tsp Beef Bouillon

2/3 Can of Water (using the mushroom soup mix as a measure)

Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Potatoes

Carrots

Onions

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Season the roast with the salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder. Be liberal! Coat in the flour, shaking off the excess.

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Brown evenly on all sides.

Mix the dry onion soup mix, mushroom soup, water, and beef bouillon. Pour some in the bottom of a casserole dish. Place the roast in the pan. Pour remaining gravy over the top. Put the lid on and put the roast in the oven for 3 hours.

Add the vegetables for the last hour. Pour gravy over exposed veggies. Bake for 1 hours. Remove and let sit for a 10 mins.