Mini Meatloaf

It's dinner time and in between playing airplane with the cardboard box from my little birthday present of a Le Crueset canister set repurposed to an airplane/rocket, I needed to whip soothing up fast. 

I looked in my refrigerator and saw a thawed pound of meat. It snowed today and this beach-raised-California-girl-turned-Hoosier is looking for some comfort food. My mom always made the best meatloaf. Well, she was at work and I was about 1 pound short of meat for the whole recipe, so I Googled and found this! 

Yummy Mini Meatloaf Recipe

Credit for this little gem of a find comes from my blessed life.

Yields: 10 mini loaves

1 egg

1/2 c. milk (I used whole)

1 c. cheese (All I had was an organic Mexican blend, but cheddar or gouda would be amazing)

1/2 c. oats

1/2 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. onion powder

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 t. salt

1 lb. ground beef (I used bison meat as we are looking for lean red alternatives and it's locally raised here in Indiana)

Glaze: ketchup, mustard (I used dijon), raw or brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 and lightly spray a muffin pan with a non-stick oil.

In a large bowl, combine egg, milk, cheese, oats, oregano, onion powder, garlic and salt.  Add ground meat and mix well.  This is best done using your hands and fingers.

Evenly divide the meat mixture in muffin pan with about a palm-sized ball.  In a small bowl, mix ketchup (~ 1 1/2 c.), a tad of mustard (a good squeeze) and a teaspoon of sugar.  Evenly divide the glaze over each mini meatloaf.

Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until meat is done. I paired it with some mashed potatoes and sautéed kale to round out the meal.


According to the writer of this recipe, you can freeze the left over patties for future uses (thaw and heat.) 

In other birthday news, we have begun a little updating in our kitchen. We added some backsplash and some under lighting so I can see a little better while in the kitchen. 

before

after

To come will be a new floor (to show less child-produced dirt) and a built in banquet for family kitchen time. What is the favorite thing about your kitchen space? What inspires you?

A Breakfast Cookie

There comes a time when you look at your very ripe, brown bananas and think, "What can I do with these without wasting them?" Then you think, "Banana bread again?" Well, in our household this super browning of the banana stock rarely happens as many might compare my 2 year old son to that of a monkey with the amount of bananas he consumes. However, every so often a few bananas get too ripe for our yellow preferred method of consumption. Also, my boys are not too fond of the fruit or vegetable breads so off to the inter webs I went in search of a quick and simple recipe to save the bananas. This little breakfast cookie was a hit as it combined the sweetness of the banana and hints of salty bacon.

Bacon Banana Cookies

Epicurious | December 2011

by Libbie Summers
The Whole Hog Cookbook

Yield: 30 cookies

2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 bananas, mashed (about 1 1/3 cups)

1/2 pound bacon, cooked crisp, chopped

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl: sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and the salt.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer(I used my stand mixer)to cream together the butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until they are fully incorporated. Beat in the vanilla. Combine the butter mixture to the flour mixture, then stir in the mashed bananas, beating well after each addition. Fold in the bacon.

Stir together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the remaining cinnamon and set aside.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle generously with the cinnamon-sugar and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until slightly browned. Allow the cookies to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for 5 to 7 days.