Cheesy Meatloaf Minis

I have never been a big fan of meatloaf and neither has Justin. We both have memories of meatloaf being a big hard meat brick that is gross! So after I started looking at my favorite meal finder website I saw a picture of this recipe and decided it looked good and convinced Justin of letting me cook it for us one night. It turned out delicious and we will definitely be making this again for dinner. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and maybe this recipe will change your image of meatloaf like it did for us!

Cheesy Meatloaf Minis

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
1 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
1 1/2 ground beef
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add breadcrumbs; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.

3. While breadcrumbs cook, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients. Shape into 6 ( 4 x 2-inch ) loaves on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; spread 2 teaspoons of ketchup over each. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes or until done.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 256


- www.myrecipes.com, Cooking Light

Grilled Sourdough Cheddar Melt

This is your Patti Melt cooked in a mich lighter way then you could find anywhere else. And, believe it or not it is great! We cooked these last night and we loved them! You can serve them with basically anything you would like! We had Roasted Red Potatoes, our favorite, with them.

Makes 4 servings, 1 sandwich

Ingredients
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine, divided
Cooking spray
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 pound ground round
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 (3/4-ounce) slices 2% reduced-fat processed sharp cheddar cheese
8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough or white bread

Directions
Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; cook 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Preheat broiler.

Combine beef, pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Divide the beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/4-inch-thick oval patty. Place the patties on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 4 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 1 cheese slice over each of 4 bread slices; top each slice with 1 patty and 3 tablespoons onion mixture. Cover with the remaining bread slices. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add 2 sandwiches to pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until browned and cheese melts. Repeat the procedure with 1/2 teaspoon butter and the remaining sandwiches.

Nutritional Information
Calories:462 (22% from fat)
Fat:11.5g (sat 5.3g,mono 3.1g,poly 0.9g)
Protein:38.5g
Carbohydrate:49.3g
Fiber:3g
Cholesterol:80mg
Iron:5.2mg
Sodium:909mg
Calcium:357mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Italian Meatball Burgers and Macaroni Salad

These were really good! They did not take very long either which is always a plus! I served it with a Macaroni Salad but you could also serve it with roasted red potatoes as well. ENJOY!!!

Makes 6 servings, 1 burger is serving size

Ingredients
8 ounces sweet turkey Italian sausage
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed, I did
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound ground sirloin
Cooking spray
2 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
6 (2-ounce) Italian bread rolls, split, I could not find these so I just used original dinner rolls cut in half from Publix & they were GREAT!
3/4 cup fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce, I found a light version by Ragu

Directions
Prepare grill.

Remove casings from sausage. Combine sausage, oregano, basil, salt, fennel seeds, garlic powder, and ground sirloin. Divide beef mixture into 6 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes. Turn patties over; grill 2 minutes. Divide fresh mozzarella cheese evenly over patties, and grill an additional 5 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove from grill; let stand 5 minutes.

Place rolls, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce and top half of roll.

Nutritional Information
Calories:375 (33% from fat)
Fat:13.9g (sat 5.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.7g)
Protein:28.1g
Carbohydrate:32.7g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:80mg
Iron:4.5mg
Sodium:894mg
Calcium:130mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light


Macaroni Salad with Bacon, Peas, & Creamy Dijon Dressing

I made this the night before we ate it and I definitely recomment doing that. I always love a pasta salad that has sat in the refridgerator the night before better because it has time to sit and mix all the ingredients better. I really enjoyed this pasta salad and so did my mother and grandmother (Meme). Justin did not enjoy it because he does not like "cold things for dinner" or any pasta salad really. :) But, if you are looking for a great summer pasta salad this is my recommendation!

Makes 8 servings, 1 cup of pasta salad and 1 teaspoon of bacon

Ingredients
Dressing:
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise, I used the new olive oil mayo by kraft
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:
8 ounces uncooked large elbow macaroni, I used reg size because I could not find lg
2/3 cup fresh green peas
2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 lower-sodium bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

Directions
To prepare dressing, combine first 9 ingredients in a food processor, and process until smooth. Cover and chill.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; add peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine pasta mixture, bell pepper, and next 4 ingredients (through rind) in a large bowl. Toss pasta mixture with half of dressing. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Toss salad with remaining dressing, and sprinkle with crumbled bacon; serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Calories:208 (30% from fat)
Fat:7g (sat 3.2g,mono 2.2g,poly 1.4g)
Protein:8.6g
Carbohydrate:29.1g
Fiber:2.3g
Cholesterol:16mg
Iron:1.5mg
Sodium:454mg
Calcium:44mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Mexican Chili Cheese Hamburgers with Roasted Potatoes

I made these a couple of weeks ago when Amy and Scooter cameover to cook out and I do believe they were a hit! Everyone seemed to really like them. I served them with Roasted Red Potatoes. They recommended serving them with regular homemade fries which would be just as great! I have recipes for both types of sides on my blog!

Makes 4 servings, 1 burger per serving

Ingredients
1 pound ground round
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomato, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray
4 (3/4-ounce) slices reduced-fat Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup fat-free sour cream
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 iceberg lettuce leaves
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
Grilled onions (optional)

Directions
Combine first 9 ingredients in a bowl; stir well. Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping into 1/2-inch-thick patties.

Prepare grill. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Place 1 cheese slice on top of each patty; cover and grill an additional minute or until cheese melts.

Spread 1 tablespoon of sour cream over top half of each bun, and set aside. Place patties on bottom halves of buns; top each with lettuce, tomato, onions (if desired), and top half of bun.

Nutritional Information
Calories:381 (31% from fat)
Fat:13.1g (sat 5g,mono 6.4g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:36.3g
Carbohydrate:28.1g
Fiber:1.7g
Cholesterol:84mg
Iron:4.2mg
Sodium:655mg
Calcium:212mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light

Almost Meatless Sloppy Joes with Homemade Fries

I have made one sloppy joe recipe before that I got from Whole Foods and it was amazing. I saw this one in Cooking Light magazine last week and decided to try it as well. I added just a few things to throw in extra flavor so it might have upped the calories just a little. I served homemade fries with the sloppy joes. The other sloppy joe recipe has already been posted before along with the homemade fries recipe. If you click on the "veggie" tag you will be able to get the homemade fries recipe.

Makes 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces ground sirloin (I used lean ground beef, that will help cut calories)
1/2 cup grated carrot
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1 (15.5-ounce) can low-sodium red beans, rinsed, drained, and divided
4 (2-ounce) whole-wheat sandwich rolls, split and toasted
4 (1/4-inch-thick) red onion slices, separated into rings

Directions
1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and beef to pan; cook 5 minutes or until meat is browned and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to crumble beef.

2. Add carrot, chili powder, sugar, oregano, and red pepper; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and worcestershire; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes or until thickened and carrot is tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Partially mash 1 cup beans with a fork or potato masher. Add mashed beans and remaining whole beans to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Spoon 1 cup bean mixture onto bottom half of each roll; top each serving with 1 red onion slice and top half of roll.

Nutritional Information
Calories:405
Fat:14.4g (sat 3.2g,mono 7.5g,poly 2.3g)
Protein:19.4g
Carbohydrate:53.3g
Fiber:10.4g
Cholesterol:28mg
Iron:5.1mg
Sodium:781mg
Calcium:148mg

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Last night's meal and dessert

Our Sunday, night meal was very easy and great. I had planned on us eating regular hamburgers but we forgot we already had some patties frozen from the last time we cooked hamburgers. I do not think I have posted this hamburger recipe but if so then oh well. This recipe is really and truly better if the patties are frozen first then thawed and grilled a day or so later. This was the second time we have eaten the left-over patties and they tasted a lot better after they had been frozen. Serve herbed asparagus and a mixed green salad on the side.

A Better Burger

Ingredients
1 slightly beaten egg white
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely shredded carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound lean ground beef
6 whole-grain buns
Shredded carrot, sprouts, mixed greens, tomato slices, and/or red onion slices (optional)

Directions
Combine egg white, water, bread crumbs, carrot, onion, sweet pepper, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add Parmesan cheese and ground beef; mix well. Shape mixture into six 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill burgers on an oiled grill rack for 7 minutes. Turn and grill 8 to 11 minutes more or until no pink remains. Serve burgers on buns with vegetables, as desired.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
Calories 232
Total Fat (g) 9
Saturated Fat (g) 3
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4
Cholesterol (mg) 49
Sodium (mg) 334
Carbohydrate (g) 19
Fiber (g) 3
Protein (g) 18
Vitamin A (DV%) 0
Vitamin C (DV%) 12
Calcium (DV%) 6
Iron (DV%) 13
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

-Compliments of Fitness Magazine

Roasted Asparagus with Herbs

Ingredients
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs, such as a mix of basil, tarragon, and parsley (or all basil or all parsley)

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Toss the asparagus in a bowl with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper and herb mixture. Spread the asparagus in one layer on a baking sheet. Roast until just tender, 10 to 12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the asparagus (thinner ones will cook more quickly). Taste the asparagus and add seasoning if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition facts per serving:
Servings Per Recipe 2 servings
Calories 96
Total Fat (g) 8
Saturated Fat (g) 1
Carbohydrate (g) 3
Fiber (g) 2
Protein (g) 4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

-Compliments of Fitness Magazine

I tried out a new desert recipe I had found on myrecipes.com and I enjoyed it a lot. Justin thought it was ok. He said he was not the biggest banana fan. So for you banana fans out there like myself this recipe is for you.

Banana Creme Pie Smoothies

Ingredients
1 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 large)
1 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
2 tablespoons whole wheat graham cracker crumbs (about 1/2 cookie sheet)
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ice cubes (about 1/4 cup)
Graham cracker crumbs


Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm (about 1 hour). Place frozen banana and remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately.


CALORIES 216 (12% from fat); FAT 2.8g (sat 1.5g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.3g); IRON 0.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 9mg; CALCIUM 315mg; CARBOHYDRATE 39.3g; SODIUM 145mg; PROTEIN 9.8g; FIBER 1.9g

-Compliments of Cooking Light Magazine

Old-fashioned Sloppy Joes with Homeade Fries

This recipe was amazing. Justin loved it and so did I. It does take a little longer in prep time because of the fries but it is so worth it! Just make sure to start the fries first because that is what takes so long. If you go ahead and get all of the cutting, peeling, and chopping out of the way first then everything will go much more smoothly. Also, always remember to turn the oven on before you do anything else!

Baked Potatoes Fries
Serves 6

Ingredients
3 russet potatoes
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Tony Chachere's
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 450° F. Cut potatoes lengthwise into steak fries, about 3/4 by 1/2 inch, and toss with oil, seasoning and salt. Place seasoned potatoes onto the preheated sheet in a single layer. Bake potatoes, 15 minutes. Flip them and cook another 10 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 5oz/161g-wt.): 210 calories (60 from fat), 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 430mg sodium, 33g total carbohydrate (3g dietary fiber, 2g sugar), 4g protein

-Compliments of Whole Foods recipes

Old-fashioned Sloppy Joe's

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, chopped
Sea salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
1 cup tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
4 burger buns, toasted

Directions

Brown the beef in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, 5—7 minutes. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onions soften, about 7 minutes. Add ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and mustard. Stir to combine. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon over split toasted hamburger buns.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 9oz/264g-wt.): 470 calories (200 from fat), 22g total fat, 8g saturated fat, 95mg cholesterol, 990mg sodium, 38g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 20g sugar), 30g protein

-Compliments of Whole Foods recipes