Speedy Mini Meat Loaves

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 cup plain unseasoned bread crumbs (I ran out, used 1/3 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs, and were great!)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tbsp milk (I forgot! Oops-they still weren't dry, though!)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (I used 2)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (I used 1 c.)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease the cups of a 12-cup muffin pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine first 9 ingredients. Divide the meat mixture among 12 muffin cups, pressing meat firmly into the pan. Place muffin pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the meat is almost cooked through. The loaves will be firm when pressed lightly but not set.
3. While the loaves are baking, whisk together the ketchup, mustard and worcestershire sauce. After baking, remove the pan from the oven, brush the tops of the loaves with the glaze, and return the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes more or until glaze has thickened and meat is completely cooked through, 30-35 minutes total. Run a knife around the edges and pop out the loaves. Serve hot. Serves 4.

**We all loved these loaves! Served with Ranch Mashed Potatoes.

Ranch Mashed Potatoes

This tasty side captures the flavor of ranch dressing without additional calories, fat, and sodium. Make these potatoes up to one day ahead, and refrigerate until just before serving. When you reheat them, you may need to add some additional buttermilk and sour cream to achieve a rich consistency.

Yield

12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

• 13 cups cubed red potato (about 4 pounds)
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

Preparation

Place potato in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until tender; drain. Place potato in a large bowl. Add sour cream and remaining ingredients; mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Nutritional Information

Calories:197 (21% from fat)

Fat:4.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 0.9g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:4.3g

Carbohydrate:35.9g

Fiber:3.2g

Cholesterol:14mg

Iron:0.6mg

Sodium:206mg

Calcium:47mg

**These potatoes were awesome! All of us loved them, and they were really good leftover, also!

Harvest Salad

1 bag Romaine lettuce
4 oz swiss cheese, shredded
1 c. cashews
1/4 c. dried cranberries
1 apple, diced
1 pear, diced

Dressing:
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Combine salad ingredients. Mix dressing ingredients together. Pour dressing over lettuce mixture right before serving.

**This makes a LOT of dressing. HALF recipe is plenty for this salad, though leftovers can be kept in the fridge for a few days at least.

Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops (I used tops and bottoms!)
1 small red onion, divided
2 plum tomatoes
¾ lb 95% lean ground beef (I used 1 lb)
½ cup finely diced dill pickles
¾ cup ketchup
1 tbsp yellow mustard
8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 425°F. Slice bun tops into ¼-in. strips (if bun tops are very thick, slice bottoms off
horizontally before slicing into strips). Arrange in a single layer on Large Bar Pan; bake 8-10 minutes or until
lightly toasted. Remove to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely.
Slice half of the onion crosswise into thin rings using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with thin slicing blade.
Remove and discard stems from tomatoes; cut tomatoes into quarters lengthwise and slice crosswise using
Utility Knife. Set onion and tomatoes aside.
Cook ground beef in (8-in.) Sauté Pan over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes or until no longer pink,
breaking beef into crumbles using Slotted Turner. Chop remaining onion half using Food Chopper. Finely
dice pickles using Utility Knife. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine chopped onion, pickles, ketchup and
mustard. Add cooked ground beef; mix well using Small Mix ‘N Scraper®.
To serve, arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Spoon beef mixture over lettuce. Top with cheese,
tomatoes and sliced onion. Arrange hamburger bun croutons around edge of platter. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 250, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 55 mg, Carbohydrate 20 g,
Protein 20 g, Sodium 730 mg, Fiber 3 g

*A Pampered Chef recipe, I didn't know if this would be a good idea; Parker and salad usually don't mix! But, it went very well, and he actually called it "delicious!"

Greek-Style Scampi

6 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta (I used 1/2 box)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
6 Tbsp (about 1 1/2 oz) feta cheese

1. Cook past according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add green pepper to pan; saute 1 min. Add garlic and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Stir in black pepper and red pepper. Remove from heat. Mix pasta and tomato mixture together. Top each serving with 1 1/2 Tbsp feta cheese.

**Super easy, kids loved. Could add grilled chicken or shrimp. Served with Easy Greek Cucumber and Tomato Salad.

EASY Greek Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2 cups chipped cucumber (about 1 large)
2 medium tomatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped green peppers
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onions
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
1/4 cup Greek vinaigrette dressing (I used Kraft)
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Toss all ingredients together.
Makes 4 servings.
Total time: 10 minutes

**We all loved this salad, boys included!