Egg bake and meatloaf: easy dishes for kids to make

The guest cook this week is Michele Howard, who loves this quick and easy egg dish.

"If you want to eat healthily, and get to work in a hurry, this is a quick meal to go. Just warm it up in microwave 40 seconds per slice," she said.

This dish is for busy moms, career folk, and students. It would be one of the healthiest dishes to prepare ahead of time for the following week.

The nice thing about preparing a meal ahead of time is you can eat it for breakfast or take it for lunch instead of grabbing fast food.

Children can also help make this dish, as it teaches them how to chop and prepare a simple dish. Children can also make the meatloaf with practically the same ingredients. Besides enjoying a great meal, children learn chopping and measuring skills, and learning how to use a timer. Everyone can be satisfied with the fact they made a meal from scratch

Egg Bake to save time!

• 10 eggs whipped
• 1 1/2 c. white onion, chopped small
• 1 1/2 c. red bell pepper, chopped small
• 1 cartoon white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 T. Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy no salt seasoning
• 1 T. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb no salt seasoning
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• 3 to 4 cups fresh baby spinach, sliced roughly chopped
• 2 stalks green onions, sliced
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups breakfast sausage or Italian chicken sausage
• Optional: grated cheddar or crumbled goat cheese to top after the bake has cooled. The cheddar can also be added to mixture before baked. If the cheese is left off, you can top with any cheese of choice while re-warming for the next couple breakfasts.
• Optional: meat additions: crumbled cooked bacon, chopped Canadian bacon, chopped ham steak
• Optional: Veggies: Asparagus chopped, broccoli florets

Sauté vegetables except spinach and green onions in 2 T. butter until vegetables are crisp tender. Add Mrs. Dash Spicy Seasoning, Mrs. dash Garlic & Herb and then add in spinach, stir well to wilt spinach.

Pour whipped eggs and sautéed vegetables, also meat and cheese if adding, into buttered glass 2" to 3" high 10" pie pan or square pan (this can also be baked in large muffin tins).

Sprinkle green onion all over top of egg pie. Bake on cookie sheet 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until inserting tooth pick comes out clean. Try not to overcook.

Let pie pan cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with fruit, and toasted English muffins with Apricot preserves. You'll be in heaven!

Serves 5 to 8

Healthy and simple to make meatloaf

This recipe is meant to be healthier with the turkey, and all the vegetables which make it so juicy.

Try not to overcook, as anything you overcook gets dried out. There are no fillers; just meat and vegetables. Why add extra carbs?

• 1 lb ground turkey, lean
• 1 lb ground sirloin
• 1 large egg
• 1 c. onion, chopped small
• 1 c. celery, chopped small
• 1 c. red bell pepper, chopped small
• 1 c. carrots, shredded
• 1 T. smoked paprika
• 2 T. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb no salt seasoning
• Optional: 1 T. Pappy's seasoning

Preheat oven 350.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well with your hands.

Make meat mixture into a football and place in a 11 x 7 x 2" tall glass baking pan.

Shape into a flat rectangle loaf about 2" tall. You will want space between the pan sides and the meatloaf, you can do this with your fingers all the way around the pan.

Squeeze ketchup in zigzag pattern starting at one corner, then turn and go the other way. I place my glass baking pan on a large cookie sheet. The leaner the meat the less fat will be sitting around the meatloaf, but will have juices from the vegetables.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. You will see brown juices coming up from ketchup which is when meatloaf is usually done. The ketchup caramelizes during baking. Yum!

Serves 6.

To freeze:

• Make slices 2 to 3 inches and wrap each piece separately, then place each piece in a gallon Ziplock freezer bag. This way you can take out as much or little as needed.
• Large muffin tins or mini bread tins can be used, but watch cooking time, as it should be less.