Mom's Meatloaf

"Really Bobbi?  MEATLOAF?  This is what your blog has come to?  Where are the Cajun recipes? Is there something unique about this meatloaf?  Does it at least have like, alligator or ground shrimp and Cajun seasoning in it?"

Nope.  It does not.  But it doesn't need to.  Because there's something special about a recipe that comes from your mom.  

Even if it *technically* doesn't come from your mom, because it's actually from Betty Crocker's "Dinner for Two" cookbook, circa 1960s. 

Because your mom got this as a wedding gift when she got married in 1974.

And because your mom used to make it all the time.  Possibly once a week, even.  These are the flavors of your childhood.

And, because it's one of the first things your mom taught you to cook.  You remember smooshing all those ingredients together with your bare mitts inside a burnt orange Tupperware bowl.

You remember it being served with potatoes au gratin and sweet peas.  And having meatloaf sandwiches with the leftovers for lunch.

And you also remember it because, while you don't make it nearly as often as your mom did, you did make it while your son "helped" you cook.

Because spices make great towers.

And even though there's absolutely nothing sexy or unique about meatloaf, and it's incredibly difficult to take Instagram-worthy photos of a meatwad... there is absolutely something special about sharing recipes and moments with your kids.

*Note: my recipe varies slightly from the original, just because I like more veggies in it.

INGREDIENTS: (makes 4-6 servings)
1 lb Boston Burger (80/20 mix of ground beef & pork)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, celery salt, and dry mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/2 cup BBQ sauce (we had Fiery Habanero in the fridge, so that's what we used--added a really nice level of heat)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and smoosh 'til combined. Don't overwork--just mix until everything is integrated.  If you mix it too much the meatloaf will get really tough.  Then plop into a loaf pan...

...then top with BBQ sauce...

My attempt at getting an action shot.

Spread evenly across the top and then bake for 1 hour.  Use a kitchen thermometer to monitor for when it hits 160F and you'll ensure that you don't overcook it--nobody likes dry meatloaf.

Serve with potatoes & peas (or rice and watermelon, because that's what you have on-hand).

Enjoy!

Quick Dinner: Salisbury Steak

If your house is anything like ours this time of year, life is ridonkulous.  Crazy-busy, nonstop, Christmas shopping, holiday parties, end-of-the-year rush at work… just gogogogogogo and dinner is the last thing on your mind.

For those evenings, there’s go-to staples like this that are super easy to throw together & done in under 30 minutes.  And with this meal, your entrée is under 340 calories—just add a couple sensible veggies and you’ve got a delicious, filling meal for under 400 calories!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup

1 1/2 pounds ground beef (I used Boston burger mix, which is a 60/40 blend of ground beef & pork because it’s what we had on-hand, but you could go with ground turkey, ground chicken, or extra lean beef and save almost 100 calories per serving!)

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

4 oz can mushroom pieces

DIRECTIONS:

In a big bowl, mix 1/3 cup of the soup with the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, and S&P.  Combine well & shape into 6 oval patties.

In a large skillet, brown the patties on both sides, and then drain off the excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine the rest of the soup and the remaining ingredients and whisk until well combined.  Pour the sauce mixture over the patties and cook covered for 20 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and flipping the patties halfway through.

We served with buttered peas and some roasted cabbage (which is another super-simple recipe that can cook easily in the oven while the salisbury steaks are going on the stove top). 

Makes 6 servings (which perfect for our two-person family, because it also means our lunches for the next two days are taken care of!)

NutriFacts:

 Calories 337.2 with Boston Burger meat (250 with 93% lean ground turkey, for comparison)

  Total Fat 23.2 g (9.8 g w/ ground turkey)

  Saturated Fat 8.4 g (2.9g w/ground turkey)

  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g

  Monounsaturated Fat 0.4 g

  Cholesterol 89.5 mg

  Sodium 558.3 mg

  Potassium 279.7 mg

  Total Carbohydrate 13.7 g

  Dietary Fiber 1.3 g

  Sugars 4.2 g

  Protein 14.4 g

Mom's Chicken & Noodles (non-Cajun dish)

My apologies for my absence. Things have been a bit on the crazy side.

And I GUESS I apologize also for the fact that this is NOT a post about cajun food.

Actually...this is a post about what my coworkers jokingly call "Yankee food". Because as much as I love the Cajun food and culture....every so often I crave my mom's cooking, like most every other person on the planet. And since my mom has never lived anywhere other than Missouri...she makes "Missouri" food. A lot of which is highly Germanic in heritage (though I don't think of it as being German, because it's just good ol' Midwest food to me). And those cravings particularly hit me once it starts getting cold outside. Not that there's a LOT of "cold" here in southern Louisiana...but around that first drop (which we got last week--57 degrees at night, people! Brr! I know....some of you who still live up north are laughing hysterically at my pansy-butt right now.)

And my absolute favorite "Mom Food" is my mother's famous Chicken & Noodles w/Mashed Potatoes. She brings it to family functions (along with her cherry cheesecake, but we won't go into that right now.... *drools*) and everyone in our family knows it...and every time I visit home, summer or winter, I request she makes it.

So, anywho, I digress. We got that cold snap, and my internal gears decided it was time for culinary journey up the Mighty Mississippi. Granted--this is definitely a carb-fest, but if kept in check, you can have MANY MANY delicious comforting meals that are still health-conscious.



Shopping List:
- 3.5 lbs of bone-in chicken (skin is fine too--both the bones & skin will help add flavor to our broth/sauce, but we can skim most of the fat off before we finish the dish. All white meat is best.)
- 24 oz bag of frozen egg noodles (Reames is a popular brand--these are harder to find here in Louisiana. Target is the only place I can find them, though there were a few A&P stores in NOLA that carried them as well when I lived there.)
- Light or Fat-Free Sour Cream (I love sour cream in my mashed potatoes, you may not. This is optional.)
- 5 lb bag of russet potatoes (I actually only cooked about 7 potatoes during this process...BUT I have a bunch of leftovers w/no mashed potatoes, so I'll likely have to cook the rest to go with those leftovers.)
-milk (skim or fat free)
-SmartBalance butter
- Chicken bouillon (1 cube or 1 tbsp loose)

Seasonings:
Salt, pepper, basil, chive, garlic salt, cajun seasoning (see, I snuck SOMETHING cajun in there!)

1. Start two pots of water to boil (salted).

2. Cube potatoes (skin-on...nutritional value!) and place into one of the pots, cover and let cook until potatoes are fork tender (~30-40min). Drain, add 1/4c milk, 1/4c sour cream, 1/4c butter, and mash thoroughly. Season w/salt, pepper, and additional butter (or butter sub--like a butter flavored salt substitute to kill two birds w/one stone) to taste. Set aside (keep warm in oven on a low setting if desired).

3. Place chicken in 2nd pot of boiling water, add 1 tbsp garlic salt and several dashes of pepper. Cover and let boil over medium-high heat for 45 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, remove from the water and set aside to cool for a bit. Add 1 tbsp of chicken boullion to the water and return to boil. Skim any fat off the surface of the water.

4. Once your "chicken broth" has resumed boil, add in the egg noodles and let boil over medium heat. Set timer for 25 minutes. While that's going, begin separating your chicken...this cooking method keeps the meat very moist, and it will slide off the bone. Throw away all bones, fatty bits, and skin, then put chicken (slightly shredded) back into the pot w/the noodles. Add basil & additional salt & pepper. Continue to skim any fat off the top as it cooks out.

5. Once your noodles are fully cooked and tender (the broth will thicken somewhat into a sauce), taste test and season to desired...basil, garlic salt, cajun seasoning & pepper are my picks for this meal. I like mine with a lot of pepper. Just be careful not to get it too salty. Once desired flavor is acheived, allow to cool slightly before serving on top of the mashed potatoes.

6. Serve with a slice of lightly buttered wheat bread.

This will easily make about 12-14 servings, so feel free to cut back the recipe if desired.

Serving size is 1/2c mashed potatoes, covered by ~1 cup chicken & noodles....so these are pretty hearty servings! Definitely filling!!!

Also--if you're watching your pennies, this is a great way to do so...Cost is only about $1/serving! (Especially if you catch the chicken on sale like I did!)

Nutrifacts:
Amount Per Serving

Calories 394.9

Total Fat 4.1 g

Saturated Fat 1.1 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g

Cholesterol 115.1 mg

Sodium 375.5 mg

Potassium 690.7 mg

Total Carbohydrate 54.4 g

Dietary Fiber 3.4 g

Sugars 0.5 g

Protein 34.4 g