MEAT LOAF MIX 02/23/2010
 This is an ALMOST finished pot of Mexican meatball soup. OR...Albondigas Soup. It is easy to make and wonderful to eat on a cold night with some cornbread. Years ago, I worked in a 4-color House. It has to do with printing, but before it goes to press. We did all the color-separations for a series of cookbooks by Sunset. The company sent us a bunch of different cookbooks as a gift. I got to take about 20 cookbooks home for free. One of those cookbooks was called "Make-a-Mix" cookbook. It had many "mixes" like meatloaf mix, pancake mix, salad dressing mix, and several recipes for each "mix". I liked the idea of being so versatile. It has stuck with me ever since. My meat loaf recipe makes meatballs. Meatballs make spaghetti and meatballs, meatball sandwiches, Mexican meatball soup, Meatloaf, Shepherds pie, and Lasagna, to name a few. You can change the spices to make it Italian or Mexican. Also, you can make big batches of the stuff and freeze it for a quick meal later. This is good when you get the meat on sale. Sometimes the stores put London Broil on sale real cheap. If you ask the butchers, they will grind the London Broil for you. It is hamburger with VERY little fat. Fat is where the flavor is. So spices help. That means this type of meat needs to be used for other than hamburgers...they would be really dry. Chili, bolognese sauce, meatballs work the best. Especially if you add a little ground pork. So, today I show you meat loaf mix. THEN I can show you the other recipes. The Lad loves my meat loaf. It is one of the few things he will eat as a left-over.  MEATLOAF MIX 1 pound of ground beef 1/2 pound pork sausage 1 medium onion, diced med-small 1 stalk celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, put through a garlic press 2 eggs, mixed well 2/3 cup instant rice salt and pepper NOTE: Instead of rice, you can use crackers, bread crumbs (either the packaged type or make your own) and you can soak in some milk...about 1/2 cup. It makes it more moist. Also...it gives you a little flexibility about what you can use to "bind" the meat loaf together. You can use cereal too. Like Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Corn, Wheat, or Rice Chex...just crush them up a little first. I love recipes that are flexible! Mix all ingredients well by hand. Meatloaf: Spray a square pan with non-stick spray. Press meat mix in pan. Form it so it is all about the same height and make a seperation around the edge of the pan. Pour on a small can of tomato sauce to cover the top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1hour and 15 minutes. Serves 4 adults. I bake some potatoes at the same time and serve with a salad. The Lad loves this very dinner. CommentsLeave a Reply |