Freezer Meal Meatloaf

So... I have not posted for a very long time. Long story short, my computer was stolen, had to buy a new one and then I started three accelerated summer classes. But I'm back! I have been cooking and baking a lot of new recipes that I am excited to share with you.

I've been thinking ahead to this fall.  I have an awfully busy fall. Two on-line classes and I will be working at a corn maze for the youth group at our church. I am excited to do all of this but know I will not have much time for cooking. This usually leads to us McDonald's, Subway, cereal, or going out for ice cream for supper. Definitely not healthy or budget friendly options. I'm sure you have all been browsing Pinerest and have see the new rage with Freezer Cooking. I have attempted this a couple different ways. The first time, my mom and I did it together. We each bought ingredients for ten recipes then we got together on one day and cooked it all. I have never seen such a mess in all my life. But in the end I had 39 meals in my freezer and I believe my mom had 20. I bought loaf pans at the Dollar Tree (3 for a buck!) so that it was the perfect size for my little two person family. My mom used more 9x9s and 9x13s so she came out with less meals. This has saved us countless trips for fast food and poor eating choices. This second round, I am attempting a little differently. As I have time throughout my week I do some cooking for a couple hours and throw it in the freezer - creating a stockpile for this fall. For those of you who don't even have a couple hours here and there, you could just start doubling the recipes that you are already cooking and throw one in the freezer for later.

I like meatloafs for the simple fact that I can pull them out the morning I need them and they will be thawed. I have noticed that casseroles can take a few days to thaw so meatloafs cater to the spontaneous family. I found this recipe while cruising around Pinterest and absolutely love it. I put a few changes on it, she bakes all the meatloaf before, while I just freeze them raw. I also do not use as much stuffing mix. My mom told me it was hit at her house too. I just made this recipe and doubled it a couple days ago and was able to stockpile 8 meatloaf meals in an hour, including clean-up!!!

• 3 pounds ground beef
• 3 pounds ground turkey
• 6 oz stuffing mix
• 3/4 cup oatmeal (you could use bread crumbs but I like the whole grains)
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup BBQ sauce
• 5 Tablespoons onion powder
• 4 Tablespoons garlic salt
• 6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Pack meatloafs into loaf pans, cover, and freeze.

To use: Thaw meatloaf and bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour. Your cooking time will vary based on the size of your loaf pans.

Chili Meat Loaf

If you are new to reading this blog, you have yet to learn that I LOVE meatloaf. It has quickly become one of my favorite foods in the last year. One of the reasons of this is that my husband Dylan introduced me to the many joys of meatloaf sandwiches. I have come to love having meatloaf on Day 1 with mashed potatoes and green beans and then on Day 2 having meatloaf sandwiches comprised of bread, a little velveeta, and meatloaf grilled as you would grilled cheese. For this reason, I crave meatloaf, and you will too if you try it. I mixed this recipe up a bit by using chili sauce instead of ketchup and I really like the differences.

• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey
• 1/3 cup chili sauce plus more for top of loaf.
• 3/4 cup quick oatmeal
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. This is where things get a little interesting. If you are pressed for time and want your meatloaf to cook faster, you can choose a larger pan. For example, meat loaf pressed into a 9x13 inch pan will cook faster than if you put meat loaf in a loaf pan. I put mine in an 11x7 inch pan. Cover with additional chili sauce prior to baking. Bake at 350 until a thermometer reads 160 degrees in the middle, about 45-60 minutes, depending on size of pan.

Feta Beef Meatloaf

I'm pretty excited about this meatloaf. I love meatloaf and I combined several recipes to make this one. If you have a smaller family, you will want to use the leftovers to make meatloaf sandwiches. I went my whole life until eight months ago without a meatloaf sandwich. My husband could not believe his ears when I told him I had never had a meatloaf sandwich. I never want to live without them again! Now I cannot believe my mother let me go my whole life without a meatloaf sandwich. She is the world's best cook but she never made me a meatloaf sandwich! You start out with buttering two slices of bread like you would grilled cheese. Add a slice of meatloaf and slice of Velveeta and brown in a skillet on both sides until heated through and cheese is melted. One of my favorite foods. Period.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2/3 cup dry oatmeal (I used quick oats)
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon season salt (Lawry's)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup feta cheese!!!!!!! (Can you tell I LOVE feta)
• 1/4 cup dried parsley

Combine all ingredients. Press into a greased loaf pan and bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.

I love to prepare this night before the day I'm planning to serve it.