Lindy's Easy Meatloaf

This is my mother-in-law's recipe and it's the easiest and most tasty I've ever made! If you're looking for a flavorful meatloaf... this is it!

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 slice of bread ripped into small pieces (or 1 cup of bread crumbs)
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz tomato sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce to cover meatloaf

1/4 C water
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar or molasses

Instructions

Mix all meatloaf ingredients together and shape in a greased cake pan (it won't cook well or fit the topping in a loaf pan). Mix together sauce and pour it all over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting meat with sauce every 20 minutes or so. Enjoy!

Turkey & Sweet Potato Skillet

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 lbs extra-lean ground turkey

1 tsp clove garlic, minced

½ cup onions, diced

½ cup yellow pepper, diced

1 ½ cup sweet potato, diced

Salt and pepper

A pinch of chili pepper

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Fresh parsley for garnishing

Instructions

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.

Add ground turkey and garlic. Stir occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add onions and yellow peppers and cook until onions are gold brown.

Add the sweet potato, cover the skillet and cook until they are tender. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If necessary, add more olive oil or a little bit of water to cook the sweet potato.

While the sweet potato is cooking pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the sweet potato is tender, add shredded mozzarella cheese and bring the skillet to the oven to melt the cheese.

When the cheese melts, remove from the oven and garnish with green onions.

Original recipe found here. 

Sweet Potato Hash & Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

The sauce:

1 avocado, skin and seed removed

⅓ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lime, juiced

2 tbsp minced cilantro

2 tbsp water

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground pepper

The potatoes:

1¼ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

¾ lb. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp salt

¾ cup black beans (cooked)

4 strips cooked bacon

¼ cup minced cilantro

Instructions

The sauce:

In the bowl of a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, water, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth.

The potatoes:

Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add sweet and russet potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron) set over medium-high heat.

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.

Stir in the cooked sweet and russet potatoes and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes start to brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir in the black beans, bacon and cilantro.

Divide between 8 plates and top with each portion with 1 tablespoon of the avocado sauce.

Original recipe found here.

Chicken and Veggie Bake

Ingredients

-Skinless chicken breasts chopped into 2 inch cubes

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 lb red potatoes chopped into 2 inch cubes (you can do sweet potatoes instead, but you’ll have to extend the cooking time to an hour)

-1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces.

-Red and yellow peppers sliced into 1 inch pieces.

-1 onion sliced

-1/3 cup fresh basil

-4 garlic cloves sliced thin

-1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

-1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

-Ground pepper to taste

*Optional: Carrots can be added. 2 large or 1/2 cup of baby cut carrots

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and add chicken, potatoes, veggies, basil, garlic, chicken broth and olive oil (I mix it in a bowl first so it’s all evenly seasoned). Sprinkle with rosemary add pepper if desired. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender! ENJOY!

Original recipe found here. 

Cheddar Burger and Veggie Packet

Ingredients
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt
2 medium yellow Yukon potatoes, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups baby-cut carrots
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half, if desired
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 teaspoon peppered seasoned salt

Directions
1. Heat coals or gas grill for direct heat. Spray half of one side of four 18x12-inch sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil with cooking spray.
2. Mix beef, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, 2 chopped onions and 1 teaspoon seasoned salt. Shape mixture into 4 patties, about 1 inch thick.
3. Place potatoes on sprayed sides of foil sheets. Top with beef patty, carrots, tomatoes and sliced onions; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt. Fold foil over patties and vegetables so edges meet. Seal edges, making tight 1/2-inch fold; fold again. Allow space on sides for circulation and expansion.
4. Cover and grill packets 4 to 6 inches from medium heat 17 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Place packets on plates. Cut a large X across top of packet; fold back foil.

Original recipe here. 

"Healthified" Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 cups beef broth
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 jar (4 oz) mushrooms (I left these out, so they can be optional)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
6 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles

Directions
1. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic in skillet; drain grease and return to stove.
2. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the broth, the Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer. In small bowl, mix flour and remaining 1/2 cup broth with wire whisk until blended. Add to skillet. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
3. Stir in mushrooms and ketchup; cook until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in sour cream until well blended. Serve over noodles. ENJOY!



Adapted from original recipe here.

Homefried Kielbasa and Sweet Potato

I love this recipe! It's become a weekly staple in our house. We've recently started using sweet potatoes in place of regular potatoes wherever we can and this is one of those recipes that I swapped it out for. I hope you love it as much as we do!

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp coconut oil
14-16 oz kielbasa of your choice
1-2 large sweet potatoes
1 small chopped onion
1-2 tsp minced garlic (based on your preference)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp oregano

DIRECTIONS

1. Peel and chop your sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. The bigger they are, the longer they will have to cook, so keep that in mind.
2. Chop your onion. Once this is done, throw the potatoes, onion, and garlic into your medium-high pan with your melted oil. You can replace the coconut oil with whatever you have on hand, but I love the flavor (and health benefits!) the coconut oil gives the potatoes.
3. Once the potatoes have started to absorb some of the oil, add the paprika, salt and oregano. Mix well in the pan.
4. Slice the kielbasa. If you have a lot of potatoes, it's best to cut each slice in half to distribute the meat further... but it's all your preference.
5. Turn down the head to medium/medium-low. Continue stirring the ingredients in the pan until your potatoes are soft and the meat has browned some. I sometimes cover the pan with a lid on a low setting to let the potatoes soften a bit more with a few stirs in between.
6. Serve hot and Enjoy!



Adapted and changed from here.

Feta Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients 

1 3⁄4 lb (up to 2) fresh crisp asparagus
1⁄4 cup olive oil
4 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon zest
1⁄2 tsp dried oregano
1⁄4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 kosher salt, (to taste)
1 black pepper, freshly ground (to taste)
1 tbsp (up to 2) fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3 oz (up to 4) feta cheese, crumbled
1 lemon, juiced, no seeds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Heat olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, oregano, and red pepper flakes in a small pan over low heat until garlic becomes golden and oil becomes fragrant; remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Bend asparagus gently until it breaks at a natural point and discard ends.
4. Toss asparagus pieces with infused olive oil and place in a single layer on a baking sheet (one with a side edge).
5. Season asparagus with salt and pepper.
6. Sprinkle asparagus with crumbled feta cheese.
7. Roast at 400F for 12 minutes or until cooked to your liking.
8. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and squeeze the lemons over the asparagus, being careful to catch the seeds.
9. Serve hot.




Original recipe found here. 

Creamy Grape and Pecan Salad

I have a potluck to attend tonight and needed something new to bring. The theme is "Summer Salads" and everyone is to bring their favorite... but it seems like everyone always brings the same few things. I wanted to branch out and I found this beauty! I hope you like it!

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs seedless green grapes
2 lbs seedless red grapes
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Topping:
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla until well blended.
2. Add grapes and toss to coat. Refrigerate until serving. Top with brown sugar and pecans before serving. Enjoy!



Original recipe found here.

Crockpot Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans

I've seen a similar recipe to this floating around pinterest, but it used a crazy amount of butter. This not only tastes great, but is seasoned nicely without the nasty fats! 

Ingredients

• 1.5- 2lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• ½ lb. fresh green beans, trimmed (about 2.5 cups)
• 1.25 lb. diced red potatoes (about 4 cups)
• ⅓ cup FRESH lemon juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ¼ tsp. onion powder
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Start by placing the chicken in a 6-quart slow cooker, in the center. Next add the green beans on one side. Then for the potatoes, you will need to mound them high off to the other side.
2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic cloves.
3. Pour this mixture evenly over the chicken, green beans and potatoes. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.

Original recipe found here. 

Thai Peanut "Noodle" Bowl

So sorry we’ve been absent from the blog for… years! I decided to pick it back up since I’ve found several recipes that are now staples at our house that needed to be shared. Tonight, however, we tried something totally new and it was great! So without further ado… how to cook a spaghetti squash in your crockpot and make an easy, tasty meal without heating up your entire kitchen this summer!

Ingredients:
1 Small Spaghetti Squash (About 3-5 lbs.)
2 C. Water
2 C. Broccoli, Steamed
1/2 Batch Prepared Skinny Peanut Dressing (Below)
1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds

Optional/Suggested Toppings:
Chopped Peanuts
Sriracha

Directions:
Pierce your spaghetti squash all over with a fork (similarly to how you would with a potato before baking.)

Place the squash and 2 c. of water into a slow cooker. Secure the lid and cook for 8-9 hours on low. The squash will turn brownish and kind of dingy while cooking, but don't let that scare you. The insides are perfectly perfect! 

Once done, remove the squash from the crock pot and set aside to cool for 10-20 minutes. Discard the water. This would be a good time to prepare your dressing or broccoli! 

After the squash has cooled, cut it in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. It should all come out pretty easily. Mine even separated from the meat of the squash on it's own. With the pulp removed, use a fork to shred the insides into spaghetti like noodles. Feel free to get all the way down to the flesh of the squash. 

Place the 'noodles' into a bowl and top each with 1 c. of broccoli, 3 tbsp. dressing (below), 1/2 tbsp. sesame seeds, and peanuts if desired. Enjoy! 

SKINNY PEANUT DRESSING

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Tbsp. Light Brown Sugar, Packed
3 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp. Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. PB2, 1 Serving Prepared
1 Tbsp. Ginger Root, Grated
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Tsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Sriracha (Optional)
1/2 Tsp. Sesame Seeds (Optional)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl until well blended.

Original recipe found here!