Smothered Meatloaf in the Slow Cooker

I love meatloaf!! My Mom didn't care for it too much so it was a special treat if she made it for me. Thankfully, I married a man who also loves meatloaf! And I love my crock pot, as many know, so this recipe was meant for me, LOL!! I have made it once before and it was delicious!!! It is on the menu for Thursday's dinner at our home so I thought it should be highlighted in my What's Cookin' section. Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups Potatoes O'Brien
• 1 pound Ground Beef
• 1 1/4 pounds Ground Pork
• 1 box Garlic Herb Shake & Bake (I use Garlic Breadcrumbs and just wing the measurement, LOL)
• 1 envelope Beefy Onion Soup Mix
• 1 (4.5 oz) jar Sliced Mushrooms, drained
• 1 Egg
• 1 can Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup, divided
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 can Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 Onion, sliced thin
• 1 (8oz) package Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

• Place potatoes in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker.
• In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, shake & bake, onion soup mix, sliced mushrooms (jar), and egg. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup cheddar cheese soup and evaporated milk. Add to meat mixture.
• Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, mix thoroughly and form into a loaf. Place in slow cooker on top of the potatoes, making sure that the meatloaf doesn't touch the sides.
• Stir together the remaining cheddar cheese soup with the cream of mushroom soup and pour over the meatloaf. 
• Top with the sliced onions and fresh sliced mushrooms.
• Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour. Reduce the temperature to LOW setting and cook for an additional 5-6 hours. 

**Recipe by Sandra Lee, host of Semi-Homemade on the Food Network.**

Success!!!

I did it!! I made it to the finish line!! I had figured that this huge cleaning task would take at least a good week, but when it passed a week and a half, I began to wonder if the finish line I was seeing was simply a mirage. I made one last goal (in relation to this task): to have my house completely clean by the end of February (yay for an extra day!!), making a clean start to the new month of March. Though I am writing on day 3 of March, I am happy to report that I made my goal!! Throughout the process, my son, Weseley, would say how excited he was that I was making them a new home, and I now feel like I do in fact have a new home. Walls, ceilings, cubbards, base boards, doors, and floors seem to sparkle. I cleared out so much stuff and reorganized most of the rooms in ways that make them more usable for multiple purposes. It is a great feeling!!

I want to give a shout out to the Community Outreach Center put on by the Wesleyan Church. As I was sorting through stuff and making piles that needed to leave my home, I really wanted to give it to people who needed it. I know there are plenty of options of places to donate stuff, but I wanted a place that was going to give it to those who could use it instead of sell it. This is a great ministry that is serving our community and I was so happy to take my piles to them (and they were so grateful!), so much so that after my first trip there, I wished I had more to give!! So I share with everyone .. if you too have stuff to give, this is a great place to donate to. The following link gives a little more information, http://greeleywesleyan.org/get-involved/ministries/missions.

Well, Thanks for letting me throw some flowers at myself!! LOL! Wishing you all a Happy March!! Bring on the time change and the start of Spring!!