There's a Reason I'm Not a Food Blogger

I am terrible at taking pictures of my food.  (And I'm still learning to cook, but that's just a small detail.)

Look back at my food posts.  Most of them do not have pictures of food because I forget to take them.  My thoughts just don't run that way when I'm cooking dinner.  They run more like, "Oh my goodness, how is it 7:30 already?  What is the dog doing?  Ooh, that needs to be stirred.  Ahhh!  The rice is going to burn!  Get it off the heat!  Why won't the dog stay out of the trash?  Okay, plates.  Why won't the dog stop chasing the cat?  Where is Mr. 31?  Didn't I tell him to come eat dinner?  Why is the dog in the trash again??  Oh my word.  Ok, food on the plates.  Here, just take your food because I have to get that dish rag out of the dog's mouth."

After we've eaten dinner is when the thought pops in, "Hey, I really should have taken a picture of that."  And I end up not posting recipes that are good because I totally blanked on taking a picture.  So, my apologies, but I never promised you a food blog.

So, here's a recipe, sans picture, of a meatloaf recipe I tried the other day.  It was super easy and really good.

Easy Meatloaf

Adapted from Easy Meal Ideas For Moms-On-The-Go

1 (10 1/2 oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 lb. ground beef

1 pouch dry onion soup mix

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl mix 1/2 of the cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup, ground beef, bread crumbs, and egg. 

In an 11x8 pan, form meat mixture into a 7x4 loaf.  Bake at 350 for 75 minutes.

Spoon off 2 T. of drippings and mix with remaining soup and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Thin the sauce with additional water if desired.   Serve over the meatloaf.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I adapted this recipe from the FABULOUS Pioneer Woman. I do not make my own sauce, though. Not that brave yet and, honestly, sometimes that extra time makes a big difference between eating at a decent hour and falling asleep in my plate. I doctor up jarred or *gasp* canned spaghetti sauce with extra seasonings or our own crushed tomatoes we canned last year.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
5 cloves garlic, minced (separated)
¾ cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
½ cup shredded mozzarella, chopped into smaller pieces
¼ cup fresh parsley or basil, minced
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
splash of milk
½ cup olive oil
½ large onion, diced
1 16 oz. package spaghetti or favorite pasta
1 jar/can of spaghetti sauce
1 can diced or crushed tomatoes

Combine meat, 3 cloves of garlic, breadcrumbs, mozzarella, Parmesan, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley or basil, and splash of milk in a bowl. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet or plate. Place meatballs in freezer for 10 minutes to firm up.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs 8-10 at a time, turning until browned on each side. Remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

In the same pot, add onions and remaining garlic and cook for a few minutes, until translucent. Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes. Add meatballs and stir in gently. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring gently every so often.

Serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan.

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Smothered Meatloaf

When I first saw this recipe I was like, "Meatloaf in a crock pot?? Whaaaat??" Then I made it. Because I love my crock pot and am always looking for new recipes. And because it's the one kitchen appliance that I can outcook my husband in. And Oh. My. Gosh. It was so good!!

The recipe came from Sandra Lee at the Food Network. Her's originally calls for a lot of mushrooms. Seeing as my husband's not a huge fan I omitted them.

Smothered Meatloaf

Adapted from Sandra Lee

4 cups Potatoes O'Brien

2 lbs. ground beef

1 box Garlic Herb Shake and Bake

1 envelope Beefy Onion soup mix

1 egg

1 (12 oz) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup, divided

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 onion, sliced thin

1. Place potatoes (mine were still frozen) in the bottom of the slow cooker.

2. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, Shake and Bake, dry soup mix, and egg.

3. In another bowl, combine 1/2 cup Cheddar soup with the evaporated milk. Add to the meat mixture (I ended up using my hands. Seemed to work better than a spoon). Form it into a loaf and place on top of the potatoes (I ended up redoing a lot of the forming once I got it into the slow cooker). Make sure the meat is not touching the sides of the cooker.

4. Stir together the remaining Cheddar soup and the cream of mushroom soup. Pour on the meatloaf and top with the sliced onions.

5. Cover and cook on High for 1 hour. Turn temperature down to Low and cook for another 5-6 hours.

I've cooked mine a bit longer and it was fine. I also thank the good Lord for the timer and the Keep Warm setting on my slow cooker. Works wonders when you work an 8 hour day and you have a 6 hour cook time.

I usually throw this recipe together first thing in the morning. Then I cook it on High for the hour while I'm getting ready for work. By the time I'm ready, it's usually ready to go down to Low.

Burrito Bake

I've made this recipe a few times and it's really good. The technique they use to cook the hamburger is also good with other Southwestern dishes like tacos and enchiladas.

Photo from Kraft Foods

Burrito Bake

Adapted from Kraft Foods

1 lb. ground beef

1 pck. or 4 tbs. taco seasoning

3/4 cup water

4 10" tortillas

1 can refried beans -or- 1 can black beans, mashed

1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown meat in skillet and drain. Stir in seasoning and water. Bring to boil. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Grease a 9" round cake pan with olive oil. Place two tortillas on the bottom (the tortillas will go up the sides a little bit, which is helpful in keeping it all together when you're serving). Cover with half the beans, meat, and cheese. Place 1 tortilla on top and put the remaining beans, meat, and cheese on it. Top with last tortilla.

Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges to serve.

* Note: I have also used homemade tortillas for this recipe. Because they are smaller, I used double the amount to get the coverage I needed. It tasted fine, but serving it was messier than with the larger tortillas.

Hamburger Potato Casserole

I tried this recipe this past week. I really liked it. Mr. 31 ate it. He was very polite. But, to be fair, he's not really into casseroles. Maybe I shouldn't make so many...

Hamburger Potato Casserole
Adapted from a recipe on About.com

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
3 medium potatoes, sliced
2 cups green beans (I use frozen)
1 (10.5 oz.) can of cream of mushrooms soup
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbs. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown ground beef and onion, seasoned with the garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Drain fat. Transfer ground beef mixture to a 9x13 pan or a 3 qt. casserole dish (whichever you'd like or have on hand).

3. Layer potatoes on top of the ground beef. Place green beans on top of potatoes (I used frozen and didn't even thaw them before I added them to the casserole).

4. Spread soup on the top. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes. Take out of oven and sprinkle cheese over the top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.