Savory Meatloaf

Cool Fall temps are upon us and it's time to make some comfort food that won't make you break into a sweat when you cook it or eat it.  I am on a Basil kick, so there's a generous amount of that in the mix, plus hidden spinach - always good if you have kids who deny you the opportunity of seeing them eat veggies. The men in my life love this! Note, this can easily become two meals depending on the number at your table. Otherwise, this will truly feed a crowd.

MEATLOAF INGREDIENTS:
2 lbs 85% ground beef or turkey at room temp
2 medium Vadalia (sweet) onions, diced
2 eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1 pkg frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
1/2 cup fresh Italian (flat) parsley, roughly chopped
Kosher salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste

PREP STEPS:
1. Mix all ingredients except the bread crumbs, when fully combined add the crumbs (use hands)
2. Form the mixture into a brick shape and set it inside a large baking dish 9 x 12 or larger (you will need at least an inch margin around the loaf)
3. Bake at 350 in preheated oven for 1 hour. Tent the dish if loaf top looks too brown. Bake another 30 minutes or til insides are cooked. (I sliced "the brick" in thirds to let the heat in and uncovered it  for this last part)

GRAVY?
While loaf is doing its thing, sauté 3/4 cups sliced mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil and drain. Leave on paper towel to add later. Get that oil off those shrooms!

1. In a large skillet, melt one stick of unsalted butter along with 3 cubes of beef bouillon (or similar product like "Better Than Bouillon"), whisk in 3+TBSP Wondra in order to make consistency of sand and briefly boil for a minute
2. Add 2 cans of Campbell's Beef Consume and, using a can to measure - add  another 1 1/4 cans of beef broth, add the mushrooms and sprinkle of kosher salt
3. Bring to boil, add 1/8 to 1/4 cup heavy cream and simmer for 20 minutes. Keep covered til ready to serve - stir frequently

We served this with mashed potos and it was a big hit! I love all the hidden healthy ingredients.
Spot? Sorry no paws. She mistakenly heard me chopping the onions and skee-daddled, silly hound!

Prep Once and Cook Twice Mini Meat Loaves

Spending about an hour in the kitchen (or more, depending on how big or small you make this) is well worth your time. Today I morphed this recipe to share with a family from church plus my own. Not only did this one make enough for two families of four (mine includes two teenage sons*), it also yielded enough to make 30 meatballs to freeze for a second menu option! They will come in handy in a week when it's our turn to cook for our small group.

I really like this menu because there are some hidden vegetables that just add to the taste: invisible cauliflower hiding inside the mashed potatoes giving a tiny extra crunch and the truck load of spinach mixed in with the personal meat loaves. Yum! My fam needs to eat more veggies and this recipe makes it happen.

The other cool thing is that this recipe is just full of low fat healthy ingredients! Hubba-bubba, next time I cook it's gonna be really f a t t e n i n g!

(* Son's best bud is over so much, he's our tax deduction)


MENU 1:
Mini Meat Loaf, Cauli-Mashed Potatoes, Secret Gravy

MENU 2:
Mini Meat Loaf or Meat Balls!

Prep Time: 45+ Min.
Cook Times: 35 min. Meat Loaves, 18 min. potatoes, 12 min gravy
Serves 8-10 both times


INGREDIENTS:
Parchment Paper
1½ lbs. extra lean ground beef
½ lbs. lean ground turkey
2 bags Pepperidge Farms Bread Stuffing
2 boxes frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 eggs
1 large red onion, diced (or 3 small)
4 twigs fresh Rosemary, chopped
1½ lbs. red potatoes
½ head cauliflower, steamed and broken into florets)
¼ to ½ cup buttermilk
1 stick unsalted butter
Wondra (3-4 TBSP)
1 carton low sodium Beef Broth (32 oz.)
3 Beef bouillon cubes
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil


MINI LOAVES:
In large skillet, sauté onions in Extra Virgin Olive Oil til soft. Stir in defrosted, drained spinach. Using a giant bowl, add salt, pepper and Rosemary, add meats one package at a time. Combine well, then add skillet contents and eggs. Mix with hands: After these ingredients are well-combined, slowly add enough bread crumbs to hold the mixture together. With this amount of meat, it took me two bags. Do not overdo the bread, you still want the loaves moist.

Line a jelly-roll pan with parchment paper. Firmly form mini loaves the size of a large baked potato. Make 10 loaves and place them on the paper, evenly spaced. Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 35-40 min. til browned. (The rest of the mixture can be made into meatballs or more loaves and frozen.)

CAULI-MASHED POTOS:
(I multi-task and do some of this while sautéing.) In large pot over slow boiling water in a steaming basket, steam cauliflower florets covered, about 10 min or til tender. Remove cauliflower and set aside, add more water and bring to boil. Add rinsed, halved red potatoes with skin on and bring to boil again. Boil for 12 minutes or til fork test shows tender. Do not over cook. Drain potatoes. Using same pot, return cauli and potos, salt and pepper to taste. With potato masher, slowly add as much buttermilk as it takes to mash potatoes to your desired density. We like them stiff, so we don’t use much milk. Recover in pot til time to serve.

SECRET GRAVY:
Use the same skillet that you sautéed in and did not rinse. Melt the stick of butter. (I set this on the stove while the loaves are cooking and the butter is almost melted by the time I get to the gravy.) Add 3 Beef Bouillon cubes. One TBSP at a time, slowly whisk in enough Wondra to thicken the mixture until it is almost, but not quite the texture of sand. Break apart the cubes as they warm in the pan. Heat til bubbly, stirring constantly – about 3 minutes. Slowly stir in the beef broth until well mixed and bring to boil, adding salt and pepper. Reduce to simmer until thickened. Keep warm til serving, stirring often.


COOKING ORDER:
• Steam Cauliflower while prepping meat loaves
• Meat loaves in and cooking 35 minutes
• Boil potato water
• Mash potatoes, cover
• Start gravy when 10 minutes left on loaves cooking time


MENU #2 MEATBALLS:
Thaw in fridge overnight. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, til hot but not over cooked. Serve with more Cauli Mashed Potos and gravy… or as tidbits on toothpicks with a cheese platter when your friends come over.

Although this is super yummy, Spot gives this two paws only because she was hanging out with her brothers while I cooked