Cheese-Stuffed Italian Meatloaf

It had been awhile since I had made some delicious Italian Meatloaf, and cheese makes almost anything better, so here is the delicious recipe. 

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Breadcrumbs (Tightly Packed)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Garlic Salt, Mediterranean Oregano, Mediterranean Basil, a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes, a pinch of roasted garlic)
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
1 Cup Three Cheese Cheddar (grated)
1/2 Cup Mexican Shredded Mix (grated)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning.  Mix thoroughly.  Crumple the meat over the mixture and mix all together.   Press half of the meat mixture into a loaf pan.  Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese over the top of the meat.  Pat the remaining meat mixture on top of the cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.  Meat thermometer should read about 160 degrees.  Turn off the oven.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let sit in the warm oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

Combine the breadcrumbs, eggs and spices

Mix in the sausage & hamburger

Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the pan

Top with 3/4 of the cheese

Finish off with the remaining meat mixture

Cook for 50-55 minutes

Turn off oven and top with remaining cheese

Remove after 5 minutes and enjoy!

Caramelized Banana Pudding Recipe-Novemerber's Dessert Winner!

Amazingly delicious!  Very close call for the dessert winner, and it pulled out in front by one vote at the last minute.   The original recipe wanted these made individually, but knowing I wasn't going to be serving 8 people tonight and that I didn't' have room to store 8 things in the fridge I decided to make some drastic changes when it came to the directions.  Thank you all so much for voting!  Here is your winning dessert :)  Wish you all could enjoy it with me.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter 
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 large ripe bananas (sliced)
1 cup granulated sugar  (divided)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour 
2 large eggs 
2 cups milk 
4 large eggs (separated)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
48 vanilla wafers 

 Directions:

Cook brown sugar, butter and cinnamon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly. Add bananas; cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat.
Whisk together 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, eggs, milk and 4 egg yolks in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until a pudding-like thickness. (Mixture will just begin to bubble and will hold soft peaks when whisk is lifted.) Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla.
Spray butter non-stick cookin spray in a small oven proof pan (I used a meatloaf pan for the size).  Divide half of banana mixture, pudding, and wafers and put into the pan.  Layer with remaining banana mixture, pudding, and vanilla wafers.
Beat 4 egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until foamy. Add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves (2 to 4 minutes). Spread meringue over the top of the pudding in pan.
Bake at 325° for 15 to 20 minutes or until meringue is golden. Let cool about 30 minutes and Enjoy!

Combine the butter, brown sugar & cinnamon in a skillet

 

Add the sugar, flour and eggs

Add the bananas and continue to cook the pudding

Turn off heat for bananas and finish up pudding

Add the banana mixture to the pan

Add the pudding mixture on top

Top with Vanilla wafers

Add egg whites to the blender

Blend until foamy

Add remaining sugar 1 Tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form

Pour the meringue on top of the wafers

Take out of the oven when the meringue is slightly browned and let cool

Serve & Enjoy!

Creamy Pumpkin Pork Loinchops Recipe

Weirdly delicious, great use of ingredients that I needed to use up.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Butter

2 Pork Loins

Seasoning (Tarragon, Basil, Montreal Steak Mix)

1/2 Cup Pumpkin Puree

1/2 Tbsp Mascarpone

1/3 Cup Cream

Dash of Cinnamon 

Directions: 

Add the butter to a skillet and add the pork, season generously.  Once thoroughly browned (about 10 minutes) add the remaining ingredients.  Cook on Low until mixed and warm.  Serve by spooning the pumpkin sauce over the pork and adding a touch of cinnamon & tarragon to the top.  Enjoy!

Add the pork, butter and seasoning to the skillet

Add the remaining ingredients tot he skillet

Mix the sauce thoroughly

Serve & Enjoy!

Chicken Avocado Enchiladas

I was inspired to make these from a recipe I saw on facebook, but of course I had to put my own twist on it and make it even more delicious!

Ingredients:

Enchilada Sauce:

2Tbsp Butter

3 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 Tbsp Flour

1 Cup Chicken Stock

2 tsp Cumin

1/2 tsp Alpine Touch (Salt & Pepper)

1 Red Pepper Chopped

1 Cup Mild Salsa

1 1/2 Cup Sour Cream

 Enchilada:

6 Chicken Tenderloins (1 Tbsp Oil)

2 Cups Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

2 Large Avocados (3 small)

6 Large flour tortillas (8 small)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop the chicken into small pieces.  Pour 1 Tbsp of oil into a skillet, add the chopped chicken and thoroughly brown.  Set aside.

To make the enchilada sauce: in a medium sauce pan saute' the garlic and the butter for about 1 minute on med-high heat.  Stir in the flour and cook for about 2 more minutes.  Turn heat down to medium and add the chicken stock, red pepper and seasonings, stir until smooth.  Remove from heat and mix in the sour cream and salsa.  

Prepare a 9x13 or similar size pan by spraying dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Add 1 1/2 cups of the enchilada sauce to the bottom of the pan.

To make the enchiladas lay out a tortilla and add some of the chicken, cheese and avocodo to fill the inside, roll and place the seam side down in the pan.  Repeat until the pan is full.  

Pour the remaining sauce over top of the enchiladas and add 1 Cup cheese.  Cook for 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles then turn the oven off.  Leave the pan for another 10 minutes.  Remove and serve with dollops of sour cream on top. Enjoy!

 

6 Chicken tenderloins about to be chopped

Thoroughly cook the chopped chicken

Saute' the garlic in butter in a sauce pan

Once smooth, add the sour cream and salsa to the sauce

Pour 1 1/2 Cups of the sauce into the bottom of the pan

Place the rolled up ingredient filled enchiladas in the pan over the sauce

Pour remaining sauce over the enchiladas and cover with a cup of cheese

Cook until the cheese starts bubbling

Serve with dollops of sour cream and enjoy!

BBQ Spare Ribs

These ribs turns out very juicy and delicious!  I definitely think you should give them a try and see what kind of twist of your own that you can add to it.  I love cooking with flavored beer, it always adds a nice accent to the meat.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 Rack St Louis Style Pork Spare Ribs 2.5-3lbs
Seasoning: Grill Mates Barbeque, Tarragon, Dash of Cinnamon, Garlic Salt, Dash of Grill Mates Spicy Montreal Steak
1 Beer ( I used Sam Adams White Water IPA) I also love a nice apple or raspberry beer
1/4 bottle of BBQ sauce (I used New England Apple Maple)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Cut the rack in between the bones so that the ribs are separated to cook.   Season both sides of the ribs in the deep dish you are going to use for cooking.  Pour 1 full beer over the top to tenderize the meat while cooking.  This should cover about 3/4 of the ribs.  Make sure that the ribs are bone side down and cook int he over for about 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven, bast with the liquid in the pan and drizzle some BBQ sauce on top of the ribs to let the flavor soak in a little bit.  Return to the oven and cook for another 30 minutes.  The ribs should be finished cooking and you can serve them with additional BBQ sauce drizzled or smothered on top depending on your preference.  Enjoy!

Season both sides of the ribs

Pour 1 beer over the ribs

Bone side down cook in the oven for 45 minutes

Turn the ribs, baste and drizzle BBQ sauce over top and continue cooking for about 30 minutes

Remove from the oven

Serve with additional BBQ sauce on top

Cheesy Italian Meatloaf

This was the first time that I had ever tried this recipe out and it turned out incredibly delicious.  I would ask that those that are not fans of meatloaf revisit it and give it another chance with this recipe.  For those of you who are fans already, this is a great take on an old recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (Tightly Packed)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Garlic Salt, Mediterranean Oregano, Mediterranean Basil, a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes)
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
1 Cup Colby Jack Cheese (grated)
1/2 Cup Smoked Butterkase (grated) (or another smoked cheese)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning.  Mix thoroughly.  Crumple the meat over the mixture and mix all together.   Press half of the meat mixture into a loaf pan.  Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese over the top of the meat.  Pat the remaining meat mixture on top of the cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.  Meat thermometer should read about 160 degrees.  Turn off the oven.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let sit in the warm oven for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove the meat loaf from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

Combine the eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning

Crumple the meat over the top

Mix thoroughly

Press half of the meat mixture into the loaf pan.

Add 3/4 of the grated cheese on top of the meat

Press the remaining meat on top of the cheese

Cook at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes

Add the remaining cheese on top

Return to the over for about 5 minutes to melt the cheese on top

Serve & Enjoy!