I picked up a London Broil the other day on sale at Publix.  I wanted to treat my husband to a good steak dinner….since that is his favorite…and since I’m watching my calories, I compromised by picking up a leaner cut of beef like this one so I wouldn’t feel too guilty eating it with him.  I love how economical London Broil is…it’s often on sale and you can get several meals from one good sized steak.

Like this easy London Broil recipe? Pin it here!

(more…)

The post London Broil Marinade – Just 4 Ingredients! appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

My sister in law sent me a pin of this recipe that she made and loved recently and I couldn’t get it out of my mind, it looked like my kind of soup. Of course, I don’t usually have the ingredients I need to make recipes when I’m ready to make them – let’s just say that I’m a natural and determined improviser when I’m hungry or in the mood to cook.

This Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup is the perfect example of using whatever ingredients you have on hand to make something delicious and good for you too.

Cooking with Swiss Chard

I have been swooning over all the pretty Swiss chard I’ve been seeing in the grocery store and decided to add it to this soup. Swiss chard reminds me of my grandpa, he introduced it to me from his garden – he grew a ton of it every summer. I love how versatile it is, I tend to treat it like I do spinach or kale by adding it to soups like this or simply sautéing it as a side dish.

To prepare swiss card, simply fold longways and cut away the leafy part away from the stem. From there you can roll up the large chard leaves and slice into ribbons. Chop the stems separately. (Check out this post for a visual graphic on how to prepare swiss chard!)

(more…)

The post Beef and Tomato Vegetable Soup appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

This recipe was inspired by one I found in Everyday Food Magazine – does anyone remember that magazine? It was always one of my favorites, and I’m so happy I chose to save a huge stash of them. I was just looking through them the other day and I can’t tell you how many pages I dog-eared with recipes that I want to make. Their recipes are always simple and straight forward, which is definitely my style of cooking.

I originally made this Mini Honey Mustard Meatloaf recipe in June of 2008 when I first started blogging. Here’s the picture I took of dinner that night:

You have no idea how it feels to look back almost 9 years to one of the first recipes I shared on this blog. It’s like I remember exactly the day I made the meal, and served it to my, at the time, 2 children who were only 3 and 1 years old!! It’s crazy. I remember my husband loving this one, and he still does. My kids too – I don’t make a lot of meatloaf, so this was a real treat for them and their response is always a good one. I need to put this back in the rotation more often!

Like I said before, these are simple and straight forward. I used ground chuck in the recipe this time around but I’ve used lean ground beef before as well. Your choice. I tend to pick up ground chuck occasionally when I shop at The Fresh Market for their $2.99 chicken and chuck Tuesdays.

What’s great about this meal is you can use the oven to roast up the potatoes at the same time. My kids adore roasted potatoes so I make them pretty often. This is one of my go-to ways to make them – a little olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Easy peasy.

Round out your plate with a nice green salad and you’ve got yourself a nice home cooked meal. Comfort food right? The best part for me is the portion controlled meatloaf. It’s the perfect amount and although it’s not the leanest of meats, I know I’m not eating more than I should. If you are concerned about your fat intake, then definitely switch to lean ground beef.

Need more ground beef recipe ideas? Take a look at this Ground Beef Stroganoff and this Instant Pot Low-Carb Soup with Ground Beef.

Print

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review

Mini Honey Mustard Meatloaf with Roasted Potatoes

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Dinner
• Cuisine: American

Print

Pin

Mini Meatloaf recipe topped with homemade honey mustard and cheddar cheese. Portion controlled and cute for kids! Serve with roasted red potatoes and salad and you’ve got yourself dinner!

---

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil or cooking spray
• 3 tablespoons mustard
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1.5 pounds ground beef chuck or lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar (about 4 ounces)
• 1.5 lbs baby red potatoes, quartered
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Set oven racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with oil or spray with cooking spray.
2. In a small bowl, mix together mustard, ketchup and honey.
3. In a medium bowl, combine beef, eggs, panko, garlic powder, 1/2 mustard mixture, 1/2 cup cheddar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and teaspoon pepper. Form into six 2-by-4-inch loaves; place on baking sheet. Brush with remaining mustard mixture and top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar.
4. On another baking, toss cut potatoes with olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
5. Transfer meatloaves to top rack in oven and potatoes to bottom rack. Bake until loaves are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating baking sheets after first 10 minutes. Remove meatloaves from oven and continue to cook potatoes for another 10 minutes, until browned and crisp. Serve with oven roasted potatoes and salad.

---

Notes

Nutrition info is based on using lean ground beef.

The post Mini Meatloaf with Honey Mustard with Roasted Potatoes appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this healthy Bison Burger recipe!

My husband has been on a health kick lately. I love it. He’s really making an effort to cut back on calories, make better food choices and squeezing in exercise throughout the day. He’s taking walks around his building during restroom breaks, and trying to get a two mile walk around the neighborhood in the evenings as well as getting to the gym to hit the elliptical or play basketball with our son on the weekends. It all adds up!

Him being on a health kick gives me more motivation to put together healthier meals for us to eat together. We are trying to lighten things up wherever we can and using bison in place of our regular ground beef is one way we can lighten up our burgers on the grill. Since bison is pricier than ground beef, this is a treat for us that we look forward to whenever we can.

Where to buy ground bison for this recipe?

I have been buying bison meat from Costco regularly, but have seen it at my local grocery store (although in much smaller packages) as well as Fresh Market and Whole Foods.

Healthy Bison Burger Ingredients

I like to keep my burger seasonings pretty simple so that you really enjoy the flavor of the beef you are cooking with.

• ground bison
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• your favorite barbecue sauce, for basting

The toppings though, that is where you can have fun. I love adding caramelized onions to my burgers and of course cheese!

How To Cook Bison Burgers On The Grill

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground bison with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture into 5 even sections and form into patties. When forming, gently press down your thumb in center to help keep it’s shape and avoid turning into a meatball on the grill.
2. Pre-heat your grill to medium high heat. Place burgers on grill. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side (for medium well – well done burgers) or 4-5 minutes for juicier, medium burgers. After first flip, brush cooked side liberally with your favorite barbecue sauce. Once burger is cooked through, quickly flip and brush other side before taking off the grill. Transfer to top rack of grill (or plate) and place a slice of pepper jack cheese on each burger.
3. For serving: Place each burger with cheese on your hamburger bun. Top with extra barbecue sauce (if desired), caramelized onions and shredded lettuce. Dig in.

Along with the extra exercise, packed lunches and a little extra involvement with meal planning and creating recipes are part of this health kick too. That’s where this burger comes in. I know ground buffalo (bison) has been around for a while, but it’s not something I’ve ever cooked with at home. My husband has enjoyed a healthy bison burger at a local restaurant a few times and asked if we could grill some up at home. Buffalo is a leaner type of ground beef and a great alternative when looking to indulge in a hamburger.

Burger Recipes To Try:

Smoky BBQ Turkey Burger Sliders

Bruschetta Patty Melts

East Meets West Burger

Sanford Burgers

Love cooking with bison like I do? Try these recipes using bison:

Sweet Potato Bison Shepherd’s Pie

Bison Black Bean Chili

Bison and Brown Rice Stuffed Peppers

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

Grilled Barbecue Bison Burger

• Author: Aggies Kitchen
• Yield: 4-5 burgers
• Category: Burger
• Method: Grill
• Cuisine: American

Print

Pin

Try a lean Grilled Barbecue Bison Burger for a healthier alternative to your traditional hamburger – they are juicy and flavorful with less guilt!

---

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb ground bison (or buffalo) meat
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• good pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• your favorite barbecue sauce, for basting

For serving:

• 5 slices of pepper jack cheese
• hamburger buns
• shredded lettuce
• caramelized onions (see this post for instructions on how to caramelize onions)
• barbecue sauce

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground bison with onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Divide meat mixture into 5 even sections and form into patties. When forming, gently press down your thumb in center to help keep it’s shape and avoid turning into a meatball on the grill.
2. Pre-heat your grill to medium high heat. Place burgers on grill. Cook for 6-7 minutes on each side (for medium well – well done burgers). After first flip, brush cooked side liberally with your favorite barbecue sauce. Once burger is cooked through, quickly flip and brush other side before taking off the grill. Transfer to top rack of grill (or plate) and place a slice of pepper jack cheese on each burger.
3. For serving: Place each burger with cheese on your hamburger bun. Top with extra barbecue sauce (if desired), caramelized onions and shredded lettuce. Dig in.

The post Grilled Barbecue Bison Burger appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to Pin this Recipe!

I am desperately trying to change up the easy weeknight dinner game these last few weeks. I’m looking through cookbooks and magazines for ideas and something new to try. My friend Robyn of the popular blog Add A Pinch just released her new cookbook and it couldn’t have arrived at my doorstep at a better time.

Robyn is one of those friends I’ve known since my very early days of blogging, yet have never met in person. I think we have to change that this year Robyn!!! Her cookbook, the Add A Pinch Cookbook is one of the most beautiful cookbooks I’ve seen, filled with gorgeous photos of recipes that have a Southern flair using fresh, seasonal ingredients. I’m all about those fresh seasonal ingredients, as you know.

(more…)

The post Easy Pepper Steak from Add A Pinch Cookbook appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this delicious one-pot meal!

We are into the second of week of school in these parts and are finally starting to settle in our new routine that entails 3 kids in 3 different schools. That is, until next week when I start my fall classes at our local community college (for those that don’t know, I’m back in school working towards my second Bachelors degree, this one is in Nutrition and Dietetics). I’m so excited about getting back to class, but next week will be the true test of my sanity!

Like every year during the back to school season, I’m feeling refreshed, excited and determined to send my kids off to start a successful and fun new school year.

(more…)

The post Cheesy Southwest Beef and Potato Skillet appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this Beef and Spinach Stuffed Peppers recipe!

I grew up eating Italian style stuffed peppers like these I posted waaaaay back in 2008. That is my standard family recipe that my grandfather always made and still makes to this day (well, my version at least). Those do take a little more time to cook since I typically stuff the whole pepper, time that I haven’t wanted to invest in cooking a meal lately. The last year or so I finally caught on and started making stuffed pepper “halves” and hello, they cook up so much faster!

I have made these simple Beef and Spinach Stuffed Peppers a few times now and I love how quickly they come together, making them a weekly meal plan regular.

(more…)

The post Low Carb Beef and Spinach Stuffed Peppers plus more healthy dinner ideas appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I don’t always crave heavy meat and potato meals like this one but recently I picked up a package of short ribs from Costco and wanted to treat my husband with something a little different than what we usually have for dinner. He loves short ribs and it’s something he would typically order out. My friend Julie has posted some pretty amazing looking short rib recipes over the years and I’ve always wanted to try making them myself. These Slow Cooker Barbecue Short Ribs turned out absolutely amazing – I was pretty proud of myself considering how inexperienced I am with cooking cuts of beef like this. Let’s be honest though, it’s hard to mess up tender beef like short ribs in the slow cooker.

I quickly browned the short ribs before setting them to cook in the slow cooker for several hours. If you are in the market for a new slow cooker I highly recommend this Crock-Pot Slow Cooker with Stovetop Browning, I’ve been using it for the past year and it has been so awesome to skip the whole brown in a skillet step when it comes to slow cooker recipes!! Seriously, a game changer. Love it.

(more…)

The post Slow Cooker Barbecue Short Ribs appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I love cooking up a big pot of chili, pretty much any time of the year. It’s a lifesaver during the week and leftovers makes a healthy (reheatable) option for lunches and dinners. But something about fall, football and busy school schedules make chili a wonderful option and go to meal for me right about now. I usually like to make it over the weekend and enjoy leftovers throughout the week (easy lunches!). Last week I went outside of my box and got a little creative for dinner and made these Chili Stuffed Zucchini Boats with leftovers.

(more…)

The post Leftover Chili Stuffed Zucchini Boats appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Click here to pin this Beef and Egg Tortilla Skillet recipe!

Breakfast for dinner is always a treat, especially for me because it comes together so quick and easy. Needless to say, this Beef and Egg Tortilla Skillet is perfect as we are adjusting to back to school and busy weeknight mode.

One thing I’m learning as far as getting dinner on the table quickly is to prep as much as possible ahead of time. For instance, if you have the opportunity to brown some lean ground meat or chop some veggies while you are cooking another meal it truly saves so many precious minutes on the days you need them the most. When I am on my A-game I like to have a few bagfuls of browned ground beef or turkey measured out and stored in Ziplocs in the freezer for easy tacos, tostadas or meat sauce (I measure them out into 2 cups per bag usually). These bags of pre-cooked meat come in especially handy on nights you don’t have a meal planned or are just short on time and are looking to wing it with what you have on hand.

(more…)

The post Beef and Egg Tortilla Skillet and a day at the Florida Academy for Nutrition & Dietetics Annual Meeting appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.