Friday, April 1, 2011

Healthy Dinners: MAYBE but Yummy!



Kids hate meatloaf.  This is the general consensus of most kids I have ever known or asked.  Again, I may be in the weirdo category, as will be my husband- because we were meatloaf loving kids.  Yes, that's right. Even the ones that were 'weird' with 'strange' ingredients. My grandmothers bleu cheese meat loaf, ones covered in caramelized onions, the list of my meat loaf loves is endless.  Nolan and I both make 'creative' meat loaves pretty often and luckily, our kids do enjoy the experiments.

But Nolan came up with a recipe that is the TRUE winner for our kiddos.  It may not be exactly, the healthiest, but served with sides of roasted potato wedges and roasted broccoli, then you certainly get a punch of good for you veggies with this more indulgent meat loaf!  Even the name, Barbeque Cheeseburger Meatloaf will probably appeal to the pickiest of palates.

You can find my roasted broccoli recipe in our 'German Inspired Meal' and here are the recipes for your newest meat loaf and roasted potato wedges.  Enjoy and be sure to take advantage of today and the beautiful weather!  Thank goodness it's Monday!

Nolan's BBQ Cheeseburger Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs. hamburger (I used an 85/15 mix- feel free to use your favorite hamburger mix).
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups breadcrumbs (We use Panko crumbs- easy to find nowadays in any grocery store, but if you can't, use coarse bread crumbs.)
1 cup barbecue sauce (A mustard based barbecue sauce is really nice)
1/3 of an onion, more or less minced (you could also grate the onion so it's very fine and thin.)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Kraft Singles
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix hamburger, eggs, breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce (save the last 1/4 for the top), onion, and garlic in a large bowl. Place 1-inch layer in bottom of greased large loaf pan, place one layer of Singles (about 3 slices), place another 1-inch layer followed by another layer of Singles, add remaining mixture as top layer. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of barbecue sauce and shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake 45 minutes or until completely done. Loaf may shrink and come away from the sides of the pan, and the top will be crispy.

Sara's Roasted Potato Wedges


6-8 scrubbed small to medium red potatoes
3 Tbs olive oil
Sea or Kosher Salt
Lots of ground red pepper or a pepper blend
Dried rosemary or your favorite herbs

Scrub and slice potatoes in half.  Slice each half into thin wedges.  Toss the wedges with olive oil, then season well with salt, pepper, and herbs.  Spread out on a cookie sheet and cook 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees, being sure to shake the pan and turn a few times.  It's perfect to cook while the meat loaf cooks as well!

In fact, all 3 parts of the meal should be able to cook in the oven, while you spend the time unwinding, getting the table set and enjoying that it's time for the weekend!  Have a great one!

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