Moms Meatloaf MOOS and OINKS

My husband loves Meatloaf... in fact, you might be hard pressed to find a man who doesn't! I love meatloaf too, and I come from a mom who hates it. I learned how to make a bit late in life, only to discover that it is incredibly simple, and the trick is in the flavors you add. I made a meatloaf once that had cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and red onion in it... so good it was sinful. Here's tonight's meatloaf.. first one I have made in over a year, so its a bit special. You can take the base recipe and add whatever you like to it.

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs (or crushed up croutons, or chunks of bread.. depending on your tastes)

1/4 cup ketchup

4 TBSP Dijon mustard

1 clove chopped garlic

2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1 TBSP Soy sauce

1/2 a large onion, minced (I prefer red, but use what you have)

1 package Lipton onion soup mix

1/2 package of bacon (for topping the loaf before you bake)

OK! So throw it all in a bowl, and start mashing! Make sure it is completely mixed up, because its not fun to bite into a pocket of cooked egg or some dry onion soup mix. Press into a bread pan and round the top. Top with bacon. (The bacon will make the meatloaf moist and flavorful!) Bake at 350 degrees for one hour, or until 155degree internal temperature is met. (sometimes quite a bit of fat is released while cooking which can be drained off... but also can bubble over and cause an oven fire. I reccomend setting your meatloaf on top of a cooking pan with a lip to stop any oil from dripping into oven.

Cooking time will vary based on your oven, altitude, and density of your meatloaf.

Have fun experimenting with new flavors... just know that the bread, meat, egg, and ketchup are the base of ANY good meatloaf!

Grilled Buffalo Caprese (my take on OliveGardens Grilled Steak Caprese)

We took a trip to St. George last weekend to visit Brians family, and while there I went to dinner with his mom, grandmother, and aunts. I love Olive Garden but I don't eat there too often (huge portions... blown up prices... too crowded!). I perused the menu... but since they took away my Stuffed chicken Parmesan I have been less than pleased with anything I have had.... until I reached the summer menu! Grilled Steak Caprese... creamy Parmesan sauce tossed with angel hair pasta and marinated tomatoes, topped with melted mozzarella and perfectly seasoned and grilled steak?! I was already drooling.

When it arrived, I was not disappointed, and I immediately dissected it in an effort to find out the ingredients. Turns out, Olivegarden.com had the recipe... although it was for the shrimp version, I substituted Buffalo steaks and it was wonderful! (Buffalo meat is readily available in Utah. For those who have not had it, it is leaner than steak but tastes right along the same lines. It is a bit less salty, I quite prefer it.)

LET ME WARN YOU... THIS MADE A HUGE PORTION... much more than my family could eat, so prepare ahead and have some Tupperware on the ready.. this is GREAT for lunch the next day.

RECIPE TIME! (for the original recipe check OliveGarden.com, I have altered the recipe to suit my families tastes.)

Step One: Marinate tomatoes and steak, they need to sit at least 3 hours.

6 Roma tomatoes, cored and seeded

2 nice sized steaks, whichever cut you prefer, although tender is better!

4 tbsp minced garlic (or 2tbsp if you are not so fond of Garlic)

2 tsp Italian seasoning

salt to taste, pepper to taste (I like lots of both!)

Slice tomatoes in half, then cut each half into 6 pieces. You should have about 1/2" to 1" chunks. Place in bowl and pour a little olive oil over them, just enough to give the tomatoes a coating. Add half garlic, half the Italian seasoning, and a bit of salt and pepper.

Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for 3 hours.

Trim your meat (Buffalo, steak, chicken, or shrimp will all work!) and cut into large chunks (think 4-5 bites per chunk). Coat in olive oil, add the rest of garlic and seasoning, and S&P. Cover and marinate for 3 hours.

Step Two: pasta and sauce

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup white wine (I used 1/4 cup water, and the drained olive oil from the tomato marinade, with a splash of red wine vinegar.)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream (aka "whipping cream")

1 cup Parmesan cheese (I grind mine fresh from a wedge using the food processor, but you could buy FRESH ground parm from the store.. don't use the canned stuff.)

1 pound angel hair pasta

2 cups shredded mozzarella (or fresh mozzarella slices)

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Stir in white wine and bring to a boil. Add cream and parm cheese, let it begin to simmer. You need to baby this sauce, so stir often but not constantly. Let the sauce reduce until it coats a spoon.

Meanwhile, grill your meat. You can use the broiler, or a counter top griller like a Foreman grill, whatever you prefer. When meat is done, set aside for later use.

Add tomatoes and let them simmer for a few minutes, until lightly softened. Add pasta and toss to coat.

transfer onto serving platter (that is oven safe) and top with mozzarella. Place under broiler for a few minutes until cheese is melted. Top with meat and serve!

Heres how ours turned out: Its a HUGE serving and I went a bit overkill with the mizz. but it was delicious!