::Meatloaf "Almost" The Way Grandma Makes It::

*My Grandmother's Meatloaf, that I tweaked a bit!

::Ingredients::

- 1 lb. ground beef

- 1 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1 egg

- 8oz. canned diced tomatoes, with juice

- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

::Topping::

- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 2 Tbs. brown sugar
- 1 Tbs. mustard
- 1 Tbs. white vinegar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all meat loaf ingredients well and place in 13x9 dish
Mix ingredients for topping and spead on loaf. Bake 1 hour.

::Baked Spasagna::

**This is a new recipe for me, I ate this a couple of weeks ago at the Restaurant Cheddars and absolutely loved it, So I had to find a recipe for it so I could make it at home, It's now a Family Favorite**

::Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs spaghetti noodles, uncooked

- 2 lbs mozzarella cheese

- 8 ounces ricotta cheese

- 8 ounces sour cream

- 1 1/4 cups half-and-half

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided use

- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic

- 2 teaspoons kosher salt

- 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

::Directions::

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions. Rinse under cold water and drain. Place in large mixing bowl.

In another mixing bowl, stir together sour cream, ricotta, half-and-half, mozzarella, oregano, basil, white pepper, garlic, salt, and half the Parmesan cheese.

Add above cheese mixture to the spaghetti. Using hands, mix gently until spaghetti is evenly coated with mixture.

Rub a 9x13 glass baking dish with the olive oil.

Gently place spaghetti mixture into prepared dish. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, remove foil and place dish on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Cut into six-eight squares and top with meat sauce below, or your favorite meat or marinara sauce.

::Meat Sauce::

1 24-oz. jar spaghetti sauce.

12 oz. ground beef.

1 Tbs. chopped garlic.

1 C chopped onion.

1 teaspoons kosher salt.

1 teaspoons dried leaf oregano.

1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil.

1 teaspoons granulated sugar.

½ C red wine.

¼ C Romano cheese.

Additional salt, pepper to taste.

Heat a heavy saucepan on medium heat for five minutes. Add ground beef and stir to break up clumps. Cook till meat is browned well. Drain meat and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to saucepan and cook over medium heat for about five minutes, or until softened.

Return reserved meat to pan, along with spaghetti sauce, salt, oregano, basil, sugar, red wine and romano cheese. Stir well to combine.

Bring mixture to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.

::Hashbrown Casserole::

::Ingredients::

- 3/4 cup chopped onion

- 1/2 tsp. paprika

- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

- 1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed

- 3 tablespoons butter, melted

- 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup

- 8oz. block Velveeta cheese, cubed

- 1 8oz. cup sour cream

- cooking spray

- 1 pckt. (or more) Ritz crackers, crushed    

::Directions::

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, Grease one 13x9 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the first 4 ingredients and 1 tablespoon butter; toss well.

Combine soup & cheese in a medium microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 2 mins. OR until cheese melts, stirring often so that it doesn't burn. Then stir sour cream into the cheese mixture, Pour cheese mixture over potato mixture, and stir well.  Spread mixture evenly in a sprayed 13x9 baking dish 

Combine crushed ritz crackers and remaining 1 tsp. of melted butter, add as the topping. 

 Bake until golden brown  at 350 for 1 hour.

::Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Stew::

::Ingredients::

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 16oz.can kidney beans

- 1 8oz. can tomato sauce

- 1 pckt. taco seasoning

- 1 16oz. can black beans

- 1 16oz. can corn, drained

- 2 14.5oz. cans diced tomato with chilis
- 4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breast

Mix everything together in slowcooker except chicken.
Lay chicken on top and cover. Cook on Low 6-8 hrs. OR High 3-4 hrs.
Before serving, Remove chicken & shred, return chicken to stew and stir in.
**This is really good with shredded cheddar cheese, sourcream, & tortilla chips

::Marshmallow Creme Fruit Dip::

::Ingredients::

- 1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese

- 1 cup (8oz.) sour cream

- 1 jar (about 7 or 8oz.) Marshmallow creme

- 1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Combine ingredients in a large bowl, using a hand mixer blend together until smooth.
Refrigerate for at least one hour. Use as a dip for fresh fruits (I use strawberries)

**The dip can also be colored a light pastel color by dipping a toothpick in food coloring and stirring it in,
For Baby showers, etc.

::Southern Green Beans & Red Potatoes::

::Ingredients::
- 3 lbs. green beans
- 1/4 lb. salt pork
- 1/4 cup bacon grease

- 2 cups chicken broth (canned is fine)

- 2 to 3 tsp. each salt, pepper, garlic powder

- 12 small red potaotes, or more

- 1 onion, cut into slivers

::Directions::

Wash beans and drain, set aside to dry. Meanwhile lightly brown the salt pork in the bacon grease over med. heat turning often. for about 10 mins.

Toss green beans into pot, stirring them with a spoon to coat well with  the pork fat. Add 1/4 cup broth and seasonings. Cook over low-med. heat, covered tightly for 30 mins. or until beans are half done. While beans are cooking peel center strip from each red potato with potato peeler, at the end of 30 mins. add potatoes and onion to the beans, add 1/4 cup more broth if needed. cook covered tightly until potatoes are tender 25-30 mins. checking the pot to make sure a small amount of liquid remains. When potatoes are tender tilt the lid slighly off to one side of the pot and continue to cook until green beans are wilted about 15 mins.

::Easy Enchilada Casserole::

::Ingredients::

- 1 lb. Ground Beef or Ground Chuck

- 4 or more small Flour Totillas (I use the extra large ones) for layering

- 1 pckt. taco seasoning

- 1/2 cup diced onion

- 1-2 10oz. can Enchilada Red Sauce
- 2 (or more) cups of Shredded Mexican Cheese

::Cook it::
Cook ground beef and diced onion in a pan on the stove together until beef is no longer pink, drain grease, add Taco packet following directions on back of packet.
Next add can(s) of Enchilada sauce to beef mixture and cook for 5 minutes, Remove from heat and then cover the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish with 1/4 of meat mixture or as needed to cover well.
On top of the meat mixture add 1 cup of the shredded cheese, Then place 2 flour tortillas layering over the cheese.
Next continue layering with the meat mixture, cheese, tortillas. Should end up with the meat mixture and cheese being your last layer on top.

Preheat Oven 3oo-33o degrees
Cook for 15-20 minutes or until cheese has melted