Skinny Mini Turkey Meatloaves

Growing up, my mom made a mean meatloaf. I loved it so much, that I requested it for my birthday dinner when I turned 9. All of my other friends had pizza parties and junkfood. I had meatloaf.

The other night I had a hankering for meatloaf. I wanted to keep it healthy, but full of flavor. And so these Skinny Mini Turkey Meatloaves were born.

 

Skinny Mini Turkey Meatloaves
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup milk
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon beef base (you can use beef bouillon, but beef base is better)
1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
5 slices smoked turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled (I like to cook mine in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes)

 

 

Glaze

1/4 cup ketchup

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. )I used silicone muffin liners).

In a small bowl, mix together the oats and milk. Let the oats soak while the rest of the ingredients are prepared. In a large bowl, mix together the onion, garlic, beef base, barbecue sauce, egg, black pepper, and bacon until well combined. Stir in the oat and milk mixture until combined. Stir in the ground turkey until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the meat mixture into the muffin pan. You should be able to fill all 12 cups. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and brown sugar. Spoon a small amount on each mini loaf, and spread over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the mini meatloaves are cooked through.



Best Ever Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

  

My husband and I used to be on opposite sides of the Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Debate.

Chewy vs. Crispy

I am on the chewy side. I love a nice crisp on the outer edges, but the inside needs to be chewy! My husband, however, was brought up on thick, crispy cookies made with shortening. I like that buttery, melt-in-your-mouth center, while my husband likes a crispy cookie to dip in milk.

After several years, lots of testing, and lots of tasting, I have finally created a recipe that has won my husband over to the dark side.....I mean, the chewy side.

Best Ever Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

12 tablespoons  butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (or more if you prefer)

First, you need to brown the butter. There are some great tutorials with pictures online, but essentially you melt the butter over medium high heat until it bubbles, foams, and the milk solids brown. It should have a nice nutty aroma to it. Allow the brown butter to cool for a few minutes. Then mix it with the brown sugar in a large bowl. Next stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the dry ingredients until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Refrigerate the dough until firm; about an hour.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Scoop the cookie dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes (or if you have a husband that likes to dip his cookies in milk, bake for 14 minutes). The edges will look done, but the middle should look soft and puffy. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, and then enjoy!

Adapted from Our Best Bites

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buddies

 

 

Muddy Buddies + the flavors of chocolate chip cookie dough = Addictive!

When my husband eats more of these than I do, you know it must be good.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Buddies

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup + 2 tablepsoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
6 ounces white chocolate
1 teaspoon oil
3 cups Chex cereal (I used Rice Chex)

Measure out the Chex cereal in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugars, flour, and salt. Mix well, making sure there are no lumps of brown sugar. Microwave the white chocolate in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Stir in the oil. Pour the chocolate over the Chex cereal and stir carefully until the cereal is well coated. Stir* in 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips until well distributed. Pour in the flour/sugar mixture and remaining chocolate chips until all the cereal is coated. Enjoy!

*Adding the chocolate chips at this stage ensures that the chips don't just sink to the bottom of the bowl if they were added with the flour/sugar mixture.

Hash Brown Crusted Quiche

This dish features all the favorite breakfast foods--sausage, eggs, and hashbrowns--in a beautiful, cheesy quiche! It's so easy to put together because hashbrowns form the crust!

Hash Brown Crusted Quiche
3 1/2 cups shredded frozen hash browns, thawed
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup whole milk or 2% milk
8 ounces turkey sausage
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the hash browns with the melted butter and press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie plate to form a crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and starting to crisp.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage and onion in a small pan over medium heat until the sausage is browned and the onions are tender.
Beat the eggs in a large bowl, and add the sausage mixture and remaining ingredients. When the hash brown crust is done, pour the egg mixture over it and put it back in the oven. Turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for about 30 minutes until the quiche is light golden brown and puffy.

Adapted from Food Network