Meatloaf Muffins

One of my children's favorite meals lately is meatloaf. I make it, and they aren't quite sure of it and then I remind them that it's one of their favorite dishes. Then they try it and sing my praises. It's kind of awesome. But making the traditional meatloaf all the time gets a little old so to mix it up, I make meatloaf muffins. To be honest, the name kind of grosses me out. I think muffins is such a breakfast term. But the name stays. The kiddos love it and it's kind of catchy. :)

Meatloaf Muffins
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 40-45 minutes            READY IN: 50-55 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup of milk (I used skim, but any kind should work)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In a large bowl, mix together turkey, egg, quick oats, milk, salt, Lawry's seasoning, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. 
3. Use a cookie scoop to make 12 even meatloaf balls. Roll out and place into a greased muffin pan.
4. Mix ketchup and BBQ sauce in a small bowl. Place a little bit on top of each meatloaf muffin and spread around.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    84 calories   3.4g fat   4.8g carbs    8.6g protein    2.1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Crockpot Beef Brisket

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but my husband is quite the chef. He's the type that can quickly take a gander of everything in the kitchen and whip up a seemingly effortless dish that tastes phenomenal. He doesn't measure anything, and goes strictly with his gut instincts. And more often than not, he comes to the table with an amazingly flavorful dish that leaves me asking, "What was in that...??" And he usually says, "A little bit of this, and a little bit of that." Which makes it so hard for me to replicate! If there's one thing he's has taught me in the kitchen, it's when it comes to cooking, there's a lot of leeway. I bring you one of my husband's wonderful recipes (with measurements!) that will leave you and your man happy at the dinner table. Oh, and let's not forget about the kiddos, they gobbled this up too!

Crockpot Beef Brisket
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes + overnight marinate        COOK: 8 hours         READY IN: 8 hours, 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 pounds beef brisket
• 3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

MARINADE:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
• 5 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a medium to large dish (sized to fit the beef brisket to marinade), mix together the marinade ingredients: ketchup, mustard, olive oil, soy sauce and garlic.
2. Submerge the brisket in the marinade, and rotate the brisket until all sides have "soaked" in a little of the marinade. 
3. Rub the mesquite seasoning on the top of the brisket (the part that is exposed, and not submerged in the marinade).
4. Marinate the brisket overnight.
5. In the morning, turn on the crockpot to low, place the brisket in the crockpot and discard the marinade, and slow cook the brisket for 8 hours. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    152 calories   13.6g fat   6.8g carbs    2.7g protein    3g sugar   

Enjoy!

BBQ Sloppy Joes

As mentioned in our "About Us" section, you can see that under my paragraph - I'm all about fast and easy meals. I really do enjoy cooking, but I've realized that I just don't have the patience to stand in the kitchen for hours. I get a little bit antsy. Instead, my recipes are geared toward being kid (and husband) friendly, making my life more enjoyable and giving myself more time to return to the exciting stuff. Like my homework.

These BBQ Sloppy Joes fall right in that category. Super easy. Super fast. And let me tell you - when you add in Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce - this recipe is super delicious! (Just between me and you - I could drink that stuff. But don't worry, I'm perfectly normal and don't secretly do that...) Obviously sloppy joes are a pretty straight forward recipe - I favor this one because of the sweet BBQ flavor and they are much easier and cleaner to eat. So, step away from your everyday sloppy joe recipe - and try this tasty alternative!

BBQ Sloppy Joes

4 SERVINGS 

PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is our highly recommended BBQ sauce)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• Bread

DIRECTIONS

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1. Brown ground beef in large skillet until no longer pink; about 10 minutes. Drain any excess liquid.
2. Stir in tomatoes, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Serve ground beef mixture on top of sliced bread. Top with cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS

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     1 cup serving (without bread)    308 calories   11.4 g fat    24.7 g carbs     26.7 g protein 22.1 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from SouthernLiving