Brie and Scallion Burgers: Recipe Swap

I've spent the last 4 years frequenting a cooking message board, which I know, makes me sound like a total food nerd, but I've met some great ladies (and even a guy or two!) on there and it was where I first got the idea to start a food blog.  I started this blog mostly as a way to have an online recipe collection/personal cookbook.  It's great to have all our favorite recipes in one spot and have them easily accessible via internet.  I check in with my foodie friends at least once a day to talk about what's for dinner, great restaurants, new ingredients and everything in between.  They've been doing a recipe swap for awhile now, but when it started I was in a blogging lull but now that I'm back into the groove I decided to join in the fun.  

For this exchange I got A Taste of Home Cooking.  Not only is she a member of my lovely group, but she's also the organizer of the Recipe Swaps -- I immediately felt the pressure!  I spent a good hour looking through her blog and picking some recipes to chose from.  Some that were on the final list but didn't make the cut will be on my menus in the future -- Buffalo Chicken Tacos, Jalapeno Popper Chicken, and Soutzoukakia.  For this choice we went with the Brie and Scallion Burgers and we were not disappointed!  They were cheesy, juicy and delicious.  The cheese is hidden inside the burgers which is a nice surprise and the scallion paste is spicy kick to compliment the creamy brie.  We enjoyed them a lot and I'm sure we'll be enjoying them again throughout the summer grilling season.  We've already thought of other uses for the scallion paste -- tossed with pasta, on shrimp, in sandwiches, it'd probably even be good with tortilla chips!  As you can see, we served it with waffle fries and steamed broccoli.

Brie and Scallion Burgers

from A Taste of Home Cooking

serves 4

Ingredients:

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

freshly ground pepper

4 ounces brie, rind removed

1/4 cup mayonnaise

4 hamburger buns

Directions:

• Make the scallion paste -- combine the scallions, garlic, jalapeno, lemon zest, cayenne and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle (or a small bowl).  If using the mortar and pestle, grind the ingredients into a paste.  If using a bowl, use the back of a spoon to smash everything together.  Once you have a paste, slowly add in the olive oil to loosen up the paste.  
• Preheat your grill on high.
• Start working on the burgers -- season the ground beef with salt and pepper.  Form 8 patties from the ground beef.  Measure out one ounce of brie, put it on top of one patty, then top with another patty and seal the edges.  Do this again three more times to make four burgers.  
• Cook the burgers on the grill, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Grill the burger buns.  Top burgers with scallion paste, mayo and serve!

Southwestern Cornbread and Beef Skillet

I've always enjoyed cooking.  There is a comfort to taking a recipe, shopping for ingredients and then following the steps to create a dish.  I've also always been pretty comfortable putting my own twist on a recipe.  I like to change up the spices or switch out a few ingredients according to what I have on hand, or what better suits my tastes.  I'm not afraid to change things up and as I've gained more experience in the kitchen I've gotten more and more comfortable making changes, additions and substitutions to recipes and this dish is a great example of that. 

I was searching for a one-dish meal to make for Good Life Eats and My Baking Addiction's Holiday Recipe Exchange.  This week the contest is sponsored by Le Creuset.  I couldn't think of any one-dish meals off the top of my head besides soup so I did a quick search on the website for one of my favorite food magazines -- Everyday Food.  I found a slideshow of one pot meals and decided on this one.  After reading some reviews decided to make some changes. 

First of all I wanted to use things I had on hand, so I switched out the mushrooms for sweet corn.  The combo of corn, red peppers and onion then immediately brought to mind southwest flavors.  Some of the comments on the recipe suggested that the sauce was rather bland as it was written, so I thought a flavor profile with cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne would be a good move.  The other major change I made was to use buttermilk instead of sour cream and an egg to make the cornbread dough.  As I went to the fridge to get the egg I realized we were out of them.  Oops.  But, we happened to have buttermilk so I just substituted that instead.  The flavors were great and really worked well with the peppers and corn.  It was a quick and easy weeknight meal -- with only one pot to clean!!

Come join the fun with the My Baking Addiction and Good Life Eats holiday recipe exchange sponsored by Le Creuset!

Southwestern Cornbread and Beef Skillet

inspired by Everyday Food, November 2007

serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour  

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red bell peppers (ribs and seeds removed), thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup corn (frozen or 15 oz can, drained)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon mexican oregano
1 pound ground sirloin
1/4 cup tomato paste

2/3 cup beef broth

3/4 cup buttermilk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl mix cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour, baking soda, smoked paprika and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Stir to combine. 
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Pour olive oil in the pan then add peppers and onion.  Saute until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.  Then add corn and cook 2-3 minutes longer.  Add cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano. 
• Raise heat to high and add in ground beef and tomato paste.  Cook until beef is fully browned, about 5 minutes.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour over the pan and stir until flour is dissolved.  Add in the broth  and stir until a sauce forms.  Turn off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Pour the buttermilk into the cornmeal/flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Drop tablespoons of batter on top of the beef mixture in the skillet.  There will be enough batter for  6 scoops, placing them about one inch apart.  Bake until biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. 

Barcelona Burger

I found this recipe in an issue of Food Network Magazine.  I kept it in the back of my mind because of the use of manchego cheese.  We like spanish cheeses and enjoy manchego often, but I was waiting for a time when we had some leftover to use for these burgers.  It took while to have some leftover manchego.  These burgers were a great weeknight grilling meal.  The flavors were very spanish -- roasted red pepper, sherry vinegar, olives and smoked paprika complemented the manchego very well.  It was a great way to put a twist on a typical burger.  I served it with oven fries that I also put smoked paprika on to highlight that spice in the burger.  I chose to serve it on homemade burger buns, but did use an olive roll in the sauce.  I halved the olive oil to save some calories and doubled the smoked paprika because, well, I love smoked paprika.

Barcelona Burger
slightly adapted from Food Network Magazine
serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 olive roll
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup sliced almond
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
kosher salt
1 pound ground beef
2 shallots, finely grated
4 slices manchego cheese
lettuce leaves
4 burger rolls

Directions:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  While it heats, tear the olive roll into one inch pieces.  Add to the skillet along with the garlic.  Cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Add almonds and cook about 3 additional minutes. 
• Transfer bread chunks, garlic and almonds to a food processor.  Add roasted red pepper, vinegar, the remaining tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Pulse until a chunky sauce forms.  
• Gently mix the ground beef, shallots, remaining teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt until combined.  Form into 4 patties.
• Cook the patties, either in a large skillet over medium-high heat or on the grill, about 4-5 minutes per side.  During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time add cheese to the top of the burgers to melt. 
• Toast the rolls, if desired, and spread the roasted red pepper sauce on both the tops and bottoms of rolls, about 2 tablespoons per roll.  Serve the burgers on the rolls with lettuce. 

Mushroom Provolone Patty Melt

I cut this recipe out of a fall copy of Cooking Light.  It had been in the back of my mind since then, always as a menu idea, but never quite making it on the menu.  Then we bought some ground beef in bulk and I was looking for something else besides the standard burgers or meatloaf to do with it and this recipe came to mind.  It also uses beer, which is never a bad thing in a recipe in my opinion.  

It made a quick and pretty tasty weeknight dinner.  I really enjoyed it and it will definitely show up again in our meal rotation.  The flavors were great, the earthiness of the mushrooms paired well with the dark beer and the beef patties.  I really liked it and I took one of the extra sandwiches with me the next day for lunch.  I prefer the fresh out of the pan version, but it worked well as a leftover, cold sandwich as well. 

Mushroom and Provolone Patty Melt

slightly adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces mushrooms (white or cremini), sliced 

1 1/2 teaspoons flour
1/4 cup dark beer (such as porter or stout)
8 slices bread (I used sourdough, but you can use your preference.)

Spreadable butter or margarine
4 slices provolone cheese

Directions:

• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Shape beef into 4 (4 inch) patties. Add patties, cook 4 minutes on each side or until done.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, salt, pepper, and mushrooms, cook for 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beer and cook 30 seconds or until thickened. Remove from heat.
• When patties are done, remove from skillet. Wipe pan clean and reheat over medium high heat. Coat 1 side of each bread slice with butter or margarine. Place 4 bread slices, coated sides down, in pan. Top each with a patty, cheese slice, and one quarter of mushroom mixture. Top with remaining bread slices and then spread with butter or margarine. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned.

Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil and Fontina

I found this recipe while looking for ideas to use up some of the ground beef we had stored in the freezer.  I wanted something fairly low points, and I don't think that 6 points for two slices of this is bad at all.  We really enjoyed it, it was a nice twist to traditional meatloaf because of the Italian flavorings.  It was pretty straightforward and easy and made for good leftovers the next day.  We served it with our standard meatloaf accompaniments, mashed potatoes and baby carrots.

Italian Meatloaf with Fresh Basil & Fontina

adapted from The Best of Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded cheese (provolone or fontina)
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef
Cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Directions:

• Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

• Preheat oven to 350°.

• Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (breadcrumbs through beef) in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture.

• Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf.

• Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°.

• Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.

Nutritional Information

Calories:294

Fat:8.7g

Fiber:2.5g

WW Points: 6

Beef Fajitas

I found this recipe while flipping through The Best of Cooking Light.  I knew we had some steak in the freezer and some peppers to use up.  This was easy and delicious.  It was great as a weeknight meal because you can prep and marinate everything the night before so it just needs to be cooked and assembled (and eaten!) that day.  I found the marinade really flavorful.  The original recipe was for beef and chicken, but we just used beef.  We had plenty leftover and used the leftover beef and veggies for quesadillas, or you could make them up into burritos too. 

Beef Fajitas  

adapted from The Best of Cooking Light

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 fajitas)

Ingredients

MARINADE:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.25-ounce) can low-salt beef broth

FAJITAS:
1 (1-pound) flank steak
2 red bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
2 green bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 16 wedges
Cooking spray
16 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 cup bottled salsa
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh cilantro sprigs

 
Directions:

• To prepare marinade, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.

• To prepare fajitas, trim fat from steak. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of the steak. Combine 1 1/2 cups marinade and steak in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Combine remaining marinade, bell peppers, and onion in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

• Prepare grill.

• Remove steak from bag; discard marinade. Remove vegetables from bag; reserve marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; set aside. Place steak and vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

• Wrap tortillas tightly in foil; place tortilla packet on grill rack the last 2 minutes of grilling time. Bring reserved marinade to a boil. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Place the steak and vegetables on a serving platter; drizzle with reserved marinade.

• Arrange about 1 ounce steak, 3 bell pepper wedges, and 1 onion wedge in a tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon salsa, about 1 teaspoon sour cream, and 1/2 tablespoon cilantro. Fold sides of tortilla over filling. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

Marinated Flank Steak & Noodle Bowl

I found the starting point of this recipe in EveryDay with Rachel Ray.  The marinated flank steak was one of the reader submitted 5 ingredient recipes.  We had some flank steak in the freezer, waiting to get used and a giant bottle of teriyaki sauce that Zach had leftover from making beef jerky.  I wanted to turn it into a quick and easy meal though.  We marinated the meat that morning and let it sit in the fridge all day soaking up yummy flavors.  Then, I cooked a package of ramen noodles, minus the seasonings, and drained them.  I LOVE ramen noodles.  If I was still single I'd eat them at least once a week.  I love them not as a soup, but boiled up and then tossed with butter and hot sauce.  I even love them dry, just crack into pieces and eat like crackers, except messier.  I think they are great.  So, they were my first choice in the base for my teriyaki steak noodle bowl.  We also just cooked up a frozen bag of broccoli and carrots and mixed that in too.  It turned out pretty delicious!

Marinated Flank Steak & Noodle Bowl
adapted from EveryDay with Rachel Ray
Serves 4

Ingredients:

½ cup bottled teriyaki sauce 

1/4 cup soy sauce 

4 cloves garlic, chopped 

1 pound flank steak 

1/4 cup spicy brown mustard 

2 packages Ramen Noodles, seasoning discarded

1 package frozen broccoli and carrot mix (or any other veggies you desire)

2 scallions, sliced

Soy sauce

Directions:

• In a bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and garlic. 
• Make 1/4-inch-deep cuts about 1/2 inch apart on both sides of the steak, cutting diagonally across the grain. Rub both sides with the mustard and place the steak in a large plastic bag, then pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for up to 3 hours, turning occasionally. 
• Preheat the broiler and line a shallow pan with foil. Also set a pot of water on to boil for the ramen noodles and prepare veggies as directed on package.
• Broil steak for 6 minutes on each side for medium-rare, basting once on each side with remaining marinade. Let rest before slicing across the grain.
• Cook the ramen noodles for 3 minutes, draining away water.  Toss noodles with a splash or tow of soy sauce, then top with sliced steak and veggies.

Individual Meatloaves: Barefoot Bloggers

These were great!  We made these on a weeknight and they made a great meal with leftovers for yummy lunches.  I cut the recipe in half, but still made 6 individual loaves.  They were still a pretty good size I felt.  We served them with mashed potatoes and roasted baby carrots.  I don't have a lot to say about the recipe, since except for cutting it in half I didn't make any changes and thought it turned out rather well.  It is not our favorite meatloaf recipe however, that is still Alton Brown's meatloaf, but these were good and easy for a weeknight. 

Individual Meat Loaves 

chosen by Tonya of What’s on My Plate?

Company Pot Roast: Barefoot Bloggers

We made this pot roast tonight and it was good.  That's about all I can come up with for it, good.  Unfortunately pot roast is just not one of my favorite meals.  It was something we had frequently as a kid growing up, but I never went crazy for it, or begged my mom to make it.  It's a good, hearty, winter meal.  But, as we ate this tonight, I just thought of all the other things I'd rather have made.  I have a google reader filled with starred recipes, a shoe box full of recipes snipped out of magazines, and way, way too many cookbooks and pot roast just doesn't top my list of 'must try' dishes.  Sorry all you pot roast lovers!  It was very good, and I thought the leeks were an interesting addition.  The sauce was very rich and flavorful, we had a ton left over, and will freeze some up to use as an addition to pasta sauce, or in place of the tomatoes in chili maybe.  It was good, just not good enough to take up a place in my regular rotation.

Ina's Company Pot Roast

Giada's Penne with Braised Short Ribs

Yum! This dish was super delicious! We were spending a Saturday morning watching Food Network, as usual, and when I saw Giada make these I knew I'd be making them soon too. They were really easy and fantastic.

I made a few substitutions based on what I had on hand, but they were still excellent. I used about 2 pounds pork ribs (bone in) and 1 pound boneless beef ribs. That's what we had in our freezer, and since we are moving soon it's my mission to use everything up so we have as little as possible wasted. Also, as I went to measure the Dijon mustard I discovered it was practically empty, so I ended up using some spicy brown mustard to make up the difference. I used a shiraz for the red wine and regular beefsteak tomatoes instead of Roma, since again, that's what I had in the house.

Also, I didn't really do the last step. After we saw just how much sauce there was, we simply divided it into two equal portions. I froze one (the picture is from the frozen, then defrosted batch since I forgot to take a picture the first time) and served the other. I didn't see the point of having so much meat with only one cup of sauce, and what to do with the leftover sauce without meat? So, we decided to stretch it out to two good sized meals. With a pound of pasta with each one, it was more than enough for two of us for dinner and many yummy lunches.

I think this would be a good meal to have guests over for too, since you can get the major work done before they arrive, and then it all comes together fairly quickly at the end. When I reheated the frozen sauce we just defrosted in the microwave and then warmed it through on the stovetop. I added in a cup or so of wine to loosen it up as it reheated. You could probably use beef stock too, but we had some wine leftover about a week or so old we didn't really love as a drinking wine, but worked just fine to add more juice to the sauce.

Penne with Braised Short Ribs

from Giada at Home, found on foodnetwork.com

Cook Time: 2 hours, 40 minutes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 pounds beef short ribs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

5 Roma tomatoes, cut into eighths

1 cup red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound penne pasta

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

• Place an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

• Season the ribs with salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or ovenproof stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, add the ribs and brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the ribs and set aside.

• Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil and scrape up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

• Return the ribs to the pan. Add the beef broth, cover the pan and place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours until the meat is fork-tender and falls easily from the bone.

• Remove the ribs from the cooking liquid. Using a large spoon, remove any excess fat from the surface of the cooking liquid.

• Using a ladle, transfer the cooking liquid in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

• Remove the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Using 2 forks, shred the meat into small pieces. Stir the shredded meat into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and place in a large serving bowl.

• Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the sauce and add to the pasta. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the pasta. Toss well and thin out the pasta with more sauce, if needed. Sprinkle the pasta with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley before serving.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

This is not the greatest picture, but it is a fabulous recipe! I found it first in one of Rachael Ray's cookbooks, but then found it in an issue of her magazine as well. Even though I had made it from the cookbook, I typically use the magazine cut-out since it's smaller and now filed in my recipe collection. Smoked Gouda, caramelized onions, bacon, what isn't there to love?? These three ingredients are also the base of our favorite mac and cheese recipe, also from an issue of EveryDay with Rachael Ray.

Bacon Bit and Smoked Gouda Burgers with Steakhouse Onions

EveryDay with Rachael Ray, April-May 2006

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 yellow onions, 1/4 finely chopped and 1 3/4 thinly sliced
1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon grill seasoning
4 crusty rolls
4 slices smoked Gouda cheese
1/4 cup steak sauce


Directions:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the bacon and a drizzle of olive oil and cook until the bacon is crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and drain off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the skillet.
• Return the skillet to medium-low heat and sweat the finely chopped onion in the bacon fat for 2 to 3 minutes. Combine the onion with the reserved bacon in a small bowl and let cool.
• In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions and cover them with a lid that fits inside the skillet. Cook until browned, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the onions are cooking, place the sirloin in a large bowl and top with the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and grill seasoning. Stir in the cooled chopped onions and bacon until evenly combined. Divide the meat into 4 even sections and form 4 large patties.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the burgers and cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare and 6 minutes on each side for medium-well.
• Toast the split rolls. Place the patties on the bun bottoms and top with the smoked Gouda. Stir the steak sauce into the smothered onions. Top the burgers with the onions and set the bun tops in place. Transfer to plates and serve.
  

In the cookbook version of the recipe, it also includes a quick spinach salad. I used the salad dressing recipe and used the other salad fixings we wanted. It's basically 1/4 cup of steak sauce whisked with 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and then a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Quick and easy!

Good Eats Meat Loaf

This is a super dish!  It lives up to the expectations that comes with any Alton Brown recipe.  I followed it exactly the first time I made it, but this time I made just a few exchanges of ingredients.  I used green pepper instead of red pepper, since the price difference was significant.  Also, in my mind when I was remembering this recipe it was half ground pork, half ground beef.  So, I decided to make it when I found some ground pork on sale at the grocery store.  I didn't check the recipe again until the night before I was going to make it and discovered it actually called for half ground sirloin, half ground chuck.  I used the pork/beef mixture anyway and we both thought it turned out just fine.  

It is great as leftovers too.  Our favorite way to "re-purpose" it is to use it in a grilled cheese sandwich.  Mmmmmmm, so good.  Actually, my memories of the last grilled cheese/meatloaf sandwich are what prompted me to make the recipe again!

Good Eats Meat Loaf

from foodnetwork.com, recipe by Alton Brown

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Yield: 6-8 servings

6 ounces garlic flavored croutons

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 carrot, peeled and broken

3 whole cloves garlic

1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

18 ounces ground chuck

18 ounces ground sirloin

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 egg

For the glaze:

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon ground cumin

dash Worcestershire sauce

dash hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a food processor bowl combine croutons, black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder and thyme.  pulse until the mixture is of a fine texture.  Place this mixture into a large bowl.
• Combine the onion, carrot, garlic and pepper in the food processor bowl.  Pulse until the mixture is finely chopped, but not pureed.  Add the vegetable mixture, ground sirloin and ground chuck with the bread crumb mixture.  Season with the kosher salt, add the egg and thoroughly combine, but avoid squeezing the meat.  
• Pack this mixture into a loaf pan to mold the shape of the meatloaf.   Onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, turn the meatloaf out of the pan onto the center of the tray. Insert a temperature probe at a 45 degree angle into the top of the meatloaf.  Avoid touching the bottom of the tray with the probe. Set the probe for 155 degrees.
• Combine the ketchup, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and honey.  Brush the glaze onto the meatloaf after it has been cooking for about 10 minutes.

Fiesta Casserole

This is a recipe from my mom.  It's basically a version of the ever popular taco dip.  It was one of the most requested meals by me and my sister growing up.

Fiesta Casserole

from my mom

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef (You can also use turkey.)

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can refried beans (I use the fat free, spicy kind.)

1 can cheddar cheese soup

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese (One of the Mexican blends would work too.)

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup sour cream

2 green onions, sliced

2 tomatoes, diced

tortilla chips

Directions:

• Brown meat, adding taco seasoning according to package directions.
• Spread beans in bottom of casserole dish, cover with cooked and seasoned meat.
• Pour soup over meat, sprinkle with shredded cheese, then olives.
• Cook in microwave on high for 15 minutes on until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly.
• Place sour cream over cheese, top with green onions and tomatoes.