The weather has been so cold and the snow has been never ending. I won’t complain too loudly though because compared to my friends on the East Coast, I might as well be living in Hawaii.
On cold days like this, there is nothing like a little comfort food to warm your belly. My go-to comfort food has always been meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a little cornbread. Even as a little girl, it was my top request for my birthday meal every year. There is just something about those flavors that makes me happy.
Over the years my recipe for meatloaf varies depending on what is on sale and what flavor combination sounds good at the time. This time I had red potatoes leftover from buying a big bag of them for our fancy steak dinner with rosemary potatoes, and I wanted to incorporate the potatoes in another recipe. The Italian turkey sausage was on sale and I mixed that in with the ground beef (that was not on sale) to create this delicious combination.
Touching meat seriously grosses me out. I have a gag reflex watching people putting their hands in the bowls to mix ingredients when I watch Food Network. I find my pastry cutter to be a useful tool when mixing meat. This one from Pampered Chef has an extra long handle and it works beautifully to mix things quickly. I guess I will never be a Food Network star because of this, but I am okay with it!
I hate to keep bringing up a recipe, but there is just no better accompaniment to a meatloaf dinner than a big batch of pumpkin cornbread muffins! If I make a batch of these, I can get my family to eat just about anything because they are so distracted by the bread. This pretty picture also cancels out that icky picture of meat. I am so sorry about that!
Enjoy a little comfort food tonight and kick your feet up one evening by using your extra meatloaf from the freezer! Give yourself a night off and revel in the deliciousness of great comfort food and all that is warm!
*****************
Italian Turkey Meatloaf (This will yield two meatloaves- one to eat, one to freeze)
2 pounds ground beef
2 pounds Italian turkey sausage, removed from the casings
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3- 8 oz can tomato sauce
2 eggs
In a large mixing bowl, lightly mix turkey, bread crumbs, cheese, 1 can of tomato sauce, and egg. Shape into two loaves in shallow baking dishes. Pour a can of tomato sauce over each of the meatloaves. Sprinkle top with garlic salt. Bake one loaf uncovered at 350 for 1 1/4 hours. Baste several times while cooking. Freeze the other loaf (uncooked) for another meal later this month.
Side Note: I do not have a big problem with grease with the ground turkey, but grease can be a problem if you buy higher fat content ground beef. If you are trying to cut back on the fat there is a very easy way to do it. Before patting the meatloaf into the pan, lay down two pieces of bread to soak up the drippings. Pat the ground turkey mixture in, over the bread, and the bread will catch the fat at the bottom. It will also help to keep the shape of the loaf.
*****************
Smashed Red Potatoes (Courtesy of Allrecipes Dinner Tonight Cookbook)
2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, cook until tender but still firm, about ten minutes. Drain and set aside. Add butter, milk, sour cream, and alt and pepper to taste to potatoes. Mash together until smooth.
Disclosure: The cookbook link is an affiliate link and is provided so you can locate the book quickly and easily. Feel free to order a book, but we encourage utilizing the library system and buying me a latte instead. Wouldn’t that just be so much more lovely?
What is your go-to comfort food? Feel free to share your recipes and links!