Miranda Lambert's Meatloaf Recipe

2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground breakfast sausage (mild or regular)
1/2 sleeve of finely crushed saltines or Ritz crackers
2 eggs
1 dash of Worcestershire
1 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 finely chopped onion

Mix all the above ingredients together (best option: dig in with both hands!). Put into a baking dish (casserole or loaf style).

Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Prepare topping while baking.

Topping:
Blend together 1 c. ketchup and 1/4 c. brown sugar.

After baking, pour grease off of loaf. Spread topping over meat generously. (If using a large pan you may need extra; use ratio above.) Place pan back in the oven for 15 minutes to bake. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

- these are a bit time consuming but well worth it and seem to be a favorite

Dough:  4 cups flour

              4 tbsp sugar

              2 egg yolks

              1 ½ cups sour cream

              1 lb butter (4 sticks)

Cut butter in flour, add yolks, sour cream and sugar.  Mix well. I use my Kitchenaid mixer with the pastry paddle….SO much easier…you can probably use a large food processor with the dough blade as well…or do the old-fashioned way, pastry cutter and spoon. Shape dough into about 10 balls. You’ll need 10 pieces of wax paper. Sprinkle wax paper with flour and wrap each ball. I sprinkle a little on top too before wrapping it. Refrigerate OVERNIGHT.

Filling:   1 ½ cups sugar

              3 tsp cinnamon

              2 cups finely chopped walnuts (you can use pecans if you want too)

Roll each ball out on the wax paper into a pie shaped circle. Sprinkle with some of the nut/sugar mixture. Using a pizza wheel, cut into about 10 to 12 pie pieces.  Roll starting with the widest part first. Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until bottoms start to brown and tops are cooked but not brown.

Since I do these for the holidays, I have fun with them and sometimes split the 1 ½ cups of granular sugar in half and use red and green colored sugar instead so I have 2 different colored mixes with the nuts and cinnamon.

-original recipe courtesy of Nestles (I made some changes!)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (two 12-oz. pkgs.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 pkg Andes candies pieces (only available around Christmas time. I use the Green and chocolate ones but you can also use their red ones, they are peppermint flavored. OR the original recipe called for 2 cups Nestles Toll House morsels if you just want a double chocolate chip cookie)
• White chocolate (any brand you like, chips or solid...about 6 oz.)
• 2 or 3 tbsps of Crisco
• 2 2/3cups all-purpose flour
• 1teaspoon baking soda
• 1teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks)butter or margarine, softened
• 1cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2cup granulated sugar
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs

Directions

 Melt white chocolate chips, about 6 oz or 1/2 a package, in a double boiler with 2 tbsp of Crisco. Be careful to melt over low heat as white chocolate burns easily. Stir until smooth. Use a teaspoon and dip it in the chocolate only filling 1/2 with chocolate. Hold about 8 inches over cookies and quickly move back and forth to drizzle...best if you do this on wax paper or tin foil for easy clean up!