Slow cooker Mondays: Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf


I know what you’re thinking…meatloaf? Really? Give this one a chance, though! My entire family (including my two kids who are picky eaters) LOVES this recipe!  I got this recipe for “Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf” a few years ago from Allrecipes.com – it’s so easy to make!

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3/4 c. milk (we use skim)
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs
2 tsp dried, minced onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (we always make this with ground turkey instead and it’s yummy!)
1/4 c. ketchup
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions
1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well (mixture will be moist.) Shape into a round loaf; place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon over the meat loaf. Cook 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting.

NOTE:  I fold two pieces of aluminum foil in half and criss-cross them in the slow cooker (hanging over the sides) so that the meatloaf doesn’t stick to the sides of the slow cooker and it’s easy to get out because you just pull up on the pieces of foil and lift it out.  I was hoping to post a picture to show you, but my pictures came out too dark!

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Slow Cooker Mondays: French dip sandwiches!

Who wants to cook on Mondays?  Not me!  It’s hard enough to get everything together on a Monday morning to get out the door for work and by the time I get home, I’m usually worn out.  I love my slow cooker and our family would be eating out all the time probably without it!  I’m going to start sharing a favorite slow cooker recipe with you each Monday.  I hope that you’ll enjoy!  My time is limited in the mornings, so most of these recipes can be quickly thrown together (literally!) in a few minutes!

Today’s recipe is a family favorite – french dip sandwiches.  It doesn’t get much easier than this.  The only “work” involved for you is shredding the meat when you get home.  They are sooo yummy!

Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

beef roast
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
4-6 hoagie buns
(we also add some swiss or provolone cheese)

Place roast in a greased slow cooker. Pour broth over the top of the roast. Add spices. Cover and cook on low heat 8-10 hours (or high heat 5-7 hours). Remove roast and save extra juice. With a fork, break the meat apart and serve on hoagies. Use excess juice for dipping sandwiches.

WW points = 7 points per serving (this does not include the cheese or the buns, add 2 points for the cheese and 4 points for the whole wheat bun)

Here’s the finished product.  Sorry we didn’t have any “fancy” plates to make it look pretty.  We were celebrating my niece’s birthday and she thought they were plenty fancy!  We served these with fruit salad and veggies and dip!

If you have a favorite slow cooker recipe to share, please e-mail me or submit it in the comments!

A Month of Frugal Recipes Day 2: Chicken Tortilla Soup


This is one of my favorite “from the stockpile” recipes.  It’s a bit spicy on it’s own for my kids, but once we add some sour cream, cheese, and chips, they love it!

Ingredients:
3 cans chicken broth (100% FF)
3 cans cream of chicken soup (98% FF)
3-4 chicken breasts
1 can Rotel
Mrs. Dash original seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of the crock pot. Add Mrs. Dash’s seasoning to taste. Add broth and cream of chicken soup, and Rotel. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shred chicken in crock pot.  You can freeze the leftovers, too!

To serve: (if frozen)

Defrost in refrigerator. Reheat on stove. Serve and top individual bowls with desired toppings (tomatoes, green onions, avocadoes/guacamole, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc.)

WW points =  3 per serving – this makes a TON of soup (at least 8 servings for my family), the 3 points, of course, does not include any “toppings” such as cheese, sour cream, and chips!

If you have a favorite frugal recipe or recipe from your stockpile that you’d like to share this month, e-mail me about being a guest blogger!

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