Rasmussen Favorite Meatloaf

When you think of meatloaf, do you think of your grandma?  I feel like meatloaf is an old-fashioned kind of dish.  The name "meatloaf" isn't my favorite.  It sounds gross.  A loaf of meat?  That's just weird.  But I actually really like meatloaf.  Especially this recipe.  It's out of my ward cookbook and it comes from one of my favorite families.  If you haven't had meatloaf for a while, this might be the recipe for you.

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1 tsp. mustard

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 eggs

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 tsp. pepper

*Mix tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard. Set aside. Mix ground beef, eggs, onion, oatmeal and pepper. Add half of sauce. Form into a square loaf. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Pour remaining sauce over the top and bake for 10 more minutes.  You can also form them into meatballs and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Tamale Pie

I have always loved this dish. It's pretty easy, tastes great and makes for yummy leftovers.

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 onion chopped
2 8oz cans tomato sauce
2 tsp. chile powder
1 can corn
1 tsp. salt
couple shakes of garlic salt
1 1/2 cups grated cheese

Cook hamburger and onions in skillet until done. Add rest of ingredients except the cheese. Simmer for 10 min. Then, stir in cheese until melted and pour into 9x13 pan.

Cornmeal Top
3/4 cup cornmeal
1 Tbs. butter
2 cups water
1/2 c. cheese

Boil water. Add butter and cornmeal. Stir quickly to avoid too many lumps. Add cheese. Spoon and spread over meat mixture. Bake at 375 for 35 minutes. Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Romaine Salad

This salad recipe came from Nat's mother-in-law and has become one of our favorites.
1 head of Romaine lettuce, torn into pieces

tomato, chopped

cooked, crumbled bacon

shredded parmesan cheese

shredded swiss cheese

Dressing
3/4 cup oil

juice of one large lemon

3 cloves of garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

*You can put as much of each salad ingredient as you like. Toss with dressing right before serving.

Red and White Spaghetti

We all have our favorite ways to make spaghetti. I thought I would share mine. The "white" spaghetti came about because Tucker doesn't like "red" spaghetti. So I would set aside a little of the noodles for him and make his separate. Then all the kids decided they liked his better. So now I cook 16 oz. of Angel Hair and divide it in half to make both kinds.
Red Sauce

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 packet spaghetti seasoning (I like Lawry's and Walmart's "Italian style" the best)

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

*Brown beef, add the rest, simmer for 10 minutes. Serve over angel hair pasta.

White Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup shredded parmesan (the real kind)

1 tsp. Good Season's Italian dressing mix

*Mix well with hot angel hair.

Taco Macaroni Skillet

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chiles

1 package taco seasoning

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups dried elbow macaroni

2/3 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese

*Cook beef until brown. Stir in tomatoes, chiles, and taco seasoning. Stir and add water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni and return to boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in evaporated milk. Remove from heat and add cheese on top. Let sit 10 minutes and then serve.

*Helpful hint: As you can see in the picture, I tried rigatoni pasta instead of macaroni and it didn't go over well. The pasta was too big. My kids like it with the macaroni better.

Pork Chops and Asparagus

I got this pork chop marinade recipe from Williams Sonoma a few years ago when Ryan and I were living in Wisconsin and had nothing else to do in the dead of winter except go to the mall. We always stop in Williams Sonoma so I can look longingly at all of the latest kitchen accessories and so Ryan can get a sample of whatever they offering that day. This time it was grilled pork chops. We both agreed that they were delicious and full of flavor. We gladly took a copy of the recipe home with us. These are very easy and very healthy!

Marinade:
3 Tb. soy sauce
3 Tb. olive oil
zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 medium limes
2 jalapeno peppers diced
5 cloves garlic minced
4 pork regular pork chops or 8 thin sliced pork chops

Combine ingredients and pour over pork chops in a ziploc bag. Refrigerate for 2-6 hours. Remove chops and grill.


asparagus
olive oil
salt
pepper

Wash and break asparagus. Heat over medium heat in saucepan until done.

Sunday Roast

Nothin' better than a juicy, tender roast on Sunday!! This is a favorite in our household. It's very easy and very tasty! The soups make for great flavor and great gravy. I love, love, love cooking meat in my crock pot because it always come out so tender. Sorry for the picture. I was in a hurry.

Sunday Roast:
2 - 3lbs. beef, chuck roast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 packet Lipton onion soup

Put roast in crock pot. Mix soups and pour over roast. Cook on low all day or high for 6 hours. Enjoy!