Adventures of Mel

Category: Dinner Ideas

Dinnertime doesn’t have to be up in the air. Make dinner easy with loads of simple and easy dinner ideas, including burgers and sandwiches, chicken recipes, beef recipes, pork recipes, soup recipes, pasta recipes, and more.

Reader favorites include this easy meatloaf recipe, chicken fried rice, and Instant Pot taco chicken.

Homemade Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich Recipe
How to make the best homemade Philly Cheesesteak, including tips for the best steak, cheese, and hoagie rolls to use. This is one easy skillet meal you can make for dinner, and the whole family will love it!

Even though I traveled plenty as a kid (my dad was a truck driver), I didn’t taste my first cheesesteak until I was in college.

Then I married a Pennsylvanian who loves his Philly cheese steak. So, of course, I had to learn how to make a traditional Philly cheesesteak sandwich, mainly so we didn’t have to buy those awful store kits but also because I actually wanted to learn how to make this beloved sandwich.

And I have to say, though not quite an authentic Philly cheese steak recipe, this delicious cheesesteak sandwich comes awfully close and is now one of my favorite dinner recipes.

It even has mushrooms, and y’all know I’m not a fan of mushrooms. But I’ll eat them in a Philly cheese steak because it’s just that good.

Follow me down through this page, and I’ll teach you the ins and outs of how to make the best Philly cheesesteak recipe ever, with Cheez Whiz or provolone, whichever is your preference. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

Want More Philly Cheese Steak Recipes?

We’re big fans of cheesesteaks, so we make a lot of cheesesteak recipes…
- Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes are a quick and easy dinner idea.
- I personally love Philly cheesesteak sliders, with garlic butter brushed on top and the addition of smoked paprika that gives a little kick to the meat and veggie mixture.
- Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers ground beef style are a slightly healthier alternative without all the carbs of bread.
- For busier weeknights, I’ve started making deli roast beef Philly cheesesteaks.
- And if you’d like a slow cooker version of this recipe, you can make a Crock Pot Philly Cheesesteak.
What Makes an Authentic Philly Cheesesteak?

An authentic Philly cheese steak sandwich is basically a sandwich made on a hoagie roll with smaller, thinner pieces of beefsteak, onions, and cheese. What cheese goes on a Philly cheese steak depends; it can be provolone, American, or Cheez Whiz.

Two of the most famous places to actually buy a Philly cheesesteak sandwich are in Philadelphia (go figure), and they sit directly across from each other, Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks.

Originally a hot dog stall, Pat’s was founded in 1930 by two brothers, Pat and Harry Olivieri. They are the ones who actually invented the famous cheesesteak in 1933.

An ordinary steak sandwich eventually became the cheesesteak and led to the brothers opening a restaurant in place of the hot dog stall.
Ingredient Notes
- Steak – Let’s talk about the best steak to use for Philly cheesesteak. Most people will recommend ribeye for a traditional Philly cheesesteak, but ribeye can be quite expensive. Others may also recommend top round steak. For this recipe, at the recommendation of our butcher, I used a sirloin steak, sliced thinly. Sirloin has just enough fat to give the meat a lot of flavor and to make the meat quite tender when cooked. Two things to look for when buying Philly cheese steak meat… You need to be able to slice it thinly. It also needs to be tender, not tough, and fat is a good thing for both flavor and tenderness.
- Bacon grease, olive oil, or butter – You can use whichever you prefer, but I’ll tell ya, nothing beats the flavor of bacon grease.
- Garlic Cloves – I like to buy already minced garlic in the jar to use when I don’t have fresh garlic on hand.
- Yellow Onion – Sliced onions are an integral part of any cheesesteak sandwich.
- Mushrooms – Fresh portobello mushrooms are delicious in cheesesteak.
- Green Bell Pepper – While not included on an authentic Philly cheesesteak, I just love the flavor that pepper gives to steak.
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Cheese – So opinion varies on what kind of cheese to use for cheese steak. It really is a debate if you research it. The traditional consensus says the best cheese for cheesesteak is either Cheez Whiz or provolone. Some even say American cheese pairs well with the provolone. We tried it with both, and while I love the provolone, the Cheez Whiz won my taste buds over; nothing beats a Philly cheesesteak, Cheese Whiz style. However, it’s up for debate in our house too because a couple of my guys really love the provolone. Confession: I love both together.
- Hoagie Rolls – I recommend a soft hoagie roll, at least 6 inches long. While the hoagie bun completes the ensemble, you can make this recipe more low carb by eating the meat without the bun. Maybe add it to a bed of lettuce or spinach, or pair it with these low carb dinner rolls or keto garlic cheese bread.
Remember, all of the ingredient amounts you’ll need are in the printable recipe card below.
How to Make Philly Cheesesteak

First things first, it’s important to prep the meat.

How to Slice Philly Cheese Steak Meat

Slice against the grain when slicing the sirloin, in order to retain the tenderness of the meat.

Also, be sure to leave the fat on the meat. Fat gives meat flavor, especially during the cooking process.

Slice the meat as thin as possible, slicing it into thin strips for cooking. You’ll need a good knife.
How to Cook Cheese Steak

When you’ve thinly sliced your steak, it’s time to prep the veggies, which include garlic, onion, mushrooms, and a bell pepper. I recommend mincing the garlic and mushrooms, then slicing the onion and bell pepper. Not sure how to slice a pepper? Learn how to cut a bell pepper.
1. Sauté the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in the bacon grease for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. While I sauté the veggies in bacon grease, you can use olive oil or butter.
1. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
2. Add the meat to the skillet, along with the salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the meat is almost done but not quite cooked through.
1. When the meat is fully cooked, that’s when you can add the veggies back in with the meat, and let everything simmer until the meat is fully cooked.
TIP: It’s important when you cook the meat that you don’t cook it so long that you dry it out. You want it to be done, but you also want it to be nice and flavorful, as well as moist and tender.
How to Assemble a Cheesesteak Sandwich

While the meat is simmering is a good time to toast the buns in a dab of bacon grease or butter on a griddle or in the oven.
1. Spread a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise in each bun.
2. If you want provolone, put two slices of provolone on before you add the meat.
3. Then add a generous helping of the meat and vegetable mixture.
4. Finally, if you’d rather have Cheez Whiz, top it all off with Cheez Whiz.
Note: If you really wanna go wild, you can have both provolone and Cheez Whiz. No judgment here.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

How should I store Philly cheese?
I would only make enough sandwiches to consume at the moment. If you have leftovers, store the meat (in the fridge) separately from the hoagie rolls; that way your rolls don’t get soggy in the fridge.

How do I re-heat Philly cheesesteaks?
When it comes time to re-heat your cheesesteak, heat it in the microwave at 30-second intervals; then toast your roll, if desired, and assemble your sandwich as usual.

More Sandwich Recipes You May Enjoy

Grilled cheese sloppy joes are what’s for dinner or lunch or whatever meal you like. If it’s a wrap you prefer, roast beef lettuce wraps (a Jimmy John’s Unwich copycat) are the bomb.

My friend Kristy at Mommy Hates Cooking has a recipe for slow cooker cheesesteak sandwiches. Swap beef for chicken with these chicken Philly sandwiches from my friend Heather at Sugar Dish Me.

If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Homemade Philly Cheesesteak

How to make the best homemade Philly Cheesesteak, including the best steak, cheese, and hoagie rolls to use. Easy skillet meal for dinner!
Chef's Knife
Cutting Board
Large Skillet
Wooden Spatula
Tongs
2 pounds sirloin steak (sliced thinly)
2 tablespoons bacon grease*
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium yellow onion (sliced)
4 ounces fresh mushrooms (minced)
1 large green bell pepper (sliced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
12 slices provolone cheese
3/4 cup Cheez Whiz
6 hoagie rolls*
Thinly slice the steak, slicing against the grain and leaving the fat on the meat for both flavor and tenderness.
Wash and prep the veggies, mincing both the garlic and mushrooms, and slicing the onion and bell pepper.
Sauté the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in the bacon grease for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.
Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.
Add the meat to the skillet, along with the salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until the meat is almost done but not quite cooked through.
Add the vegetables back in with the meat, stir, and let simmer until the meat is fully cooked. Be careful that the meat doesn’t cook so long that you dry it out. You want it to be done, but you also want it to be nice and flavorful, as well as moist and tender.
Meanwhile, while the meat is simmering, toast the buns in a dab of bacon grease or butter on a griddle or in the oven.
When the meat and buns are ready, assemble each cheesesteak. Spread a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise in each bun.
If you want provolone cheese, put two slices of provolone on before you add the meat.
Then add a generous helping of the meat and vegetable mixture.
Finally, if you’d rather have Cheez Whiz, top it all off with Cheez Whiz.
And that’s it, they’re ready to serve and enjoy.
*You can use olive oil or butter in place of bacon grease.

*We used smaller hoagie buns, probably 6-inch buns, we found at the store.

What’s the best meat for Philly cheesesteak?

Most people will recommend ribeye for a traditional Philly cheesesteak, but ribeye can be quite expensive. Others recommend top round steak. For this recipe, at the recommendation of our butcher, I used a sirloin steak, sliced thinly. It had just enough fat to give the meat a lot of flavor and to make the meat quite tender when cooked.

Two things to look for when buying Philly cheese steak meat…

You need to be able to slice it thinly.

It needs to be tender, not tough, and fat is a good thing for both flavor and tenderness.

How should I store Philly cheese?

I would only make enough sandwiches to consume at the moment. If you have leftovers, store the meat (in the fridge) separately from the hoagie rolls; that way your rolls don’t get soggy in the fridge.
Burgers & Sandwiches
American
cheese steak recipe, cheesesteak, cheesesteak recipe, homemade Philly cheesesteak, Philly cheese steak, Philly cheese steak sandwich, Philly cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, steak sandwich
January 22, 2019
Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers
Take Taco Tuesday to a whole ‘nother level with ground beef taco stuffed peppers. Easy, cheesy, healthy, Mexican style dinner recipe!

My family loves ground beef tacos, and we love stuffed peppers. So it pretty much stands to reason we’d combine the two to make Mexican stuffed peppers that are out of this world delicious.

Instead of a taco shell, you fill your pepper with meat, cook it, then top it off with all your favorite taco ingredients, like my favorite peach mango salsa. It’s my favorite stuffed peppers recipe to date.

The best part is… The meat mixture is filled with all kinds of fresh flavors, with ingredients like onion, bell pepper, garlic, and fresh tomatoes.

Also, if you’re looking for another delicious stuffed pepper recipe, I’ve got you covered with sloppy joe stuffed peppers, Philly cheesesteak stuffed bell peppers, cheesy chicken stuffed bell peppers, and chicken and rice stuffed peppers.

DO I NEED TO PRE-COOK THE BELL PEPPERS FOR THIS RECIPE?

The short answer is, you can, but you don’t have to.

Some people choose to blanch or boil their peppers, but I don’t. I prefer to keep things simple, and I love the flavors and slight crispness of the peppers when I just stick them in the oven for about 20 minutes before stuffing.

If you do want to cook them beforehand, The Cookful has a great explanation for how to pre-cook peppers.

HOW TO CUT BELL PEPPERS WHEN MAKING STUFFED BELL PEPPERS

While I usually cut my bell peppers in half, you can go with one of two options when prepping your bell peppers for a stuffed bell pepper recipe…
- Remove the top of the pepper, along with all the pith and seeds that are down inside.
- OR cut the peppers in half and remove all the pith and seeds inside. Just remember not to eat the stem if you leave the stem intact.
Not sure how to cut a pepper? I’ve got you covered with more details on how to cut bell peppers.

DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF FOR TACO MEAT?

No, you can use ground turkey or ground pork, whichever is your preference.

However, we prefer ground beef, so this recipe for easy stuffed peppers is based around ground beef.

SHOULD I THAW THE MEAT BEFOREHAND?

Again, you can, but you don’t have to.

You can use frozen hamburger meat to make the taco meat for your stuffed peppers, but you may need to sauté your onion, peppers, and garlic in a different skillet so they can be added to the ground beef once it’s thawed.

We actually do this quite often because we forget to get meat out ahead of time, so don’t worry if you’ve forgotten too.

Since taco meat is loose meat and you’re not making actual hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.

You can add the sautéed onion, pepper, and garlic once the meat has loosened up.

When it’s browned, you’ll need to drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPERS, MEXICAN STYLE

I recommend using bacon grease for a li’l added flavor to your meat mixture. But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.
- Mince up the garlic, onion, and pepper really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and sauce.
- Sautéeing the garlic, onion, and pepper will really soften them up before you add them to the meat mixture.
- Make sure you drain off any excess oil when the meat is browned and ready for the sauce.
- Once you’ve added the sauce ingredients, give it a good stir and let the mixture simmer for a good 2 to 3 minutes.
- Once you’ve spooned the meat mixture into the prepared peppers, just bake them according to the recipe instructions in the recipe card below.
- The meat should reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F with a meat thermometer.
- You may need to cover the peppers with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent them from getting too brown on top.
- Once your peppers have cooked through, add all the taco toppings you want, like lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese, avocado, sour cream, and green onions.
MORE TACO RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY

Chicken tacos and fish tacos are two more favorites around our house on Taco Tuesdays. And I absolutely love this cheesy Mexican casserole with bacon, tacos in a bag, taco sloppy joes and Mexican tater tot casserole.

Adriana’s Best Recipes has a delicious recipe for beer battered cauliflower tacos. And This Mama Loves has a very yummy recipe for maple glazed chicken and sweet potato tacos.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE GROUND BEEF TACO STUFFED PEPPERS:

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Meat Thermometer

Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil

3-in-1 Avocado Slicer

BEEF TACO STUFFED PEPPERS RECIPE

If you love this taco stuffed bell pepper recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers

Take Taco Tuesday to a whole ‘nother level with ground beef taco stuffed peppers. Easy, cheesy, healthy, Mexican style dinner recipe!
2 tablespoons bacon grease (*)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 large bell pepper (chopped)
2 pounds ground beef
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
5 large bell peppers
Toppings:
3 cups lettuce (shredded or chopped)
2 medium tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 whole avocados (peeled, pitted, and sliced)
5 whole green onions (chopped)
1 cup sour cream
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Wash and prepare 5 large bell peppers by either removing the top of the pepper, along with all the pith and seeds that are down inside. Or cut the peppers in half and remove all the pith and seeds inside.
Pre-cook the peppers, empty on a baking sheet in the oven, for about 20 minutes.
Mince the garlic and onion really well, and chop the pepper.
Sauté the garlic, onion, and pepper in a large skillet.
Then add the meat and mix together with the onion mixture, cooking the mixture just until the meat is browned.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Add the sauce ingredients, including the lemon juice, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and 2 tomatoes.
Let the mixture simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.
Spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the washed and prepared peppers.
Bake the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet at 350° for about 20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F with a meat thermometer.**
Meanwhile, prepare the toppings, including the lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, avocados, and green onions.
Once the peppers and meat have cooked through, remove them from the oven, serve while warm, and top with your favorite taco toppings.
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor to the meat mixture. But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

**You may need to cover the peppers halfway through with aluminum foil to prevent them from getting too brown on top.

Dinner Ideas
Tex-Mex
easy stuffed peppers, how to make stuffed peppers, Mexican stuffed peppers, stuffed bell pepper recipe, stuffed bell peppers, stuffed pepper recipe, stuffed peppers, stuffed peppers recipe, taco stuffed peppers
January 17, 2019
Classic Tater Tot Casserole Recipe
Tater Tot Casserole – How to make a classic tater tot casserole with ground beef, vegetables, and mushroom soup. Easy delicious dinner recipe you can make ahead and freeze.

Busy nights call for easy dinner ideas, like this deliciously easy tater tot casserole recipe. You can even make it ahead of time and put it in the freezer.

I’ve found the easier the meal on those busy nights, the less tempted I am to go through the fast food lane or order takeout. And tater tot hotdish is so easy to make, requiring very little prep time.

While this hamburger casserole isn’t the lowest carb recipe you can make, it’s still a kid-friendly, quick meal option that will save your sanity.

Not to mention, it’s a tater tot casserole with veggies. So you’ve got everything in one simple casserole dish.

If you love a good casserole, you’ll also love this delicious taco tater tot casserole and sloppy joe casserole with potatoes.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR TATER TOT CASSEROLE?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the tater tot casserole recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT KIND OF VEGGIES SHOULD I USE IN TATER TOT HOTDISH?

While I prefer to use canned veggies, you can use frozen or fresh, as well, depending on your preference.

Although, do keep in mind that if you choose to use fresh root vegetables, like carrots, you may want to parboil them. Food Fanatic has a great guide for how to parboil.

WHAT KIND OF MEAT SHOULD I USE?

I prefer to use ground beef. But you can also use ground turkey or sausage.

WHAT IF I DON’T LIKE CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP?

That’s ok. You can use any creamed soup you want; or even create your own creamy beef broth, using beef bullion and heavy whipping cream (or milk), to add to the casserole.

We’ve also used cream of celery soup, which gives hamburger casserole a really delicious flavor.

CAN I MAKE AHEAD TATER TOT CASSEROLE AND FREEZE IT?

Yes, you can make it ahead and put it in the freezer for later. Just be sure to put it in the fridge in plenty of time to thaw before baking or add a little additional cook time, maybe 20 minutes or so.

You’ll also want to cover it well before freezing, so it doesn’t get freezer burn. If you have a covered casserole dish, that will work well.

You can also make it the day before and put it in the fridge for baking the next day.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE TATER TOT CASSEROLE

Making tater tot casserole is super easy with only a few prep steps.
- Mince the onion and garlic, and then sauté for a few minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Then add in the ground beef and cook until it’s nicely browned.
- Then just layer the ingredients in a greased casserole dish. Start with the green beans, then the mixed veggies, the ground beef, the soup, and finally the tater tots to top it all off.
- And it’s ready to bake, according to the instructions in the recipe card below.
MORE CASSEROLE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

If you’re looking for a lower carb option, this Instant Pot cauliflower, sausage, and chicken casserole is always a dinnertime hit in our house. We also enjoy this turkey enchilada skillet casserole.

Mommy Hates Cooking has a delicious chili cheese tater tot casserole. A Farmgirl’s Dabbles shares how to make a delicious tater tot hotdish without canned soup.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE TATER TOT CASSEROLE

Cast Iron Skillet – for browning the ground beef. You could also layer the casserole in a larger cast iron skillet.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Can Strainer – so nifty for straining the liquid out of canned veggies.

Spatula – especially helpful for scooping out and spreading the soup.

Casserole Dish

TATER TOT CASSEROLE RECIPE

If you love this tater tot casserole as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

CONNECT WITH ADVENTURES OF MEL!

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Classic Tater Tot Casserole

How to make a classic tater tot casserole with ground beef, vegetables, and mushroom soup. Easy delicious dinner recipe you can make ahead and freeze.
1 tablespoon bacon grease (*)
1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 pound ground beef
14.5 ounces green beans (**drained)
15 ounces mixed vegetables (**drained)
21 ounces cream of mushroom soup
32 ounces tater tots
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Sauté the minced onion and garlic in the bacon grease until they begin to soften.
Then add the ground beef to the onion/garlic mixture, and cook until it’s browned.
Layer the vegetables in the bottom of a greased casserole dish.
Add a second layer with the browned ground beef over the vegetables.
Spread the soup over the ground beef mixture.
Finally, layer the tater tots on top.
Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40 minutes, or until the tots are a golden brown color.
Remove from the oven and serve while warm.
*You can use bacon grease, butter, or olive oil to cook the onions and garlic.

**While I prefer to use canned veggies, you can use frozen or fresh, as well, depending on your preference. Using fresh root vegetables, like carrots, may require parboiling.

Dinner Ideas
American
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Update: This recipe was originally published in April 2013, but was re-published with bigger photos and more details in January 2019.
January 14, 2019
Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe
Pork Roast Recipe – Deliciously easy pork roast recipe with vegetables and gravy, perfect for dinner tonight. How to cook a pork roast with simple seasoning in the oven.

My house is full of meat eaters. They love their meat, so I try to occasionally add a roast to our weekly menu, or baked chicken drumsticks.

A good pork roast recipe can stretch to more than just one meal, especially if you’re careful about portion sizes. That means leftover pork for the win when it comes to more dinnertime meals (or leftovers for lunch).

Not only that, but a pork roast with vegetables can mean a one pot meal. I love cooking pork roast in the Crock Pot because it’s an easy meal I can set and forget.

It’s also delicious with a good side of mashed potatoes or green beans or even a colorful salad. I’ll also share with you how to make a simple gravy to go with your roast.

Did you know pork roast is a traditional Easter food for many families?

If you love this pork roast in oven, you may also enjoy our recipes for roasted pork tenderloin and maple pork chops with apples and onions.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR PORK ROAST?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the pork roast recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

TIPS FOR HOW TO COOK A PORK ROAST

This recipe is pretty simple. I use chicken broth, a yellow onion, and garlic for simple seasoning and flavoring.
- Your first step is to sear the roast in a Dutch oven. You want to brown all sides of your roast, and this usually takes about 10 minutes or so to do.
- Once it’s seared, you can add all of the prepared vegetables into the pan all around the meat. We like to add potatoes, carrots, onion, and garlic.
- Then just bake the roast until it’s fully cooked.
I didn’t find it necessary with this roast because we cover it while cooking so it steams. But, depending on the size of your roast, you may want to parboil potatoes and veggies just a bit, so they get completely cooked in the amount of time they’ll cook with the meat.

You can also make a simple pork gravy with some of the leftover pork broth (instructions included in the recipe below).

PORK ROAST COOKING TIME

How long to cook pork roast really depends on a number of factors, including both your oven and the size of your roast.

We cooked ours for close to an hour or more, or until it came to temp.

SPEAKING OF PORK TEMPERATURE…

You want to make sure that it reaches the recommended internal temperature for pork, which is 145 to 160°F. We prefer not to mess around with pork and always let it come to temp before eating.

Use a meat thermometer to check the temperature of your roast before removing it from the oven.

MORE PORK RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY:

We love making these sweet chili baby back ribs in our Instant Pot. Pineapple honey glazed ham is one of our go to ham recipes for special occasions and holidays.

Sidetracked Sarah has a delicious recipe for a slow cooker honey parmesan pork roast. And It Is a Keeper has a wonderful recipe for slow cooker garlic balsamic pork roast.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE OVEN ROASTED PORK ROAST

Dutch Oven – You can sear and bake all in one pan, making cleanup easier too.

Tongs or Turning Fork

Meat Thermometer

Cute Pot Holders – Ok, so they don’t have to be cute, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything.

Whisk

Spatula

PORK ROAST RECIPE

If you love this pork roast as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

CONNECT WITH ADVENTURES OF MEL!

Be sure to follow me on social, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter

Sign up to receive my newsletter, filled with delicious recipes and outdoor travel adventures, in your inbox:

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Oven Roasted Pork Roast Recipe

Deliciously easy pork roast recipe with vegetables and gravy, perfect for dinner tonight. How to cook a pork roast with simple seasoning in the oven.
Pork Roast:
1 tablespoon bacon grease
4 1/12 pounds pork roast (*)
2 cups chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion (sliced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
5 medium potatoes (chopped or chunked)
5 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
Pork Gravy:
1 cup pork broth
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Add bacon grease to the heated Dutch oven.
Sear the roast in the Dutch oven, being sure to brown all sides. This may take about 10 minutes or so.
Pour the chicken broth over the roast.
Add the sliced onion, minced garlic, potatoes, and carrots all around the roast.
Cover and bake at 350°F for about an hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature between 145° to 160°F.
Once your roast and vegetables are fully cooked, you can make a simple gravy. You can make it right in the same pan after removing the contents, or in a different skillet.
Whisk together the pork broth and flour over low to medium heat.
Then add water, salt, and pepper to the broth mixture, and constantly stir until the gravy starts to thicken.
Once the gravy has thickened enough to form a gravy, it’s ready to eat.
Pair the gravy with the pork roast and vegetables.
*This roast was a bone in pork roast.

Pork Recipes
American
cooking pork roast, how to cook a pork roast, pork recipes, pork roast, pork roast in oven, pork roast recipe, pork roast with vegetables
January 8, 2019
Simple and Delicious Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Pork Tenderloin – How to cook pork tenderloin, roasted to a juicy perfection in the oven. Easy recipe for a delicious dinner with simple seasonings and potatoes.

Growing up in a meat and potatoes household, I have a love relationship with meat and potatoes, even though we don’t always eat the second part of that equation. My guys love meat too, so we occasionally gravitate toward pork for dinner.

Pork tenderloin is the best of both worlds because it’s super easy to make and doesn’t take quite as long to make as our more typical slow cooker pork roast. It’s also delicious with a good side of mashed potatoes, green beans, fried rice with pork or even a colorful salad. Sometimes I even top it off with a fresh batch of mango peach salsa or regular fruit salsa.

Who doesn’t love an easy dinner the whole family will eat? And it’s healthy to boot. Kind of like these family favorite baked chicken drumsticks!

Oven roasted pork tenderloin usually takes less than half an hour to bake. There’s hardly any prep time either.

It’s the perfect solution if you’re wondering what to make for and everyday dinner or even a big family dinner on Easter.

If you love this tenderloin recipe, you may also enjoy our oven roasted pork roast recipe and maple pork chops with apples and onions.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR PORK TENDERLOIN?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the pork tenderloin recipe – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PORK LOIN AND PORK TENDERLOIN

Because yep, there is a difference. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know, because I didn’t realize it either; I thought they were one and the same.

I share this with you because I want to make sure you get the right cut of meat for this recipe.

As it happens, pork loin is speaking about more of a pork roast, while pork tenderloin is more of a boneless filet. Pork tenderloin is that longer, thinner piece of pork that almost looks like a long roll.

The Kitchn actually has a really helpful explanation for the difference between pork loin and pork tenderloin.

TIPS FOR HOW TO COOK PORK TENDERLOIN

This pork tenderloin recipe is really simple, and we actually only use a couple of seasonings that you likely already have in your kitchen.
- Your first step is to dry the pork tenderloin with a paper towel. It’ll likely have a little bit of water in the package with it, so just pat it dry.
- Then rub it down with the olive oil.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the entire pork tenderloin, and rub it in well.
- Sear the meat in a large skillet (preferably a skillet you can also bake it in), being sure to turn it so that both sides slightly brown.
And now you’re ready to roast it.

Note: You’ll want to parboil potatoes and veggies just a bit, so they get completely cooked in the short amount of time they’ll cook with the meat.

PORK TENDERLOIN COOKING TIME

How long to cook pork tenderloin really depends on a number of factors, including both your oven and the size of your tenderloin.

We cooked ours for about 25 to 30 minutes.

You want to make sure that it reaches the recommended internal temperature for pork, which is 145 to 160°F. We prefer not to mess around with pork and always let it come to temp before eating.

MORE PORK RECIPES YOU’LL ENJOY:

We love making these sweet chili baby back ribs in our Instant Pot. Pineapple honey glazed ham is one of our go to ham recipes for special occasions and holidays.

Make a slow cooker apple cider pork loin with this recipe from Mommy Hates Cooking. Mmmm, this recipe for a Maple and Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin in the Slow Cooker, from Sidetracked Sarah, looks so delicious.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE ROASTED PORK TENDERLOIN

Large Cast Iron Skillet – You can sear and bake right in this one skillet, making cleanup easier too.

Tongs

Meat Thermometer

Cute Pot Holders – Ok, so they don’t have to be cute, but it certainly doesn’t hurt anything.

PORK TENDERLOIN RECIPE

If you love this baked pork tenderloin as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Simple and Delicious Roasted Pork Tenderloin

How to cook pork tenderloin, roasted to a juicy perfection in the oven. Easy recipe for a delicious dinner with simple seasonings and potatoes.
Pork Tenderloin:
2 pounds pork tenderloin (*)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked sea salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Potatoes (Optional):
5 whole potatoes (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped or minced)
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.
If you want to roast potatoes or veggies with your pork tenderloin, now is the time to prep them and get them ready.**
Pat the pork tenderloin dry with a paper towel.
Rub it down with olive oil.
Sprinkle the smoked sea salt and black pepper over the tenderloin, rubbing the seasonings in.
Sear the meat in a large skillet (preferably a skillet you can also bake it in), being sure to turn the tenderloin halfway thru searing, so that both sides slightly brown.
Place the parboiled potatoes and veggies in the skillet with the tenderloin, sprinkling olive oil, salt, and black pepper over the veggies.
Bake everything at 400°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until it reaches the recommended internal temperature of 145 to 160°F with a meat thermometer.***
Optional step: In the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle parsley over the entire skillet.
Once the pork tenderloin is fully cooked, remove it from the oven.
Slice the tenderloin and serve with the potatoes and veggies.
*This recipe is based on the size of about a 2 pound pork tenderloin.

**Wash, chop, and parboil potatoes and veggies, so they’re ready to go.

***How long to cook pork tenderloin really depends on a number of factors, including both your oven and the size of your tenderloin.

Pork Recipes
American
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December 18, 2018
Creamy Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
Delicious recipe for the best chicken enchiladas, made with corn tortillas and a creamy white sauce. How to make a Tex Mex dinner your family will love!

On a long ago trip to Texas, I ate the most delicious chicken enchiladas at a restaurant called Riverwalk Cantina. They were so good, we went back and ate there again.

My favorite dish was their creamy chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce. These enchiladas didn’t have the typical red enchilada sauce but rather a really creamy white sauce.

They were so delicious, I came home and recreated the recipe after that trip. And after a little trial and error, I ended up with a chicken enchilada recipe we’ve made over and over again.

While this is a fairly easy chicken enchilada recipe, it does require filling tortillas with the chicken mixture and wrapping them. Other than that, it’s a matter of making sauce and throwing it all together in a pan to bake.

You may also enjoy this CrockPot chicken enchilada casserole and turkey enchilada skillet casserole. And if you want easy, this slow cooker chicken enchilada soup has all the flavors of enchiladas without any hassle.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for creamy chicken enchiladas – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

First things first, you’ll need to cook the chicken so it’s ready to use. Now you have two options here:
- You can use my favorite recipe for Instant Pot Taco Chicken. It’s so good in enchiladas, chicken tacos, chicken nachos, chicken fajitas, and one of my favorite soup recipes, Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup.
- Or you can use pre-cooked chicken, maybe fajita chicken, you buy in the freezer section at the store.
I prefer shredded chicken enchiladas, so I just prefer to make my own. But again, it’s your kitchen, your time… Either one will work.

LET’S MAKE THE CREAMY ENCHILADA SAUCE…

This homemade enchilada sauce is actually really easy to make, even though it does require just a little bit of stove time.
- Start by sautéing the onion in the butter.
- Then stir in the cream cheese and let it melt.
- Add the sour cream, whipping cream, green chilies, shredded cheese, salt, and pepper.
- Then just let it all mesh and cook together until it starts to thicken up.
- Finally, add in the freshly diced tomatoes, just stirring them into the sauce.
And that’s it… It’s ready to go.

WRAP THE CORN TORTILLAS AND PUT IT ALL TOGETHER…

After putting a tablespoon or so of taco chicken in each corn tortilla, you’ll loosely wrap it up and add it to a lightly greased baking dish.

Once all the enchiladas are made, pour the white sauce over them.

Then add the tomatoes and green onions on top (or you can wait and sprinkle the green onions on after baking), and generously sprinkle on the cheese.

Be generous with the cheese.

And that’s about the gist of it… Your homemade chicken enchiladas are ready to go in the oven.

We serve any Tex Mex food we make with fresh tomatoes, avocado or guacamole, and sour cream on the side. As Zeke would say, “Num nums, Momma. Num nums!”

CAN I FREEZE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS?

Yes, there’s really no reason why you can’t make these up ahead of time and freeze them. Just make sure you cover them well to prevent any freezer burn.

LOOKING FOR MORE TEX MEX RECIPES?

We make all sorts of Tex Mex and Mexican food, and sometimes we’ll even go out to dinner. One of our favorite meals we have on a pretty regular basis is ground beef tacos. Sometimes we even switch it up and have fish tacos with fruit salsa instead.

Speaking of fish and seafood, I love making crab enchiladas too.

Occasionally for lunch, I’ll make the boys cheesy chicken quesadillas.

If it’s more enchiladas you’re looking for, my friend Kristy from Mommy Hates Cooking has you covered with breakfast enchiladas and these delicious looking Air Fryer cheesy beef enchiladas. And my friend Kelly from Eat Picks has a super easy make ahead chicken enchilada recipe (made with a red sauce).

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Sauce Pot

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Spatula

Baking Dish

CHICKEN ENCHILADA RECIPE

If you love these creamy chicken enchiladas as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce

Delicious recipe for the best chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce, made with corn tortillas. How to make a Tex Mex dinner your family will love!
1/2 cup picante sauce
1 1/2 pounds chicken (cooked and shredded)
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups sour cream
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces green chilies (diced)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
2 cups tomatoes (diced)
12 corn tortillas
5 green onions (diced)
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F, and lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine the picante sauce and shredded chicken in a container, and let it marinate in the fridge while you're making the enchilada sauce.
Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over low to medium heat.
Sauté the onion in the butter until it turns a light golden color, about 5 minutes or so.
Add the cream cheese to the onion, stirring well until it melts.
Then add the sour cream, heavy whipping cream, green chilies, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheddar, and 1/2 cup Monterey Jack to the sauce mixture.
Let the sauce simmer, constantly stirring, until it begins to thicken up, probably 10 to 15 minutes.
Stir 1 cup of the freshly diced tomatoes into the sauce. Turn the burner on low and keep the sauce warm at this point.
Add a heaping tablespoon of the marinated chicken to each corn tortilla, and loosely wrap each enchilada.
Place each chicken enchilada in the prepared baking dish.
When all of the chicken mixture has been used, pour the white sour cream sauce over the wraps, spreading it around evenly.
Add another cup of freshly diced tomatoes, as well as the rest of the cheese and the green onions, to the top of the enchiladas.
Bake at 350° F for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are cooked through.
Serve with freshly diced tomatoes, avocado, and sour cream on the side.
*You can use either picante sauce or salsa, or you can make my recipe for taco chicken and forget the picante sauce/salsa altogether.

Dinner Ideas, main dish
Tex-Mex
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December 7, 2018
Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes
Enjoy the best of both worlds with grilled cheese sloppy joes, the ultimate comfort food sandwich made with ground beef, homemade sauce, and melted cheese.

Grilled cheese has to be one of the most comforting of all comfort foods, besides maybe macaroni and cheese. Combine grilled cheese with sloppy joes, though, and you’ve got the ultimate comfort food.

My kids love a good grilled cheese sandwich. I mean, who doesn’t? Especially when the weather starts to turn cold, it’s one of our favorite go to lunch ideas.

I love a little bit of meat on my grilled cheese too, whether it’s ham, turkey, or sloppy joe meat. It just adds a real oomph to the whole sandwich.

This grilled cheese recipe is an easy meal you can throw together in no time, especially if you’ve already made the homemade sloppy joes ahead of time. Did you know that you can make slow cooker sloppy joes?

Pair it up with a batch of homemade steak fries, and you’ve got a meal the whole family will love time and time again.

If you love this easy sloppy joe recipe, you may also enjoy Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE GRILLED CHEESE SLOPPY JOE RECIPE?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for grilled cheese sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE GRILLED CHEESE SLOPPY JOES?

If you’ve never had sloppy joes, they’re a sort of loose meat sandwich made with loose ground beef that’s mixed with a tomato based sauce. The sauce usually has ingredients like ketchup or tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sometimes a little mustard, and other tasty ingredients.

Grilled cheese sloppy joes are exactly what they sound like. A loose meat sandwich with melted cheese, grilled between two slices of buttered bread.

DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF?

Nope. While I prefer to use ground beef, you can also make a good sloppy joe sandwich with ground pork or ground turkey.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES

I recommend using bacon grease for added flavor to the meat mixture (maybe even for grilling the sandwiches, but we’ll get to that in a minute). However, no worries if you don’t have bacon grease; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic and onion really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and the sauce.

Start by sautéing the garlic and onion in a large skillet. Then add the meat and mix together with the garlic and onion, cooking the mixture well.

Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.

Once you add the sauce ingredients, just let the whole mixture simmer for a good 5 minutes.

TIPS FOR HOW TO CREATE SLOPPY JOE GRILLED CHEESE

Meanwhile, while the juicy burger meat is simmering, prep your bread and cheese.

Butter the outside of 2 slices of bread, a set of slices for each person you’re feeding. You can even brush on a bit of bacon grease, or you can add a little bacon grease to the griddle for frying.

TYPES OF CHEESE YOU MAY WANT TO USE FOR GRILLED CHEESE:
- American
- Cheddar
- Smoked Cheddar
- Pepper Jack
- Smoked Gouda
- Gruyeré
- Swiss
Honestly, the list could go on and on. In fact, The Daily Meal has a list of the 11 best cheeses for a grilled cheese sandwich.

PUT YOUR GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH TOGETHER

Once the sloppy joe meat has finished cooking, add the desired amount of meat to each sandwich, along with 2 or 3 slices of each person’s favorite cheese.

Slap the cover on your sandwich, and fry it in a skillet or on a griddle until each side is golden and the cheese has melted. Turning the sandwich with loose hamburger meat can be tricky, but a little easier if you use a wider spatula.

You can even sprinkle a little bit of fresh basil on each sandwich once they’re fully cooked. Yum!

MORE SLOPPY JOE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

Taco Sloppy Joes

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes

25+ Sloppy Joe Recipes for Dinner Tonight

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES

Skillet and Griddle – We love using our cast iron skillets for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Cheese Slicer

Grilled Cheese Spatula

GRILLED CHEESE SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

If you love this grilled cheese sloppy joe recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes

Enjoy the best of both worlds with grilled cheese sloppy joes, the ultimate comfort food sandwich made with ground beef, homemade sauce, and melted cheese.
1 tablespoon bacon grease ((or olive oil))
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter (softened)
8 slices bread
8 slices cheese
Heat the bacon grease, or olive oil, in a large skillet over medium heat 'til hot.
Sauté the garlic in the bacon grease for 1-2 minutes.
Stir the onion in with the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the onions and garlic into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked. Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar into the meat, stirring until combined.
Let the sloppy joe mixture simmer over low to medium heat for at least 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep your bread and cheese. Butter the outside of 2 slices of bread, and repeat with a set of slices for each person you’re feeding.
Once the sloppy joe meat is finished cooking, add the desired amount of meat to each sandwich.
Then add 2 or 3 slices of each person’s favorite cheese.
Slap the cover on your sandwich, and fry it in a skillet or on a griddle over low heat 'til each side is golden and the cheese has melted, probably about 5-10 minutes.
Once your sandwiches are grilled, they're ready to serve with your favorite side!
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor it will give to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

*You can use your choice of cheese. We usually choose between American, extra sharp cheddar, pepper Jack, etc.

*Turning the sandwich with loose hamburger meat can be tricky, but a little easier if you use a wider spatula.

Burgers & Sandwiches, Main Course
American
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November 28, 2018
Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes
Pizza Sloppy Joes – Easy recipe for pepperoni pizza sloppy joes! Delicious family dinner made with ground beef and all the cheesy, saucy goodness of homemade pizza.

We’re full steam ahead with the next stop on our sloppy joe journey with these lovely li’l pizza joes. Made with ground beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese, pizza sloppy joes are the best of both worlds.

Unlike our original homemade sloppy joes or slow cooker sloppy joes, this sloppy joe recipe has absolutely no ketchup in it. Instead we went with a homemade pizza sauce, made with crushed tomatoes and all the seasonings.

My boys have really been enjoying all of these delicious sloppy joe recipes. I’m pretty sure their favorite so far have been the taco sloppy joes, the Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes, and the grilled cheese sloppy joes.

Personally, I really enjoyed the sloppy joe stuffed peppers.

Just like our other juicy burger recipes, you can serve pizza joes on toasted buns or for a lower carb option, on a bed of lettuce or spinach. Either way, they make a really tasty family meal.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE RECIPE FOR PIZZA SLOPPY JOES?

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for pepperoni pizza sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT IS A PIZZA SLOPPY JOE?

If you’ve never had sloppy joes, they’re a loose meat sandwich made with loose ground beef that’s mixed with a tomato based sauce. The sauce usually has things like ketchup or tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sometimes a little mustard, and other ingredients.

Pizza sloppy joes are a loose meat sandwich, but instead of ketchup, they’re made with a homemade pizza sauce, pepperoni, and shredded mozzarella cheese.

DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF? CAN I USE OTHER MEATS?

Pizza joes would taste incredible with a little bit of Italian sausage or regular sausage mixed in with the ground beef. Or you can even use ground turkey instead of beef.

Think pizza when you’re making these… What are your favorite meats when you go to order or make pizza?

DO I NEED TO THAW THE GROUND BEEF? WHAT IF IT’S FROZEN?

You can use frozen hamburger meat to make homemade sloppy joes, but you may need to sauté your garlic in a different skillet so it can be added to the ground beef once the meat has thawed. We’re really bad about remembering to get meat out to thaw, so don’t fret if you’ve forgotten it too.

Since it’s a loose meat sandwich and you’re not having to shape hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This will steam the meat.

You can add the sautéed garlic once the meat has loosened up. And when it’s fully cooked, just be sure to drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES WITH A PIZZA TWIST

This is a really easy sloppy joe recipe that’s perfect for both pizza lovers and sloppy joe lovers.

I recommend using bacon grease for added flavor to your meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic really well. I prefer to mince it up so that it blends well with the meat and the sauce.

Sauté the garlic in bacon grease in a large skillet. Then add the meat and mix together with the garlic, cooking the mixture well.

Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.

Add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients, including the crushed tomatoes, seasonings, and chopped pepperoni. Let the mixture simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.

Place the shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the cooked juicy burger mixture, and stir it in as it begins to melt.

Meanwhile, you can toast hamburger buns in another skillet or on a griddle in a little bit of bacon grease. Or you may choose a lower carb option and prep a plate of lettuce or spinach to go with your pizza sloppy joe meat.

Add the meat to the buns, lettuce, or spinach, and enjoy a flavorful dinner with your family. This is an especially kid-friendly meal that’s sure to be on your menu again and again!

WANT MORE SIMILAR DINNERTIME GOODNESS?

My friend Kristy, from Mommy Hates Cooking, has a delicious recipe for Root Beer Sloppy Joes.

And my friend Lisa from Crazy Adventures in Parenting, has a yummy recipe for Pizza Stuffed Burgers.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THIS PIZZA SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Cheese Grater

PEPPERONI PIZZA SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

If you love this pepperoni pizza sloppy joe recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

CONNECT WITH ADVENTURES OF MEL!

Be sure to follow me on social, so you never miss a post!

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Sign up to receive my newsletter, filled with delicious recipes and outdoor travel adventures, in your inbox:

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Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes

Easy recipe for pepperoni pizza sloppy joes! Delicious family dinner made with ground beef and all the cheesy, saucy goodness of homemade pizza.
1 tablespoon bacon grease (*)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup pepperoni (chopped)
1 cup mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until hot.
Then add in the garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes
Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the garlic into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Mix the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and pepperoni into the meat, stirring until combined.
Let the pizza sloppy joe mixture simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.
Finally, top the meat with the shredded mozzarella right in the skillet and let it begin to melt.** Then stir the melted cheese into the meat mixture.
Serve on toasted buns or on a bed of lettuce or spinach.
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor it will give to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

**It will help the cheese to melt a little faster if you place a lid on the skillet.

You can add a little bit of chopped basil for extra flavor, if desired.

Burgers & Sandwiches
American
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November 20, 2018
Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
How to make the most delicious Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes with ground beef, mushrooms, and provolone. Easy dinner idea and recipe!

Back in college, I was introduced to my first Philly cheesesteak on a trip to Philly. Before that, I’d really never heard of a cheesesteak and really had no idea what it was.

And then I married a guy from Pennsylvania who absolutely loved a good Philly cheese steak sandwich. In fact, it became a regular part of our menu.

Combine his favorite Philly cheese steak with my favorite sloppy joes, and you’ve got the makings of a really yummy dinner.

The nice thing about Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes is that without the toasted buns, the meat mixture is fairly low carb. So pair with a bed of lettuce or spinach and you’ve got a much healthier option.

And if you’re in a pinch and need a super quick dinner, you can totally make this juicy burger up ahead of time and just warm it up for dinner. Easy make ahead meal for the win!

Another couple Philly cheesesteak favorites around here are this Crock Pot Philly cheesesteak sandwich, roast beef Philly cheesesteaks and Philly cheesesteak peppers. Yum!

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES RECIPE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT IS A PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOE?

Don’t worry, before college I’d never heard of a Philly cheesesteak sandwich either.

A Philly cheese steak sandwich is basically a sandwich made on a hoagie with smaller, thinner pieces of beefsteak and cheese. What cheese goes on a Philly cheese steak depends; it can be provolone, American, or Cheez Whiz.

A Philly cheesesteak sloppy joe is made with ground beef instead of beefsteak. And like a cheesesteak, it has peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese.

Instead of serving this loose meat sandwich on a hoagie, you serve it on a toasted hamburger bun, just like a sloppy joe.

While I use ground beef, you can also make a good sloppy joe sandwich with ground pork or ground turkey.

CAN I USE FROZEN GROUND BEEF? DO I NEED TO THAW IT?

You can use frozen hamburger meat to make homemade sloppy joes, but you may need to sauté your onion, garlic, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a different skillet so they can be added to the ground beef once it’s thawed. We actually do this quite often because we forget to get the meat out, so don’t fret if you’ve forgotten it too.

Since it’s a loose meat sandwich and you’re not making hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.

You can add the sautéed onion, garlic, mushrooms, and pepper once the meat has loosened up.

When it’s fully cooked, you can drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOES

I recommend using bacon grease for added flavor to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and the sauce.
- You’ll start by sautéing the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in a large skillet.
- Then add the ground beef and mix together with the vegetables, cooking the mixture well.
- Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
- Whisk together the beef broth and flour in a separate measuring cup.
- Once you add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients, including the broth mixture, just let the meat simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.
- Finally, top with the Provolone right in the skillet and let it melt. Then stir the melted cheese into the meat mixture.
Meanwhile, you can toast hamburger buns in another skillet or on a griddle in a little bit of bacon grease. Or you may choose a lower carb option and prep a plate of lettuce or spinach to go with your cheesesteak sloppy joe meat.

Spoon the meat onto a toasted bun and serve it while it’s all toasty warm!

MORE SLOPPY JOE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:

Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Taco Sloppy Joes

Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes

Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes

25+ Sloppy Joe Recipes for Dinner Tonight

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SLOPPY JOES

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Pyrex Measuring Cup and Whisk

PHILLY CHEESESTEAK SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

If you love this Philly cheesesteak sloppy joe recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

How to make the most delicious Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes with ground beef, mushrooms, and provolone. Easy dinner idea and recipe!
1 tablespoon bacon grease (*)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 medium yellow onion (chopped)
1/2 large green bell pepper (chopped)
2 ounces fresh mushrooms (minced)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 ounces Provolone cheese
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until hot.
Then add in the garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Add the onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper in with the garlic and sauté for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the garlic, onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking
Whisk together the beef broth and flour in a separate measuring cup.
Mix the beef broth mixture, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into the meat, stirring until combined.
Let the cheesesteak sloppy joe mixture simmer for a good 5-10 minutes.
Finally, top the meat with the Provolone right in the skillet and let it melt.** Then stir the melted cheese into the meat mixture.
Serve on toasted buns or on a bed of lettuce or spinach.
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor it will give to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

**It will help the cheese to melt a little faster if you place a lid on the skillet.

Burgers & Sandwiches
American
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November 13, 2018
Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers
Easy homemade sloppy joe stuffed peppers, made with ground beef and baked in the oven, are a healthy dinner recipe the whole family will love!

If you love sloppy joes and you love stuffed peppers, you are going to love this recipe. Combine the two and you’ve got a grand slam dinner recipe that’s pretty easy to make.

The best part about this stuffed pepper recipe is you don’t need any buns or bread, so it’s going to be a healthier option. Low carb is a necessity on our weekly dinnertime menu.

And who needs canned sloppy joe sauce when you can make your own? We like a good homemade sauce that’s not so thick and gooey. Sometimes I even make crock pot sloppy joes!

I sometimes use a colorful variety for our stuffed bell peppers, but you can pretty much use any color you want. Whether you want stuffed green peppers, red, yellow, or orange, it doesn’t matter.

You may also enjoy these stuffed peppers recipes: Spinach and Chicken Stuffed Peppers, Chicken and Rice Stuffed Peppers, Philly cheese stuffed peppers, and beef taco stuffed peppers.

DO I NEED TO PRE-COOK BELL PEPPERS BEFORE STUFFING THEM?

You can, but you don’t have to. This is usually done to shorten the cooking time.

The Cookful has a great explanation for how to pre-cook peppers.

HOW TO CUT THE PEPPERS WHEN MAKING STUFFED PEPPERS

While I usually cut my bell peppers in half, you can go with one of two options when prepping your bell peppers for a stuffed bell pepper recipe…
- Remove the top of the pepper, along with all the pith and seeds that are down inside.
- OR cut the peppers in half and remove all the pith and seeds inside. Just remember not to eat the stem if you leave the stem intact.
Not sure how to go about cutting up a pepper? Here’s a whole tutorial for how to cut a pepper 4 easy ways!

DO I HAVE TO USE GROUND BEEF FOR SLOPPY JOE MEAT?

No, you can use ground turkey or ground pork too, whichever is your personal preference.

We prefer ground beef, so this recipe is based around ground beef.

DO I NEED TO THAW THE MEAT BEFOREHAND? CAN I USE FROZEN GROUND BEEF?

You can use frozen hamburger meat to make the sloppy joe meat for your stuffed peppers, but you may need to sauté your onion and garlic in a different skillet so they can be added to the ground beef once it’s thawed.

We actually do this quite often because we forget to get the meat out, so don’t fret if you’ve forgotten it too.

Since sloppy joes are a loose meat sandwich and you’re not making hamburger patties but rather going with that juicy burger texture for stuffed bell peppers, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.

You can add the sautéed onion and garlic once the meat has loosened up.

When it’s browned, you’ll need to drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE STUFFED PEPPERS WITH SLOPPY JOE MEAT

I recommend using bacon grease for a li’l added flavor to the meat mixture. But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic and the onion really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and sauce.

You’ll start by sautéing the garlic and onion in a large skillet. Then add the meat and mix together with the garlic and onion, cooking the mixture just until the meat is browned.

Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.

Once you add the sauce ingredients, give it a really good stir and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove the meat mixture from the stovetop, and mix the shredded cheddar into it. Then spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the washed and prepared peppers.

Bake the stuffed peppers at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F with a meat thermometer. You may need to cover the peppers halfway through with aluminum foil to prevent them from getting too brown on top.

Garnish with fresh basil if you want and serve!

MORE SLOPPY JOE RECIPES YOU MAY ENJOY:
KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

Meat Thermometer

Baking Sheet

Aluminum Foil

SLOPPY JOE STUFFED PEPPERS RECIPE

If you love this sloppy joe stuffed peppers recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers

Easy homemade sloppy joe stuffed peppers, made with ground beef and baked in the oven, are a healthy dinner recipe the whole family will love!
2 tablespoons bacon grease (*)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 medium yellow onion (minced)
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
4 whole bell peppers
Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
Mince the garlic and onion really well.
Sauté the garlic and onion in a large skillet.
Then add the meat and mix together with the garlic and onion, cooking the mixture just until the meat is browned.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Add the sauce ingredients, including the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and light brown sugar, to the ground beef.
Give the meat mixture a really good stir and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove the meat mixture from the stovetop, and mix the shredded cheddar into it.
Wash and prepare the peppers by either removing the top of the pepper, along with all the pith and seeds that are down inside. Or cut the peppers in half and remove all the pith and seeds inside.
Spoon the sloppy joe mixture into the washed and prepared peppers.
Bake the stuffed peppers on a baking sheet at 350° for 30 to 45 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of at least 160°F with a meat thermometer.**
Garnish with fresh basil if you want and serve!
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor to the meat mixture. But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

**You may need to cover the peppers halfway through with aluminum foil to prevent them from getting too brown on top.

Dinner Ideas
American
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November 6, 2018
Taco Sloppy Joes
Taco Sloppy Joes – How to make homemade taco sloppy joes with ground beef and all the fixings. Easy dinner recipe your family will love, especially the kids!

I’ve already shared how much I loved sloppy joes as a kid; and I’ve shared my love for tacos, especially ground beef tacos. So I thought it only appropriate to combine the two into a delicious new recipe, taco sloppy joes.

My kids weren’t too sure about this combination at first. And then we had them for dinner, and their minds were forever changed; I got lots of compliments that night.

I think it’s safe to say this recipe, much like Philly cheesesteak sloppy joes, will be a regular on our dinnertime menu. The nice thing is you can eat these on a toasted bun, or if you’re trying to go more low carb, you can top off a bed of lettuce or spinach and make a taco salad instead.

You can even swap out buns for bell peppers and make the most delicious beef taco stuffed peppers.

While this sloppy joe makes a nice juicy burger, you can top it off with taco ingredients like lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, avocados, and green onions if desired.

It’s a quick and easy sloppy joe recipe you can even make ahead of time, then pull out the meat and warm it up to go with all the fixings.

Who’s ready for a dinner recipe your kids will love? I’m ready to make them again.

More family favorite sloppy joe recipes your kids will love… Grilled Cheese Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers, Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes, and Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes.

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE TACO SLOPPY JOES RECIPE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for taco sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT ARE TACO SLOPPY JOES?

Just in case you’ve never had sloppy joes, they’re a sort of loose meat sandwich made with loose ground beef mixed with a tomato based sauce. The sauce usually has things like ketchup or tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sometimes a little mustard, and other ingredients.

Well, as can be expected, taco sloppy joes are a little bit different. They’re still a loose meat sandwich, but instead of ketchup, you make them with pretty much the same ingredients you’d use to make taco meat.

Some people use salsa or picante sauce to season their taco meat. I like to use a mix of ingredients like onion, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, and chopped tomato.

And while I use ground beef, you can also make a good sloppy joe sandwich with ground pork or ground turkey.

Then you serve the meat on a toasted bun (or on a bed of lettuce for a low carb option), along with all the fixings you’d use in tacos.

CAN I USE FROZEN GROUND BEEF? DO I NEED TO THAW IT?

You can use frozen hamburger meat to make homemade sloppy joes, but you may need to sauté your onion, garlic, and bell pepper in a different skillet so they can be added to the ground beef once it’s thawed. We actually do this quite often because we forget to get the meat out, so don’t fret if you’ve forgotten it too.

Since it’s a loose meat sandwich and you’re not making hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.

You can add the sautéed onion, garlic, and pepper once the meat has loosened up.

When it’s fully cooked, you can drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE TACO SLOPPY JOES

This is a super easy sloppy joe recipe that’s perfect for taco lovers.

I do recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic, onion, and bell pepper really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and the sauce.

You’ll start by sautéing the garlic, onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet. Then add the meat and mix together with the vegetables, cooking the mixture well.

Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.

Once you add the sloppy joe sauce ingredients, just let the whole mixture simmer for a good 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can toast hamburger buns in another skillet or on a griddle in a little bit of bacon grease. Or you may choose a lower carb option and prep a plate of lettuce or spinach to go with your taco sloppy joe meat.

Add the meat to a toasted bun and top with your favorite taco ingredients, like lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheddar, mashed avocados, and maybe even green onions.

However you choose to enjoy your taco sloppy joes, they’re sure to be delicious!

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE TACO SLOPPY JOES

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets and griddle for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

Ninja Food Chopper Express or Cutting Board and Chef’s Knife

All-in-One Avocado Slicer

Cheese Grater

TACO SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

If you love this taco sloppy joe recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

CONNECT WITH ADVENTURES OF MEL!

Be sure to follow me on social, so you never miss a post!

Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube | Instagram | Twitter

Sign up to receive my newsletter, filled with delicious recipes and outdoor travel adventures, in your inbox:

FREE EMAIL SUBSCRIPTION
Taco Sloppy Joes

How to make homemade taco sloppy joes with ground beef and all the fixings. Easy dinner recipe your family will love, especially the kids!
1 tablespooon bacon grease (*)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 large bell pepper (chopped)
1 pound ground beef
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 large tomato (chopped)
3 cups lettuce (shredded)
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese (shredded)
2 whole avocados (mashed)
5 green onions (chopped)
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until hot.
Then add in the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add the onion and bell pepper in with the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the garlic, onions, and bell pepper into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Mix the lemon juice, chili powder, salt, black pepper, and chopped tomato into the meat, stirring until combined.
Let the taco sloppy joe mixture simmer for at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep the taco ingredients, including lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, avocados, green onions, and whatever else you like on your tacos.
Serve on toasted buns or on a bed of lettuce or spinach.
**I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor it will give to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Burgers & Sandwiches
American
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October 31, 2018
The Ultimate Mashed Potato Bar with the Best Toppings
Feed a crowd with the ultimate mashed potato bar at your next party, wedding, or celebration. How to create a crowd pleasing buffet with ideas for all sorts of delicious mashed potato toppings. It’ll be the talk of the party!

There are so many things you can do with a mashed potato bar; the choices for mashed potato bar toppings are endless. Pretty much anything you think up you can use.

It’s the perfect appetizer idea, or side dish, for a wedding or party. I experienced my first mashed potato bar, or rather a mashtini bar, at a blogging conference; I’d never seen such a beautiful thing in all my life.

It was filled with all sorts of delicious mashed potato toppings, along with all sorts of potatoes, including purple mashed potatoes! The mashed potatoes themselves were served in martini glasses, and you could go right down the buffet line, adding any mashed potatoes toppings you wanted.

You talk about delicious and one of my favorite things ever. That was hands down the BEST food I’ve ever had at a conference. Comfort food at its best, and man, was it delicious.

Why Create a Mashed Potato Bar?

When I created my first baked potato bar, I thought it only appropriate to also create a mashed potato bar. Because who doesn’t love a loaded down cup of hot mashed potatoes smothered in cheese and bacon?
- A mashed potato bar wedding buffet will definitely be a great idea and a favorite with guests.
- A mash potato bar is also perfect for that big holiday family gathering, like Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, or Easter dinner.
- New Year’s is also a great time to put together a mashed potato martini bar. To save on cost, make a big batch of mashed potatoes, and have each guest bring their favorite toppings to add to the ones you provide. Then you get different perspectives, different ideas, and guests get to contribute their favorite topping idea to the mix.
How to Make Mashed Potatoes

I’ve got you covered with this delicious and easy mashed potatoes recipe.

Ingredient Notes:
- Potatoes – I prefer to use yellow potatoes, but again, you can have fun with this and use all sorts of potatoes, including yellow, russet, red potatoes, even purple potatoes.
- Salted Butter – Don’t skimp on the butter; it gives the best flavor.
- Heavy Cream or Whole Milk – While you can use skim milk, you’ll get the best texture and flavor with whole milk or cream.
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper – for added flavor.
Steps for Making Stovetop Mashed Potatoes:
1. Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes.
2. Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan on the stove over low to medium heat, until they’re soft enough to easily jab with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Drain the water off the boiled potatoes, and leave them in the saucepan.
4. Add the butter and heavy whipping cream to the potatoes.
5. Use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also use a potato masher if you don’t have a hand mixer; your potatoes may just be a little bit chunky.
6. Once they’re whipped, they’re ready to serve.
If you’d rather, you can make Instant Pot mashed potatoes instead.

How to Set up or Assemble a Mashed Potato Bar

Gather your ingredients for your potato bar… You’ll need mashed potatoes and toppings. Your main work will be cooking the potatoes and prepping any toppings for your guests to choose from.

Whether you’re getting together with friends for game night, hosting a family dinner, or setting up a potluck, a mashed potatoes bar is the perfect way to feed and entertain your guests. And it really doesn’t take a whole lot of time and effort on your part.

Mash Potato Bar Ideas and Expert Tips
- If you’d rather use sweet potatoes over regular potatoes, you can make Instant Pot sweet potatoes.
- Prep the toppings, adding each topping to a separate dish or compartment for serving. Prepping may involve cooking, re-heating, or simply chopping.
- Set everything out buffet style, so your guests can create their very own delicious mashed potato creations.
- If you’re hosting a smaller gathering, try using a large charcuterie board with small bowls for a variety of toppings all around a large bowl of mashed potatoes.
- If you’re wondering how to keep the mashed potatoes warm without warmers, you can create a CrockPot mashed potato bar or Instant Pot mashed potato bar.
The Ultimate List of Mashed Potato Bar Toppings:

When it comes to what toppings are good on mashed potatoes, including what to put on mashed potatoes besides gravy, this list of toppings will answer that question in a most delicious way.
- Butter
- Salt and Pepper
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- Cheese Sauce
- Shredded Cheese – I recommend Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Smoked Cheddar, Mozzarella, etc.
- Onions – red onion, green onions, caramelized onions, etc.
- Chives
- Cooked Broccoli
- Cooked Cauliflower
- Chili
- Meat for Sloppy Joes or CrockPot Sloppy Joes
- Taco Meat – beef taco meat, taco chicken, etc.
- Bacon or Bacon Bits
- Chopped Baked Ham or Pineapple Ham
- Pulled Pork
- Sausage
- Ground Beef
- Steak
- Cubed Pepperoni
- BBQ Sauce
- Ranch Dressing
- Pizza Sauce
- Turkey Gravy
- Ham Gravy or any flavor gravy when you know how to make gravy with cornstarch
- Gravy with Chicken Broth
- Green Chiles or Hot Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Guacamole
- Salsa with basil
- Jalapeños
- Fire roasted green chiles
- Corn
- Peas
The sky’s the limit on ideas for a mashed potato buffet because there are so many toppings you can add to this list. But this is a great start.

Recipe FAQ’s

How much does a mashed potato bar cost?
Really, this depends. For a small family gathering, if you make your own mashed potatoes and put together just a few simple toppings, you can get away with less than $20. If you’re creating a larger buffet for a large crowd, your cost will depend on how many ingredients and supplies are needed to feed said crowd.

What potatoes are best for a mash potato bar?
While I do prefer yellow potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes, you can use any kind of potatoes you prefer, including Russet potatoes, red potatoes, even purple potatoes if you can find them. I’ve also gone so far as to search for the best mashed potatoes near me, and I found Bob Evans mashed potatoes in my grocery store. If you really don’t want to make mashed potatoes, ready made potatoes could be just the thing.

Can you make mashed potatoes and toppings ahead of time?
Yes, you can. You can make mashed potatoes and prep most of the toppings 1-2 days ahead of time. You’ll just need to store everything in airtight containers in the fridge.

How can you keep the mashed potatoes warm at a party?
You can either use a buffet server and food warmer. Or you can keep the mashed potatoes in a Crock Pot or Instant Pot on the “Keep Warm” setting.

How should you store leftovers?
Definitely store leftovers in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

More Family Favorite Potato Recipes

If you love this mashed potato bar and think it’s as much fun as I do, you’ll love these recipes too…
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
The Ultimate Mashed Potato Bar

Feed a crowd with a mashed potato bar at your next party, wedding, or celebration. Ideas for all sorts of delicious toppings.
Stockpot
Hand Mixer
Potato Masher
Cutting Board
Vegetable Cleaver
Buffet Server and Food Warmer
Serving Bowls
Sectioned Serving Tray
Mini Appetizer Cups
Plastic Martini Glasses
Mashed Potatoes:
16 medium potatoes
12 tablespoons salted butter
4 tablespoons whole milk (or heavy cream)
2 teaspoons sea salt (to taste)
2 teaspoons ground black pepper (to taste)
Mashed Potato Bar Toppings:
1 1/2 cups salted butter
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3 cups cheese sauce
12 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (*shredded)
2 cups red onion (minced)
2 cups green onion (chopped)
2 cups chives (chopped)
6 cups broccoli (cooked)
6 cups sloppy joe meat
1 1/2 cups bacon (cooked and crumbled)
4 1/2 cups ham (chopped)
Mashed Potatoes:
Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes.
Boil the potatoes in a large saucepan on the stove, until they're soft enough to easily jab with a fork, about 20-30 minutes.
Drain the water off the boiled potatoes, and leave them in the saucepan.
Add the butter and heavy whipping cream to the potatoes.
Use a hand mixer to whip the potatoes, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also use a potato masher if you don't have a hand mixer; your potatoes may just be a little bit chunky.
Once they're whipped, they're ready to serve.
Potato Bar Toppings:
Choose and prep your toppings*, adding each topping to a separate dish or compartment for serving. Prepping may involve cooking, re-heating, or simply chopping.
Set everything out buffet style*, so your guests can create their very own delicious baked potato creations.
* You can use any kind of shredded cheese you prefer. I recommend Extra Sharp Cheddar, Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Smoked Cheddar, Mozzarella, etc.

*More mashed potato bar topping ideas include cooked cauliflower, chili, beef taco meat, taco chicken, pulled pork, sausage, ground beef, steak, bacon bits, cubed pepperoni, BBQ sauce, Ranch dressing, pizza sauce, turkey gravy, ham gravy, ham gravy with cornstarch, chicken stock gravy, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, jalapeños, fire roasted green chiles, corn, peas, etc.

*You may need warmers to keep the mashed potatoes warm; you can also use a slow cooker or Crock pot. Otherwise, you may use a serving platter or serving bowls for toppings.

Side Dish
American
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October 29, 2018
Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes – Make your own homemade sloppy joes! Easy 30 minute sloppy joe recipe with a simple and delicious sauce. Serve on toasted buns or a bed of lettuce.

When I was a kid, sloppy joes were one of my favorite meals. Of course, Manwich was the sloppy joe sauce of choice back then.

But who needs canned sloppy joe sauce when you can make your own simple sauce? And it doesn’t have to be an overbearing sauce either, completely masking the flavor of the meat.

Nope, you can make a sauce with minimal ketchup, a little bit of Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of brown sugar. And it’s out of this world delicious!

When I first made this recipe, it reminded me of the old days when Mom and Grandma would make the best juicy burger around. The toasted buns toasted in just a smidge of bacon grease really brought back a taste of home.

Tasty Tip: This also makes the best grilled cheese sloppy joes and sloppy joe shepherd’s pie! You can also make crock pot sloppy joes instead.

Are you ready for a dinnertime favorite your family will love? Let’s get to it!

More sloppy joe recipes you may enjoy: Taco Sloppy Joes, Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, Sloppy Joe Stuffed Peppers, and Pepperoni Pizza Sloppy Joes.

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE SLOPPY JOES RECIPE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for sloppy joes – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

WHAT ARE SLOPPY JOES?

If you’ve never had sloppy joes, never fear. It’s never too late to add this yummy recipe to your weekly menu planning.

Sloppy joes are a sort of loose meat sandwich made with loose ground beef mixed with a tomato based sauce. The sauce usually has things like ketchup or tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sometimes a little mustard, and other ingredients.

You can also make a sloppy joe sandwich with ground pork or ground turkey.

It’s a very flavorful sandwich that’s otherwise known as a juicy burger (what my mama and grandma called it), loose meat sandwich, Manwich, dynamite, slush burger, tavern sandwich, a Maid-Rite, etc.

SLOPPY JOE INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:
- Garlic clove
- Yellow onion
- Bacon grease (you can also use butter or olive oil)
- Ground beef
CAN I USE FROZEN HAMBURGER MEAT? DO I NEED TO THAW IT?

You can use frozen ground beef. In fact, we do this quite often because we forget to get the meat out.

Since it’s a loose meat sandwich and you’re not making hamburger patties, it’s a little bit easier to do; though I do recommend thawing if at all possible.

Just put the meat into a skillet with maybe 1/2 cup water, turn the heat on medium, and place a lid on the skillet. This basically steams the meat.

When it’s cooked, you can drain off any excess oil.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES

Sloppy joes are one of the easiest meals to make. I totally get why my mom liked making them.

Now I do recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Be sure to mince up the garlic and the onion really well. I like mincing them up so they blend well with the meat and sauce.

You’ll start by sautéing the garlic and onion in a large skillet. Then add the meat and mix together with the garlic and onion, cooking the mixture well.

Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.

Once you add the sauce ingredients, just let the whole mixture simmer for a good 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, you can toast hamburger buns in another skillet in a little bit of bacon grease. Or you may choose a lower carb option and prep a plate of lettuce or spinach to go with your sloppy joe meat.

However you choose to enjoy your sloppy joes, hopefully with a nice big batch of homemade steak fries, this is sure to be a family favorite recipe for many meals to come.

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE SLOPPY JOES

Skillet – We love using our cast iron skillets for pretty much everything both at home and while camping; they are very much a part of our camping cooking gear on every trip.

Hamburger Chopper – This handy dandy tool makes it easier to chop up the meat into a much looser mixture.

Wooden Spatula

SLOPPY JOE RECIPE

If you love this sloppy joe recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Easy Homemade Sloppy Joes

Make your own homemade sloppy joes! Easy 30 minute sloppy joe recipe with a simple and delicious sauce. Serve on toasted buns or a bed of lettuce.
1 tablespoon bacon grease (*)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 medium yellow onion (minced)
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar
Heat the bacon grease in a large skillet until hot.
Then add in the garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
Add the onion in with the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the ground beef into the skillet, stirring the onions and garlic into the meat. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is well cooked.
Be sure to drain off any excess oil when the meat has finished cooking.
Mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar into the meat, stirring until combined.
Let the sloppy joe mixture simmer for at least 5 minutes.
Serve on toasted buns or on a bed of lettuce or spinach.
*I recommend using bacon grease for the added flavor it will give to the meat mixture (and for toasting the buns). But if you don’t have bacon grease, no worries; you can also use butter or olive oil.

Burgers & Sandwiches
American
easy sloppy joe recipe, homemade sloppy joes, how to make sloppy joes, juicy burger, loose meat sandwich, sloppy joe recipe, sloppy joe sauce, sloppy joes, sloppy joes from scratch
October 24, 2018
Low Carb Meatloaf Recipe
Easy recipe for a low carb meatloaf made with cauliflower and ground beef. Simple, healthy dinner idea and comfort food recipe with absolutely no ketchup!

Meatloaf is one of my favorite meals, but my regular meatloaf has oatmeal, ketchup, and BBQ sauce, which all spell carbs, pretty much a no go for Dan. So I decided to work on a low carb meatloaf recipe he could enjoy too.

I’m not sure if this could be considered a keto meatloaf; I don’t know enough about keto ingredients at this point. BUT I do know it’s one recipe you can add to your list of low carb foods.

Now it is a work in progress, meaning I may be coming back to tweak it as I continue making it. I like to do that when I remake things over and over… I’ll tweak ingredients and sometimes it turns out even better than before.

This easy meatloaf is definitely delicious just the way it is, though. Even without all the ketchup and BBQ sauce that’s in my favorite meatloaf with oatmeal, it still has a ton of flavor.

And if you’re making meatloaf and need fewer servings, you can always cut the recipe in half– or you could use it to make mini meatloaf muffins! I like to make enough so that we can have meatloaf sandwiches (or salads) the next day for lunch.

I JUST WANT THE RECIPE! TAKE ME TO THE LOW CARB MEATLOAF RECIPE!

If you’d rather skip all of my cooking tips, important cooking info for this recipe, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to the delicious recipe for low carb meatloaf – just scroll down to the bottom, where you’ll find a printable recipe card.

MEATLOAF INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED:

You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make this low carb meatloaf…
- Ground beef
- Eggs
- Small onion
- Steamed cauliflower rice
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Seasoning salt
- BBQ Seasoning
You can also add a little parmesan, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup if you want more flavor… Parmesan is definitely something I add to my baked Italian cauliflower meatballs, but unfortunately, I didn’t have any on hand for my homemade meatloaf.

TIPS FOR HOW TO MAKE A LOW CARB MEATLOAF

Meatloaf is super easy to make, which is why it’s usually on our menu at least once or twice a month. It’s basically a throw everything in the bowl and mix it up type of recipe.

I’d suggest using a leaner ground beef that won’t shrink as much when baked. Meat with more fat will leave a ton of liquid in the pan when it’s done baking, and it’s liable to shrink up big time.

We usually buy beef from our local butcher shop, and it’s about a 90/10 mixture, which works really well for meatloaf. That mixture still gives off a little bit of juice but not so much that our meatloaf is sitting in a bunch of liquid.

The steamed cauliflower rice will help the meatloaf to be moist… Normally, I use oatmeal, but the carb content in oatmeal deterred me from using it for this recipe.

As for seasonings, we kept it simple. Salt, pepper, seasoning salt, and a Texas Style BBQ Seasoning (Great Value brand) we found at Walmart; I still like just a hint of BBQ flavor in my meatloaf.

HOW LONG TO COOK MEATLOAF

You’ll bake meatloaf at 350° in the oven.

Meatloaf usually takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to cook all the way through. You want to make sure it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160° with a meat thermometer.

When it’s done, you can just remove it from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes while you finish prepping the rest of your meal.

WHAT FOODS ARE GOOD TO PAIR WITH MEATLOAF?

Normally, I’d say to serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Yum! Unfortunately, mashed potatoes are definitely not low carb.

So you might want to go with a better option like maybe a colorful salad, green beans, or broccoli. And remember, there’s cauliflower in the meatloaf, so you’ve already got a few hidden veggies.

CAN I FREEZE MEATLOAF?

Yes, you can. Meatloaf would make an excellent freezer meal or make ahead meal.

MORE DINNER IDEAS WITH GROUND BEEF AND/OR CAULIFLOWER:

Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Baked Italian Cauliflower Meatballs – which you can pair with Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti.

Cauliflower Chicken Fried Rice

Sausage and Chicken Instant Pot Casserole

KITCHEN TOOLS YOU MAY NEED TO MAKE THIS EASY MEATLOAF RECIPE:

13″x9″ casserole or baking dish – I love using this size baking dish to make a big 2-pound meatloaf that will stretch to give our family of 5 more than one meal.

Large mixing bowl – This makes it easy to just dump in all the ingredients and start mixing.

Meat thermometer – We use ours all the time; it really helps to tell if the meat has come to temp and is fully cooked.

LOW CARB MEATLOAF RECIPE

If you love this low carb meatloaf recipe as much as I do, please write a 5 star review, and help me share the recipe on Facebook and Pinterest! If you make the recipe, be sure to share that you tried it on Pinterest. I love when readers share feedback!

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Low Carb Meatloaf

Easy recipe for a low carb meatloaf made with cauliflower and ground beef. Simple, healthy dinner idea and comfort food recipe with absolutely no ketchup!
2 pounds ground beef
2 large eggs
1/2 cup onion (minced)
1 cup cauliflower rice (steamed)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon BBQ Seasoning (*)
Pre-heat the oven to 350° and spray a 13"x9" baking dish with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground beef, eggs, minced onion, and cauliflower rice.
Sprinkle in the seasonings, including the salt, black pepper, seasoning salt, and BBQ seasoning; and mix together well.
Add the meatloaf mixture to the prepared baking dish, and pat together into a loaf.
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of at least 160° with a meat thermometer.
When the meatloaf has finished cooking, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for just a few minutes while you finish prepping the rest of your meal.
Serve with your favorite sides** and enjoy!
*I used Great Value brand Texas Style BBQ Seasoning, but you can use any low carb BBQ seasoning.

Normally, I serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, mashed potatoes are definitely not low carb. So you may want to serve it with something like a colorful salad, green beans, or broccoli.

Dinner Ideas
American
easy meatloaf recipe, homemade meatloaf, how long to cook meatloaf, how to make meatloaf, low carb meatloaf, making meatloaf, meatloaf
October 19, 2018
Delicious Salmon Patties Recipe
Simple and easy salmon patties, made with crackers. Delicious with tzatziki sauce and perfect for dinner or served as an appetizer.

My mom used to make the best salmon patties when I was growing up; my dad did a lot of deep sea fishing, so a lot of times, she’d make them with home canned salmon.

Like grilled fish fillets, fried crappie and Instant Pot salmon, these fried salmon patties have so much flavor. Mom always knew just the right seasonings to add.

While my salmon cakes can probably never live up to hers, I still enjoy making them for dinner, especially when we make tzatziki sauce to go with them.

I’ll keep perfecting my salmon patties recipe, and hopefully, some day I’ll come close to Mom’s.

You can find a printable recipe below.

Ingredients you need to make this recipe for salmon patties:
- Canned salmon or fresh salmon
- Eggs
- Lemon juice
- Saltine crackers
- Miracle Whip
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Fresh chives
- Fresh parsley
- Olive oil or salted butter
Tips for how to make salmon patties:

The first thing you’ll want to do if you’re using canned salmon, is to drain and rinse the salmon. Then add it to a large mixing bowl.

Add the eggs and lemon juice to the salmon, and give it a good stir.

Crush the Saltine crackers in a plastic baggie, using a rolling pin. Then add the crackers to your salmon mixture.

Next, mix in the Miracle Whip.

Then add the salt, pepper, chives, and chopped fresh parsley. The mixture should be just right for forming 1 to 2 dozen salmon patties, depending on the size you make them.

Add a dash of olive oil or a couple tablespoons of butter to a skillet and begin to warm.

Grab about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture and begin forming a patty. Repeat and continue until all of the mixture has been formed into patties.

Add the patties to your skillet (or griddle) and fry each side until the patties have turned a golden brown color and have a crispy texture.

When they are cooked through, remove them from the skillet and serve while warm.

If you have leftovers, they’re just as good the next day.

What to serve with salmon patties

Salmon cakes are delicious when served with pasta, rice, vegetables, and more. We enjoy pairing them with a salmon patties sauce like tzatziki sauce, as well as spaghetti squash alfredo (minus the chicken).

They’d also pair well with a colorful salad.

More fish and seafood recipes you may enjoy:
- Fish Tacos
- Grilled Fish Fillets
- Maple Bourbon Grilled Shrimp Kabobs
Kitchen tools you may need to make salmon patties:

Strainer – This makes it easy to drain and rinse the salmon.
Mixing bowl – You’ll need a large mixing bowl to mix up the salmon patties recipe.
Rolling Pin – Makes it easy to crush up the Saltines.
Skillet or Griddle – You’ll need a way to fry the salmon patties.
Flipper or Turner – for turning the patties in the skillet.
Delicious Salmon Patties Recipe

Simple and easy salmon patties, made with crackers. Delicious with tzatziki sauce and perfect for dinner or served as an appetizer.
20 ounces canned salmon (boneless and skinless)
4 whole eggs
2 tablespoons lemon juice
64 whole Saltine crackers ((about 2 sleeves))
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chives (chopped)
3 tablespoons fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or salted butter)
Drain and rinse the salmon. Then add it to a large mixing bowl.
Add the eggs and lemon juice to the salmon, and give it a good stir.
Crush the Saltine crackers in a plastic baggie, using a rolling pin.
Add the crackers to your salmon mixture.
Next, mix in the Miracle Whip.
Then add the salt, pepper, chives, and fresh parsley. Mix everything together well.
Add a dash of olive oil or a couple tablespoons of butter to a skillet and begin to warm.
Grab about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mixture and begin forming a patty. Repeat and continue until all of the mixture has been formed into patties.
Add the patties to your skillet (or griddle) and fry each side on low to medium heat until the patties have turned a golden brown color and have a crispy texture.
When they are cooked through, remove them from the skillet, allow to drain, and serve while warm.
They pair deliciously well with this homemade tzatziki sauce.
You can use canned salmon or fresh salmon, totally up to you.

You can also substitute dried chives or parsley for fresh.

If you have leftovers, these salmon patties are just as good the next day.

Seafood Recipes
American
salmon cakes, salmon patties, salmon patties recipe
Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in 2013, but was re-published with bigger photos and more details in July of 2018.
July 19, 2018
Easy Fish Tacos with a Tzatziki Fish Taco Sauce
Fish Tacos – Easy, simple, delicious, crispy fish tacos recipe with a low carb tzatziki fish taco sauce. Perfect dinner idea for Taco Tuesday!

Tacos = life. Do you agree? If you said yes, you’re going to love this recipe for the most deliciously crispy fish tacos with the most deliciously creamy tzatziki fish taco sauce ever!

We grilled trout fillets to use in our tacos. However, you can use any white, flaky fish you want for this fish tacos recipe. Sometimes we just make salmon in the Instant Pot if we don’t have time to fire up the grill!

You can also cook the fish however you choose, though grilling is definitely my favorite way to eat fish. Except, of course, when we make salmon into the most delicious salmon patties; they are definitely a family favorite. And my boys love pan fried crappie after a good fishing trip!

I’ll share a few alternative options for how to cook fish below.

Not a fan of fish? No problem! Try our Chicken Tacos or Ground Beef Tacos.

Choose the right fish for fish tacos and cook it!

While we used trout, you can use any white, flaky fish. Food and Wine has a great article on how to choose the right fish for tacos.

Once you’ve chosen the fish you want to use, you’ll need to cook it. We highly recommend grilling on a charcoal grill or gas grill to give your fish a smoky, slightly blackened flavor.

But if you don’t want to grill or don’t have access to a grill, you can certainly bake the fish or even fry the fish. I’m pretty sure you can even cook fish in your Instant Pot, though you’d definitely want to check pressure cooking times and settings.

Gather your ingredients for this fish tacos recipe:
- Grilled fish (or cooked however you choose)
- Corn tortillas
- Bacon grease or canola oil
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Monterey Jack cheese
- Cheddar cheese
- Green onions
- Cilantro (optional, we did not add this)
- Tzatziki fish taco sauce or sour cream
- Mango peach salsa or simple fruit salsa
How to make taco shells for crispy fish tacos:

To make your own crispy taco shells (they remind me of a Taco Bell Chalupa shell)…
- Heat about a tablespoon of bacon grease in a skillet; let it melt and heat up.
- Add a corn tortilla to the skillet, letting it cook on one side.
- Use tongs to turn the tortilla and let the other side cook.
- Finally, remove the tortilla from the skillet and let drain on a paper towel or paper bag for maybe 30 seconds or so.
- Fold into a taco shape and place in either a taco holder or the bottom side of a muffin pan.
And that’s it, you’ve made your own taco shells. They’re so good!

Tips for how to make grilled fish tacos:

First, grill the fish; or cook it however you choose.

Prep all your fresh ingredients. Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions. Also, shred the cheese.

Fry up a batch of corn tortillas to form taco shells. You can use bacon grease or oil.

Once the fish is fully cooked, taco shells are done, and fresh ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start the process of layering.

You can layer ingredients in any order you want (I layer them a bit differently in the video and photos from what I describe here), but I prefer to add the fish into the taco shell first, then the cheese (it gets all melty on the warm meat), and go from there.

Add a layer of lettuce.

Then add a layer of tomatoes.

Now add the cheese, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires.

Don’t forget a dollop of tzatziki sauce (though I love adding a good layer of fish taco sauce or sour cream before I even add the meat; that way I have the sauce in every single bite).

And that’s it. Tacos are the easiest thing to make on a busy weeknight!

More Tex Mex recipes you may enjoy:

Doritos Walking Taco

Crab Enchilada Recipe

Beef Taco Stuffed Peppers

Chicken and Hummus Loaded Nachos in a Sheet Pan

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Kitchen tools you may need to make fish tacos:

Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill – We love using our charcoal grill.

Grilling Spatula – for turning the fish and carefully removing it from the grill.

Iron Skillet – We’re avid users of cast iron cookware. We even take our favorite iron skillet camping with us.

Tongs – They’ll be needed for flipping the corn tortillas in the skillet.

Taco Holder – Ok, so you don’t technically NEED this, but it sure does come in handy. I just use the bottom side of my muffin pan.

Cutting Board and Knife – You’ll use this for way more than just one recipe. We use ours just about every time we step foot in the kitchen.
Easy Fish Tacos with a Tzatziki Fish Taco Sauce

Easy, simple, delicious, crispy fish tacos recipe with a low carb tzatziki fish taco sauce. Perfect dinner idea for Taco Tuesday!
2 pounds fish fillets (grilled or cooked)
12 whole corn tortillas
3 tablespoons bacon grease
1/2 head lettuce
6 whole Roma tomatoes (chopped)
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
4 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded)
6 whole green onions (chopped)
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup tzatziki sauce
First, grill the fish fillets; or cook it however you choose.
Prep all your fresh ingredients. Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions. Also, shred the cheese.
Fry up a batch of corn tortillas to form taco shells. You can use bacon grease or canola oil.
Once the fish is fully cooked, taco shells are done, and fresh ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start the process of layering. You can layer ingredients in any order you want.
Add the fish into the taco shell first, then the cheese.
Layer lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires.
Add a dollop of tzatziki sauce or sour cream to top them off.
You can use canola oil in place of bacon grease.

And you can also substitute sour cream for the tzatziki sauce.

When it comes to layering, I actually really love layering starting with the sauce first (so there’s sauce in every bite), then the fish, the cheese so it gets a little melty on the hot meat, then all the rest of the layers.

Dinner Ideas
Tex-Mex
fish taco sauce, fish tacos
June 25, 2018
Simple and Delicious Grilled Fish Fillets Recipe
This grilled fish fillets recipe adds a whole new level of deliciousness to dinner. Healthy, delicious, lightly seasoned fish fillets on the grill.

While I haven’t always been a big fish eater, I do love fishing with my boys. And I do appreciate the mild flavor of fried crappie! With our busy schedule, we usually make Instant Pot salmon, but I recently learned that I actually really love fish fillets that are cooked on the grill, especially paired with our favorite tzatziki sauce, this salsa recipe with fruit, or this peach and mango salsa.

Fish has so many health benefits, and we are trying to incorporate more of it into our family meals with recipes like our favorite salmon patties. I think in the past maybe we’ve gone with the wrong kinds of fish (that fishy taste), or we’ve cooked it incorrectly.

After grilling this last batch of trout fillets, I can honestly say I loved them. They were so easy to make, just lightly seasoned, and everyone ate them up; in fact, we used them to make the most delicious fish tacos, which goes really well with homemade pork fried rice!

I mentioned the health benefits; are you aware of the following?
- Fish is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins like Vitamin D, a vitamin that many of us are lacking these days. Just the omega-3’s alone are worth adding a good amount of fish to your weekly menu. We’re talking heart and brain health.
- Fish has lots of calcium.
- It’s also rich in minerals.
- Fish contains essentially a “Caf-Pow” of protein (clearly, I’ve watched way too much NCIS).
Those are just a few of the many benefits of adding more fish in our diets. So, let’s get to the grilling of these amazing fillets, so you can start enjoying the benefits of fish.

Ingredients needed to grill trout fillets or any white, flaky fish fillets:
- Fish (In this case, we used trout)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- Black pepper
Tips and tricks for how to grill fish fillets on a charcoal grill:

The first step is to get your grill going. We prefer using a charcoal grill, but you can use any type of grill.

Heat up the grill while you prepare the fish.

Rinse and pat the fish fillets dry.

Add the olive oil to a large bowl, and coat the fish in the oil.

Place each fillet on a baking sheet. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper.

Place each of the fish fillets on the already heated grill. You can also use a plank, but there is definitely an art to grilling with a plank, so this recipe is focusing on adding the fillets straight onto the grill.

Grill fish on high for 10 to 12 minutes, turning for the last 1 to 2 minutes.

Use a grilling spatula to carefully get under the whole fillet and pick it up off the grill. Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce and your favorite sides. Grilled fish pairs really well with spaghetti squash alfredo (minus the chicken), broccoli salad, biscuits, or pasta salad.

More grilling recipes you may enjoy:
Kitchen tools you may need to make this grilled fish fillets recipe:

Charcoal Grill or Gas Grill – We love using our charcoal grill.
Large Bowl – for coating the fillets with olive oil.
Baking Sheet – for seasoning the fish fillets.
Grilling Spatula – for turning the fish and carefully removing it from the grill.
Fish Oven Mitts – You may or may not need oven mitts for grilling, but aren’t these fun?!
Simple and Delicious Grilled Fish Fillets

This grilled fish fillets recipe adds a whole new level of deliciousness to dinner. Healthy, delicious, lightly seasoned fish fillets on the grill.
2 pounds fish
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
Heat up the grill while you prepare the fish.
Rinse and pat the fish fillets dry.
Add the olive oil to a large bowl, and coat the fish in the oil.
Place each fillet on a baking sheet.
Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper.
Place each of the fish fillets directly onto the already heated grill.
Grill fish on high for 10 to 12 minutes, turning for the last 1 to 2 minutes.
Use a grilling spatula to carefully get under the whole fillet and pick it up off the grill.
Serve immediately with tzatziki sauce and your favorite sides.
Grilled fish fillets pair really well with spaghetti squash alfredo (minus the chicken), broccoli salad, biscuits, or pasta salad.

Seafood Recipes
American
fish fillets, fish fillets recipe
June 20, 2018
Easy Ground Beef Tacos from Scratch
The best ground beef tacos ever, made with crispy fried corn tortilla shells, seasoned hamburger, and all the delicious toppings. Easy dinner recipe that’s perfect for Taco Tuesday!

Have I mentioned how much I love tacos? Besides chicken tacos, ground beef tacos are my favorite, especially when we make them with corn tortilla taco shells.

Tacos are an easy meal too, making them a win win when it comes to dinner. Really, all it takes is cooking the meat and prepping a few of your favorite toppings.

For toppings, I recommend lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, avocado and maybe even some green onions. You can also add my favorite peach and mango salsa if you like.

You can use regular taco shells you buy in the store; we love these… Or you can make your own, using corn tortillas, and fry them up in a dab of bacon grease or oil.

You can even swap out taco shells for bell peppers, making the most delicious taco stuffed peppers.

Want a variation on ground beef tacos? Try taco sloppy joes, cheesy Mexican pie, or taco tater tot hotdish.

Want less mess? You’ll love this walking taco recipe.

How to make taco shells for ground beef tacos:

To make your own crispy taco shells (they remind me of a Taco Bell Chalupa shell)…
- Heat about a tablespoon of bacon grease in a skillet; let it melt and heat up.
- Add a corn tortilla to the skillet, letting it cook on one side.
- Use tongs to turn the tortilla and let the other side cook.
- Finally, remove the tortilla from the skillet and let drain on a paper towel or paper bag for maybe 30 seconds or so.
- Fold into a taco shape and place in either a taco holder or the bottom side of a muffin pan.
And that’s it, you’ve made your own taco shells. They’re so good!

Tips for how to make this beef taco recipe:

You’ll need to gather your ingredients, including ground beef, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, black pepper, peppers, onion, Roma tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions, corn tortillas, and sour cream. You may also want extra ingredients like avocado, black olives, queso, and fresh tomato salsa with basil.

Add the ground beef, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to a large skillet. Brown the meat well.

Add the chopped onion, peppers, and 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes to the ground beef mixture. Cook thoroughly until the meat is fully cooked and the veggies have softened.

Meanwhile, prep all your fresh ingredients. Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions. Also, shred the cheese.

Fry up a batch of corn tortillas to form taco shells. You can use bacon grease or oil.

Once the ground beef is fully cooked, taco shells are done, and fresh ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start the process of layering. You can layer ingredients in any order you want, but I prefer to add the beef into the taco shell first, then the cheese (it gets all melty on the warm meat), and go from there.

Add a layer of lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream (though I love adding a good layer of sour cream before I even add the meat; that way I have sour cream in every single bite).

And that’s it. Tacos are the easiest thing to make on a busy weeknight!

More Tex Mex recipes you may enjoy:

Easy Fish Tacos with a Tzatziki Fish Taco Sauce

Chicken and Hummus Loaded Nachos in a Sheet Pan

Easy Chicken Fajitas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas

Kitchen tools you may need to make beef tacos:

Iron Skillet – We’re avid users of cast iron cookware. We even take our favorite iron skillet camping with us.

Tongs – They’ll be needed for flipping the corn tortillas in the skillet.

Ground Meat Chopper – This makes it easy to chop up the meat while cooking.

Taco Holder – Ok, so you don’t technically NEED this, but it sure does come in handy. I just use the bottom side of my muffin pan.

Cutting Board and Knife – You’ll use this for way more than just one recipe. We use ours just about every time we step foot in the kitchen.

Love cooking shows and want to make these tacos along with us? Watch our recipe video!
Easy Ground Beef Tacos from Scratch

The best ground beef tacos ever, made with crispy fried corn tortilla shells, seasoned hamburger, and all the delicious toppings. Easy dinner recipe that’s perfect for Taco Tuesday!
1/2 large onion
1 large bell pepper
1 tablespoon salted butter or bacon grease
1 pound ground beef
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 to 3 whole Roma tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 head lettuce
6 whole Roma tomatoes (chopped)
6 whole green onions (chopped)
4 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
16 whole corn tortillas
3 to 4 tablespoons bacon grease or oil of choice
Add the ground beef, garlic, lemon juice, chili powder, salt, and black pepper to a large skillet. Brown the meat well.
Add the chopped onion, peppers, and 2 to 3 Roma tomatoes to the ground beef mixture. Cook thoroughly until the meat is fully cooked and the veggies have softened.
Meanwhile, prep all your fresh ingredients. Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions. Also, shred the cheese.
Fry up a batch of corn tortillas to form taco shells. You can use bacon grease or oil.
Once the ground beef is fully cooked, taco shells are done, and fresh ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start the process of layering. You can layer ingredients in any order you want.
Add a layer of lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream.
Dinner Ideas
Tex-Mex
easy ground beef tacos, ground beef tacos, tacos
May 1, 2018
Easy Meatloaf with Oatmeal (How to Make + Video)
How to make an old-fashioned meatloaf with oatmeal just like Mom used to make. Easy classic dinner recipe you can quickly mix together and pop in the oven. So much flavor, it’s not your average meatloaf!

Oatmeal meatloaf is one meal that our whole family loves, and it’s become a go to meal for me when planning our menus. I love making it because I know we’ll get at least 2 meals out of 1 easy meatloaf recipe with oats; same when we make Instant Pot meatloaf and potatoes and my traditional meatloaf recipe, a more classic recipe with a sauce.

Now I know this classic meatloaf recipe definitely has some carbs; so I’ve actually taken my meatball recipe and kinda tweaked it to make a low carb meatloaf recipe if you’re looking for a low carb option.

This family favorite meatloaf with oatmeal is super easy to make and so full of flavor. Basically, dump the ingredients in a bowl, mix them up, and drop the whole mixture into a baking pan. Sometimes we even scoop it into muffin tins to make meatloaf muffins!

Meatloaf Ingredients and Substitutions Notes

To make this flavorful meatloaf recipe with oatmeal, you’ll need to gather a few simple ingredients.
- Ground Beef – To make the best meatloaf recipe, it’s best to use a lean ground beef; we prefer to use 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef when mixing up a meatloaf. Our reasons are that it’s leaner, there’s less fat, and there will be less grease around your meatloaf. Don’t worry about flavor… You’ll still get really great flavor from a leaner ground beef. And you’ll also be eating a bit healthier, as well. Note: You can use all or half ground turkey or ground pork for this recipe in place of ground beef. However, it will change the look, texture, and flavor of your finished meatloaf.
- Large Eggs
- Yellow Onion – Chop or mince the onion. You can use sweet onion, but I like the kick in flavor from a yellow onion.
- Ketchup – You’ll need ketchup for the meatloaf mixture and the top of the meatloaf.
- Barbecue Sauce – This gives a smoky flavor to the meat; it’s so good!
- Oatmeal – Oats are the secret to moist meatloaf; they help make a very tender meatloaf. I generally use old-fashioned rolled oats or quick oats to make this juicy meatloaf with oatmeal recipe; I don’t recommend using steel-cut oats, mainly for texture reasons. If using old-fashioned oats, try soaking them in milk before adding them to the mixture, to help soften them. I’ve even used gluten-free quick oats, so if you want a gluten-free meatloaf with oats, this is the way to go (although you should also check ingredient labels on your other ingredients just to be safe). If you don’t have oats, and you want, you can also sub bread crumbs or cracker crumbs with a 1:1 ratio.
- Seasoned Salt – You can use a good seasoning salt or just plain salt and pepper.
Keep in mind, this is a 2 lb meatloaf recipe; to make a 1 lb meatloaf recipe with oatmeal, just cut the ingredient amounts in half.

How to Make Meatloaf with Oatmeal

You’ll need to pre-heat your oven to 350° F, and grease a 13”x9” baking dish with cooking spray for homemade meatloaf.
1. Add all of the ingredients, including the ground beef, eggs, minced onion, ketchup, BBQ sauce, oatmeal, and seasoned salt to a large bowl. Mix well using a large fork; or you can just use your hands.
1. Once everything in the large mixing bowl has been mixed together well, transfer the meat mixture to the 9×13 baking dish, and shape it into a loaf. You can pat the ground beef into a larger loaf and bake it in the 9×13 meatloaf pan; or we’ve even made it by patting the meatloaf into a larger baking sheet. If you do choose to make it in a sheet pan, it likely won’t need as long to bake.
1. Then an optional step, but one I highly recommend… Squirt ketchup all over the top of the meatloaf.
How Long to Cook a 2-Pound Meatloaf

Bake the meatloaf at 350° F for about an hour, longer if needed, until the internal temperature reaches 160° F. Again, a meat thermometer is definitely something I recommend to make sure the meat has come to temp and is fully cooked.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ’s

Can I sub bread crumbs for oatmeal 1:1 in meatloaf?
If you must use something other than oatmeal, you can sub 1:1, bread crumbs or crackers. I’ve subbed gluten-free saltine cracker crumbs in a pinch, and they make a delicious meatloaf, as well.

Should I cover my meatloaf while baking?
There’s really no need to cover it with aluminum foil, unless your meatloaf starts to brown too quickly on the top or sides… But I have never had this problem. Keep in mind, I use a gas oven, so oven times may vary.

How should meatloaf be stored?
You can keep leftover meatloaf in the original baking dish and cover with plastic wrap or foil; or you can put whatever’s left in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. We usually make the BEST meatloaf sandwiches with our leftovers the next day.

Can I make this old-fashioned meatloaf recipe ahead?
If you want to make meatloaf ahead of time without baking, just mix it all up, shape it in the baking dish, cover, and store in the fridge ’til you’re ready to bake it. You can keep it in the fridge overnight.

Can I freeze meatloaf?
Yes, you can freeze meatloaf before or after cooking. Just be sure it’s wrapped tightly or stored properly in an airtight container to prevent freezer burn. It should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Optional Recipe Variations

There are a few things you can add to give this simple meatloaf recipe with oats even more of a flavor kick…
- Add a bit of Worcestershire sauce, which pairs well with just about any beef dish.
- Add a dash of onion powder and minced garlic (or garlic powder) to the meat mixture.
- Put bacon slices on top of the meatloaf before you bake it.
- Top with a mixture of both ketchup and bbq sauce.
- Make a simple meatloaf glaze with ketchup or tomato sauce, mustard, bbq sauce, and brown sugar for the top of the meatloaf.
Great Side Dishes to Serve with Meatloaf

When it’s fully cooked, remove it from the oven; and serve it with sides like creamy mashed potatoes, green beans, or broccoli.

You can even do what my family absolutely LOVES to do with meatloaf… Make the most delicious meatloaf sandwich ever! Mmmm, I love meatloaf sandwiches… My favorite way to use leftovers!

More Favorite Meat Recipes:

If you love this easy meatloaf recipe, you’ll love these meaty main dishes too…
If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. And subscribe to my email list too!
Meatloaf with Oatmeal

How to make an old-fashioned meatloaf with oatmeal just like Mom used to make. Easy classic dinner recipe you can pop in the oven.
Large Mixing Bowl
9×13 Baking Dish
Meat Thermometer
2 pounds ground beef
2 large eggs
1/2 large yellow onion (minced)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
4 to 6 tablespoons ketchup (for the top of the meatloaf)
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F, and grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
Add all of the ingredients, including the ground beef, eggs, minced onion, ketchup, bbq sauce, oatmeal, and seasoned salt, to a large bowl. Mix well using a large fork; or you can just use your hands.
Transfer the meat mixture to the greased 9×13 baking dish, and shape it into a loaf.
Squirt ketchup all over the top of the meatloaf.
Bake the meatloaf at 350° F for about 1 hour, or longer if needed, until the internal temperature reaches 160° F. I definitely recommend a meat thermometer, to make sure the meat has come to temp and is fully cooked.
When it’s fully cooked, remove the meatloaf from the oven; slice it and serve with your favorite sides.
*We prefer to use 90/10 or 85/15 ground beef when mixing up a meatloaf. Our reasons are that it’s leaner, there’s less fat, and there will be less grease around your meatloaf. Don’t worry about flavor… You’ll still get really good flavor from a leaner ground beef. And you’ll also be eating a bit healthier, as well. Note: You can use all or half ground turkey or ground pork for this recipe in place of ground beef. However, it will change the look, texture, and flavor of your finished meatloaf.

*I’ve used both old-fashioned oats and quick oats for this meatloaf. I’ve even used gluten-free quick oats, so if you want a gluten-free meatloaf with oats, this is the way to go (although you should also check ingredient labels on your other ingredients just to be safe).

Should I cover the meatloaf while baking?

There’s really no need to, unless your meatloaf starts to brown too quickly on the top or sides… But I have never had this problem. Keep in mind, I use a gas oven, so oven times may vary.

How to store meatloaf?

You can keep leftover meatloaf in the original baking dish and cover with plastic wrap or foil; or you can put whatever’s left in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can I make it ahead?

If you want to make meatloaf ahead of time without baking, just mix it all up, shape it in the baking dish, cover, and store in the fridge ’til you’re ready to bake it. You can keep it in the fridge overnight.

Dinner Ideas, main dish
American
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April 30, 2018
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos
Made with Instant Pot chicken, corn tortillas, and fresh ingredients, shredded chicken tacos are an easy homemade dinner recipe the whole family will love!

Shredded chicken tacos, as well as fish tacos and beef tacos, have been a favorite meal around our house for quite some time. I think it’s both the ease of making them with our favorite taco chicken recipe and our love for delicious Tex-Mex food.

As mentioned, they really are easy to make, especially if you’ve already cooked the chicken. All that’s left is prepping a few fresh ingredients to go on your tacos.

As long as you have lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream, you’re in business. Extras you may want to add include avocado, green onions, black olives, queso, fruit salsa… The sky’s the limit when it comes to easy chicken tacos.

You can use regular taco shells you buy in the store; we love these… Or you can make your own, using corn tortillas and frying them up in a bit of bacon grease or oil.

If you love Tex Mex, you’ll love these beef taco stuffed peppers. And if it’s less mess, less stress you’re after, try our taco in a bag recipe!

How to make taco shells for easy chicken tacos:

To make your own crispy taco shells (they remind me of a Taco Bell Chalupa shell)…
- Heat about a tablespoon of bacon grease in a skillet; let it melt and heat up.
- Add a corn tortilla to the skillet, letting it cook on one side.
- Use tongs to turn the tortilla and let the other side cook.
- Finally, remove the tortilla from the skillet and let drain on a paper towel or paper bag for maybe 30 seconds or so.
- Fold into a taco shape and place in either a taco holder or the bottom side of a muffin pan.
And that’s it, you’ve made your own taco shells. They’re so good!

Tips for how to make shredded chicken tacos:

You’ll need to gather your ingredients, including already cooked taco chicken, lettuce, Roma tomatoes, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, green onions, corn tortillas, and sour cream. You may also want extra ingredients like avocado, black olives, queso, mango peach salsa and basil salsa.

While the chicken is cooking in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker, you can take time to wash and chop your lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions. Also, shred the cheese.

Fry up a batch of corn tortillas to form taco shells. You can use bacon grease or oil.

Once your chicken is fully cooked and shredded, taco shells are done, and fresh ingredients are prepped, you’re ready to start the process of layering. You can layer ingredients in any order you want, but I prefer to add the chicken into the taco shell first, then the cheese (it gets all melty on the warm chicken), and go from there.

Add a layer of lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires. Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream (though I love adding a good layer of sour cream before I even add the chicken; that way I have sour cream in every single bite).

And that’s it. I love the ease of making pressure cooker chicken tacos for dinner!

More Tex-Mex recipes with chicken:
Kitchen tools you may need to make pressure cooker chicken tacos:

Instant Pot – We use our Instant Pot almost every day. It really does make the most delicious taco chicken for easy chicken tacos.

Iron Skillet – We’re also avid users of cast iron cookware. We even take our favorite iron skillet camping with us.

Tongs – They’ll be needed for slipping the corn tortillas in the skillet.

Taco Holder – Ok, so you don’t technically NEED this, but it sure does come in handy. I just use the bottom side of my muffin pan.
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos

Shredded chicken tacos, made with Instant Pot chicken, corn tortillas, and fresh ingredients, are an easy homemade dinner recipe the whole family will love!
3 cups Instant Pot taco chicken
16 corn tortillas
3 to 4 tablespoons bacon grease or oil of choice
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
6 Roma tomatoes
6 green onions
4 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Corn Tortilla Taco Shells:
Heat about a tablespoon of bacon grease in a skillet; let it melt and heat up.
Add a corn tortilla to the skillet, letting it cook on one side.
Use tongs to turn the tortilla and let the other side cook.
Finally, remove the tortilla from the skillet and let it drain on a paper towel or paper bag for maybe 30 seconds or so.
Fold into a taco shape and place in either a taco holder or the bottom side of a muffin pan.
Continue cooking tortillas until you have the desired number of taco shells.
Shredded Chicken Tacos:
Cook a batch of taco chicken in your Instant Pot.
Prep and cook taco shells, per the steps above.
Wash and chop the lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions.
Shred or grate both cheeses.
Layer ingredients in any order you want, but I prefer to add the chicken into the taco shell first, then the cheese (it gets all melty on the warm chicken), and go from there.
Add a layer of lettuce, a layer of tomatoes, green onions, and whatever else your heart desires.
Don’t forget a dollop of sour cream (though I love adding a good layer of sour cream before I even add the chicken; that way I have sour cream in every single bite).
Dinner Ideas
Tex-Mex
chicken tacos, Instant Pot recipes, Instant Pot tacos, shredded chicken tacos, tacos
March 27, 2018