Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Meatloaf (adapted from KraftRecipes, Servings: 8, Total Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes)

Ingredients

·         2 pkg. Morningstar Farms MealStarters Burger Crumbles
·         1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork
·         ½ cup water
·         2 eggs, beaten
·         ½ cup ketchup
·         ¼ cup yellow mustard
·         4 slices cheese or shredded cheddar

Directions

1.      Mix all ingredients except cheese just until blended.
2.      Fold 2 (30-inch-long) pieces of foil lengthwise in half twice. Crisscross pieces on work surface. Spray with nonstick cooking spray. Top with “meat” mixture; shape into desired shape.
3.      Use foil handles to gently lower meatloaf into slow cooker, letting ends of foil hang over top edge of cooker; cover with lid.
4.      Cook on HIGH 4 hours. Top with cheese. Let stand, covered, 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Use foil handles to remove meatloaf from slow cooker before slicing to serve.

I made the mistake of not spraying the foil with Pam, so my “meat”loaf stuck to the foil.  It also burned around the edges during the four hour cook time, so I recommend three hours at High then switch it to Low for one hour.  It made the whole house smell like a ham/cheeseburger, which was quite fantastic.  The taste is what you would expect, a ham- or cheeseburger (I didn’t put cheese on the whole thing, my husband and I each decided how much we wanted on our pieces).  The stuffing, eggs, ketchup, and mustard help the mixture hold together quite well, so no need for additional binders.  I served it with some Creamy Polenta from Trader Joe’s – a very satisfying meal. 

Stove Top Chik'n Bake

Stove Top Easy Chikn Bake (slighty adapted from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 40 min., Servings: 6)

Ingredients

·   1 pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork

·   2 pkg. Trader Joe’s Chickenless Chik’n Strips cut into bite-size pieces

·   1 can  (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup, low-sodium

·   1/3 cup  low-fat Sour Cream

·   1 pkg.  (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas), thawed, drained

Directions

1.    Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.    Prepare stuffing as directed on package.

3.    Mix remaining ingredients in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with    

       stuffing.

4.    Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done.

An old favorite of mine!  It’s one of the first casserole recipes that I tried with fake meat.   I have found that adding some pepper to the vegetable mixture before baking is required and gives the dish an extra zing to make it tasty.  Not too bad on calories, and it has a good mix of carbs and protein.  The stuffing gets a little crispy on top  when it is baked, so that adds a nice comparison in the texture from the softer vegetable and chik’n mixture.  Overall, a good standby.

Stove Top Spinach Balls

Spinach Balls (slightly adapted from KraftRecipes, Total Time: 35 min., Servings: 30 – 2 each)

Ingredients

·         1pkg.  (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Pork

·         1-2/3 cups  hot water

·         ¼ cup (1/2 stick) margarine

·         2 pkg.  (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained and patted dry

·         1cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese

·         1cup  chopped fresh mushrooms

·         ½ small  onion, finely chopped

·         4  eggs

Directions

1.       Heat oven to 400ºF.

2.       Mix stuffing mix, hot water and margarine in large bowl until well blended.

3.       Add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Shape into 60 (1-inch) balls. Place in single layer in 2 (15x10x1-inch) pans sprayed with cooking spray.

4.       Bake 15 to 20 min. or until lightly browned.

Stove Top Pork stuffing is the only one that is vegetarian – no chicken fat or stock on the ingredient list, so I use this for all recipes calling for stuffing.  There are some other brands that are vegetarian, just be careful to check what’s included.

Our oven was having some issues, so these burnt a little on the bottoms, but they were still really a tasty.  I like that the recipe incorporates spinach and mushrooms – a nice way to include some veggies in the appetizer.  The balls held together well and tasted superb.  I also made these another time for a party and a neighbor liked them so much that she asked for the recipe!

P.S. – these are good reheated and somebody at work said that they smelled like Thanksgiving :-)