Meatloaf (Times 3)

I know that meatloaf is one of those feared meals by many children and probably by their parents too. I admit that when I was a kid, I DUMPED on the ketchup to disguise the taste. I've come to appreciate meatloaf and what it has to offer.

I make it a lot because my husband really likes it so I'm always trying to find ways to make it a little bit healthier and not just 100% meat. I add lots of veggies and even some fruit that really helps to make it really juicy. I also use ground turkey instead of ground beef so it cuts back on some of the fat. The latest thing I changed was substituting oatmeal for the bread crumbs. Adding oatmeal adds a lot of fiber and way less sodium.

Here's the nutritional breakdown for using saltines, breadcrumbs, and oatmeal:

Breadcrumbs (1 1/2 cups): 9g fat, 1200 mg sodium, 114g carbohydrates, 6g dietary fiber, 24g protein

Saltines (1/2 cup): 1.5g fat, 300 mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 0g dietary fiber, 6g protein

Oatmeal (1 1/2 cups): 7.5g fat, 0 mg sodium, 81 g carbohydrates, 12 g dietary fiber, 18 g protein

If you're skeptical about using oatmeal, don't be, my husband didn't even notice that there was any oatmeal in it. I didn't grind it up but if you want to make it even less noticeable you can grind up the oatmeal in a food processor. Be brave and try it!

Jade's Oatmeal Meatloaf


1 1/2 cup oatmeal (if desired, grind in food processor)
2 lbs ground turkey
Juice of 1 lime
3/4 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1 small onion diced
2 stalks celery, finely diced
1 small red pepper, diced
2 eggs

Mix vegetables, ketchup, soy sauce, water, lime, eggs and oatmeal together until well blended. Add ground turkey and mix well. Pat into bread loaf pan and bake one hour at 350 degrees.

I served the meatloaf with Half and Half Sweet Potato Mashed Potatoes which I mentioned in the post 10 Healthful Foods For Cents a Serving. You can do whatever ratio of regular potatoes to sweet potatoes that you like. We always keep the skin on them too, just like the article said too.




Here are meatloaf recipes using breadcrumbs and saltines. The breadcrumb recipe is more traditional and the saltine recipe is similar to the one above with a few variations.

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg onion soup mix

Blend all together thoroughly. Make into a loaf in a baking dish. Pour over top 8 oz can tomato sauce or ketchup. Bake 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Family preference is to top with a squiggle of ketchup.


Luau Meat Loaf

8 1/4 oz can pineapple chunks or tidbits
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 14 crackers)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 lbs ground beef

Combine egg, ketchup, soy sauce, crushed crackers, onion, green pepper, and ginger. Add meat and pineapple. Mix well. Pat meat mixture into an 8 by 4 by 2 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 hours.

Honey Glazed Chinese Chicken

I made this recipe for my family while I was at home for the summer.  Instead of baking it in the oven I grilled it to keep the house cooler.  The skin was nice and crisp and this sauce is really delicious, just the right balance of sweet with just a hint of spiciness.  It was great served up with white rice and looked really great on the plate.  This is one of those "fancy" dishes that look like they took a lot more work than they really did.

A few notes when changing the method of cooking.  I forgot to cook these on a lower temperature on the grill so the outside was perfect but the inside was slightly underdone.  I ended up having to put the chicken in the oven anyways which was a big bummer.  We all need to make mistakes to learn from them and this was mine.  So learn from my mistake and enjoy!



Honey Glazed Chinese Chicken

1/2 cup teriyaki marinade and sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 lbs chicken drumsticks
1 green onion, thinly sliced (for garnish)
Sesame seeds (for garnish)

Combine the first 3 ingredients; pour over chicken in a large Ziploc.  Press air out of bag and close the top.  Turn bag over several times to coat all the pieces well.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight, turning the bag over occasionally.

Bake chicken at 350 degrees F for 1 hour, turning pieces over and basting with pan juices after 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with green onion and sesame seeds before serving.

You may also be interested in:

Cantonese Black Pepper Beef with Green Beans

5 Ingredient Pepper Steak

Quinoa Fried Rice

Soba Noodles with Sweet Ginger Scallion Sauce