Firehouse Spinach Meatloaf

David was at our local Station 1 Firehouse shortly before dinner one day and they were making spinach meatloaf. He came home excited and wanted me to recreate it, so on my second attempt I came up with this recipe.

You'll need: ground turkey (or beef), spinach, diced onion, grated Parmesan, oats, eggs, and garlic.

Blend everything except the meat until mostly smooth.

Add meat and blend some more. You'll need a 9 cup or larger blender or you'll want to separate into smaller batches.

Bake for an hour and a half at 350 F and don't be surprised when it comes out looking kind of ugly. It tastes much better than it looks. Ketchup isn't required, but does compliment it nicely when serving.
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How do you eat your spinach?

Zucchini Meatloaf

Zucchini week continues with this amazingly delicious meatloaf that I spent 2 summers perfecting. Did you know that you can freeze zucchini? Simply shred it and stick it in a freezer bag for later. This recipe works great with the frozen stuff, though you do need to thaw it first.

This zucchini meatloaf recipe is delicious. It keeps it's loaf shape, but is extremely moist and easily eaten by even the littlest of meat eaters. (Wyatt was eating this before his first birthday). It's also healthy enough to please me, while still being traditional enough to please my husband (and have him tell me to make it more often). This meatloaf is easy to make and will have you anxiously awaiting dinner once the aroma fills the room about half way through it's cooking time.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb ground beef or turkey
2 eggs
3/4 C quick oats
3/4 C shredded zucchini
1/3 C* + 1/4 C ketchup, divided
8 tsp dried minced onion
4 tsp beef bouillon (4 cubes crushed)
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp pepper




Preheat oven to 350 F
Grease a standard loaf pan and set aside.
Mix beef, eggs, oats, zucchini, 1/3C ketchup*, dried onion, bouillon, onion powder, and pepper together in a large bowl until well incorporated.
Pack the mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Spread the remaining 1/4 C ketchup on top.
Bake for 1 hour** or until cooked through (may take an extra15-20 minutes).
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes.
Enjoy!


*the 1/3 ketchup in the meatloaf mixture can be substituted either partially or entirely for tomato sauce.
**if you need to speed things along a bit, bump up the temperature to 400 anytime after the 30 minute mark.


This recipe originally appeared on 8/21/13 @oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I wrote and transferred it here.

Don't forget to check back all week as I share more of my favorite zucchini recipes!

Do you freeze zucchini?

Healthier Stuffed Peppers

I love stuffed peppers! Unfortunately for me, David is not a pepper fan, so I don't make them as often as I'd like. There is something so satisfying about digging your fork into the middle of a steaming pepper and pulling out this rich and comforting combination. Mmm, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

Serves 6

6 medium/large bell peppers, seeded

1 lb ground turkey/venison/beef

1/2 onion, chopped

8 oz tomato sauce

1 T minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 T Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 C cooked rice

Preheat oven to 350 F

Cut tops off the peppers and remove cores. Trim the stems from the tops and discard. Chop the remaining part of the tops; set aside. 

Arrange pepper shells in a steamer over boiling water, cover, and steam 5-10 minutes, until tender. Drain shells and set aside.

In large skillet, combine turkey, onion, and reserved chopped pepper. Cook over medium heat until turkey is cooked- approximately 7-8 minutes. Drain off any excess grease. 

Add the tomato sauce, garlic, basil, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. 

Mix in the rice (use less rice for smaller peppers and more rice for bigger peppers or leftover filling).

Spoon mixture into the pepper shells; then place the peppers upright in a baking dish. Bake 10-15 minutes, until peppers are thoroughly heated. 

Serve and enjoy!

If desired, add mozzarella cheese or an additional 8oz of tomato sauce on top of the peppers before baking.

This post was originally published on 5/30/12 @ oneincomefamilyliving.blogspot.com. I revised it and transferred it here.