Italian Meatloaf

I think I've made meatloaf half a dozen times in all my years as a grown-up that cooks.  Four of those times have been in the past six months, because this recipe has turned a meat loaf hater into a meat loaf lover.

Half ground beef, half ground turkey, and a handful of spinach.  Meatloaf healthified.

Seasoned croutons instead of bread, soaking in milk and spices.

Add an amazing tomato topping....

... and you've got the best meatloaf ever.

Italian Meatloaf Florentine

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 pound ground turkey

2 cups Caesar seasoned croutons

1 cup milk

1 cup grated Parmesan

4 large eggs

large handful fresh baby spinach

2 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 cans diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp dry mustard

5 dashes Worcestershire sauce

pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine meat, eggs, Parmesan, and spinach in a large bowl and roughly mix together.  In a separate bowl, soak croutons in milk until slightly softened.  Mash together with spices and add to meat mixture.  Mix together by hand until well combined.

In a separate bowl, mix together drained tomatoes, brown sugar, mustard, cayenne, and Worcestershire.

Form the meat mixture into a loaf and place on a drip pan (an oven pan with a slotted tray on top), then spoon the tomato mixture over the top.

Tent the pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking for 30-40 minutes more, until the internal temperature is 160° and the meatloaf is no longer pink in the middle.  Cut into thick slices to serve 8-10.

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Italian Meatloaf recipe.

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Halloween Night Chili

As expected, Halloween night was a wet one.  The rain came just in time for the trick or treaters to hit the streets.

Only one of ours went out, the rest are too old for trick or treating.  But that didn't stop them from dressing up.  Halloween parties quickly take the place of collecting candy door to door.

I made a wicked batch of chili, roasted some pumpkin seeds, and ate an obscene amount of chocolate.

The next time you roast pumpkin seeds, add a splash of sriracha sauce to the oil and salt that you toss the seeds in.  Amazing!

And if you're looking for a good chili recipe, for Halloween night, or any other night, try this one.  It's got just the right mix of meat, beans, and spice.

Chili Con Carne

2 lbs extra lean ground beef

2 ribs celery, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 medium sized onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 large cans tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

2 cans red kidney beans, drained

2 cans mixed beans, drained

3 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

a few dashes of Tabasco sauce

Scramble fry the beef, celery, pepper, and onions with one tablespoon of the chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, until the meat is cooked and the vegetables are soft.  Add the garlic and stir to combine, remove from heat.   I read something once about layering flavours in dishes.  I think that's what I did here.  Spicing the meat separately adds an extra layer of flavour to the chili.

Are you laughing at me?  I really did read it somewhere.

Combine the remaining ingredients in either a large slow cooker or a large pot.  I prepared this in my slow cooker but it can simmer just as easily on the stove.  Add the beef mixture and stir well.  Simmer on the stove top for an hour, stirring occasionally, or cook 4-6 hours on low in a slow cooker.

You can play it pretty loosey goosey with the spices.  I sometimes add more or less of the amounts listed.  Go with what you love and make it yours!

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One Pan Mexican Pasta

September has been kicking my ass.  When I have time to cook, it's going to be quick, and if I can pull it off while dirtying only one pan...well, that's a win-win.

This one pan Mexican pasta dish fits the bill.  Quick, easy, delicious.  And only one dirty pan.

The ingredients are simple, and you probably already have them in your pantry and freezer.

Brown some ground beef and onions, season, stir in the remaining ingredients, wait for the pasta to cook, and eat.  

One dirty pan.  Awesome.

One Pan Mexican Pasta

Ingredients

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
½ tsp pepper

3 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 (28 oz / 796 ml) can diced tomatoes

1 (19 oz / 540 ml)can black beans, rinsed

1 ½ cups frozen corn kernels

Directions

Scramble fry ground beef with diced onions.  When beef is cooked and onions are translucent, add garlic and spices.  Stir.  

Add remaining ingredients, stirring well to combine.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Ensure the pasta is covered by liquid and allow to simmer, covered, until pasta is cooked through.  Stir occasionally while simmering.  If the liquid is absorbed before the pasta is cooked, add a small amount of water to the pan.

If you can resist eating this straight out of the pan, you can garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado or cilantro, but it's seriously yummy just the way it is :)

Looking for more one pan meals?  How about Italian sausage and peppers?

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I've had to suspend comments on this post temporarily due to an unbelievable amount of spam.  Who knew those spammers would be such fans of Mexican Pasta?  Feel free to email me directly if you have a pressing comment or question!

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Sloppy Joes

So, I made Sloppy Joes over the weekend.  And they were amazing.  I can’t remember the last time I made them.  I seem to recall they weren’t very good, and there was much moaning and groaning and scraping of uneaten food into the garbage.  Last week, out of the blue, one of the kids asked me to make Sloppy Joes for dinner. 

Hmmm, OK.

Comfort food is what we need when the temps are plummeting to -30°C outside.

I searched recipes until I settled on the Pioneer Woman’s version.  I had all of the ingredients and her recipes haven’t failed me yet.

I was tempted to skip the green pepper, because no one really likes it, but decided instead to chop the green pepper very fine, so as to make it barely visible.  I think it adds necessary flavour, so a small dice allowed me to sneak some green pepper past my kids.  I added celery because I had some that needed to be used up, and because I can't seem to follow a recipe without straying from it.

The original recipe called for 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.  I used an entire can, because I clearly wasn't paying attention.  The end result wasn’t overly tomato-y, and it was just so incredibly good that I’ve left the one can of tomato paste in the ingredient list.  Added bonus: no half-used can of tomato paste lurking in the fridge becoming a science experiment.

This combination of ingredients and spices made the best Sloppy Joes I have ever eaten, perfectly sweet and spicy, and not too saucy.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

3 pounds extra lean ground beef

1 whole medium/large onion, diced

1 whole large green bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 cups ketchup

1/2 cup water

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 can tomato paste

1/2 tsp Tabasco Sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Kaiser Rolls, lightly toasted

Directions:

Cook ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat until brown, breaking up large pieces while stirring. Drain most of the fat and discard.

Add onions, green pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook for a few minutes, or until vegetables begin to get soft.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine and simmer for 15 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Lightly toasting the buns prevented them from getting soggy as soon as the meat mixture was ladled on.  If your toaster has a bagel setting, use it.  It will only toast the insides of the buns.

Some of the kids chose to add shredded cheese, lettuce, and extra hot sauce… but I thought they were perfect just as is.

This served all eight of us, with leftovers to snack on the next day.

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Shamrocks, and Tater Tot Casserole

We celebrated a birthday in our house on St. Patrick's Day.   

The tradition is that the birthday child, or in this case adult, is allowed to choose their favourite meal for dinner on their birthday.  So we decked out the kitchen in shamrock swag and made Tater Tot Casserole.

Creamy, spicy ground beef, green beans, frozen tater tots, and shredded cheese.  This is simple comfort food, and it was devoured in record time.  The potato topping and GREEN beans made it work as a St. Patrick's Day meal which was an added bonus.

Tater Tot Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef.

1 onion, diced

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp Montreal Steak Spice (if you can't find it, there's a DIY recipe here)

1 can of cream of mushroom soup, OR this Basic White Sauce, if you prefer to avoid canned soups

1 tbsp ketchup

Dash of hot sauce (optional)

1 can of green beans, or fresh steamed green beans

1 bag of  frozen Tater Tots

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.  In a large pan, scramble fry ground beef with onion until the meat is cooked and the onions are soft.  Depending on how lean your ground beef is, you may want to drain some of the fat from the pan.  I usually buy extra lean ground beef and don't bother with draining the fat from the meat.  Add garlic and seasoning, stir and cook for another minute or so.

Stir in the basic white sauce OR cream of mushroom soup, along with the ketchup and hot sauce, if using.  Heat through while stirring occasionally.  Transfer to casserole dish.  If using canned green beans, drain first and pour over meat mixture.  I like to use fresh green beans which I've cut into bite sized pieces and steamed until crisp-tender.

Add a layer of frozen Tater Tots over the green beans, and top with shredded cheese.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the cheese is melted.

And this was the requested dessert.  Stay tuned.

*Update*

The recipe is up for the Coconut Banana Chia Chocolate Snack Cake

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