BBQ Meatloaf Done Right

I love meatloaf! A long time ago, my Mama gave me her recipe for BBQ Meatloaf. She actually took an original Martha Stewart recipe and made it much much better with her Mama powers.

As a testament to my love for the loaf of meat, I've revamped an old post of a classic favorite. I added a little bit of my own twist on the recipe. So, get 'cher tummies rumblin' because here we go!

You will need:

• 1 lb. ground sirloin
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 4 slices of white or wheat bread, diced
• 1 tsp. of Grey Poupon Mustard
• 1/2 medium onion diced
• 1 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tbsp. honey

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Place your bread bits in a medium sized mixing bowl, as seen above. Next add your ground sirloin, onions, egg, and brown sugar. If you want your meatloaf with a kick, add the red pepper flakes now or sprinkle some on after it's done.



Wash your hands because you're about to be wrist deep in raw meat. The best way to mix all the ingredients together is with your bare hands. I know it's gross, but grow up. Thoroughly mix 1 cup of BBQ sauce and Grey Poupon mustard into the meat with a spoon.

Take all the meat out of the mixing bowl and form it into a loaf shape on a greased baking pan. I don't like putting meatloaf in a loaf pan, you might as well be cooking your loaf in a bucket of grease. Moving on, in a small mixing bowl, combine the extra BBQ sauce and honey to make a tasty glaze. Pour the glaze  over the length of the meatloaf. Pop it in the oven for 50 minutes.

Yum! See? And all the grease leaked out. I suggest a side salad and some scalloped potatoes on the side of this meaty treat. Don't forget! The leftovers make fantastic sandwiches!

Love,

Liz

BBQ Cajun Turkey Melt

I don't want to brag, but I've been asked: How come when I make a sandwich it doesn't look as good as yours? There are two simple ingredients every sandwich needs, love and attention. You can't just slap a pile of ham on a piece of bread, slather on some mayo and except to be wowed. The key to a successful lunch is in you, my child.

You don't need gourmet ingredients to make a good sandwich. Start with the basics; bread, meat, vegetables, cheese, condiments. Spring on some bakery bread next time you're at the grocery store. It costs just as much as a regular loaf, except it's fresh baked every day! Try some new deli meats in the deli section. I guarantee it's better than whatever Oscar Meyers-Frankenstein creation they sell by the hotdogs.

To make this Cajun Creation you'll need to make a trip to the bakery and the deli, so get familiar with these locations! These are just the ingredients I prefer, feel free to substitute your own. But if you want the real deal, follow the list below.

You will need:

• 1 fresh baguette
• Tennessee Whiskey BBQ Sauce (or your favorite kind)
• Cajun Turkey Breast, sliced thin
• Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese mix (or your favorite kind)

 Cut the baguette into two 4-5 inch halves. Lightly drizzle BBQ sauce on the inside of each half of the baguette and the sprinkle some cheese on top. This cheese will act like a delicious glue to hold the turkey inside.

Add a pile of turkey on one of the bread halves. Stack it low, stack it high - just stack that turkey, guy. Drizzle some more BBQ sauce over the turkey and sprinkle on a good amount of cheese.

Pop the halves in the toaster oven at 250 degrees for 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted. Carefully assemble the hot sandwich halves and enjoy!

Love,

Liz

My Nanna's Twice-Baked Potatoes, Simply Satisfying!

One night, I was on the phone with my Nanna complaining about my boyfriend's eating habits. Here's the thing; I love mashed potatoes and gravy, but my boyfriend prefers baked potatoes. My Nanna suggested a compromise. "Why not make twice baked potatoes? They're just as soft as mashed potatoes but still baked on the outside!"

My Nanna is a genius. She's also the best chef in the world so of course she had a recipe. It was simple, tasty, and was sure to please the most discerning of potato lovers! Right off the top off her head, she told me . . .

 You will need:

• 2-4 large Idaho potatoes
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (your choice!)
• Butter
• Paprika
• Seasoning Salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry your potatoes. Use a tooth pick or a fork to poke several holes in them. Don't forget that part because potatoes can explode. That's a fact, look it up, brosef. Wrap each potato individually in foil then place in the oven. Bake for about 1 hour.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a butter knife to cut a criss cross pattern in the potatoes. Do not cut through the potato skin or the whole thing will just fall apart. Place a few small pads of butter, about 1/3 of a TBSP thick (just look on the label to see how much a TBSP of butter is, they usually mark for us) on the potatoes. Sprinkle on a little seasoning salt and some paprika, like so.

Place the seasoned potatoes back in the oven on an aluminum covered tray. Bake for 1 more hour. Remove them from the oven and sprinkle on your cheese of choice. Place back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Hopefully, yours Twice Baked Potatoes come out a little cheesier than mine did. Mmm, but they were still so good! These cheesy spuds make a great side for a steak or they can be a meal of they're own!

Hm, you know all this talk about Twice Baked Potatoes reminds me of a recipe I came across a few years ago. They may not be Nanna-fide, but they are most certainly bona fide in flavor!

Stay tuned to more Super College Chef and more Super Easy Recipes for College Students! Sorry, I think I've been watching The Hub too much. So many cartoons.

Love,

Liz

Hot Crackers: WARNING, Highly Addictive Snack

During the holidays I took a trip down to Jasper, TX on the border of Louisiana to visit my boyfriend's family. I love these people! We have homemade waffles and sausages for dinner whenever we come in to town.

Mema, the matriarch of the family, is a collector and keeper of some of the most scrumptious, down-home country recipes I've ever had the privilege to taste! One of her most famous creations is a snack so spicy, so tangy and crunchy you can't resist. Hot Crackers are my new favorite snack. I'm completely addicted!

Get'cher fixin's:

• 1 box of Saltine crackers
• 1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
• 1 1/4 cup of canola oil (no exceptions!)
• 4-5 TBSP crushed red pepper
• 1 big Ziplock bag

Dump out all the crackers into the Ziplock bag. In a small mixing bowl, combine the dry ranch seasoning, crushed red pepper, and canola oil with a whisk. Drizzle the mixture over the crackers as evenly as you can. For this next step, make sure the bag is closed tight.

Now get to shakin'! Toss that bag over and over in your hands to distribute the seasoning on the crackers. Don't shake too hard or you'll end up with a bunch of broken Hot Crackers. Keep shifting the crackers around in the spicy-tangy mixture every 20 minutes or so for about the next 4 hours.




Hot Crackers are great with chili, a sandwich, or on their own! It takes less than 5 days to finish off the whole bag in my house. Oops! Somebody's a piggy (it's me!).

Love,

Liz