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!

Recipe Refresh: Spinach Artichoke Dip

Thanksgiving is coming, which means we dust off some of our favorite comfort foods. Of course there are all the traditional meal dishes, sides, and desserts, but there are also the pre-dinner foods that inevitably make a showing.

When I think of one of my favorite appetizers, a nice, creamy spinach-artichoke dip always comes to mind. While the traditional version of this decadent dip is often made with mayonnaise, butter, lots of cheese, and filled with fat and calories, this skimmed-down version is much healthier. With the addition of flavorful ingredients such as feta, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce, though, this refresh will still satisfy!

Spinach Artichoke Dip
16 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 20-25 minutes            READY IN: 35-40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 10-oz box of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture
• 1 10-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 dashes of hot sauce (e.g. Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
• salt and pepper 
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

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1.  Preheat the oven to 375ºF. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet and add the onion, cooking until translucent. Add the garlic, spinach, artichoke, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir together about one minute, until heated through. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in the feta and yogurt, and season to taste with salt and pepper. 
4. Spread the mixture into an 8x8 (approximately) baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan. 
5. Bake 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the mixture is hot and bubbling.
6. Serve hot with sourdough baguette slices or crackers. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/4 cup serving of dip    53 calories   3.2 g fat   3.9 g carbs    2.9 g protein    .9 g sugar   

Original Recipe	Refresh Recipe
2 tablespoons butter,                           4 ounces cream cheese,   2 1/4 total cups cheese	2 tablespoons olive oil,                               4 ounces (1/2 cup) Greek yogurt, less than 3/4 cup cheese
In 1/4 cup: 106 calories 7 g fat (5 g saturated) 302 mg sodium	In 1/4 cup: 53 calories 3.2 g fat (1.2 saturated) 107 mg sodium

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Latin D'Lite cookbook by Ingrid Hoffmann.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Time to carve those pumpkins! (Or maybe you already have.... go YOU!) If you've saved seeds, this is the perfect way to roast your pumpkin seeds. They are savory and a nice snack. Any if you don't want to mess with the pumpkin seeds, you can buy some at your local grocery store and this recipe will do just fine.

Since I made these before we carved our pumpkins, I used store bought pumpkin seeds. If you are using fresh seeds, follow the same steps, but you will want to cook longer, probably 40-60 minutes total cook time.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 10 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 cup pumpkin unsalted seeds
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• dash salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Preheat oven to 300º.
2. In a bowl, combine pumpkin seeds and olive oil. Stir until all the seeds are coated with oil.
3. Add Worcestershire and garlic powder and stir. 
4. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread out the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with salt.
5. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. (If you are using fresh seeds, cook 40-60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes).

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/8 cup serving    136 calories   10.9g fat   3g carbs    6.7g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Food.com
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