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.

Smothered Green Beans- Follow up Recipe!

Flavorful and succulent, these green beans perfectly compliment the Stuffed Pork Tenderloin,

as well as uses some of the extra ingredients!

The Good:  This is a simple recipe that goes perfect as a side dish (especially with the Stuffed Pork from yesterday!)
The Bad: The recipe says you may need a little extra water, we used at least 4x's the amount!
The Ugly: Watch your water level closely. If it gets too low your onions and garlic will burn.

Suggestions before starting:
Keep a large sum of water nearby and ready to add.
To render just means to melt the fat.
If you are not sure if the beans are done... well try one.  You are the best judge for what you like!

Stuffed pork Tenderloin

Flavorful, hearty, juicy and tender... this dish is enough to make any one's mouth water.

Stuffed Pork, Smothered Green Beans & Sauteed Mushrooms

The Good: This recipe is absolutely delicious and the fresh herbs are to die for!

The Bad: There was so much stuffing left over when we followed the recipe.  Friday expect to see what we did with the extra filling.

The Ugly: Only 2 servings!  This is a lot of work for only 2 SERVINGS!

Suggestions before starting:

When making this we did not having any kitchen string so we used toothpicks instead.

This dish is extremely fragrant and will leave the smell in your clothes, purse and other items.  If this is something that bothers you, be sure to put those items in another room before starting.  Sage is a very fragrant spice when baked.

We made the green beans to go with the pork because I don't use bacon often and wanted to use it up.  Tomorrow expect to see the recipe for that and Friday watch for a recipe that uses the extra stuffing!

Thank you a million!

I would like to thank everyone for their incredible support with this blog! I am so ecstatic to see so many new followers as well as continued followers.  After an absolutely crazy weekend at work (every pun intended), I am hoping to put up some new recipes this week.  The first will probably be posted on Tuesday rather than the usual Monday.  (I just worked 3rd followed by a double 2nd, 3rd surprise so please bare with me and any spelling/grammatical errors!)  I hope everyone has an incredible week and, as always, great food to eat :)

P.S. New followers from the blog hops... I will return your follows asap, probably later tonight or early tomorrow.  Thank you for your patience.  I can't wait to see your blogs!

Friday Follow!

Tomato Artichoke Chicken

Delicious... scrumptious... succulent...

The Good: This is definitely one of our new favorite recipes! Absolutely tasteful!

The Bad:  If you are someone who likes every recipe to measure out according to plan, it won't.

The Ugly: If you are also using a Casseround... it is incredible difficult to wash the cheese off.

Suggestions before starting:

Although this recipe says to stuff the chicken, we used some of the extra stuffing to layer the chicken almost like a lasagna.

I think it is crucial to use fresh spices to get the full flavor from this recipe.  Depending on the size of your cloves of garlic, you may want to add extra cloves.

When dishing out, we used a slotted spoon so it was not too juicy and served with pasta covered with the extra juice.

We had a large portion of the stuffing left over, we saved it to use as a marinara.  It could also be used for lasagna, meatloaf or stuffing any other type of meat.  It is very versatile and tasty.

Tiramisu

Delicate, with a hint of chocolaty coffee, Tiramisu is an incredible Italian dessert.

The Good:  Although this is traditionally an Italian dish, it goes well after any meal.  Its refreshing and easy to make.

The Bad:  Sometimes it can be hard to find Mascarpone cheese and lady fingers.

The Ugly: This unfortunately is not a dish that you can eat immediately after preparing.  It has a long cooling period, including a one hour cooling period after step one.

Suggestions before starting:

The recipe calls for a 7x11 pan.  We used a 9 x 13 and it was still delicious.

If you are unable to find lady fingers I have found recipes that use vanilla wafers.  Please remember this will change the consistency because lady fingers are very delicate, whereas, vanilla wafers are heavier.