The best Meatloaf you will ever eat!

I've never been a fan of meatloaf, so when my Dad requested that I cook him some, I dreaded it. Dry meatloaf with ketchup on top. One word comes to mind: GROSS!!! So I went on a quest to find the best meatloaf recipe out there, no ketchup necessary. I came across this recipe, tweaked it a little bit, and whalah!!!! The best Meatloaf you will ever eat. It is soooooo good! I've cooked it a few times now and the entire family LOVES it. The last time I cooked it, I cooked a 7 lb. meatloaf and it was gone within a couple days. Even a picky 18 year old said it was good. So, I wanted to share the recipe with y'all!!! I know everyone doesn't want a 5+ lb meatloaf, so I'm giving you a recipe for a small loaf. If you want a lot of it (and you probably will!!!), just double, triple, quadruple the recipe!!

Here's what you will need for a  small 1 lb. meatloaf (3-4 servings):

Cooking Spray

8 green onions (sliced)

1 pepper (chopped)

1 carrot (chopped)

2 eggs (beat) OR 2 slightly beaten egg whites

1 lb. ground beef

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1/2 cup chili sauce (if you want a little kick, you can use hot asian chili garlic sauce)

2 Tbsp. milk

14 crackers (1/2 cup smashed)

1 Tbsp basil OR oregano

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. white distilled vinegar

skillet

meatloaf pan (I prefer glass)

Coat a skillet with oil. Add chopped peppers, carrots, and green onions. Cook over medium heat until tender. Remove from heat.

Combine eggs, crackers, milk, 2 Tbsp. chili sauce, basil or oregano, and pepper.

Add cooked vegetables and raw ground beef. Mix together with your hands and mash the mixture down evenly into a meatloaf pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. While it is cooking, mix up 1/4 cup chili sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar.

Spoon glaze mixture over the meatloaf and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!



Chicken Fried Rice

I LOVE Chicken Fried Rice. This is a simple and fast recipe!

Here's what you will need:

3-4 eggs

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large chopped onion

2 minced garlic cloves

4 cups cold, cooked rice

8 green onions, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Beat eggs with a whisk in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Heat very little oil in a medium size frying pan over medium heat and make an omelette using the beaten eggs. Turn out onto a plate to cool. Fold, coarsely chop, and set aside.

In a bowl, toss chicken strips with the sesame oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over high heat in large frying pan and stir-fry chicken until lightly golden, about 3-5 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until onion has softened.

Add 2 tablespoons more vegetable oil and when hot, stir in the cooked rice and green onions, tossing and mixing thoroughly until very hot. Sprinkle with soy sauce and mix evenly. Remove from heat and stir in chopped cooked egg.

If desired, garnish with additional sliced green onions.

Enjoy!!!!

Chicken Teriyaki with Ginger Rice

One thing I love is cooking chicken on the grill. Especially when it's marinated overnight.

The chicken turns out lightly seared but still juicy. There's one word for it: DELICIOUS!!!!

I tried a new recipe tonight and wanted to share it with y'all! It's Chicken Teriyaki with Ginger Rice.

You will need:

Grilling Pan

Pot with lid to boil rice

Glaze Brush

Saucepan

Large Ziploc Plastic Resealable Bag

Here are the ingredients you will need:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoon garlic powder (or you can use chopped, peeled, or grated garlic)

About 3 tsp. of ginger (divided)

5-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (about 2-3 lbs)

Canola cooking spray

2 cups conventional wheat or white rice

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups water

2 bunches green onions (or you can use scallions)

In a large bowl add the brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. garlic, soy sauce and ginger and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Put the chicken into a large resealable plastic bag with the marinade. Seal and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat your grill on low and place the grilling pan on it to preheat too!

Remove the chicken from plastic bag and set aside on a plate. Pour the marinade leftover in the bag into a saucepan over medium heat and reduce by half. When the glaze is done, it should look something like this:

With a cooking glove, take the hot grilling pan off the grill and spray it with canola cooking spray. Arrange the chicken on the grilling pan and cook for approximately 5-8 minutes.

  

Before you flip the chicken, brush the glaze liberally with the marinade. After you flip the chicken, brush the other cooked side with the remaining marinade.

In a medium pot combine the rice, ginger, salt, and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, then fluff. Turn off the heat and let the rice absorb the rest of the water.

Here is what the chicken will look like when it's done:

After the chicken is done, add a peice of foil to the grilling pan. Cut the ends off the green onions and place them on the foil on the grill.

Cook the green onions until they are wilted, or about 2-4 minutes per side.

Put the rice on a plate and top it with the chicken. Garnish with grilled green onions and serve!

Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!!