Recipes - Meatloaf and Granola Bars

Have you ever made a meatloaf with Stovetop Stuffing? Me neither. Until the other night. It was so yummy, and so easy! I don't ususally buy stuffing mix, but it wasn't too expensive, and the recipe will actually make two or three smaller meatloaves that would feed our family of five. So, here is the recipe:

MEATLOAF

2 lbs hamburger meat
1 (6 oz) box chicken flavor Stovetop Stuffing
2 eggs, lighlty beaten
1 C beef broth (or water)
1 small onion, chopped
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup

Put first five ingredients in a large bowl and combine thoroughly with hands.

Shape into loaf (2 lbs make a BIG loaf, so you can make two or three smaller loaves, depending on how much your family eats). Put loaf in a baking pan and cover with cream of mushroom soup (I mixed a little of the extra beef broth with the soup to thin it out some).

Bake at 350* to 400* for 30-60 minutes. Internal temperature should be 160*. I started at 350* and then turned it up to 400* in the last 10 minutes, just to get it cooked faster. It will depend on the size of your loaf.

Slice and serve. Leftovers make awesome sandwiches with gravy on top.

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I have finally found a good granola bar recipe. They taste really good, you can mix and match your ingredients to get whatever variety you want, and they stay moist and chewy for days. Here is the recipe:

GRANOLA BARS

1/2 C packed brown sugar
1/3 C peanut butter
1/4 C corn syrup
1/4 C butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 C quick-cooking oats
1/4 C sunflower kernels
1/4 C raisins
3 T toasted wheat germ
1 T sesame seeds
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter, and vanilla. Stir in oats, sunflower kernels, raisins, wheat germ, and sesame seeds. Fold in chocolate chips.

Press into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely on wire rack. Cut into bars.

These are better if you cover them and let them sit for 24 hours in the pan before cutting.

You can personalize these. Replace the sunflower seeds with pepitas or soy nuts. Replace the raisins with dried cranberries. Leave out the sesame seeds, which I did. Switch the semi-sweet with white chocolate. Be creative! Just be sure to use equivalent measurements.

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Well, there are my recipes I'm sharing. Try them. I bet you'll like them. Tomorrow I'm making Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup. I'll let you know how it is.