Best Meatloaf I Ever Made

1 TBSP butter
1/4 c minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lbs extra-lean ground beef
3 sliced bread, toasted and crumbled
7 buttery round crackers, crushed
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 1/2 TBSP sour cream
1 1/2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 15oz can tomato sauce, divided
1/4 c milk (optional)
3 TBSP ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the onion and garlic 5 minutes, until onion is tender.  Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl mix the onion and garlic, beef, crumbled bread, crushed crackers, egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 can tomato sauce.  Gradually stir in the milk 1 tsp at a time until mixture is moist, but not soggy.  Transfer the mixture to a 5x9 loaf pan.

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 40 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees and continue baking 15 minutes, to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup.  Pour over the top of the meatloaf, and continue baking 10 minutes.

submitted by Kathy Bringhurts

Crockpot Nachos

4-5 frozen chicken breasts
1 can drained black beans
1 can drained whole kernel corn
1 (15oz) jar of salsa
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese

Take the frozen, yes, frozen, boneless chicken breasts and put into crockpot. Add drained corn, black beans, and a jar of salsa. Dump it right on top of chicken. Cover and cook in crockpot on high for 4 hours or until chicken forks apart. Add 1 package of cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit for about 1/2 hour. Stir together.

(I think it's easier to remove the chicken from the crockpot and shred it, then return to the crockpot and add the cream cheese. Stir til mixed well.)

Serve over tortillas or chips and add some of your favorite toppings. Sour cream, guacamole, olives, tomatoes, onions, cheese. Or you could serve it over sticky rice.

submitted by Jeri Heaps

Provencal Leg of Lamb

2 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 (2lb) piece boneless leg of lamb, butterflied
2 tbsp horseradish mustard
1/2 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf

Combine 1 tsp oil, the garlic, rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl until mixed well. brush both sides of the lamb with the mustard, then press the herb mixture evenly over the lamb.

Heat the remaining 1 tsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. transfer the lamb to a 5-6 quart slow cooker.

Add the broth and bay leaf to the skillet, bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Pour over the lamb. Cook covered, until the lamb is fork-tender, 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and cut into 16 slices. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

(Note: When a piece of meat is butterflied, it is split open horizontally almost all the way through, then opened up like a book. If you don't see butterflied leg of lamb in the meat case, ask the butcher to prepare one for you.)

submitted by Claire Ashby

Crockpot Chicken Spaghetti

6 chicken breasts (or 15 chicken tenders)
1 onion, chopped
8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
2pkgs dry Schillings Spaghetti Seasoning
1/2 c water
16oz cream cheese
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 c melted butter

Place chicken, onion, mushrooms, and seasoning in a crockpot. Make sure spaghetti seasoning covers all of the chicken breasts. Pour 1/2 c water into crockpot, just to cover bottom of pot. Cook chicken in crockpot for 4-6 hours. Mix together cream cheese, canned soup, and butter and pour over chicken. Cook one more hour until hot. Serve over angel hair pasta.

serves 8-10

submitted by Angela Jessop

Shoyu Chicken

1 cut up fryer chicken
1 c soy sauce
1 c sugar
1 c water
3-4 c cooked sticky rice

Combine soy sauce, sugar, and water in crockpot - mix well. Add chicken. cook 4-5 hours until chicken is tender. Serve chicken and sauce over warm rice. Can also be done in a large pan on top of the stove and only takes about 1 hour to cook.

Recipe Submitted by Michelle Skousen (recipe exchange)