Mini Dijon Mustard Meatloaf

I know most people aren't overly excited about meatloaf, but oddly enough it's something that I really enjoy. I still remember Mom making meatloaf when I was a kid and seem to remember enjoying it.  Mom might have different recollections of these memories but we'll go with my side of the story for now.

The best part of meatloaf is always the crunchy bits you get along the sides where whatever you've put on top of the meatloaf has caramelized.  The combination of the ketchup, Dijon mustard and cheese on this meatloaf creates the most perfect crust on top of each of the loaves.  The cheese inside keeps the meatloaf super moist, and let's just be honest, everything is better with cheese! This recipe was adapted from a recipe I found online but apparently I forgot to Pin it so I can't even give the original poster credit.

 

Mini Dijon Mustard Meatloaf (Makes 4 mini loaves)
2T Dijon mustard
2T ketchup
1 lb ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup Panko
1 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2t salt
1t pepper

Mix together mustard and ketchup in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl combine beef, egg, Panko, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Form mixture into 2"x4" loaves and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush loaves with the ketchup and mustard mixture and top with the remaining cheddar cheese.  Bake at 450° for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.

To Freeze: Allow loaves to cool completely.  Wrap each loaf in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag.
To Serve: Thaw loaves and reheat in the oven.

John could probably eat these meatloaves three times a week and I doubt Roman would mind. The pair of them gobbled up every bite of their meatloaf and John even went back for more, which Roman promptly tried to steal. I know a meal is a winner with Roman when he starts offering up compliments on my cooking without John having to tell him too. He was only a few bites in before he exclaimed "this is really good mom!".

Korean Beef

I've been in a bit of a rut lately.  I haven't kept up on my freezer cooking, because I haven't had a lot of time without Roman, so we've fallen into the deadly trap of takeout.  Maybe deadly is a little over the top.  Regardless, we've been eating out way too much which is not only hard on the wallet but also our stomachs. 

When I posed the question, "what do you want for supper" to John one afternoon he suggested pasta with meat sauce.  Not an overly inspiring meal but it wasn't being delivered to our door!  As I went to the freezer to take out the beef I had an epiphany!  I was not going to make boring meat sauce, I was going to make delicious Korean beef that we haven't had in a dogs age!  I found this recipe on Pinterest (originally posted on Lizzy Writes) a few years ago and John and I both love it.

Korean Beef
1 lb ground beef
1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1T sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2t fresh grated ginger
1/2-1t chili flakes
1 bunch green onions

Over medium high heat, brown ground beef with garlic in sesame oil.  Drain fat from the pan and add al ingredients except the green onions.  Simmer for a few minutes and serve over rice, topped with green onions.

This recipe transforms your regular ground beef.  I don't normally use oil when I'm cooking ground beef but it is a must in this recipe.  It adds so much flavor to the beef and turns your regular weeknight meal into an Asian delight!  The fresh ginger and chili flakes gives a slight heat to the dish but it isn't overpowering; even Roman enjoyed it!  The crunchy green onions are perfect in this dish and I wouldn't skip them.  When I made it I didn't have onions on hand so I used chives.

Salisbury Steak

When I was in elementary school the cool thing to have for lunch was Michelina's.  Healthy, no.  Delicious, yes!  One of my favorites was the Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes and gravy.  I swear I can smell it now just thinking about it.  Just thinking of how much sodium is in one of those bad boys makes me twitch.  But I have found salvation in this amazing Once A Month Meals recipe!  If you only try one recipe from my blog, I beg of you, try this one!  This has become a family favorite in no time flat.  John actually gets excited when he sees that I've taken it out for supper, and Roman has been known to gobble down an entire patty himself!

Salisbury Steak (serves 4)
1lb ground beef
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
10oz can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup beef broth
8oz sliced mushrooms

In a bowl combine beef, soup mix, milk and bread crumbs and form into patties.  I used a 1/3 cup measure and get around 8 patties.  Cook the patties in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.  While the patties are cooking mix broth, cream soup and mushrooms together in a large bowl.  Remove patties from the pan and pour in the broth mixture.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

To freeze:
Prepare as above and allow to cool completely.  Divide patties and sauce between two 8x8 tin pans, wrap with foil and freeze.
To Serve:
Heat the foil covered pan for 40-50 minutes at 350°

I think this meal is best served with it's classic paring of mashed potatoes but we've also been known to eat it solo when I'm out of potatoes, and it's just as delicious!  It may be 9:00pm right now but I could totally go for some of this right now...

Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has a guilty pleasure food.  A recipe that you would never make when company is over and would likely never admit to eating.  Now don't look at the screen like I'm crazy, you know exactly what I'm talking about.  This meal could contain a mystery meat, gravy, or maybe even a stinky cheese.  Whatever the secret ingredient, one thing is for sure, it is in now way healthy and doesn't contain an ounce of nutritional value.  Despite all this, you continue to indulge in this mouth watering concoction while hidden away from the world.  Well I'm about to lift the veil on my family's guilt pleasure meal.

 Hamburger and Rice
1 lb ground beef (ground turkey also works well if you insist on upping the health factor)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup rice, cooked as per package instructions

Brown beef in a pan until cooked through.  Pour soup over beef, stir, and cook until warmed through.  Serve over rice.

Well now it's out there, this is what we are eating when the freezer and the fridge are bare, any maybe a few times when it isn't.  This recipe has been around for years in my family.  It has always been a favorite of my Mom and Selby (sorry to out you guys on the internet) and has slowly started to grow on me.  I understand that it looks like the definition of gruel, but it's just so darn tasty.

Now that I've shared my family's guilty pleasure food, why don't you out your family in the comments!  It's very liberating!

Grilled Asian Sesame Beef Skewers

With warm spring weather comes BBQ season!  John has been itching to get our BBQ up and running so I decided to make this in my latest freezer meal blitz.  This recipe was originally posted on The Black Peppercorn and has quickly become a family favorite.  The best part is that no cooking is required on freezer meal cooking day.  Just dump everything into a freezer bag and stick it in the freezer.

I love making this as a freezer meal because it allows you to use a cheaper cut of meat like an inside round steak rather than a beef tenderloin, which the original recipes calls for. Not only does this save you money but it but it saves you time buy having it frozen in the marinade. All that's left to do is thaw and grill.

Grilled Asian Sesame Beef Skewers
4 - 6 oz. inside round steaks
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 garlic cloves
4T fresh ginger, minced
1t chili flakes
2T sesame seeds

Cut beef into 1 inch cubes and place in a freezer bag.  Mix all remaining ingredients together and pour over beef.  Marinate for at least one hour.  Thread the beef cubes onto skewers and grill until cooked to your liking.

Now if you're like us you usually realize your out of propane for the BBQ just as you sit the meat on the grill.  Don't panic!!!  It's not the end of the world!  Lay the skewers of beef onto a cookie sheet and pop them into the oven on broil for 45 minutes for well done beef, being sure to flip them half way through.  *Turns out we weren't out of propane but our BBQ actually died.  John was so excited that he got to buy a new one!*

I like to serve these skewers with quinoa and chopped veggies.  In this case I decided to cook my quinoa in beef stock (a leftover carton from another meal) and add chopped cucumber, tomato and green onion.

Grandma's Hash

Everything always tastes better at Grandma's house!  How is it that all Grandma's have a repertoire of the most delicious recipes?  Where did they find the food Bible?  And why is it that when you try to recreate those recipes they never taste the same?  If your Ukrainian it's probably because those pesky Babas like to leave out a few ingredients so that theirs always tastes better.  As for the rest of the Grandmas, unfortunately I don't have an answer to that question, but if you do please share!!!

Thankfully this gem of a recipe is one of the exceptions!  I remember my mom making this when I was little.  It was a favorite then, and it still is now. With only five ingredients that you likely already have on hand, my Grandma's hash recipe is quick, easy, delicious, and inexpensive!  Why not add this recipe to your freezer cooking list, as it's also great frozen and reheated!

Grandma's Hash
1 lb ground beef
1 c uncooked rice (cooked according to package instructions)
1 can crushed tomatoes OR pasta sauce OR tomato soup (with 1/2 can of water if using soup)
1/2 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef in a pan with onion until the beef is cooked through and the onion is translucent.

Add rice, crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper to the pan.  Stir to combine.  Transfer beef mixture to a 9x13" baking dish.

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes until the top begins to darken.  To freeze, allow the hash to cool, cover with tin foil, label, and freeze.  Reheat in the oven until warmed through.

 

Obviously I have to be faster with my photos when it comes to one of Grandma's recipes.  But you get the general idea of what the dish should look like when it's finished in the oven!  If you are trying to sneak vegetables into picky eats, you could finley dice some peppers and mix them in as well.  I would suggest using a red pepper in this situation so the color doesn't throw them off.