Glazed Meatloaf

I think I know what meatloaf heaven is like; I was there again tonight when I ate a plate of leftovers (Is there anything better, really, than meatloaf leftovers?) The recipe for this wonderful meatloaf, which has a delightfully-sweet taste, came to me via my second cousin, Sara Olson. Sara is a Mennonite, and if you know anything about Mennonites (besides the fact that they wear dresses and cute bonnets), you know they can cook. (Or is that just a stereotype?  I'm sure someone will let me know, haha.) Anyway, Sara's meatloaf is to-die-for, and it's unlikely that I will ever use a different recipe, now that I've tried hers, so it's only appropriate that I share it.

Ingredients:2 lbs ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup crushed saltines (about 30)
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 tsp salt (we like kosher)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T mustard

First, prep your ingredients. Think about how artistic food can be. Is it just me (a Wisconsinite), or does this cheese look gorgeous next to the carrots
?

And speaking of carrots, why is it that every time I peel carrots, I think of women's legs?

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl...

And then, be very, very brave, and mix it with your bare hands!!


I'm shocked that I did that, actually (Usually, I wear sandwich bags on my hands when I tough raw hamburger, cuz it grosses me out).

At this point, check on your rice.

Did I catch you with that one??  Only kidding; there is no rice in this recipe; it was for the sick dog.....


Yeah, you know your dog is sick when he won't touch a peanut butter sandwich.

Pat the meatloaf into a 9 x 13 baking dish. What?!! I packed it all into a bread pan, obviously...

no wonder it overflowed a little bit and took forever to cook. (Still, I'd do it the same way again.) Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Mix glaze ingredients....




and pour over meat.

Allow me to interject here to insist that you never, ever, ever skip this glaze part, as it is the most wonderful part of the recipe (next to the cheese and carrots inside the meatloaf, of course.)

Bake 10-15 minutes longer. (Add a half hour or more if you cook it the way I did; in a stone loaf pan.)  I wonder if Martha Stewart shows pictures of her cooking messes or just pretends they all turned out perfectly?


Be sure to use a meat thermometer if you aren't sure. 170 degrees is good.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

FYI, my photo is missing a vegetable...


because I got impatient with the cooking time and ate the broccoli long before the meatloaf came out of the oven.  One might think I spoiled my appetite by eating a ton of broccoli, but thankfully, I did not; I ate every single bite of my supper.

And then I went to stuff an Imodium tablet down the dog's throat....

Baked Mostaccioli

My SIL, Mary Sue (or MerrySue, as she likes to be called) has some great recipes! For example, I got the Confetti Scalloped Potatoes recipe from her, and this one is also incredible. I made it last week, for Kyle's end-of-the-year swimming banquet potluck, and the pan was the first one to go empty.

Ingredients:

8 oz. mostaccioli noodles (I used about 12)
1.5 lbs ground beef (I used 2)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic (I used 3)
1 28-oz can tomatoes
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1-4-oz can mushrooms (I used 12 oz. of fresh mushrooms)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried basil (Yeah, that's what's in the baggy pictured, Silly!)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 large bay leaf (Why do they call them bay leaves? I wonder.)
1 lb. sliced mozzarella (I used shredded)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, cook ground *beef, onion, green pepper, and garlic

until meat is browned and veggies are tender. Meanwhile, clean and slice your mushrooms. A very good chef once taught me not to wash mushrooms, but to instead wipe them clean, like so...

Drain the fat off the meat mixture. Stir in undrained tomatoes, sauce, paste, undrained mushrooms (or fresh, sliced), water, salt, sugar, basil, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that deliciousness is simmering, put the water on to boil the pasta and read this hilarious post from Matty, who made this delicious dish a little differently.]  BOIL THE PASTA (There-That's for you Matty-types.)  Drain and set aside.

Remove bay leaf from the simmering sauce and stir in the mostaccioli.

Turn half of the meat mixture into a greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Layer half the mozzarella on top. Top with remaining meat mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil (the non-sticky kind or sprayed with olive oil) and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes, or until heated through. Remove foil. Put remaining mozzarella cheese on top of casserole. Bake for another 5 minutes or more.

Serve with garlic bread and a nice salad. Serves a small crowd of hungry young men.

Note: I put this together and stuck it in the fridge (without baking it) for the next night. After school, I ran home and threw it in the oven straight from the fridge, so it took an full hour and a half to cook. It was well worth the wait :)


*I included a pound of venison this time, and it was delicious!

Pizza Casserole

Ever since I got a taste of my friend Pam's delicious Pizza Casserole last weekend at the Homecoming dinner at her house, I've been wanting to make it for dinner. So, even though I had 49 other things to do tonight, I happily put my needs aside and sacrificed for my loving family.

Note: Try to make this on a night everyone has other commitments so that you can have most of it for yourself. (Also, there will be fewer people around to watch you sneaking pepperoni.)

Ingredients:12-oz. egg noodles (I used only part of the bag pictured)
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion
1 green pepper
1 8-oz pkg pepperoni
fresh mushrooms
pizza sauce
Campbell's cheddar cheese soup

First, put water on to boil for the noodles. If you have a 10-year-old Calphalon pot like mine, try not to grumble too loudly about the finish coming off. (I've already had it replaced once, and I'm too lazy to send it in again.)

Dice the green pepper and one small onion (or half of a large one)

The recipe actually called for canned mushrooms, but to me, that's like sprinkling mystery parmesan cheese from a can, instead of grating the real deal, so I decided to throw caution to the wind (I'm not an adventurous cook) and used fresh.

Brown the ground beef, along with the green pepper and onion. (Why, no, I'm not worried about heart disease. I may die, but I'll die happy.)

Add the pizza sauce and cheddar cheese soup,

and stir....
Simmer for about ten minutes (I added the mushrooms during this time.)

Remove from heat and stir in the pepperoni minus the 25 you ate while cooking.

Add the pasta. I made the whole 16 oz. bag and reserved about 1/4 of it for Kendall (who had the swine flu and wasn't interested in real food.)

Mix and place in greased casserole dish. I poured it into two dishes, so that I could freeze one.

At this point, remember the frozen block of mozzarella in your freezer. And if you have the patience of a first grader with severe ADHD and no meds when it comes to cooking, go ahead and try to grate it anyway. (It takes longer than thawing it first, but it it's a nice challenge.)

At this point, I want to show you the level of sacrifice I am willing to make for my family (yes, I really am a pacesetter when it comes to putting one's family first.) Just look at the cheese-grating injury I sustained in order to tend to my family's well-being...

It was worth it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (covered.) Remove cover and bake another ten minutes. (This also freezes very well.) Doesn't this look delicious?! Trust me; it is!!! [Of course, I only needed 30 minutes because it was already hot. Adjust heating times as needed.]

Now, I kid when I say I'm very dedicated to my family. If that were true, I'd have a tomato for this salad and some fresh, toasty garlic bread to accompany this meal, right?

My poor family had to tough it out...

...but I didn't hear any complaints.

Theresa's Beans

I'm certain that my SIL, Theresa, is an excellent cook (my brother looks healthy, and we've shared a few recipes), but I never get to taste many of her other dishes, because this one is always requested at family gatherings. Super easy, and very delicious!

Ingredients:1/2 lb. bacon (there's no getting around this one--so yummy!)
1 lb ground beef (or for you health nuts, I suppose you could use something less fattening)
1/2 to 1 whole onion, chopped
1 cup Ketchup (or Catsup for you Yoopers out there)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp vinegar
3 cans (15-20 oz) baked beans (I just use whatever kinds I have on-hand)

First, cook the bacon and chop it into pieces.Reserve the grease if you have no regard for your health, and saute the onions in that next. Today, I just cooked the ground beef and onions together and left out the bacon grease. (Not because I felt like being "healthier," but simply because I forgot! Besides, beef grease or bacon grease-either way, you're gonna die of heart disease, right?)Add the ketchup, brown sugar, mustand, and vinegar to the drained ground beef and onions. Mix and simmer 15 minutes. I accidentally skipped this step today, and it turned out delicious anyway, but next time, I'll probably follow directions! (And yes, I was spacey today. What else is new?)

Add the beans and bacon. Mix and bake in 350-degree oven 45 minutes (covered) or cook in a crock pot for about 4 hours.I'm sorry I do not have a photo of our delicious meal of chicken, corn-on-the-cob, pistachio salad, Theresa's beans from dinner tonight, but we honestly ate every single bit of them, and I had nothing to take a photo of when it was all said and done and I remembered. That should be proof enough for you that making these beans will make you popular (but you might never be able to bring anything else to a family gathering, so beware!)