Meatloaf by Mom

Alyssa asked me for my meatloaf recipe. I have 2, one that Dad & Jonathan loves and one that I like. Here they are:

The one Dad & Jonathan likes:
Dad's Meatloaf

3 lbs hamburger
1 c. food processed oatmeal or bread
3 eggs
1 can tomato soup
1 pkg dry onion soup mix mixed w/ 2 T water

Mix together

Bake 350 degrees 1 hour


The one I like:
Creole Meatloaf (with Chili Sauce)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 bottle (12 ounces) Heinz Chili Sauce
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions: Sauté onion, celery and green pepper in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in chili sauce. Combine 1/2 cup vegetable sauce mixture with ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg salt and pepper.
Shape into loaf (approximately 8 inches x 4 inches x 2 inches) in shallow baking pan. Bake in 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
Serve with remaining sauce (either cold or heated) over meatloaf.

Serves: 6

Granny's Caramel Corn by Angela

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup water

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Large bowl popped popcorn (about 3 bags if using microwave, 1-1/2 cup raw if popping that way)

1/4 tsp. baking soda

Bring all ingredients except popcorn and baking soda to a boil. Cook to 225 degrees or soft ball stage. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir well.

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls by Angela

Mom, here is the recipe you wanted:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

8 quarts popped popcorn

3/4 bag mini marshmallows

Mix popcorn and marshmallow in large bowl. (I put the marshmallows just on top so they melt more with the sauce).

Combine butter, sugar and syrup and cook until boils. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add vanilla. Pour over popcorn and mix well. You can now put them into balls. I usually just keep it in the bowl and eat it that way.

Ang

Tortellini Kielbasa Soup by Angela

Kathleen really wanted soup for dinner one night this week, so I made this soup totally off the cuff. And it was really good.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion-chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

2 stalks celery-sliced

1 can chicken broth

Frozen peas (about 1 cup)

Frozen, sliced carrots (about 1 cup)

1 Kielbasa (or other sausage if desired)-cut in chunks

Salt and Pepper to taste

Tortellini (I used the bigger sized package in the refrigerator section of store with 3 cheeses in it)

Saute onion and celery in butter in a pot. After vegetables are tender, add chicken broth, peas, carrots, and Kielbasa. Cook until everything is hot all the way through (10-20 minutes).

Cook tortellini according to package directions. At this point you can add them to the soup, or we served them on the side and mixed them in our individual bowls since we have picky kids. But it also stored really well with the soup separate from the tortellini. The noodles didn't get soggy when I reheated it and ate it for lunch the next day.

Ang

Tuna Bread Salad by Mom

When I was in Italy, many years ago, we had a bread salad. I loved it but forgot about it. Then I saw this on Ten Dollar Dinners and we made it last weekend (It only cost about $5). We changed her recipe a little. It was great. Even Dad liked it.

From Ten Dollar Dinners
Prep Time:15 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings.

Ingredients
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 peeled and diced cucumber (This was not in the recipe, but I added it.)
Salt and pepper
1 can great Northern white beans, drained
1 (5 to 6-ounce) can tuna, packed in oil, drained
1 shallot, thinly sliced (I didn't use this)
1 can olives, drained
1/2 long baguette, cut into cubes (slightly stale works great)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I doubled this)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (I doubled this)
3 tablespoons olive oil (I doubled this)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh basil leaves (or oregano)(I didn't use this)

Directions
In medium serving bowl, add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes before adding the cucumbers, beans, tuna, shallots and olives. Just before serving, mix in the bread cubes and combine gently. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle in the oil, whisking to blend. Pour over the salad just before serving. Add the basil and toss. Taste for seasoning before serving.