Meatloaf: The Slimmer Version

Happy Halloween!
I don't know about you, but it is 5:30 as I type away, and I am ready for all of those cute little trick-or-treaters to start knocking on our door! Our block is aflutter on Halloween, and it is very fun to watch!

In honor of Halloween I decided to try something that I am rather scared of...meatloaf! When I think of meatloaf I just think of something heavy and bland and rather unhealthy. I turned my nose up at every serving as a child, but ever so often, when I would allow a tiny morsel into my mouth, I actually really did like the taste and texture. So, after running into my mom at the grocery store this afternoon, she convinced me that it was the right thing to make for dinner tonight! So on Halloween, I faced my fear of meatloaf and can now confidently say that meatloaf is indeed a yummy and easy dinner solution! Mom, I am sorry for refusing this tasty dish for so many years!

This recipe is so easy and honestly very yummy! It literally took me 5 minutes to put everything together and takes about 35 minutes to bake. Perfect on an evening where you are busy or rushed (or running to the door every few moments to hand out candy!). The recipe is inspired by a Cooking Light recipe, but I made some changes. The Ranch Dressing mix dry packet is something mom uses all the time to add extra flavor without adding extra fat. It is something you can always have on hand, such a nice short cut to big flavor!

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Ingredients:
1 pound of lean ground sirloin
6 tablespoons of ketchup, divided into 3 tablespoon portions
1/2 cup of bread crumbs, I used Italian
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons of skim milk
1 packet of ranch dressing mix (dry)

Steps:
1. Gather all of your ingredients.

2. Mix all of your ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Mold the mixture into a rectangular form in a shallow baking dish.

4. Top with the remaining 3 tablespoons of ketchup.

5. Bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
6. Enjoy with fresh baked bread and a vegetable medley!

Bunker Sliders

My husband makes the best burgers. They are always so flavorful and juicy, nicely balanced, and especially fun because he loves making them. So I call his burgers "Bunker Burgers" as they are so special and unique! He spent many tailgating years at Notre Dame perfecting his technique and recipe, and since then, he has tried out all kinds of new combinations, often to meet the tastes of his wife, a self proclaimed picky eater.

Happy 4th of July!

These sliders were born from our nostalgia for the Little Leaguers from "Ball's Hamburgers," a mainstay in the lives of anyone who grew up in Dallas, Texas. The one in our neighborhood (in Snider Plaza) closed a few years ago, and was replaced by, of all things, a Dunkin' Doughnuts Shop. I was unhappy for quite a few reasons, and very pleased when Dunkin' Doughnuts left that location after about a year. Ball's Hamburgers is still open on Northwest Highway and Midway, the burgers are still yummy, but the atmosphere is just not the same. Anyways, Bunker and I grew up eating these sliders after soccer games, during birthday parties, and for off-campus high school lunches. It is a sweet memory and an easy one to recreate at home!

These have a sweet twist by featuring Hawaiian Sweet Rolls!

My husband did ALL of the cooking on this one!

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Ingredients:
-We purchased .6 pounds of ground meat which equals .1 pounds of ground meat per burger (we used rather lean meat...98% lean...but you can use whatever you like).
-1 Tablespoon BBQ Sauces of your choice
-1 Tablespoon Ranch Dressing
-1/2 Tablespoon Horseradish
-Jack's Burger House Seasoned Salt to taste, at least 1 to 2 teaspoons (or your seasoning of choice...Jack's Burger House is another local burger joint that is just delicious! I think it is just called Burger House now, but people that have lived in Dallas for a long time remember it as Jack's...it is one of those places you could carve your name into the tables and write on the walls...those walls actually can tell a lot of stories!)
-Sliced cheeses of your choice, cut into four pieces each. Bunker used Muenster on his and he used Cheddar on mine.
-6 Hawaiian Sweet Rolls cut in half

Steps:
1. Mix together the ground meat, Tablespoon of BBQ sauce, Tablespoon of Ranch Dressing, 1/2 Tablespoon of Horseradish, and seasoned salt.
2. Form the mixture into 1/4 cup sized patties.

3. On your outside or inside grill, cook the burgers for about 2 minutes per side.

4. Add the sliced cheese to the burgers and cook for another 2 minutes. We covered the burgers to let them steam.

5. Stack on top of your sliced Hawaiian rolls and enjoy!

 Cort was on the move!

Puppies cooperated far better than we expected!!