Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

This chicken spaghetti casserole is low and calories and can easily be made ahead. The recipe makes two casseroles so enjoy one for dinner and freeze the other for later.

This chicken spaghetti casserole is low and calories and can easily be made ahead. The recipe makes two casseroles so enjoy one for dinner and freeze the other for later. To prepare the frozen casserole, cover and bake for 55 minutes at 350°; uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 4 servings each (serving size: about 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast 
• 2 cups uncooked spaghetti noodles, broken into 2-inch pieces (about 7 ounces)
• 1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices celery 
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (10.75-ounce) cans condensed 30% reduced-sodium 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided 

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. 2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine broth, salt, pepper, and soup in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add soup mixture to chicken mixture; toss. Divide mixture evenly between 2 (8-inch) square or (2-quart) baking dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese over each casserole. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Read more »

Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Easy Cheesy Chicken Casserole

This easy, cheesy chicken casserole is guaranteed to be a hit at pot luck dinners and family meals. The creamy chicken mixture is topped with a buttery cracker mixture and poppy seeds and totally impossible to resist.

This is a recipe that I created by combining a few different recipes. My husband loves it and it is always a hit at reunions and potlucks.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped 
• 16-oz. pkg. wide egg noodles, cooked
• 24-oz. container sour cream 
• 2 (10 3/4-oz.) cans cream of chicken soup
• 8-oz. pkg. shredded Cheddar cheese 
• 8-oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 sleeve round buttery crackers, crushed
• 1/4 cup margarine, melted 
• 2 tablespoons poppy seed

Preparation

1. Combine chicken, noodles, sour cream, soup and cheeses in a large bowl. Pour into a lightly greased 13"x9" baking dish. Mix together cracker crumbs and margarine; sprinkle over top. Sprinkle poppy seed over cracker crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until crackers are crispy and golden and cheese is melted.

Read more »

Santa Maria Smoked Tri-Tip

Santa Maria, California

Meat: Tri-tip steak
Sauce: Salsa

Santa Maria beef barbecue calls for tri-tip steak, a cut of beef also known as bottom sirloin or sirloin tip. The pros cook their meat over specially-crafted pits, often with a crank and pulley controlling the temperature by raising and lowering the grate over a red oak log fire. The sirloin's ready to enjoy much more quickly than brisket or pork shoulder, and generally served rare to medium instead of well done. The customary topping is a mild green-chile-and-tomato-salsa.

Flavorful tri-tip steak is a cut of beef also known as bottom sirloin or sirloin tip. Compared to other styles of barbecue, this recipe for smoked tri-tip comes together quickly, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner. 

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and 1/4 cup salsa)

Ingredients

• 3 cups hickory wood chips
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (2 1/4-pound) tri-tip steak, trimmed
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups Santa Maria Salsa
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

1. Soak wood chips in water 1 hour; drain well.
2. Combine salt, pepper, and garlic powder; sprinkle evenly over steak. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
3. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill, heating one side to high and one side to medium. Place wood chips on hot coals on medium-heat side of grill; heat wood chips 10 minutes. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill.
4. Lightly coat steak with cooking spray. Place steak on grill rack over high-heat side of grill; grill 6 minutes, turning 3 times. Place steak on grill rack over medium-heat side of grill; grill 40 minutes or until a thermometer registers 140° (medium-rare) or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve with Santa Maria Salsa; garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
5. Wine note: Tri-tip from California's Santa Ynez Valley goes naturally with a full-throttle merlot from the same region. Gainey Merlot 2004 (Santa Ynez Valley, California), $26, is plush and plummy, with enough structure to stand up to the steak, the char-smokiness of the wood chips, and the pungency of the salsa. --Karen MacNei

Read more »

Texas-Style Smoked Brisket

Central Texas

Meat: Beef, especially brisket
Sauce: None, or a thin jus

In Texas, barbecue is about the beef–if there's any sauce, it's a thin, spicy pan sauce made from the meat drippings. In all of the area's barbecue bastions, pitmasters smoke hefty hunks of beef, usually brisket, for up to a full day.

Try barbecue Texas style, which is the beef brisket -- if there is any sauce, it is a thin, spicy pan sauce made from the meat drippings. Look for a flat-cut brisket, which will be a fairly even thickness, and leave the fat layer on for the best results.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: about 3 ounces brisket and about 3 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• Brisket:
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 (7-ounce) can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (12-ounce) can beer 
• 1 (4 1/2-pound) flat-cut brisket (about 3 inches thick)
• 8 hickory wood chunks (about 4 pounds)
• 2 cups water
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups (1/2-inch) sliced onion
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño peppers
• Sauce:
• 1 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ketchup 
• 1 tablespoon pickled jalapeño liquid

Preparation

1. To prepare brisket, combine the first 5 ingredients. Place 2 tablespoons sugar mixture in a blender. Set aside remaining sugar mixture.
2. Remove 2 chiles and 2 tablespoons sauce from can; add to blender. Reserve remaining chiles and sauce for another use. Add 1 cup chopped onion and next 3 ingredients (through beer) to blender; process until smooth. Combine brisket and chipotle mixture in a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 24 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain. Remove brisket from bag, discarding marinade. Pat brisket dry, and rub with remaining sugar mixture. Let brisket stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 225°.
5. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray, and place on grill.
6. Place brisket on grill rack over foil pan on unheated side. Close lid; cook 3 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer registers 170°. Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time.
7. Preheat oven to 250°.
8. Remove brisket from grill. Place sliced onion and jalapeño on a large sheet of aluminum foil. Top with brisket; seal tightly. Place foil-wrapped brisket in a large baking pan. Bake at 250° for 1 1/2 hours or until thermometer registers 190°. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, 1 hour. Unwrap brisket, reserving juices; trim and discard fat. Cut brisket across grain into thin slices.
9. To prepare sauce, finely chop sliced onion and jalapeño; set aside. Place brisket juices in a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain 1/2 cup drippings into a saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat and remaining drippings. Add onion, jalapeño, broth, and remaining ingredients to pan; cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
10. Beer note: Smoky brisket calls for a smoky beer. Although the Lone Star State makes some excellent brews (any of which would pair well with Texas barbecue), try Germany's Aecht Schlenkerla Maerzen beer, which has an alluring aroma of bacon and smoked sausage from the use of smoked barley. Its full body and gentle malt sweetness balance the spicy sauce. At 16.9 ounces, one bottle ($4) is enough to share

Read more »

Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce

Lexington, North Carolina

Meat: Pulled pork shoulder
Sauce: Thin, vinegar-based

Pulled pork shoulder is the signature BBQ style in Lexington. Slow, low-heat cooking is key to tender pork that shreds easily. While the pork is still warm, shred it into uneven shards, mixing together some of the crisp, dark outer meat with the moister interior meat. Combine the classic Piedmont sauce–a thin, vinegar-based mixture–with the meat for a tangy kick, or mix it with shredded cabbage for Lexington coleslaw.

You'll need to start this recipe a day ahead to allow ample time for the wood chunks to soak and the flavors of the dry rub to penetrate the meat. Slow, low-heat cooking is key to tender pork that shreds easily. While the pork is still warm, shred it into uneven shards, mixing together some of the crisp, dark outer meat with the moister interior meat. Combine the classic Piedmont sauce--a thin, vinegar-based mixture--with the meat for a tangy kick, or mix it with shredded cabbage for Lexington coleslaw.

Yield: 13 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 8 hickory wood chunks (about 4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
• 2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt) 
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 2 1/4 cups water, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• Cooking spray
• Sauce:
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup ketchup 
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain.
2. Combine turbinado sugar and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper); reserve 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Rub half of the remaining sugar mixture onto pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.
3. Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork.
4. Combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and oil in a small saucepan; cook over low heat 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.
5. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 225°. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour remaining 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place on grill.
6. Place pork on grill rack over foil pan on the unheated side. Close lid, and cook for 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 170°, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture). Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time. Discard any remaining vinegar mixture.
7. Preheat oven to 250°.
8. Remove pork from grill. Wrap pork in several layers of aluminum foil, and place in a baking pan. Bake at 250° for 2 hours or until a thermometer registers 195°. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.
9. To prepare sauce, combine 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 5 minutes). Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork

Read more »

Memphis Pork and Coleslaw Sandwich

Memphis, Tennessee

Meat: Pulled pork and ribs

Sauce: Medium-bodied, tangy, tomato-based

As the center of Southern barbecue, Memphis offers a style of sauce somewhere between the thin, tangy Carolina version and the sweet, thick variety typical of Kansas City.

If you've never eaten slaw on, rather than with, a sandwich, you're in for a treat. Locals enjoy premier pork sandwiches topped with a mustard-laced slaw.

If you've never eaten slaw on rather than with a sandwich, you're in for a treat. You'll need to start the pork and soak the wood chunks a day ahead; you can make the mustard-laced slaw a day in advance as well. If you'd rather not have sandwiches, serve the meat as is or use it to flavor baked beans.

Yield: 13 servings (serving size: 1 bun, 3 ounces pork, about 1/3 cup slaw, and about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• Pork:
• 8 hickory wood chunks (about 4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 (5-pound) bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt) 
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 (12-ounce) can beer 
• 2 cups water
• Cooking spray
• Slaw:
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups chopped green cabbage
• Remaining ingredients:
• 13 hamburger buns 
• 1 2/3 cups Memphis Barbecue Sauce

Preparation

1. To prepare pork, soak wood chunks in water about 16 hours; drain.
2. Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through dry mustard); reserve 1 tablespoon paprika mixture. Rub half of remaining paprika mixture onto pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate overnight.
3. Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of paprika mixture onto pork.
4. Combine reserved 1 tablespoon paprika mixture, 1/3 cup vinegar, Worcestershire, oil, and beer in a small saucepan; cook over low heat 5 minutes or until warm.
5. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-low and leaving one side with no heat. Maintain temperature at 225°. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chunks to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place grill rack on grill.
6. Place pork on grill rack over foil pan on unheated side. Close lid; cook 4 1/2 hours or until a thermometer registers 170°, gently brushing pork with beer mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture). Add additional wood chunks halfway during cooking time. Discard any remaining beer mixture.
7. Preheat oven to 250°.
8. Remove pork from grill. Wrap pork in several layers of aluminum foil, and place in a baking pan. Bake at 250° for 2 hours or until a thermometer registers 195°. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.
9. While pork bakes, prepare slaw. Combine onion and next 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) in a large bowl. Add cabbage, and toss to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours before serving. Serve pork and slaw on buns with Memphis Barbecue Sauce.

Read more »

Kansas City Barbecued Chicken

Kansas City, Missouri

Meat: Any–it's a vehicle for sauce
Sauce: Thick, sweet, tomato-based

It's all about the sauce in Kansas City. Pitmasters specialize without prejudice in brisket, spareribs, and even chicken and sausage. What doesn't vary is the style of the tomato-based, sweet, and sticky sauce, long established as America's favorite barbecue topping. (KC Masterpiece is a popular commercial version.)

Meaty chicken leg quarters stay moister on the grill than chicken breasts and are a perfect vehicle for the sauce. The thick sauce glazes the meat, making for delightfully sticky-fingered eating. Substitute any other wood chips for hickory.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 chicken leg-thigh quarter and 2 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• 4 cups hickory wood chips
• 8 (10-ounce) bone-in chicken leg-thigh quarters 
• 1/4 cup Kansas City Dry Rub
• 2 cups water
• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups Kansas City Barbecue Sauce

Preparation

1. Soak wood chips in water 1 hour; drain well.
2. Loosen skin from thighs and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub Kansas City Dry Rub evenly under loosened skin; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Remove grill rack; set aside. Prepare grill for indirect grilling, heating one side to medium-high and leaving one side with no heat.
4. Pierce bottom of a disposable aluminum foil pan several times with the tip of a knife. Place pan on heated side of grill; add half of wood chips to pan. Place another disposable aluminum foil pan (do not pierce pan) on unheated side of grill. Pour 2 cups water in pan. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; place grill rack on grill.
5. Place chicken on grill rack over foil pan on unheated side. Close lid; cook 1 1/2 hours. Add additional wood chips halfway during cooking time. Turn chicken over; cover and cook 30 minutes or until a thermometer registers 165°. Remove chicken from grill; let stand 10 minutes. Remove and discard skin.
6. Bring sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan. Brush chicken with 1/2 cup sauce. Serve chicken with remaining sauce.

Read more »

French Market Meat Loaf

French Market Meat Loaf

Serve a spicy, Louisiana-style meatloaf made with Cajun sausage links, dried thyme and oregano, and beef broth (to keep the loaf moist). A mild Tomato Gravy accents the bold Creole flavors of the meatloaf.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (8-ounce) package Cajun sausage links, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced 
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 pounds ground beef 
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• Tomato Gravy

Preparation

1. Cook first 8 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Drain on paper towels; cool.
2. Stir together ground beef and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in sausage mixture. Shape meat mixture into an 11 1/2- x 4-inch loaf; place in a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan.
3. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until meat mixture is no longer pink in center; drain meat loaf, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with Tomato Gravy.

Read more »

Meatloaf with Green Chile-Tomato Gravy

Meatloaf with Green Chile-Tomato Gravy

Spice up any meatloaf meal with a zesty Green Chile-Tomato Gravy. The bright flavor from the green chiles complements the mild meatloaf. Serve to dinner guests that enjoy a little heat.

Prep: 15 min., Bake: 45 min.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds ground chuck 
• 1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 small onion, minced 
• 1/4 cup ketchup 
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Green Chile-Tomato Gravy

Preparation

1. Stir together first 8 ingredients in a large bowl just until combined. Shape into 4 (4-inch) loaves, and place in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
2. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink in center. Serve with Green Chile-Tomato Gravy.

Read more »

Basil-Tomato Meatloaf Sandwich

Basil-Tomato Meatloaf Sandwich

The best thing about meatloaf, next to that first piping hot forkful, is the leftovers. Use the Old-fashioned Meat Loaf recipe for dinner, then save the leftovers to make this tasty brown-bag treat for tomorrow's lunch. Top a couple slices of meatloaf with a homemade basil spread. It's so good, you'll want to double the recipe.

Prep: 10 min. You'll love the flavor boost when you stir fresh basil into mayonnaise. If you're uncomfortable chopping the basil, snip it with scissors or chop it in a mini-processor. Because the meatloaf slices are not very wide, it takes two to cover a slice of bread.

Yield: Makes 4 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 8 hearty white bread slices 
• 8 (1/2-inch-thick) cold meatloaf slices 
• 1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce 
• 2 plum tomatoes, sliced 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. 1. Stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil. Spread 1 Tbsp. mayonnaise mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Top 4 bread slices, mayonnaise sides up, evenly with meatloaf slices, shredded lettuce, and tomato slices; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining bread slices, mayonnaise sides down.
2. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Sara Lee Honey White Bakery Bread.

Read more »

Old-fashioned Meatloaf

Old-fashioned Meatloaf

Make your mama proud, and maybe a little jealous, with a robust meatloaf recipe packed with Greek and Creole seasonings and a hint of garlic. Spice up the traditional ketchup topping with a few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

This Southern meatloaf recipe features Creole and Greek seasonings and a hint of garlic. A few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce spice up the traditional ketchup topping.

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 3 celery ribs, finely chopped 
• 1/2 large onion, finely chopped 
• 2 pounds lean ground beef 
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs 
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Greek seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon ketchup 
• Garnish: chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation

1. Melt butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; add celery and onion, and sauté 7 minutes or just until tender.
2. Stir together celery mixture, ground beef, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, breadcrumbs, and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into a 10- x 5-inch loaf; place on a lightly greased broiler rack. Place rack in an aluminum foil-lined broiler pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and 1 tablespoon ketchup until blended; pour evenly over meatloaf, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until no longer pink in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
4. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning and Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning.

Read more »

Diner Meat Loaf "Muffins"

Diner Meat Loaf "Muffins"

Use a muffin tin to bake mini meatloaves. It decreases bake time and is ideal for making extra, freezer-friendly loaves for later. Thanks to the shorter cook time, you can get this recipe on the table in less than 30 minutes. Order's up!

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 "muffins")

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil 
• 1 cup finely chopped onion 
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot 
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 cup ketchup, divided 
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef, extra lean (raw) 
• 1 cup finely crushed fat-free saltine crackers (about 20)
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs 
• Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion, chopped carrot, dried oregano, and minced garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Cool.
3. Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup ketchup, and the remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a large bowl.
4. Spoon the meat mixture into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Top each with 2 teaspoons ketchup. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Read more »