Skillet Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

• Ground Beef (about the size of six decks of cards)-- sorry I have a hard time measuring meat
• 3 eggs (whisked)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 onion (minced)
• 1/2 bell pepper (diced)
• 3 large mushrooms (chopped)
• salt and pepper
• two cloves garlic (minced)
• tsp cayenne
• tsp chili powder
• tsp thyme
• tsp parsley
• 2 pieces of whole wheat bread
• 1/2 lemon
• ketchup

Directions

1. Saute the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic in a large skillet. Add all the seasons and spices and let it cook until wilted.
2. Meanwhile, get the thawed but raw ground beef and add it to the whisked eggs and flour.  Mush it around with a fork or your hands until mixed.  
3. Once the veggies are cooked add them into the bowl with the beef and mix.  Squeeze the lemon into the mixture too and tear up the bread into small pieces and  mix.
4. Poor the mixture back into the large skillet you used to cook the veggies, and smoosh it flat on the pan and evenly.  Cook on each side on a medium high heat.  Kind of like a hamburger.  Before you flip the first time squirt ketchup all over the top, once you flip it after five or so minutes squirt it on the new side that's up.  
5. Continue flipping Until the meat and egg is cooked.  Wait as long as you like to flip.  The longer you wait the more of a crust it will form and look more like a meat loaf.  

Notes

I made this recipe up today, and it is one of my favorite ground beef recipes.  It will feed about three adults.  It tasted pretty fresh for a ground beef dish.  I don't like ground beef much, but I've been making chicken every night for two weeks straight so we needed to change. But  I'm so sick of cream of mushrooms/chickens, and spaghetti, and lasagnas.  So it was a nice change.  LOVED the zest.  Enjoy.  

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Supper

Sausage and Spinach Penne Skillet Supper

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I use chicken sausage when it goes on sale)
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine (Super yummy but if they are pricey, just use regular tomatoes)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
• 1 (6-ounce) bag baby spinach
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (Expensive but worth it! Can find cheaper in bulk bin sections of the store, which allows you to get just the amount you want).

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook (uncovered) at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).
3. Stir in the spinach, a handful at at ime, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste adn serve immediately.

Notes:

I love skillet recipes! I usually cook the sausage in the morning and then add the rest in the evening. Very simple to prep and tasty. This makes quite a bit, which is good for our family. It will fill a 12 inch skillet. Also, I will post my recipe for homemade chicken broth, although I'm sure there's no exact science to it!:)

Source: My latest favorite: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/sausage-and-spinach-penne-skillet-supper/