Rosemary Garlic Potatoes....Throwing this in the mix

After making the meatloaf, I had to go back to tradition and prepare a potato side to go along with it. After hearing how delicious rosemary is, I decided on a simple preparation for the potatoes. This is a really simple one, even though I am not really sure if children will really go for it. The rosemary adds an interesting flavor that does not mesh well with ketchup. Now I must admit, this one did not quite hit the mark with hubby or I but its worth a shot.



Ingredients:
3-4 baking potatoes, cut into long spears or into cubes (you can add more or less depending on the size of your family)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of rosemary
1/3 cup of olive oil (this depends on your liking)
1-2 fresh garlic cloves minced or 1/2 tsp of jarred minced garlic

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  
• Combine your potatoes, salt and pepper, rosemary, garlic, and olive oil in a large bowl. Toss until all potatoes are evenly coated with olive oil and rosemary.
  
• Place on a lightly sprayed baking sheet and spread evenly. The potatoes should have room to cook without over lapping.
  
• Cook for 30 minutes. Rotate and turn your potatoes so that they can cook evenly.
  
• Return to oven and cook for an additional 15-30 minutes dependent on how you like your potatoes and how brown you want them to be. The longer the cook, the browner and crispier.
  
• Once done, remove from oven and toss with a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
  

POINTERS:

• Certain kinds of potatoes take forever and a day to cook. If you want to cut the cooking time, you can preboil the potaotes for 5-8 minutes to speed the process.
  
• Experiment with your herbs. You can easily use any herb or blend you like.
  
• Check your potatoes with a fork or knife to check for doneness.
  

Meatloaf??? Can we make it modern and easier?

Ahem.....It's been a while since I updated for just one reason...Lately...I have been absent from the kitchen other than eating Activia yogurt which I buy and drinking coffee. Alas last night I decided that it was time to get back in the swing of things.

As a kid growing up I remember my mom making meatloaf every now and then. Let me preface by saying that I DO NOT care for onions or an entire bottle of ketchup on top. Of course this was served with mashed potatoes which made it a little bit better to tolerate. After trying to figure out how I could make this taste better and without all the work of having a loaf of actual meat. So below I introduce my version of the traditional meatloaf which is much easier to make and kid friendly.

Enjoy


YIELD - About 10 "muffins"
Ingredients:
1 lb of Ground Turkey or Ground Beef
1 box of Stouffers or Store Brand Stuffing Mix - Cornbread Flavor is great!
Salt and Pepper to taste
Ketchup
1/4 cup of shredded cheese (cheddar or blended cheese)
1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning (this can be substituted with whatever herb blend you like)
1 cup of water

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Grease the insides of a muffin pan LIBERALLY if you are using ground beef as it creates it own grease. Apply a little bit more if using ground turkey as it has little to no fat at all. This will prevent the mini meatloaves from sticking to the insides.
   
3. In a large bowl combine your ground beef/ground turkey, the dry stuffing mix, salt and pepper, seasoning blend, and water. Mix well until fully combined.
   
4. Spoon the mixture into the muffin tins leaving a small amount of room for them to grow.
5. Once all of the mixture is in the pans put a dollop of ketchup on top and spread evenly.
   
6. Place in the oven at 350 degrees. For the ground beef cook until done, about 20-25 minutes. For the ground turkey cook until done, about 15-20 minutes. The ground turkey will cook faster.
   
7. During the last 5 minutes of cooking place the cheese on top and cook until melted and slightly bubbly.
   
8. Once done let rest for about 5 minutes. They will be really hot.
   

POINTERS:

• You can use any flavor of stuffing you like.
  
• DO NOT add too much water. Eyeball it and use your best judgment. You want just enough to wet the stuffing mix.
  
• Keep and eye on the muffins. The last thing anyone wants is dry meatloaf.
• Feel free to add additional cheese both to the mixture and/or on top.
  
• Serve with ketchup for the kiddies! They love that they are "muffins" and enjoy the dunking....you might too :)