Veggie Meatloaf "Cupcakes"

Yes, if you dig back to 2014 you can find another version of Meatloaf "Cupcakes" that I made with ground turkey but I'll promise you they weren't as good as these and they didn't have veggies in them! This is also a great recipe for moms who try to sneak veggies into foods. These can also be Gluten and Dairy FREE!

Makes 8 "Cupcakes"
35 Minute Cooktime

Ingredients:
*1 tsp olive oil
*1/4 cup diced mixed peppers
*1 cup diced onion
*1 tsp garlic
*1 cup carrot, finely diced
*1/4 cup cilantro (I used 2 cubes of the frozen cilantro and a dump of freeze dried cilantro)
*1 cup panko breadcrumbs (sub for 1 cup of cornmeal for gluten free)
*1 lb lean ground beef
*2 eggs
*3 tbs ketchup (I was running low on ketchup so I eyeballed it) + more if you want it for topping
*1/4 cup milk (almond milk for dairy free)
* Olive oil cooking spray

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Spray 8 muffin tins with olive oil cooking spray.
3. Finely chop peppers, onion, and carrot in a food processor.
4. Heat a medium sized skillet and olive oil to medium heat.
5. Cook finely chopped veggies and garlic (and cilantro if using frozen cubes) for about 10 minutes or until veggies are cooked to tender and onions are translucent.
6. Pour cooked veggies into a mixing bowl with breadcrumbs (or cornmeal), cilantro, ground beef, eggs, ketchup, and milk.
7. Mix well. (Using your hands is probably the most effective but I don't like to get my hands that messy.)
8. Spoon mixture into sprayed muffin tins. Fill to the top as they will not rise much. Top with ketchup if desired.
9. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until center muffin is cooked through.
10. Top with mashed potatoes. (I used instant because this mama "ain't got time for that." That is also why I served with Steam in Bag veggies. :)

Other Tips:
-I keep a bag of frozen mixed peppers and frozen diced onions in my freezer at all times and that is what I used for this recipe.
-Use as much or as little ketchup as you want. I didn't bake it with any but use a little to dip.
-I also forgot but I wanted to add some cheddar cheese "sprinkles" on top of the potatoes. YUM!
-I used Steam in Bag veggies and instant mashed potatoes to speed things along and feed my HANGRY toddler.

Food Home Delivery Companies:: Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Home Chef

So I have been ordering Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, and Home Chef for a while now and I get asked about the differences in them so here is my two cents. They each have pro's and con's and my recommendation would be to try them all and order the food you like but here is a little break down of each. We generally just order these for dinner and then I only have to buy fruit, snacks, and lunch at the grocery store. Each company provides fresh meat/seafood and exact amounts of fresh produce to make each meal.

Hello Fresh
This is the first company I tried out. I think it's the most expensive out of the three but only by like $10 and I think the freshness and quality are worth it. Great customer service. Packaged nice and organized. Recipes are easy to follow and not too complicated. I feel like overall these are healthier options. Restricted to only three meals though. Here is my referral code for Hello Fresh 6F3MYZ and you'll get $40 off your first delivery. www.hellofresh.com

Blue Apron
The second company that I tried. It is cheaper than Hello fresh (I think by $10) and still good food. Packages aren't as organized as most ingredients are seperately packaged. I feel like the recipes are a little bit harder than Hello Fresh. Only thing that stinks is you have to pick three options and sometimes if you choose one meal it won't let you choose another option combination. If you would like free meals from Blue Apron, please let me know and I periodically get three giveaways at a time. www.blueapron.com

Home chef
This is a fun one. There are so many options and I love that you can choose as many or as little options as you want. You aren't restricted to just three options. I also like that they have breakfast, fruit, and smoothie options. They are packaged all together and very organized. I feel like the first two have healthier options overall but you can still choose healthy meals here. Sometimes the recipes can be tough and lengthy. For $30 off your first order with Home Chef use this link https://www.homechef.com/invite/y05eZTJXBNy

I order from all three now just based on the different meals they offer for the week because my husband can be a picky eater and I also choose meals that will mesh nicely with my meal plan. I just pause a shipment and order from a different one if I don't like the options. Sometimes I'll order 2 so that we have enough food for lunches and dinners or more than a week. 


If you have further questions I would be happy to chat about it.

Happy eating,
--Meredith

Crock Pot Pork Loin Tacos:: 21 Day Fix Approved

Y'all! I am so sorry I have been slacking on my What's for Dinner Wednesday posts. I would like to start utilizing this blog for other posts as well but haven't quite decided what. If you have anything specific that you would like to see PLEASE let me know! :)

So I have started this new adventure with Insanity Max:30 and the meal guide for this new program encourages the same plan as 21 Day Fix! With 21 Day Fix, planning is KEY! That is one reason I LOVE this recipe, I used it for multiple meals. Also, being a teacher, I was able to cook the tenderloin overnight, shred before work, and keep on warm all day until I got home. Talk about a quick, after work meal.

1 lb pork tenderloin

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 cup water

Corn tortillas

Shredded cheese of your choice

For Sauce:

1 teaspoon of fresh or dried cilantro

1 large tablespoon of plain greek yogurt

A few shakes of cumin

1 teaspoon of almond milk or skim milk

For Rub:

Dash of chili powder (can add more for desired "kick")

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of onion powder

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 teaspoon of oregano

Combine the spices and rub well onto pork tenderloin. Add water to crock pot. Place pork tenderloin in the crock pot with the bay leaf and water. Cook on low overnight for 6-8 hours or until pork easily shreds. Shred the pork to desired consistency with a fork and leave in the crock pot on warm until ready to eat. (I cooked mine overnight, shredded before work then left on warm all day while I was at work!)

Sauce for taco: Mix together tablespoon of greek yogurt with milk, cumin, and cilantro. Stir until well blended and drizzle a spoonful over top of taco. 

Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Zap in the microwave for about 30 seconds to soften the tortillas. Top with pork, cheese and sauce and any other desired toppings. (I would stick with the basics for 21 Day Fixers.)

1 Red with pork

1 Yellow for two small corn tortillas

1 blue of desired cheese split between the two tacos

Sauce should not be used enough to count

I also used the leftover pork on a Flat Out bread pizza and that was wonderful as well. 

(Light) Spinach Alfredo

I know you heard the word "Alfredo" and thought "yeah, right!" But besides the store bought light Alfredo and a small dab of butter it's good to go! And it was delicious too! --Gregg approved--

2 cups penne pasta

10 oz light Alfredo sauce (Bertolli brand was the one I used)

10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and well drained

1 cup low fat cottage cheese

1/4 cup plain almond milk (or skim)

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1 egg

1/2 cup part skim Mozzerella cheese 

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray casserole dish with olive oil spray or cooking spray. (I used 9x13)

Cook pasta, drain, rinse in cold water, drain again well. 

Whisk Alfredo sauce with spinach, cottage cheese, milk, butter, garlic, and basil.

Add the pasta. 

Whisk in the egg. 

Pour into the dish and top with cheese. 

Bake for 25 minutes and then let sit for 10 minutes. 

Hope you love it as much as we did!

Mayo-less Egg Salad

I'm super excited that this only uses 6 ingredients and tasted awesome as well! I made this one recipe and ate lunch for 3 days with four eggs! That means it's cheap too. 

4 hard boiled eggs 

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon sweet relish

Salt and pepper

1-2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

Peel the hard boiled eggs and seperate the whites from the yolk. Save 3 whites and cut and mix the yolks with the 1 white. Add the remainder of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. 

Slice up the remaining whites to add to your sandwich if desired. I used whole grain sandwich thins. 

Yum! The less healthy version was definitely a childhood favorite!

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Yes this has BACON in it... No I did not even waste my time with turkey bacon--I got the real deal! This was also my first time trying out spaghetti squash. I loved it and also learned there are a zillion different ways to cook it.

Salt and pepper to taste

1 medium size spaghetti squash

4 slices of bacon chopped into small strips width wise (I got REAL thick cut bacon!) It's just a little bit!

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1/4 cup organic chicken broth

2 egg yolks, 1 whole egg

1 cup grated parmesan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. (This is hard and many people had different suggestions on doing this...google it). Spoon out seeds and pulp. Place facedown on baking dish with sides. Pour very small amount of water on the bottom of the pan to allow the squash to steam. Cook for 45 minutes or until shell is easily poked with a fork. Let cool for about ten minutes. With a fork, shred the squash and set in a large bowl. (Your way of preparing the squash may differ...bottom line, get the spaghetti part tender and out of the shell.)

In a large saute pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. Add the garlic and let that cook for about one minute. Add the broth and let that cook until all of the liquid evaporates. (I never thought that was possible but it took about 10 minutes.) Stir occasionally. 

In a medium bowl, mix the eggs with the cheese and add salt and pepper. Combine egg and cheese mixture with bacon mixture in the saute pan, warming the eggs but not allowing them to cook. Add the spaghetti squash. (Here is where I would add about a cup at a time so that you don't end up with too much squash and not enough egg mixture.) Mix well until squash is heated through. 

Serve immediately. I also served mine with a piece of garlic toast. Mmmmm. (It seemed to get a little soggy the longer I waited to eat it.)

Turkey Burritos with Cilantro and Lime Brown Rice

No need for Moe's--- I have found my favorite at home alternative! I was playing around in the kitchen with this one so I apologize for not having more accurate measurements. Tounges are great for that. 😉

Turkey Burritos

(Made about 6)

1 lb lean ground turkey

1 fresh tomato

Cumin

Garlic powder

Onion powder

Chili powder

1/4 cup water

1 package of whole grain, while wheat tortillas

Cook the turkey meat on medium heat in a large pan until cooked through. Breaking into small bits. 

Add tomatoes and desired amount of each seasoning. (I used a dash of chili powder, generous amount of cumin, dash of salt, and a few sprinkles of garlic powder and onion powder.)

Add water and let mixture simmer. Stir occasionally and serve. 

Suggested Toppings: Chopped fresh lettuce, reduced fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, shredded cheese, Cilantro Lime rice

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Brown rice (I used instant)

Fresh or pre chopped cilantro

Lime juice 

Salt

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cook rice according to package. 

Mix in olive oil, cilantro, salt and lime juice to taste. -This was delicious served on my Turkey Burrito. 

:) as you can see this was a taste tester and I just added until it had a great flavor.