Classic Meatloaf

As much as I enjoy trying new foods and new recipes, I love the nostalgia of traditional meals, especially those I grew up eating. Meatloaf is one of my favorites. It’s delicious right out of the oven but, in my opinion, even better the next day in a sandwich with cheese, mayo, and sliced onion. This recipe is a pretty classic meatloaf recipe — ground beef, onion, egg, bread, and topped with a ketchup-y glaze — but with some Worcestershire sauce and dried herbs for a little more flavor. 

Classic Meatloaf
Serves 6
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
1 hr
Ingredients
  1. 2 lbs. lean ground beef
  2. 1 cup diced white onion
  3. 2 cloves minced garlic
  4. 2 slices of white bread, torn into small pieces
  5. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  6. 1 egg, beaten
  7. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  8. 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  9. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  10. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Glaze
  1. 1/4 cup ketchup
  2. 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  3. 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  4. 2 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl, combine together all of the ingredients for the meatloaf (your hands work best), being careful not to over mix.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze.
  4. Place meat mixture in a loaf pan or form into a loaf shape and place in a baking dish.
  5. Top with glaze.
  6. Bake uncovered for 1 hour. Remove from oven, let cool for about 5 minutes, and place loaf on a plate and slice.
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Key Lime Pie Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes for my husband’s birthday celebration last weekend, and they were a huge hit! The frosting is amazing (but who doesn’t love cream cheese frosting?), and the cake was light and fluffy. I made a few modifications to the original recipe, specifically omitting the pie-crust bottom and instead sprinkling the icing with crushed graham crackers. I also used regular lime juice and added lime zest to the icing to kick up the flavor. Next time, I want to try making these using lemon, which I think will be just as delicious.

Key Lime Pie Cupcakes
Yields 32
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Ingredients
  1. 1 cup of unsalted butter, softened
  2. 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  3. 4 eggs
  4. 1/2 cup key lime (or regular lime) juice
  5. 3 cups all-purpose flour
  6. 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  7. 3/4 teaspoon salt
  8. 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
For the Frosting
  1. 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
  2. 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  3. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  4. 2 teaspoons lime zest
  5. About 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  6. 6 tablespoons key lime (or regular lime) juice
  7. 4 graham crackers, crushed
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line muffin tins with 32 paper liners.
  3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg. Add the lime juice, and beat to combine.
  5. Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition.
  6. Scoop the batter into muffin cups, about two-thirds full.
  7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
  8. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans to a cooling rack, and let them cool completely.
For the Frosting
  1. Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until well blended. Add in lime zest. Slowly beat in sugar, about a 1/2 cup at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of lime juice. Beat until frosting reaches desired consistency.
  2. Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle with graham crackers.
  3. Store in refrigerator.
Adapted from Taste of Home
Adapted from Taste of Home
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Flavorful, Healthy Mason Jar Salads

I pack a lunch for work every day, which can be a struggle if I don’t plan ahead and prepare something the night before. But making salads in a jar has been a lifesaver! By strategically layering the ingredients in the jar, the salad doesn’t get soggy and stays fresh in the refrigerator a lot longer. The key is to start with your dressing and then work your way up from hearty vegetables like carrots, radishes, or onion to sliced pepper and greens like lettuce, spinach, or kale. By doing this, I can make three or four lunches in one night and store them in the refrigerator for the week. Then, when you dump out your salad into a bowl, you end up with your dressing on top. Genius! You can include any of your favorite salad ingredients, but mine typically include homemade balsamic dressing, carrots, radish, onion, cooked quinoa, peppers, and a mix of kale, lettuce, and spinach.  

Flavorful, Healthy Mason Jar Salads
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Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
For the Dressing
  1. 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  2. 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  3. 2 tablespoons honey
  4. 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  5. 3 cloves garlic, minced
  6. 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  7. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  8. 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Each Jar
  1. 1 1/2 pint wide-mouth glass mason jar
  2. 2 tablespoons of balsamic dressing
  3. 1/4 cup grated or sliced carrots
  4. 2 tablespoons thinly sliced onion
  5. 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  6. 1/4 cup thinly sliced bell pepper
  7. 1/4 cup cooked quinoa
  8. 1 cup of greens (lettuce, kale, spinach, etc.)
For the Dressing
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients. (Yields about 1 cup, which is enough for 8 salads if you use 2 tablespoons per salad.)
  2. Store leftover dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
For the Jar Salad
  1. Add 2 tablespoons (more or less depending on your taste) of dressing to the bottom of the jar. Layer ingredients, beginning with the carrots and ending with your greens.
  2. Store in refrigerator for up to 4 days (I usually only make 4 jars at a time.)
Notes
  1. I cook about 1/3 cup of dried quinoa according to the package directions, which yields about 1 cup — enough for 4 salads.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/