Thank you Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes for sponsoring this post. Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes are real potatoes, real easy, delivering homemade taste on demand.
This easy recipe for meatloaf comes together in the slow cooker and dinner is made even easier with mashed potatoes that are ready in just minutes. It's slow cooker season at my house. Honestly though, it's always slow cooker season at our house because my slow cooker lives on the counter. We have limited counter space, but I sacrifice some prime real estate for that bad boy.
Between scouts, church committees, karate, soccer, PTO, and school, I'm always in a rush with dinner. Being able to have it ready for me when I get home is a huge win in the mom file. Oh, and the kids won't be screaming that they're starving for too long!
I often make mini meatloaves and baked them in the oven. They usually only take about 30 minutes to bake, but lately – I don't even have those 30 minutes to wait.
For example, our Monday schedule this week looks like this:
- I have class from 10 – 12:50
- Owen gets out of school at 12:15
- Charlie gets picked up from school at 4:20 (he stays after on Mondays for a club)
- Charlie has karate (20 minutes from our house) from 5-6
- I have a committee meeting at church from 7-8:30(ish)
Who sees time in there for dinner?
On days that look like this, I'm able to put dinner in the slow cooker before I head to class in the morning and it's ready by the time we get in from karate.
If I have something scheduled for the evening and I won't be home, I can get everything laid out for Tom so he doesn't have to fuss with it.
As a work from home mom, I do think it's my job to have dinner planned if not ready. We don't live in the 50s and I get that. Trust me, Tom does PLENTY of housework.
The great part about this easy dinner idea is that we just have to make the potatoes and throw a veggie in the microwave.
Made from 100% real Idaho® potatoes, Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes are ready in just minutes! Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes offer the best taste and texture compared to any other mashed potato, earning the title of “America’s Favorite Mashed Potatoes.”
By the time the kids get the table set, the mashed potatoes will be done and on the table!
For our slow cooker meatloaf today, I used the Buttery Homestyle® flavor of Idahoan® Mashed Potatoes as the perfect side. Idahoan Mashed Potatoes are available in a variety of delicious flavors, perfectly blended with real cheeses and authentic seasonings, including: Buttery Homestyle®, Butter and Herb, Bacon & Cheddar Chipotle, Roasted Garlic, Four Cheese, and Buttery Golden Selects. We've tried (and love) them all except the Bacon & Cheddar Chipotle, but I will for sure be grabbing them as soon as I see them!
- 1½ pounds ground beef
- 1 envelope dry onion soup mix
- 1 box dried stuffing mix (savory herb flavor is my fave, but any will work)
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup barbecue sauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Line slow cooker with heavy duty aluminum foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Using your hands, combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.
- Shape into oval-like loaf and place in foil-lined slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
Not only is the slow cooker for this meatloaf a time-saver, but it really helps the meatloaf from drying out or becoming tough. The slow cooker allows the meatloaf to stay tender and moist.
It's funny – growing up I only had meatloaf at the neighbor's house because my mom didn't make it. Actually, I still don't think she's made it more than a handful of times. My kids, however, LOVE meatloaf and it's on our menu pretty frequently.
Meatloaf is just about always served with mashed potatoes right? With Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, I get that homemade taste of our favorite comfort food dinner without all the hassle. Win-Win.
The post Slow Cooker Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes Dinner first appeared on The Shirley Journey.