It's been a while... how 'bout some Bacon Topped Meatloaf?

{real women eat meat topped with bacon}
Apologizes. Apologizes all around. Holidays are a weird time--- you are busy yet not busy and you can't figure out where the heck all your time went. Anyways, hope you all had a great holiday season, I know I did! One particular gift I'm especially psyched out of my mind about...

That's right friends... guess who got a new set of pots and pans! 

...Have you ever had a lid so shiny? Ya like the husby who just decided to be apart of the shot?

 We never got anything like this for our wedding 29 long months ago (can you believe it's only been that long.. feels like 20 years) so we had a mix and match style variety of pots and pans. It's nice to know you wont be getting small black pieces of Teflon in your food anymore- and to know that there is a lid for all your pots instead of coming up with your own lid made from a plate. Yeah, it's fun being poor sometimes!

That picture could be a page in an I Spy book with all the random objects (ie my blue shoe).

Enough jibber jabber- on to the recipe!

Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean ground beef sirloin
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup corn flake crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Montreal Stake Seasoning
1/2 lb. bacon strips, uncooked

Meatloaf Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1 cup brown sugar

Directions:
In a large bowl combine all ingredients except bacon. Mix well. Place in greased 9x6 inch loaf pan. Cut bacon strips in half and place over top of meatloaf to cover. Mix 1 cup ketchup and brown sugar together in a small bowl and set aside.

Bake at 350F for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and drain off excess juices. Spoon enough Meatloaf sauce to cover top. Return to oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until meatloaf is done (when meat thermometer reads 350F). Let stand for a few minutes before serving. Use remaining sauce for passing!

Source: The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Aunt Judi's Shepard's Pie

{thanks aunt judi!} 
A family recipe that I'm glad to finally have as part of my recipe collection. Mmm... it's so good. I was a bit skeptical because I'm not a fan of things that are too meaty. I like the taste and the flavor but sometimes it's just too much for me, and I end up picking it out and eating around it. This was perfect. Not too much, and it had just enough mashed potatoes to balance it out! Give it a whirl, I'm guessing you'll love it, too!

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (or you could use green beans...)
1 8oz can Tomato Soup
6 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed (or 8 servings of instant mashed potatoes)
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions:
Brown ground beef in oil, then add onion, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until onion is tender. Drain. Put into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with peas (or green beans). Spread/pour tomato soup over peas. Top with mashed potatoes. Then sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes, or until it's bubbly on the sides the cheese is melted.
Enjoy! 

Tex Mex Mac and Cheese

{kid [and husband] friendly}
I've seen lots of variations on how to spice up Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and some of the things people come up with are truly out of this world- and some, not all that appealing. I have heard lots of people rave about Tex Mex style though, so I 'Googled it on the Google machine' ($20 if you can name that movie reference) and thought to myself "hmm, that looks good, and easy, and cheap! 'By golly, I think I've got it'" (another $20 if you can name that movie reference). So I tried it, and of course adapted it to my own tastes- it's a hit with my husband, he seriously pulled a Napoleon Dynamite "yes!" with-fists-coming-down movement when I suggested this for dinner. 

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. of lean ground beef
1 box Kraft Macaroni and Cheese (and the ingredients to make it)
1 cup salsa
1/2 packet of Taco Seasoning (you can use the full packet if you want to add more hamburger)
Sour Cream to garnish
Grated Cheddar cheese, to garnish

Directions:
Prepare Macaroni and per the instructions on the box. While it's you're doing that (because you're supposed to be able to do two things at once, duh...) brown your ground beef in a medium pan. Once it's brown and cooked through, add taco seasoning and 1/2 cup water to the pan, stir and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then add 1/2 of the salsa to your taco meat, continue simmering for 3-5 minutes or until it's thickened up a bit. Then add your taco meat to your macaroni and cheese, mix well. Use the remaining salsa to top on top along with sour cream and grated cheese. Ole!

Savory Pot Roast and Veggies

{just like momma used to make}
Sometimes it just sounds good. This also includes a quick way of making gravy, which just ties everything together.

Ingredients:
1 (2 lb.) chuck roast
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled quartered (I didn't add potatoes, I prefer mashed)
4 large carrots (or 12-15 baby carrots)
1 onion, quartered
1 (14 oz.) can beef broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:
Spray 4-5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place potatoes, onion and carrots in slow cooker and mix well. Place roast over vegetables. Pour in 1 1/2 cup beef broth. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours. Don't forget to season!

About 5 minutes before serving, remove beef and veggies with slotted spoon and place on serving platter. Pour liquid from slow cooker into medium saucepan. In a small bowl blend remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch until smooth and add to liquid in saucepan. Boil 1 minute and stir constantly. Serve!