Meatloaf with a Kick!

Adapted a recipe from Everyday FOOD magazine to make meatloaf with quite a kick!

Mixed together ground beef, egg, chopped onions and red peppers, cajun seasoning (I believe it was McCormick brand) and bread crumbs.

TIP - Cheap way to get bread crumbs and use up your bread ends - put them in the food processor and make bread crumbs! I used multigrain and whole grain bread ends.

Put down half of meat mixure on baking dish.

Remove casing from chorizo sausage and place on bottom half of meatloaf.

I spread the chorizo so it wasn't quite so spicy all in one bite, though to make it even less, you could use less chorizo, mix it in or not use it at all.

Put the rest of the meatloaf mixure on top and spread chili sauce over it.

Finished product fresh from the oven.

My favorite part are the crispy end bits:)

Served it up with green beans and a whole grain mixture (from Trader Joes).

Adults liked it, my oldest son and daughter ate it but my pickiest wasn't thrilled, but when is he ever:)

As far as cutting costs - both the lean ground beef and the chorizo were from ALDIs along with the onions and the green beans (frozen) and the red peppers were from produce junction.

You could also go healthier and use ground turkey of course.

Tip - Go Vegetarian

Most of the time the most expensive part of a meal is the meat.

Try adding a couple vegetarian meals to your repetoire to cut costs.

Beans provide a healthy protein alternative.

I got some grumbling at first, mostly from my husband, but my family as gotten used to, and get this, actually LIKE the vegetarian meals we tried. My husband has just requested we don't it more than once or twice a week:)

Even my pickiest, and I mean gag at food he doesn't like and takes and hour to eat ten bites picky eater, like the vege meals and occasionally will eat more than his required portion.

Cutting Grocery Costs

We're all gawking at our grocery bills lately.

I spent what!?

How much did that cost?!

It also seems that those bills just keep getting higher the healthier you try to eat.

This blog is about exploring ways to reduce those bills while providing healthy meals your family will eat.

Stay tuned for tips and ideas on how to do so!