Crock Pot Meatloaf

As a child, I never liked meatloaf - there was just something about it. One day though, I was walking through the dinner line at my sorority and I smelled something delicious. You see, we rarely had beef, and once I saw it was meatloaf, I thought I had better give it a try. It was good, paired with mashed potatoes and a fresh green salad, it was really good. I have always made my meatloaf in the oven, but this week, I attempted a crock pot meatloaf and according to Chad, it was the "best meatloaf yet".

Ingredients
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 1/2 slices bread - ripped into small pieces
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 T Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1.5 lbs. ground meat (deer, elk, beef, etc.)
1/4+ cup ketchup
1 t.+ dry mustard
2 T+ brown sugar

Instructions
In large bowl, beat eggs. Pour in milk and top with bread crumbs. Add seasonings and mix well. Next, add ground meat and mix until completely combined.

Prepare crock pot with non-stick spray and put meat mixture into crock pot. Using a spatula, shape meat into a "loaf".

Cook on low for 4-5 hours. During the last half hour, mix the ketchup, dry mustard, and brown sugar in a small bowl and pour part over the loaf.

To prepare the bacon, preheat oven to 375. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and fill with bacon. Spread ketchup mixture over the top of bacon. Bake 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Cut loaf into slices and serve with a piece of bacon and any other sides!

Side-note - when I make meatloaf in the oven, I put the bacon and ketchup mixture on at the very beginning. The bacon is the best part.

Enjoy!

BBQ Ribs

We have a stocked freezer and when my husband wants to have something for dinner, he will generally set it on the counter to thaw - as a "hint". If I don't make anything with it for a few days, he generally takes matters into his own hands. So, the other day, I came home and there were pork ribs on the counter - thawing. Here's what I did with them...

BBQ Ribs Ingredients
Ribs
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 T chopped garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 bottle Yoshio's BBQ Blend

BBQ Ribs Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 - Broil. Cut ribs so they fit on broiler (meat side up) and salt and pepper to your liking. Broil for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

While ribs are broiling, combine onion, garlic, soy sauce, and brown sugar in bottom of crock pot.

Once ribs are cool, cut into serving-sized pieces and place in crock pot atop onion mixture.

Pour entire bottle Yoshio's BBQ Blend over ribs and onion mixture. Cook on high for one hour and then low for four-five hours.
Yum! Enjoy!