Monday, December 2, 2013

Meatloaf Monday

I love to have a freezer full of homemade meals that I can just pull out for lunch or dinner any day.  It makes life easier when I don't have to think about what I'm going to eat for dinner, and when I don't have to come home from work and cook. 

One of my favorite freezer meals is a good old fashioned meatloaf. It's so versatile - you can basically throw in whatever veggies you love, and it's a great way to use up any produce that you might have left over at the end of the week.  

Here's how I usually make it, but feel free to make it your own with different veggies, cheese, spices, or flavorings.

Loaded Meatloaf

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium onion, sliced 
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1.5 lbs ground beef (can also use ground turkey)
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
  • 1/2 cup spinach, stems removed (can also use frozen spinach, just thaw and wring out the excess water first)
  • 1/2 cup cheese, cubed (I prefer cheddar, but you can really use anything you like)
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2 tbsp. mustard 
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. 
  2. Add olive oil to a skillet and heat on high.  Add onions, saute for a minute on high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and saute until caramelized (usually takes about 10 minutes on my stove). 
  3. In the meantime, add rest of ingredients to a large bowl.  Using your hands, combine until all ingredients are mixed well.  
  4. Transfer meatloaf to prepared baking dish and shape into a loaf. 
  5. Top with caramelized onions. 
  6. Cover with foil and bake for approx. 30-40 minutes (depending on how thick your loaf is/how big your pan is) You can check the doneness by cutting a little slot in the top.    
  7. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until top is crispy. 
  8. Remove from oven. At this point, you can either serve it right away, or let it cool, cut into slices, and freeze for easy meals throughout the week. 
Bon appetit!

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