Hawaiian Chili

I have a recipe creation to share with you all from last night. I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I meshed ideas from a few different sources added in my own twist and this was the result.

Hawaiian Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 can (28 oz) baked beans ( I used Bush's Onion Baked Beans)

2 cans (14 oz) kidney beans

2 cans (28 oz) chopped tomatoes

2/3 can (20 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained (the whole can would probably be fine too if you like pineapple)

1 heaping tsp cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust to your spiciness preference)

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1 tsp thyme 

Brown ground beef and onion. Drain fat if neccessary. Add remaining ingredients. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve and enjoy.

(This makes a fairly large pot of chili. It works great at our house since hubby is a chili lover, but don't say you weren't warned!)

Honey BBQ Meatloaf with a Twist

I love the taste of meatloaf. I don't love that it takes a whole pound of meat and in our house we don't usually get even two meals out of it. My solution? Sneak in some lentils for to double the volume and protein at a fraction of the cost. I tried finding an existing recipe for what I had in mind, but nothing quite matched. So I used my go-to meatloaf recipe as a base and doubled it.  But here is the twist, I only added one pound of ground beef and swapped out the second pound for lentils. 
         It turned out to be a win-win. We get twice as many meals with the same amount of meat and after six years of marriage I finally have a lentil recipe that is hubby approved! (In other words, the flavor of the lentils is completely undetectable. Honest. It would not be hubby-approved if it you could still taste them!)

Honey BBQ Meatloaf with a Twist

• 2 tsp beef bouillon granules
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cup honey barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup uncooked lentils
• ketchup

In a small saucepan cook lentils in 2 cups of water for 20-30 minutes until tender (more instructions here).

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Spread into two loaf pans or a 9x9 casserole dish.

Bake at 350 for approx. 1 hour. Top with ketchup if desired and bake for 5-10 minutes more.