Mini Mushroom Meatloaves

Cooking dinner these days has been a bit of a challenge. When it comes time for dinner, I can usually be found running between feeding the baby, trying to keep him from throwing all of the food on the floor and pleading with my toddler to eat what I made her for dinner. By the time my husband walks through the door, both kids are almost done and I'm ready for a breather. Nine times out of ten, we have about 30 minutes to cook and eat dinner before bedtime routine starts.

So, I've been looking for recipes I can either prep beforehand with little cook time or one pot meals. The recipe below is about a 35 minute meal. With 5 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes of cook time. The meatloaves were moist with a slight crisp around the edges, just how I like them. What I love about making meatloaf in the muffin tin is that it's a great way to portion control and they are easy to take for lunch the next day! Enjoy.




Ingredients: 

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 (12-oz) pkg sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp tomato paste

3⁄4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

11⁄2 lb ground round or ground turkey

 Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms and garlic. 

3. Cook 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender; transfer to a large bowl. 

4. Stir in tomato paste, breadcrumbs,seasoning, salt, pepper and eggs; add ground round, and gently combine. 

5. Divide mixture evenly among 12 muffin cups in a greased muffin pan. 

6. Bake 20 minutes or until done.

Recipe adapted from Emeals. 

Chicken Apple Sausage Skillet II

This recipe is very similar to one of our recent favorite summer dishes I posted about last week. All I did was change up the veggies I used. Another meal done in less than a half hour, using two pans and a cutting board. It gives us a good amount of leftovers and the toddler devours it. Can't think of a better, healthier summer recipe. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 
1 package of chicken apple sausage, sliced
1 red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces 
1 green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
2 small sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces 
2 TBS coconut oil 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
All you have to do for this recipe is sautee all of the ingredients. I used a medium skillet for sautéing and then a larger skillet (more of a wok style) to combine all the ingredients   I did the sweet potatoes with a little coconut oil first because they take the longest. When they're finished I put them in the large skillet on low. Next, add a little more coconut oil  in the medium skillet and did the peppers. Once they're cooked through, I add them to the wok. Last is the sausage, it doesn't take long.  Once everything is cooked, I combine it all in the wok and season it. 

You can eat it as is or serve over brown rice or quinoa. 

Click here for the printable recipe

Quinoa Shrimp Bowl

I've bene doing a lot of cooking with quinoa lately. Mostly because I've been trying to eat more clean and also because everyone in my family enjoys it, especially the toddler. I usually make a bag each week and add it to as many meals as I can. 

This meal was thrown together on a whim. I had cooked shrimp already in the fridge, along with quinoa and black beans. I added some tomatoes and avocado to make it a new favorite healthy lunch. It's just what I needed for these HOT summer days. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 2 dozen cooked shrimp (medium size)

- 1 cup quinoa cooked according to package instructions

- 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 

- 1 avocado, diced

- 1 lime

- a little EVOO

- salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

I decided to serve this meal cold. You could easily eat it warm as well. Since my shrimp, beans and quinoa were already cooked, I just added them to a large bowl. From there I added tomatoes and diced avocado. I squeezed lime juice over the top and added a touch of olive oil. I mixed all of the ingredients and added a little salt and pepper before serving.  

To serve warm, you could sauté or grill the shrimp. Cook the quinoa according to the package, warm the black beans and add the tomatoes and avocado. 

Chicken Apple Sausage Skillet

Looking for a healthy, clean eating, quick dinner?  This is it. 

Fresh summer veggies with sweet chicken apple sausage is our go to summer dinner.

This dish took me less than 20 minutes to make. 

It was full of flavor and filling. 

Husband and toddler approved. 

Add this to your summer menu today! 

Ingredients: 
1 package of chicken apple sausage, sliced
1 squash cut into 1 inch pieces
1 zucchini cut into 1 inch pieces
2 sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces 
2 TBS coconut oil 
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
All you have to do for this recipe is sautee all of the ingredients. I did the sweet potatoes with a little coconut oil first because they take the longest in a medium skillet. When they're finished I put them in a large skillet on low. Next, add a little more coconut oil to the medium skillet and sautéed the zucchini and squash. Once they're cooked through, I add them to the large skillet. Last is the sausage, it doesn't take long.  Once everything is cooked, I combine it all in the large skillet and season it with salt and pepper. 

You can eat it as is or serve over brown rice or quinoa. 

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

The reason I picked this recipe was because of the onion soup mix.  A few nights before I had just made sticky chicken in the crock pot.  One of the few ingredients in that recipe was dry onion soup mix.  When I bought it, there were two in the pack. So I went in search of a recipe that called for onion soup mix.  If I didn't find one within the week there is a strong change the mix would have gone into the pantry and I would have forgotten about it until I did a pantry clean out. 

Meatloaf is a great family recipe. It only takes a few minutes to prep. While there is a longer cooking time, it's hands off time. Add some veggies and you're good to go. The mini usually will eat meatloaf without an issue. This particular recipe was great. I always rate my recipes on what the husband thought. Mainly because I'm not picky and I think most of the things I make are pretty good. It took a minute for him to realize how much he enjoyed this meal. He didn't say much in the beginning but as he kept eating he started to rave. He even went as far as saying this was one of the best meatloaf recipes I've made. My favorite thing about this particular meal is how moist the meatloaf was. It wasn't too sweet thanks to the onion soup mix, all of the ingredients meshed well together.  

If you're looking for a family friendly recipe, this will surely pass the test! 

Brown Sugar Meatlaof

Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 pound ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup almond milk (or whatever milk you use)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a loaf pan or casserole dish.
2. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, ketchup and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Divide evenly among three separate bowls; set aside.
3. In a large bowl combine garlic, Worcestershire sauce, milk, eggs, salt, pepper, soup mix, ginger, bread crumbs and one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture. Add ground turkey to the mixture and mix to thoroughly combine.
4. Shape into a loaf and spoon one bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture onto the top of the loaf.
5. Place the meat loaf, brown sugar/ketchup side down, into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining bowl (1/3) of prepared brown sugar/ketchup mixture.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, until juices are clear or until thermometer inserted into the loaf reads 160 degrees F. 

7. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

parmesan pork chops with lemon caper sauce

I fell in love with capers when my husband and I honeymooned in St. Lucia.  There was an italian restaurant on the resort that used them in a dish I fell in love with.  I remember coming home and searching for recipes that used capers.  The only problem was, hubs didn't like them.  So after making a few meals that he wasn't impressed with, I stopped using them.  With this pregnancy I have crave salty things, not sweets. Completely different from the first time around! Anyhow, I've been eating olives and pretzels like they're going out of style.  When this recipe popped up in my inbox from Emeals, I decided to add it to the menu.  I figured hubs could eat the chops without the sauce if he didn't want the capers.  

Results:  What I loved the most about this meal is how quick it was to make.  20 minutes was all I spent in the kitchen from start to finish. My favorite part of the meal was the lemon caper sauce.  It satisfied my salty craving, while not being too over the top. I served it with quinoa and steamed broccoli.  Enjoy! 

Parmesan Pork Chips with Lemon Caper Sauce

Courtesy of Emeals 

Ingredients: 

1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 boneless pork loin chops
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon capers

Directions: 

Combine panko and parmesan cheese in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in panko mixture, pressing to adhere. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add pork chops. Cook pork 4 minutes on each side or until done; remove pork and keep warm. Add chicken broth and lemon juice to skillet, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits from bottom. Cook for 3 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/2 cup. Add capers to skillet and spoon sauce over pork.  

 eMeals is a subscription service that sends weekly meal plans to your inbox based on information you provide. We've been very happy with the recipes so far! 

Sign up in just 4 simple steps:

1. Pick your meal plan (I have the clean eating plan)

2. Recipes for the WEEK along with sides will be emailed to you.  

3. They even give you a grocery list to take shopping.  

4. Enjoy an easy dinner that your husband will think took hours to make! 

{Crock Pot} Sticky Chicken

Be ready to see lots and lots of slow cooker/ crock pot meals over the next few months.  They are a life saver right now. Not a lot of time required to prep, hands free cooking time and minimal clean up.  Perfection.  

I've been trying to find some new crock pot recipes, for the sake of my husband. 

I'm sure he's already tired of our favorites.  

Results: We were all a fan of this recipe.  I am a big dry/ cooked onion fan so the onion soup mix in it was perfect.  Hubs was a fan of the BBQ & Apricot sauce.  All in all, a hit with the family.  Even the mini.  This would also be delicious in a wrap or on a bun the next day.  Enjoy! 

Sticky Chicken

Courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff 

Ingredients:
4-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup apricot jam or preserves
1 (1 oz) packet dry onion soup mix
2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts inside and pour barbecue sauce and preserves on top. Sprinkle the dry soup mix over the top, add the water and cover with the lid. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (a little less if your chicken is not frozen). You can serve this over rice if you would like to.

Makes 4-5 servings.

BBQ Chili

I guess I'm on a bit of a BBQ kick lately.  Maybe this Texas living is rubbing off on me...

Chili is a staple in our house during the fall and winter months.  

I make it once a week, usually on Sunday or Monday so that we can enjoy leftovers for lunch throughout the week.  I've been making the same chili recipe lately and was ready for a change.  I pinned this one on Pinterest recently and decided to give it a go. 

Results:  This was exactly what I was looking for.  A recipe that wasn't your typical chili but still hearty enough to fill you up.  It reminded me of a sloppy joe.  Even my one year old ate the beans, meat and corn.  She is super picky so this is definitely a win in our house!  Enjoy! 

BBQ Chili

Adapted from I Heart Eating 

Ingredients

1 lb. lean ground turkey (or beef)

1 onion, finely chopped (optional, we don't use onions)

1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained

3 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (16 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce (sweet baby rays is our go to)

2 tsp. chili powder 

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. cumin

1 T. brown sugar

Directions

1. Brown the ground meat. Drain.
2. Return the cooked meat to the pot.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  

Healthy Chicken Skillet

I made this dinner two weeks ago. 

 I was looking for healthy recipes that I thought my one year old would also eat. 

I'm also a big fan of skillet dinners because I don't have tons of pans to clean when I'm done. 

This dinner didn't disappoint one bit.  

My daughter loved the chicken, quinoa, zucchini, black beans and peppers.  

Since all three of us enjoyed it, this recipe was a big win. 

I even made it again this past week.  

Definitely a must make if you're looking for a healthy recipe the whole family will love! 

Healthy Chicken Skillet 

Adapted from Ready, Set, Eat 

Ingredients: 

1 TBS canola oil

1 cup zucchini (cut into cubes)

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1 can black beans, drained (low sodium)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

1 (4.5oz) box quinoa brown rice blend (I buy Near East) 

3-4 chicken tenderloins 

salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

1. In a small saucepan, cooke quinoa according to the instructions on the box. 

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet and cook chicken.

 I cut mine in cubes before I cooked it.  

2. Once chicken is cooked, add zucchini and peppers.  Cook for 5 minutes. 

3. Add beans and tomatoes, cook for another 5 minutes. 

4. Once everything in the skillet is cooked and warmed through, add the quinoa brown rice blend to the skillet.  Stir well and remove from heat.  

5. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy! 

Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes and Peas

Penne with Herbs, Tomatoes and Peas

Adapted from Cooking Light 

• Ingredients: 
• 8 ounces uncooked veggie penne pasta
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 pkg of turkey sausage, sliced

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons italian seasoning 
• 
  

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Add peas during last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add garlic and sausage; cook 4 minutes or until garlic begins to brown and sausage is heated through, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high. Add tomatoes to pan; cook 1 minute. Add pasta mixture, salt, and pepper to pan; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Stir in seasoning.

Italian Style Shrimp- Clean Eating

This is one of my go to clean eating recipes. 

It's a quick and easy dinner that is perfect for any weeknight.  

It's filling enough that you don't miss the carbs, but if you really wanted you could add brown rice to the mixture.  

Enjoy!

Clean Eating Italian Style Shrimp

Courtesy of Gracious Pantry

*I made a few changes to the recipe, noted in red. 

Ingredients:

• 1 pound frozen, pre-cooked shrimp
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste, no sugar added
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• *1 package of turkey sausage 

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a skillet and cook until the shrimp and sausage are warmed through, stirring regularly.

Clean Eating Stuffed Peppers

Lately, the husband and I have been eating much healthier.  We've been cutting carbs as much as possible and making healthy substitutions to some of our favorite meals.  

Every other week our outdoor mall has a farmer's market.  I always go and stock up on produce.  Peppers are the number one thing I go to get.  They are 2 for $1.50.  You can't beat that price!

I usually plan my menu before I go so that I know what to buy.  

Since I knew I was going to stock up on peppers, I searched for recipes using them.  

I've made stuffed peppers before, but they had rice and cheese on them 

They were delicious but not the healthy, dairy free recipes I was looking for.  

So, I went to one of my favorite places to find clean eating recipes, The Gracious Pantry.  

We made this one tonight and loved it. 

I didn't miss the rice or cheese and was full afterwards.  

We will definitely be adding this to the menu rotation.  

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers
Courtesy of The Gracious Pantry

Ingredients:

• 6 bell peppers – any color. I just happened to have green peppers.
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
• 3 (15 ounce) cans of low sodium tomato sauce, no sugar added
• 1/2 large red onion
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup veggie or chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Slice the tops off your peppers and remove the cores. Reserve the tops.
3. Place your peppers in a baking dish (preferably one with a lid – but don’t panic if you don’t have one). Make sure the dish is small enough to fit the peppers snugly so that they can stand upright.
4. Pour 2 of the 3 cans of tomato sauce into the bottom of the pot so your peppers have a nice little pool to swim in during baking.
5. Pop out the middles of your pepper tops and chop them, as well as the onion and mushrooms.
6. Put your veggies in a pan with the olive oil and sauté until they are nice and soft.
7. Put your cooked veggies into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
8. Using the same pan you cooked your veggies in, cook your turkey in the 1/2 cup of broth.
9. Add your spices.
10. In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, return your veggies to the pan. Mix well.
11. Return the entire mixture to the mixing bowl. Add your tomato sauce. Stir well.
12. Fill your peppers with the meat mixture.
13. Cover with a lid. If you don’t have one, cover tightly with aluminum foil.
14. Bake for approximately one hour, or until the peppers are very soft.
15. Cool and serve with a little sauce poured over the top.

Sesame Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry

If you aren't receiving emails from Kraft foods your inbox, you are missing out.  This recipe was another one of the fresh spring recipes that was emailed to me last week. 

I'm always up for a fresh stir-fry recipe. If you don't have a stir-fry on your meal plans, you should.  They are easy to make, usually only involve one pot and are healthy.  

This recipe is indeed perfect for spring.  The pineapple along with the crunch of the snap peas made the dish for me.  Next time, I will use red and green peppers. Enjoy! 

Sesame Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry 

Courtesy of Kraft Foods 

time

prep:

25 min

total:

25 min

servings

total:

4 servings, 1-1/2 cups each

what you need

1

Tbsp.  oil

1

lb.  boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

2

cups  sugar snap peas, trimmed

1

large  red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

3

cloves  garlic, minced

2

cups  fresh pineapple chunks (1 inch)

1/4

cup  KRAFT Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

1

Tbsp.  lite soy sauce

2

 green onions, diagonally cut into thin slices

make it

HEAT oil in wok or large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken, peas, peppers and garlic; stir-fry 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is done.

ADD pineapple; stir-fry 2 min. or until heated through. Stir in combined dressing and soy sauce. Remove from heat; stir in onions.

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Spinach Strawberry Salad

Adapted from Welcome to the Good Life 

Ingredients:
-1 bag of ready-to-eat spinach
-craisins
-thinly sliced strawberries
-honey roasted pecans (salad toppers) 
-poppy seed dressing (here is the dressing I used, it's also dairy free)


Directions:
1. Pour spinach onto a bowl.  Top it with the rest of the ingredients according to preference, mix, and enjoy!

Taco Bowl with Guac-a-salsa Salad

I love mexican food.  Hubs and I have it a few times a week.  I could honestly eat guacamole every single night.  Love it.  I made this recipe last week when hubs was working late.  A friend came over for dinner and I didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking. I also wanted to use the ground turkey I already had bought.  I've made taco bowls many times before, but enjoyed the smashed chips at the bottom of this one.  There were a few ingredients I omitted because I didn't have them at home and others because of my no dairy diet. I'm sure this would have been even better with some sour cream and cheese on the top, but it was a great (and healthy) dinner just the way it was.  Enjoy!

Taco Bowls with Guac-a-Salsa Salad

Courtesy of Rachel Ray

Ingredients

1 sack corn tortilla chips, any brand or color (yellow, blue, red, white) will do

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

Coarse salt and black pepper

1 cup water

2 firm Haas avocados

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

2 sacks, 10 ounces, 2 cups each shredded Monterey Jack or sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions

Lightly crush the chips by popping open the bag and giving the chips a few light whacks with a frying pan – careful that they don't fly out of the sack! Hold the bag loosely at the top with 1 hand while you crush the chips with the other.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil – 2 turns of the pan. Add the beef to the skillet, brown and crumble it, 5 minutes. To the browned meat, add half the jalapeno peppers, 3/4 of the chopped onions and all of the garlic. Season the meat with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook together 5 minutes more, then add the water and reduce heat to low. Adjust salt, to taste.

Halve and separate the avocados. Remove pit with a spoon. With the skin in tact, using a small knife, dice the avocado while still in the skin. Scoop out the diced flesh and place in a bowl. Combine tomatoes, remaining onions, jalapenos, and cilantro gently with avocado and dress the salad with the juice of 1 lemon, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt, to your taste.

Layer a 1 or 2 handfuls of chips in soup or chili bowls and top with a handful of cheese. Fill bowls with taco meat and top with more cheese, then mound up some salad on top and serve.