chocolate covered pretzels

So I received my Christmas present *from myself* in the mail the other day, and have been dying to try it out! If you haven't guessed already, it's a new camera! Weee! :) These little treats were the perfect test tool! If you like chocolate covered pretzels, you must try making them at home! They're so much better than the pre-packaged kind...not to mention super easy (though a little time consuming). Perfect for filling into clear gift baggies, tie with some festive ribbon, and send them out as holiday gifts! I was feeling generous today so I packaged some up and gave them to Bear's groomer, she loved them :).

How cute would these be if you could find the pretzels in holiday shapes?!

Ingredients:
2 bags chocolate chips
Bag of mini pretzels
Sprinkles of your choice
wax paper


Directions:
Melt chocolate chips (1 bag at a time) in a bowl according to package directions. Dip pretzels one at a time quickly to coat while chocolate is still melted. Place pretzels on wax paper to set and cool. Finish with sprinkles before the chocolate dries! :)

crockpot pot roast

So I'm pretty convinced I make some of the best pot roast out there. I know there are a billion recipes out there, but most of them call for a ton of packaged spice envelopes and canned ingredients which are LOADED with sodium, fat and calories. This one is super simple but tastes great. My hubby and I love to add in some Louisiana hot sauce to give it an extra kick.

Ingredients:
3.5-4 lb pot roast
1/4 cup flour 
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 carrots, sliced
2 onions, sliced
3 potatoes, quartered (I use a bunch of tiny halved red potatoes)
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of beer (Guiness is the best for this recipe, or another dark beer)
Louisiana hot sauce, optional


Directions:
1. Combine flour, salt, and pepper; coat meat.
2. Place all veggies except mushrooms and garlic into crock pot.
3. Top with roast.
4. Spread mushrooms and garlic over roast.
5. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or high for 6-8 hours.

quick chicken-corn chowder

This was rated in the top 20 chicken recipes from one of my favorite cooking magazines, Cooking Light. It's healthy AND takes under 30 minutes to prepare! After reading some of the reviews I decided to use a rotisserie chicken and I'm glad I did. It gives it such a great flavor, I'll have to start keeping an eye out for the reduced price rotisseries. :)I still feel like it was missing a tiny bit of something though...maybe a little hot sauce? I'll have to play around with it, still a great recipe overall.

Yields: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Only 257 calories per serving! 8.1g fat, 19.1g protein, 28.6g carbs, 668mg sodium

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 2 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
• 3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used the 2 breasts from the rotisserie chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I omitted)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

Preparation

• Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and jalapeño; cook for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook until thick (about 5 minutes). Season with extra salt and pepper if needed. Enjoy!

pumpkin spice muffins

These are the moistest muffins I've ever tasted. And to think they only took 2 ingredients! No eggs, oil, or sugar! If you're an amateur at baking like me and want something that tastes and smells just like fall, these are for you. You could even sprinkle with powdered sugar, add chopped nuts, raisins, chocolate chips or top with cream cheese frosting if you're feelin' adventurous! ;)

This recipe makes about 14-16 regular sized muffins.

Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix
15 oz 100% pure canned pumpkin
paper muffin/cupcake liners


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350.
-In a large bowl, mix together cake mix and canned pumpkin until well combined.

-Spoon into paper lined small muffin/cupcake tins, 2/3 full. (Batter will be thick)

-Bake at 350 for 23 minutes (roughly 15 min. for mini muffins) or until toothpick comes out clean.

grilled chicken breast tostadas

 

I love nothing more than a tasty yet healthy meal, and this one did the trick! I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe and will be added to our weekly menu....at least until the snow hits and we can't grill anymore! :) Tony and I each had 2 tostadas and were full, the rest will be left overs for lunch tomorrow!

The differences I made from this recipe is instead of marinating my chicken I just rubbed a smashed clove of garlic on them and sprinkled the lime juice over top. You could add any other seasoning you like to it as well (I used a honey-lime seasoning I have) if you don't feel like taking time to marinate. I left out the cilantro in the pico de gallo and the green chiles in the guacamole. You don't put green chiles in guac!

Grilled Chicken Breast Tostadas

• 2 limes
• 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2 p0unds)
• kosher salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 cup sour cream (You could sub plain greek yogurt)
• 6 (6 inch) corn tortillas (I used white corn tortillas)
• additional olive oil
• easy guacamole
• pico de gallo

1. In a gallon sized ziploc bag, combine juice from 1 lime, olive oil, and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add chicken and marinate for 1 hour. (I skipped this step)
2. While chicken marinates, mix 1 cup sour cream with 1 tsp. lime zest and 1-2 Tbsp. lime juice (from remaining lime) to make a lime crema.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3. Preheat grill to high.  Grill chicken for about 4-6 minutes per side until juices run clear and chicken is cooked.
4. Brush tortillas with olive oil and toast on grill for about 30 seconds per side or until nice and crisp.  Remove from grill and sprinkle with salt. (I just sprayed with spray oil)
5. Slice cooked chicken breasts into slices and build tostadas.  To build: Spread tortilla with guacamole then top with chicken slices, pico de gallo, followed by lime crema.  Serve with Bush’s Texas Ranchero Grillin’ Beans on the side.  Makes 6 tostadas.

cookies 'n' cream ice cream

This stuff is amazing. 'Nuff said.


If you don't have an ice cream maker yet...you should go buy one.


Right now...

Prep Time: 8 minutes
Ice Cream Maker Time: Approximately 20-25 minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 quarts
Servings: Ten 1/2 cup servings

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup crushed Oreo cookies*

*Place Oreo cookies in a Ziploc bag. Seal bag. Crush cookies using the heel of your hand or a kitchen mallet.

Directions: 

Using a wire whisk or hand mixer, mix milk and sugar until the sugar dissolves (about 1 -2 minutes).

Stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract.

Pour into ice cream maker.

Churn about 20 minutes or according to manufacturer's instructions.

Add crushed Oreo cookies to ice cream.

Churn for 5 additional minutes.

May need to freeze for several hours or overnight, mixture will be of milkshake consistency.

baked sweet potato fries

These things are delicious!! I think I might even like them better than regular fries. I love the sweet I get from the potato and the salty I get from the ranch (because everyone knows how much I love ranch right? lol) Ketchup just wouldn't do. It MUST be ranch. MmmMm. Tony loves these things too, he's always asking me to make them. 
Every time I see photos of these recipes though, their fries are always orange...I can't tell if they just have different sweet potatoes or if they are using yams instead. I just stick to the one that's labeled "sweet potato" at the grocery store :)

Ingredients:

- 1 sweet potato, (about 5" long) peeled and cut into 1/4" fries

- 2 tsp olive oil

- about 1/2 a dry packet of Zesty Italian dressing, or to your taste preference

- few shakes of garlic powder 

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

-In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, italian dressing powder and garlic powder. 

-Spread potatoes on a baking sheet or on top of a cooling rack. Avoid crowding so potatoes get crisp. Bake 15 minutes. Turn and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Ovens may vary so keep an eye on them and be sure to cut all the potatoes the same size to ensure even cooking. 

healthy tortellini soup

This soup turned out WAY better than Tony and I had expected. A super easy and quick meal that left us both full. I accompanied it with a slice of garlic bread... yum! A must try for a cool day.

Tortellini Soup
Printer-Friendly Version

Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp. dried oregano
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juices (I used roasted garlic flavor)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (they didn't have low-sodium so I used regular)

9 oz. whole wheat tortellini, any variety

3 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions to the pan and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, just until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Mix in the oregano and diced tomatoes.  Add the broth to the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil.  Add the tortellini to the pot and cook according to the package directions.  One minute before the tortellini is fully cooked, stir in the spinach.  Remove from the heat.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.  Serve warm with grated Parmesan as desired.

turkey chili taco soup

I made this to take for lunch a few weeks ago, and it turned out really good! I accompanied it with a few multi-grain saltines since I didn't have any baked tortilla chips on hand. Not exactly a 'summery' recipe, but it rarely gets above 60 degrees here so anything goes! :) Very filling and it's only 200 calories for 1-1/4 cups!

• 1.3 lbs 99% lean ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 10 oz can rotel tomatoes with green chilies
• 15 oz canned or frozen corn, drained
• 15 oz kidney beans, drained
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 16 oz fat free refried beans (makes it thick and creamy, you can't taste them)
• 1 packet taco seasoning (you can use 40% less sodium)
• 2 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth

Directions:
In a large pot, brown turkey on medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, add onions and pepper and cook 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn, beans, tomato sauce, refried beans, taco seasoning and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10-15 minutes.

Serve with a few baked tortilla chips and your favorite toppings such as low fat sour cream, jalapeños, reduced fat cheese, chopped scallions,  onions, or chopped fresh cilantro. Freeze leftovers in individual portions for future meals.

oreo truffles

These things are amazing and I don't even like oreos! My first attempt at making any kind of cake balls/truffles. A must try!


Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened (I use low-fat or fat-free)
Your choice of melting chocolate (I used 2 boxes of Baker's white chocolate)
1 box of dark/milk chocolate for drizzle, optional (I used Bakers dark choc)


Directions:
Finely crush package of oreos in a large food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and crush into a fine consistency.

Stir in softened cream cheese. I found it's easiest to just mix it with clean hands.


Use a small melon baller or cookie scoop and roll into small balls.


Put them in the freezer for about 20-30 minutes to keep the balls from falling apart.


Melt chocolate as directed on package (I microwave it inside of a large glass measuring cup) and then dip one at a time into chocolate (I use 2 spoons to mix ball around and cover completely, and then pick it up with one of the spoons), tap off the extra chocolate and then slide them onto wax/parchment paper to dry.

(Optional) Dip a fork into melted dark colored chocolate, then drizzle onto each cake ball.


Keep refrigerated IF you have any leftovers ;)

Variations- Using Mint Oreos and dark chocolate Bakers melting chocolate. Drizzle with green colored chocolate!  :)

marinated grilled asparagus

I had grilled asparagus a while back at one of the restaurants here in town and it was to die for. I decided to buy some asparagus for the first time and try grilling it myself. I've been trying to incorporate different kinds of veggies in my diet, and asparagus is loaded with vitamins. If only it didn't make your pee smell funny. lol! This marinade turned out really good.

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (I omitted just because I forgot lol)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• Cooking spray

Preparation

• Prepare grill.
• Snap off tough ends of asparagus. Combine all ingredients except cooking spray in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate for 30 minutes. Remove asparagus from bag, and discard marinade. Place asparagus on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until asparagus is done.

Just a tip for grilling: Instead of placing each individual asparagus on the grill rack, thread them onto bamboo (or metal) skewers to keep them from falling in between the holes. Some people recommend putting a skewer through the top and bottom, but when I tried this mine started to snap in half so I just threaded it through the bottom of each one. Should look like a little fence when you're done :) Or you could use a grill pan, I've resorted to this method the past few times, much easier.

dad's mexican steak & chorizo fajitas

Every time Tony and I go and visit my padre in Mexico, he makes this fajita dish for us. I'm pretty sure it's just something he concocted one day at random. It's marinated steak, chorizo (a very flavorful pork sausage with many seasonings), mushrooms, poblano peppers, onions, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Top it with sour cream and some homemade guac and YUM! I can't even begin to tell you how much flavor this dish has, you'll never want regular fajitas again! Mine turned out a little bit spicy because of the type of chorizo I used. If you can find fresh chorizo from a mexican grocery store, BUY IT! You add it to everything and it tastes soo good.. chicken, eggs, you name it! This recipe ended up making 4 servings worth of food. Enough for leftovers the next day!

 Ingredients:
- 2-3 marinated steaks (I bought montreal seasoned ribeyes and marinated them in a "Jack Daniel's Mesquite flavor EZ Marinade bag" for 6-8 hours, this marinade was delicious!)
-1 package chorizo (I found this at our commissary near the Bratwurst and sausages, the package I bought had 4-5 tiny sausages in them, some are just 1 big sausage)
- 2 onions, quartered then sliced
-2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced
- 5-7 cloves of garlic
-8 oz canned mushrooms, drained
-dash of Worcestershire sauce
-tortillas
-sour cream & Guacamole (optional)

 Directions:
-Grill marinated steaks just enough to brown/sear them on each side. You don't want them cooked thoroughly or else they will end up overcooked at the end. Set steaks aside. (You could also pan sear them using a large skillet if you don't have access to a grill)
- Peel the casing off of the chorizo, and cook in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. (Make sure it's ground up with a spoon like you would do with hamburger meat.) Once cooked thoroughly set aside.
-Drain some of the chorizo grease then add in onion, peppers, garlic, and mushrooms to same skillet and sautee over medium heat until nice and soft. While veggies are sauteeing, dice up your steaks into tiny bite-sized pieces.
-Add chorizo to skillet and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-Add diced steak to skillet, 5-6 shakes of Worcestershire sauce, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. This is where your steak will finish cooking, it should be nice and juice by the time it's done, not overcooked. I made that mistake the first time and overcooked it, turned out too dry haha.
-Add fajita mix into a tortilla and top with sour cream and guac. Dig in!!

crockpot chicken taco chili

Seriously, this is by far one of my favorite dishes to make. I made this recipe the other day so Tony could have something to take for lunch at work. I hate when they work him 12-13 hour days, but on a positive note I get to experiment with my cooking ;) It definitely tastes better the 2nd and 3rd day, when the chicken has had time to soak up some of the extra juices...then again chili is ALWAYS better the 2nd day! I'm sure this recipe would be good with ground beef or turkey too.

1 onion, chopped

1 16-oz can black beans

1 16-oz can kidney beans

1 8-oz can tomato sauce

10 oz package frozen corn kernels

2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies

1 packet taco seasoning

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder

24 oz (3-4) boneless skinless chicken breasts

chili peppers, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (I omitted this as I HATE cilantro. Blegh!)

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro. Also try it with low fat cheese and sour cream.

-One change I did make while making this recipe is I boiled my chicken before I put it in the crock pot. I don't like the taste of the "chicken juice" that comes out of raw chicken when you cook it (weird I know lol), so I preferred to boil the chicken and shred it before placing it in the crockpot. It also reduced the cooking time greatly

robert's BBQ sausage and veggies

My father-in-law is responsible for this super easy and super tasty dinner. He is by far the best griller/smoker/BBQer I've ever met. One day I hope to be almost as good as he is ;).  I didn't actually watch him make it, but I saw sausage, BBQ sauce, and veggies and attempted it myself. I'm sure he smoked the sausage or something because he's just that good.

Anyways, for this recipe the BBQ sauce is what makes this dish. Plus all of the peppers are so colorful haha! I have the pleasure of being from one of the most famous places for BBQ and sauces. If you can't find a really great bottled BBQ sauce, experiment with making some homemade. The sauce I used is from Wal-mart back in Texas, I'm not really sure where all they carry it. This BBQ sauce is seriously the shiz. Will probably end up buying more online, this bottle won't last long around here. Now onto the cooking!...

Ingredients:
-a few tbsp of olive oil
-assorted bell peppers, sliced (I used 1 green, 1 red, and 1 orange)
-1 medium red onion, sliced
-1 package of smoked sausage, sliced (I used smoked turkey sausage, can't taste the difference but much healthier!)
-Your favorite BBQ sauce


Directions:
Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in bell peppers and onion, and sautee until nice and soft. Add in smoked sausage and cook until heated through (you could grill it instead for the extra flavor). Add in BBQ sauce and let simmer for 5-10 minutes..The amount of BBQ sauce is your preference really, I added enough to thoroughly cover all of the food and then maybe a little extra ;)

seven layer dip

Every once and a while Tony asks me to make dip with my homemade salsa. This recipe is a pretty basic seven layer dip with a lot of room for change, so adjust it to your liking. Seriously though, learning how to make your own salsa would benefit you for this recipe. ;)

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can fat-free refried beans (I prefer a can of black beans, if you use black beans put the taco seasoning with the sour cream/cream cheese mix)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat kind)

1 (16 ounce) container light sour cream

1 (16 ounce) jar salsa, preferably some homemade salsa ;)

1 bunch chopped green onions

1 small head iceberg or romaine lettuce, shredded (I used chopped fresh spinach leaves)

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

-In a bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.  

-Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a bowl. Spread over the refried beans. 

-Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of lettuce, cheese and green onions. Feel free to add olives, bell peppers, whatever else you like!  

pioneer woman's stuffed mushrooms

My favorite stuffed mushrooms on the planet come from the Double Musky here in Alaska. These mushrooms from the Pioneer Woman take a close second and boy are these things good. I made these a few weeks ago for a house party, and they were ALL gone within 10 minutes! You won't be disappointed if you make these, trust me! :) I did tweak the original recipe a little for my liking and added some garlic butter (minced garlic and melted butter) over the top of each shroom after cooking, it's well worth it! If you want step-by-step pictures on this recipe, check out Pioneer Woman's link above, she has some great photos!

Ingredients:

24 ounces, weight White Button Mushrooms  (I used crimini mushrooms)

⅓ pounds Hot Pork Sausage (I used hot turkey sausage)

½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced 

4 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced 

⅓ cups Dry White Wine 

8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese (I used reduced fat)

1 whole Egg Yolk 

¾ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated 

Salt And Pepper, to taste

Directions:

-Wipe off or wash mushrooms in cold water. Pop out stems, reserving both parts.
-Chop mushroom stems finely and set aside.
-Brown and crumble sausage. Set aside on a plate to cool.
-Add onions and garlic to the same skillet; cook for 2 minutes over medium low heat.
-Pour in wine to deglaze pan, allow liquid to evaporate.
-Add in chopped mushroom stems, stir to cook for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. -Set mixture aside on a plate to cool.
-In a bowl, combine cream cheese and egg yolk. Stir together with Parmesan cheese.
-Add cooled sausage and cooled mushroom stems. Stir mixture together and refrigerate for a short time to firm up.
-Smear mixture into the cavity of each mushroom, creating a sizable mound over the top.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
-Allow to cool at least ten minutes before serving; the stuffed mushrooms taste better when not piping hot.

easy texas chili

My dad taught me this recipe a few years back when I was first learning how to cook. It's super easy and doesn't take many ingredients. Perfect for that cold lazy day! 
I used to use ground beef for this recipe, but I've been on a ground turkey kick lately, and it tastes the same as using beef but it's healthier for you. This chili is even better the next day so feel free to make it ahead of time!

Ingredients:
1-1.5 lb ground turkey or beef (I used turkey)
1 fresh jalapeno, diced (or canned if unavailable, canned is spicier)
1/2 an onion, diced
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can hot Rotel (or mild/medium if you don't want it too spicy) 
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can  kidney beans, drained
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 can of water
3 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
tomato paste (if it needs thickening)

Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, cook turkey, jalapeno, onion, and garlic until meat is cooked all the way through. Add Rotel, beans, tomato sauce, water, and spices to pot. Simmer on low for 3-4 hours, the longer the simmer the better! If you're in a hurry though, omit the water and simmer for 1 hour.

lighter buffalo chicken dip

This recipe is a combination of 2 recipes I found. I've made it several times and it's always a hit at parties! You can't even tell that it's the lighter version, and neither can the boys! :) I love making this in my mini crockpot, it makes the chicken SO tender. Serve with celery, chips or crackers! It makes enough to fill a large cereal bowl, so you may need to double the batch if you're having a BIG party. I found that if you leave it heating in the crock pot for too long, it will start to dry out though, so I wouldn't leave it cooking all night.


Ingredients:
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce
1/2-3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Ranch Dressing (I use light)
2 cups (2 breasts) cooked shredded chicken (I just boil the chicken for about 20 min then shred it)


Directions:
Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Add the chicken and put this in a small crockpot on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 1 hour. Serve warm. Makes 5 1/2 cups.

cheesy turkey meat loaf minis

I love my Cooking Light magazines. This recipe was in the February edition, and it ROCKS! It's healthy and flavorful, my husband kept asking me if it was really ground turkey because it tastes just like beef! Try it, you won't be disappointed :).


Ingredients:
cooking oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
3 ounces white cheddar cheese, diced (I used Pepperjack)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I just used about a tsp of dried parsley)
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dijon mustard
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1.5 lbs ground turkey (or ground sirloin)
1 large egg, lightly beaten


Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2.) Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic, saute 3 minutes.
3.) Combine onion mixture, breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining ingredients.
4.) Shape into 6 (4 x 2 inch) loaves and place on a pan coated with cooking spray. 
{I like to put aluminum foil on top of a baking sheet, then a cooling rack on top of the aluminum foil, and then spray it all with cooking spray, so the aluminum foil catches any fat drippings and the meatloaves don't sit in it!}
5.) Spread 2 teaspoons of ketchup over each meatloaf. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until done.