Family Favorite-Nachos

Tasty and simple to make, nachos you will love to make!

The Good:  These are absolutely delicious and easy to make.  Great for parties and for children who like to help in the kitchen!

The Bad: Its really hard to stop eating these so we always make massive amounts.

The Ugly:  These are terrible for dieters.

Suggestions before starting:

Please do not get frazzled because I do not give amounts to anything with this recipe.  This is another recipe where you do it how you like.

Any tortilla chips work but we like to use scoops because they are so much easier to eat.

I do not typically like olives but I do like green olives on these.

Chili powder is best fresh.  Make sure you get the spice not the mix.

Do not be afraid to add plenty of spice.  It is hard to overdo it. 

Provolone Burgers

"So juicy and flavorful you don't even need condiments!"

The Good:  If you want to be known as the grill chef this is the recipe to do it with.

The Bad: The recipe calls for a large amount of meat.  Great for parties, not so practical for couples.

The Ugly: Ground beef is not the healthiest option.

Suggestions before starting:

We used the griddle instead of a grill set to 375. I absolutely love my griddle.

The original recipe says it makes 8 burgers but we made 11 last time we made this recipe.  Make them the size you prefer but remember to pat them down tight and flat so they will cook evenly.

It says to cover while cooking, you can cover it with a ceramic bowl or any type of dish that can stand high heats.  I usually do not cover it other than when putting the cheese on.  It is supposed to help cook it more evenly and trap the heat in.

If you are unsure if the burgers are done, do not hesitate to cut one down the middle.  I like mine a little pink but I know others do not.

As you can see we added some sauteed portobello mushrooms... they're perfect for all meals!

Healthier option: try all the same spices with turkey instead of ground beef.

Family Favorite- Meatloaf twist

It seems every family has their own version of meatloaf.

This has always been one of my favorites but this time we improvised.

The Good: Simple, tasty and cheap, it is hard to go wrong with a good meatloaf.

The Bad: Every family has their own style of meatloaf so sometimes its hard to make one you know everyone will be familiar with.

The Ugly:  If you're looking to go on a diet, do not use ground beef!  There is a lot of fat released from the meat but if you are just looking for great tasting comfort food you are in for a treat!

Suggestions before starting:

Due to the oils released from the meat I always cover my pan with foil with a very light layer of cooking spray before starting so it is easier to clean.

The recipe below has saltines, onion and spices; however, if you followed the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin and had a lot of extra stuffing leftover, you can substitute most of the ingredients with the stuffing you had leftover.  The fresh spices are incredible but you can also use dried herbs. The bread crumbs just make the meat softer.  For a harder meatloaf use the saltines.

When making this, if you think the measurements do not look how you would like them to, change it.  Add anything you want and as much or little as you like.  That's the great thing about meatloaf, it can be made however you would like.  I have seen people add celery, peppers, salsa, raisins... you name it!

To mix/combine means use your hands in this recipe.  I always sit the ingredients out early so they will be at least luke warm.  Otherwise this can be painfully cold.  Dish soap is the best cleaner to cut the grease off your hands afterward.

I always mix the seasonings together before mixing in order to make sure they are evenly spread.  If using fresh spices make sure they are minced first.  If using dried, just use more than you would if fresh.

For a healthier option: do not be afraid to try Turkey meat.  It will just be a little dryer.  When using ground chuck we tend to get 80% lean.

Hamburger Balls

These unusual ingredients make for a surprisingly delicious party favorite appetizer or meal!





The actual recipe makes 3x's this amount



The Good: This dish has been a favorite recipe in our cooking group and it freezes wonderfully.  Also, it is easy to prepare ahead of time.

The Bad: The recipe calls for 4-5 lbs of hamburger so it can be difficult to minimize the recipe.

The Ugly: It takes 2 hrs to bake these once they are prepared.

Suggestions before starting:

If you don't have any bread, saltine crackers work just as well.