Spicy Three Bean Beef and Chocolate Chili

Happy National Chili Day!

This might be one of my favorite foods...especially when it comes to my beloved Cincinnati-style Skyline Chili.  For those not from the area, it's said to be an acquired taste.  It is Greek influenced so is velvety smooth, no beans or veggies, rumored to have chocolate and cinnamon as key ingredients, and served on top of noodles or tiny little hot dogs.  Typically it is then topped with a *mound* of finely shredded cheddar.  It's the bomb and if you want to give the concept a try at home, you can try to recipe for Cincinnati-Style Chili.  Though it's not Skyline by any means, it's still pretty good in a pinch.

I'm celebrating today by sharing a more traditional chili recipe that intrigued me because of its use of chocolate in the chili.  I wondered whether it would reflect some of the flavors that I love most about Cincinnati chili.  This one, it's a spicy one!  And I upped the chocolate so that the flavor came through more. All in all, not bad.  But again, NOT Skyline lol :).

LAST CHANCE!  My Kona Coffee giveaway ends at midnight (EST) today so make sure to get your entries in!

Spicy Three Bean Beef and Chocolate Chili

Ingredients

• 2 pounds lean ground beef 
• 2 large onions, chopped (2 cups) 
• 6 cloves garlic, minced 
• 2-4 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder 
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin 
• 1 29-ounce can tomato sauce 
• 1 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups beer, water, or low-sodium beef broth
• 1 15-oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 1 15-oz can chili beans, in sauce 
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 3 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped 
• Crushed red pepper, if desired 
• Sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions, cilantro, additional jalapeños and/or corn chips for topping

Directions

1. Brown the beef in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Drain off fat if necessary. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeños, and green peppers and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the chili powder and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, grape tomatoes, tomato paste, and beer/water/broth and increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the beans simmer for 15 to 20 minutes longer. 
3. Remove from heat and stir in salt, cilantro and chocolate. Continue stirring until the chocolate has melted. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve with desired toppings. 

Source: Modified from Spice is Nice

Meatless Monday: Veggistrone

Is it still Winter where you're living?  Here in Ohio I think Mother Nature can't decide if it is Winter or Spring.  Just this past Friday we were greeted with a yucky "wintry mix" of sleet, freezing rain, and snow to start the morning commute and then by the time the evening commute rolled around, it was 50 degrees.  There are also weeks where some days will have a high of 60 while others will be plunged below freezing.  Schizophrenia some?

Good thing I can count on a comforting soup no matter how cold or warm it is outside.  This one is a spin on minestrone.  The main difference is that it lacks the bits of pasta and has a much heartier serving of vegetables per spoonful.  Hence the name "veggistrone", I guess.  Each 2 cup serving of this soup has just 169 calories and is packed with an assortment of colorful vegetables that fill your belly right up!  It was inspired by a popular Weight Watcher's recipe for those of you that are into that.

There's a lot of slicing and dicing involved in making this recipe so to make things easier I actually prepped the ingredients the evening before and then threw everything into the pot the following day for a faster dinner.  It also reheats well so feel free to make it in advance and then heat it from the fridge.  Oh and this recipe makes A LOT.  My giant dutch oven almost overfloweth so it's a good thing that this soup freezes well :).

By the way, have you entered to win my Kona Coffee giveaway yet?  It's easy to enter and you can earn up to 12 entries!

Two Years Ago: Simple Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Soup and Peanut Butter Crisscross Cookies
Three Years Ago: Red Lobster's Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Veggistrone

Yields: 10 servings (2 cups each)

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions (2 medium)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 medium stalks)
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 cups chopped cauliflower (about 1/2 medium)
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 medium)
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces or frozen, thawend
• 8 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chopped fresh spinach or 1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Over medium heat, heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven (8-quart or larger).  Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic.  Cook until softened, 13 to15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans.  Cook until slightly softened, about 10 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
2. Add broth, water, tomato sauce, tomatoes, beans, and bay leaf.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer while partially covered until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.  Stir in the spinach and simmer for 10 minutes more. Discard the bay leaf.  Stir in the basil.
3. Ladle soup into bowls and then top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: Eating Well

Per serving (2 cups): 169 calories; 5 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 4 mg cholesterol; 25 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 7 g protein; 8 g fiber; 641 mg sodium; 718 mg potassium.  Vitamin A (123% daily value), Vitamin C (87% dv), Folate (23% dv), Potassium (21% dv), Calcium (16% dv)

Pictures from Hawaii and a Giveaway!

As some of you may have known, I recently went on vacation in Hawaii where we spent 8 days on the beautiful island of Maui and then spent 4 on the Big Island.  Kick back and relax as I recap some of our adventures in Instagram photos...then scroll down for a special giveaway!

As always, the first morning on the island is an early one because your body is still not adjusted to the new time zone.  I took the opportunity to take in this gorgeous sunrise from near our condo.

After a perfect first day in Maui, we saw the sun do a full circle where it displayed this fiery "atomic blast" of a sunset.  Which do you prefer?  The calm pastels of sunrise or the fiery bold colors of the sunset?

Rest assured that there was A LOT of eating done while on the island.  No visit is complete without shaved ice from Ululani's.  This one was nearly the size of my head!  But don't worry, I shared it with 3 others :).

Another sunset was witnessed at over 10,000 feet altitude at Haleakala Volcano (no filters).

Some days started with rain.  But that was okay by me because with rain comes beautiful rainbows and there are many in West Maui!

Thankfully, the rain (mostly) held off for my brother-in-law's wedding which was the main reason that we came to these beautiful islands.  Here he is with his stunning bride.  It was a beautiful, intimate (9 guest) wedding!

We did the famed Road to Hana (for the second time) and thanks to Instagram filters, you'd never know how crappy and rainy of a day it was when we witnessed such beauties as the below Upper Waikani or Three Bears Falls.

We then said good-bye to our favorite island Maui and jet set off to the big island...

Err...did I say jet set?  I know it's only a 30 minute flight but imagine our surprise when we walked up to a 9-person prop plane!!  Seating was assigned based on weight so that the plane was balanced and I was right in the front.  I was cool to see all the plane gadgets and watch the pilots operate them but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly terrified at the thought of traveling in such a small plane.  Thankfully, it was an uneventful and surprisingly smooth ride!

First stop on the Big Island was spending a few days on the Hilo side where we were greeted by more lush greenery and beautiful waterfalls...

Akaka Falls is 427 feet tall...greater than twice the height of Niagra Falls!

And this one is called Rainbow Falls.  Can you guess why?

Yes, we went to the Volcano National Park and took photos of lava and the like but oddly, I don't have Instagram photos of those.  We went to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach where we saw 5 Hawaiian green sea turtles basking in the sun.  This looked like a baby and its mom or dad.  Super cool!

Afterward, we spent a couple days on the Kona side where we made like sea turtles and basked ourselves in the sun of the beautiful Kohala beaches.  When we couldn't take the heat any longer, we took in a bit of Hawaiian culture at Puuhonua o Honaunau National Park which is the site of an old refuge and former royal grounds.

And then came our last sunset (no filters)...goodbye Hawaii.  Aloha 'oe, Aloha 'oe...until we meet again!

Did you enjoy my Instagram photos?  If so, make sure you become a facebook fan because this is where I usually share these little gems.  Creating a blog post of non-food photos is for special occasions!

While we were on the Big Island of course we had to stop by a local coffee farm to try their famous Kona Coffee.  We chose a small, family-owned boutique type farm called Hula Daddy which was located up in the mountains above Kailua-Kona.

Now, Chris and I aren't exactly coffee drinkers but both of us came to appreciate the work that Hula Daddy takes to get a good brew.  For example, we learned that it takes a coffee tree 4-5 years before it matures enough to bear beans.  And then, that single tree will yield just ONE pound of coffee in a single year.  That is, if the beans aren't attacked and ruined by things such as beetles.  Coffee grows best in well-draining soil and so the young lava rock of Hawaii island provides a nice porous and nutrient rich growth medium for the plants to thrive.  It also needs to be grown within a certain elevation range to provide the proper balance of temperature, sun, and rain.  We learned that at Hula Daddy, they are an organic fair-trade farm (meaning employees are paid fare wages) and each bean is hand picked at the peak ripeness.  Pick too soon and the bean is bitter.  Pick too late and the bean is sour.  Coffee, we learned, is not like other fruits that can be picked early and then allowed to ripen off the plant.  

Once they are picked, they are hand sorted and sent to be dried.  Some brews call for the sweet berry and/or membranes to be left intact whereas in most cases, these are taken off.  A master roaster then uses heat to bring out the flavor and smell that we know and love.  Hula Daddy uses small batches (maximum 10 pounds) and then each one is personally tasted by the master roaster before being packed.  

Two types of coffee were available for sampling before and after the tour.  As a non-coffee drinker I appreciated the smooth, non-bitter flavor.  I learned that like a fine wine, coffee has a rating system and one of Hula Daddy's coffees is rated a 97!  We ended our tour with the most fantastic tasting chocolate covered coffee bean that I've ever tasted.  Yum!

The only way you can buy Hula Daddy's fantastic coffee is by visiting their farm or ordering online.  But here I am offering you another option...by entering my raffle for a chance to experience this glorious coffee!  Their coffee is generally sold as whole bean because the flavor is better preserved that way.  However, at the farm you can buy some ground beans as a multi-pack.  So, I saved one 2-ounce bag just for one of my special readers!

Good luck and thanks for reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SRC: Salted Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Sometimes, the best recipes are some of the simplest.  All you need is a few quality ingredients.  And with a little manipulation, you can create magic.  This is the way I chose to go with this month's Secret Recipe Club assignment from Debbi Does Dinner Healthy.  She's the hostess of our group so I was honored to get a chance to dig deep into her blog.

I ended up choosing salted browned butter rice crispy treats.  The key to the flavor wow in what looks like a regular old rice crispy treat is the butter.  Yes, you need to start with real butter.  If you've ever tried to make rice crispies with margarine I bet you ended up with something that was soft if not even a bit stale tasting.  It's because the margarine is made as a blend that includes water.  And water is not friends with the snap, crackle, and pop.  So don't use margarine in your rice crispy treats...for this recipe or otherwise!

When you take butter and then gently heat it, it eventually becomes this beautiful brown color with a subtle nutty smell.  As you can guess, this is browned butter.  And it's a way to make any buttery dish instantly delicious.  Make sure you're using the unsalted kind because it allows you to control the amount of salt in your finished product (different manufacturers have more or less salt in their salted butter).  Unsalted butter is also fresher than its salted counterparts.  Because salt is a natural preservative, it can sit on the shelf longer and still be stable.

The verdict?  Everyone raved about the unique flavor of these rice crispy treats.  They were buttery and slightly nutty while staying true to their roots.  It was a winner!

Other recipes I considered from Debbi's site: 

• Sweet and Tangy Chili (Crockpot) - The use of balsamic vinegar in this chili was intriguing to me and as you know from the recently shared Balsamic-Honey Glazed Roast Beef Sandwiches with French Dip, I'm a real fan of that flavor.  Plus, who can't use another crockpot recipe in their repitoire?
• Cincinnati Sloppy Joes - As a Cincinnati girl, this screamed for me to make them...and I will, soon!
• Debbi has an assortment of recipes based on Amish Friendship Bread starter mix.  I was into doing that for awhile and then took a break by throwing my starter into the freezer so I wouldn't have to keep feeding it.  Not to mention I was getting pretty sick of cinnamon bread after awhile.  These two recipes were my top picks originally but since I had to go on vacation, I wasn't able to get my starter up and running in time to post this recipe.  So, maybe later I'll try Amish Friendship Honey Biscuits and Amish Cinnamon Rolls!

Salted Browned Butter Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter 
• 1 10-ounce bag marshmallows 
• Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt (I used Kosher salt as I didn't have any sea salt)
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box) 

Directions

1. Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides. 
2. In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute. 
3. As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. 
4. Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. 
5. Quickly spread sand gently press into prepared pan.

Source: Smitten Kitchen as seen on Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Bourbon Street Chicken

Originally today I was going to share the most authentic and coveted recipe of all...a Chinese Sponge Cake recipe from my Grandmother.  It is one of the few recipes that actually is written down and well documented.  But, as I discovered when I tried to make it, there aren't enough details to get it right without some experimentation first.  So, allow me to play with it a bit more and then get back to you on sharing that one...

Instead, I'm going to share a really tasty but not-so-authentic stir fry recipe so there's a little something for everybody.  This is a dish that you often find at the mall food court where little Asians try to shove chicken samples on a toothpick in your face.  Oddly enough, I never find myself taking those samples nor ordering this dish but I got a hankering to eat it at home recently.

The sauce is sweet and sticky with a good amount of spice that can be adjusted to your liking.  And despite its name (and my love for drunken foods)...contains no bourbon.  Either way, it's really really good.  Good enough that my husband actually agreed to take leftovers to work the next day for lunch.  He NEVER does that!

I happened to use about half as much chicken and then threw in some leftover broccoli that I needed to use up.  I think steamed broccoli a common side dish for this anyway but I wanted mine to be nice and saucy.

Two Years Ago: Chicken Cacciatore

Three Years Ago:  Crockpot 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Bourbon Street Chicken

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (For added heat, add a squirt of Sriracha!)
• 1/4 c apple juice (I use no sugar added)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.  Remove and set aside on a plate.
2. Add remaining ingredients and heat until well blended and dissolved.  Add the chicken back in then bring to a hard boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.  Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook until thickened.
4. Serve over hot rice.

Source: Big Oven

Ginger Chicken Jook (Chinese Rice Porridge)

Jook, congee, or rice porridge.  No matter what you call this authentic Asian soup, it is downright delicious and comforting.  Many people compare it to the Chicken Noodle Soup of the Asian world.

When I was healing from my miscarriage, my Mom made me a big pot of jook.  When the Thanksgiving turkey carcass or Christmas ham bone are picked through, we make jook.  In fact, Turkey jook is the most coveted of all because the turkey bones provide an extra sweet base flavor and it's a rarity enjoyed just once a year.

Sometimes, jook in its cheapest and simplest form is just rice and water.  That also brings back childhood memories of when my Grandma and Mom would make a pot of rice in the rice cooker and then using the hard bits at the bottom, add some water and allow it to become a magical soup.  I was somewhat addicted to this and steamed rice mixed with ice water growing up.  It's a wonder that I didn't become malnourished.

In this case, the inspiration for making this recipe was a roasted chicken carcass that was given to me by my in-laws after our weekly Sunday dinner together.  Anytime they have bones they know I'll take it home because I love making homemade broths and soups out of them.  Why let it go to waste?  That's what the Asian in my is thinking, anyway.  The frugal person in me is thinking of the cost savings that comes from making my own broth (which is SO EASY) at home without any added salt.

This was my first time making jook on my own.  I'd watched family members do it many times before but as usual, there's no recipe and no measurements.  The only measurements used were based on "bowls" (of the Chinese soup variety).  After some searching, I found a good starting recipe and put my own family spin on it so that it was closer to the way that Mom would do it.

I don't know why I was so intimidated to try this before.  Perhaps it is because I had witnessed too many times where the bottom of the jook ends up burning by accident and thus tainting the entire pot with the unwanted burnt flavor.  But my Mom taught me the trick to avoiding that.  She always told me to NEVER stir your jook or else you'd have to keep stirring it.  As long as you have a vigorous simmer going on, that will be enough to move the rice around and prevent it from burning.

With my first bite I was pleasantly surprised.  In fact, don't tell Mom but I think it might have been the best (non-turkey) jook that I've ever eaten.  This recipe used chicken broth versus my family uses just water.  Needless to say, the broth added a boost of flavor that I had not yet known.  It also integrates ginger directly into the soup.  While ginger is a common garnish that is served with jook, I usually skip it because I hate chomping on a big piece of it.  But, I enjoy the subtle flavor it lends so cooking it directly in the jook was perfect to me.  I ate this for 4 days straight and can't wait to get some more bones to make more!

I hope you give it a try and discover this Asian staple for yourself!

Ginger Chicken Jook (Chinese Rice Porridge)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 leftover chicken carcass, with some meat intact and skin removed and trimmed of excess fat
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp ginger, finely minced
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Thousand year old eggs, for garnish (optional)
• White pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce, for personal seasoning

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except the garnishes in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the meat to medium low and cook at a lively simmer.  Do not stir!  Continue to cook until the rice has completely broken down and the mixture is creamy, about 1 hour.  The soup will continue to thicken as it stands but it will get watery if you stir it too much after cooking.
2. Turn off the heat and remove the carcass to a cutting board.  When it's cool enough to handle, pull off the meat in bite-sized pieces, discarding the cartilage and bones.  Return the chicken pieces to the jook.  Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper as needed.
3. Ladle into bowls.  If desired, season with more white pepper, sesame oil, and/or soy sauce then top with cilantro and scallions.  If you like thousand year old eggs, throw those on top, too.

Source: Slightly modified from Christine Gallary's recipe on Chow.com

Meatless Monday: Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans

This week I'm going to be sharing some Authentic Chinese and Asian-inspired recipes in honor of the upcoming Chinese New Year.  Because this holiday follows the lunar calendar, it falls on a different date each year sometime between January and February.  This year, February 10th is Chinese New Year and it will be the year of the Snake.

First up is a vegetarian dish for Meatless Monday.  Getting my husband to eat a vegetarian dish let alone one that features tofu is generally a chore.  My cousin once told him that they are "estrogen cakes" and if eaten too much, would cause him to grow boobs.  As crazy as that sounds (and I'm sure he doesn't actually believe it), this is the excuse he uses to NOT eat tofu lol.

But this recipe was different.  The sauce made everything dripping with deliciousness and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again on other meats and vegetables.  It has hoisin sauce (essentially Chinese BBQ) which I always love.  There were definitely fewer complaints from my husband about this dish than normal so that was a win in my book.  I left out the water chestnuts due to personal preference.  It's a texture thing for me...I just don't dig it but feel free to keep it in if you enjoy the wet crunch.

Two Years Ago: Quiche Lorraine

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Bean

Ingredients

• 1 block of tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp hoisin
• 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dry cooking sherry
• 2 tsp chili garlic paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Large handful of fresh green beans, trimmed into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 small onion, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 can water chestnuts, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 c low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 

Directions

1. Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok
2. Add tofu; cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Add a touch more olive oil to the pan.  Add garlic and onions, saute 1-2 minutes.  Add water chestnuts and green beans, saute 1-2 minutes.
4. Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic paste, and broth.  Add to the pan and bring to a simmer.
5. Return tofu to the pan; let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer if you want the sauce to thicken.
6. Serve over rice or noodles.

Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Recipe Swap: BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions

Anytime the Blogger's Choice Swap comes along I jump at the chance to participate.  It's always fun to explore someone's blog and pick the perfect recipe to make from a collection of hundreds.  I spend far too many hours drooling over the blog and debating what to cook!

This week, I received The Jey of Cooking.  There were many recipes which I considered including this simple yet delicious looking Pasta with Tomato Marscapone Sauce and Chicken and Gnocchi Soup.  What always stands out on a blog though is an original recipe so that's what I ultimately went with.

It was super tasty...borderline addictive maybe.  It was a nice combination of sweet and salty with bursts of caramelized flavor from the onion and barbecue sauce.  I used ground turkey because that's what I had on hand and it was good but I'm sure it would be phenomenal with beef.  My husband especially liked the crunchy french fried onions on top.  And, I'll admit I picked them off the top of the leftover meatloaf because no sense in wasting the crunchiness which would inevitably turn to mush with microwave reheating :).

Thank you Jey for sharing and Sarah at Taste of Home Cooking for hosting.  Check out the blog hop below to see what everyone else made!

Two Years Ago: Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Hoagies and Chinese Scallion Pancakes with Asian Beef
Three Years Ago: Grandma B's Chicken a la King and Cream Biscuits

BBQ Cheddar Meatloaf with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Lbs. Ground Beef (I used ground turkey instead)
• 1 Onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
• 3/4 Cup Uncooked Oatmeal
• 1 Egg, Beaten
• 1 Cup Barbeque Sauce, divided
• 1/4 Cup French Fried Onions (from a can)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.  When hot, Add the onions and let cook until golden and soft, about 35 minutes, stirring just a few times.
2. Preheat oven to 375.
3. Meanwhile, add the ground beef, half of the cheddar cheese, oatmeal, egg and half of the BBQ sauce to a large bowl and, using your hands, mix until combined.  When onions are finished, add to the bowl and, with a wooden spoon, fold in until well mixed.Add meat mixture into a loaf pan coated with cooking spray and form into a loaf shape.  Top with the remaining BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven, add french fried onions and return to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Source: The Jey of Cooking