MMMMMMMMMaple Meatloaf

Maple Meatloaf, cream cheese mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli--YUM!

AHHHHH! This weather is just so invigorating! It makes me want to get into the kitchen and make all of those hearty comfort foods I grew up eating, like meatloaf and mashed potatoes. You should smell my house right now! There's a chill breeze out of the north wafting through the place. The savory scent of maple meatloaf mixed with that clean Yankee air--you just can't beat it. I know everyone has their own recipe for meatloaf; I hope you enjoy my take on it (especially with your windows open!)

Jan's Maple Meatloaf

1 lb. Jimmy Dean's Maple Pork Sausage
1 lb. ground beef
3/4 C. lowfat buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 loaf of French bread, torn up
1 small onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1/2 C. quick oats
1/4 C. each of Italian salad dressing and ketchup, plus extra ketchup for loaf coat
3/4 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 TBS. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground fennel seed
salt/pepper to taste

This is leftover garlic bread from a couple of nights ago, any stale-ish bread will do

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add the buttermilk. Tear up the French bread and let it soak in the egg/buttermilk while you chop the veggies. When the bread is soft, add the Italian dressing, ketchup, cheese and quick oats. Add seasonings. Mix thoroughly. Plop veggies, ground beef and sausage into the mix and use your hands to squish it all together making sure there are no isolated pockets of any one ingredient. Form the meat mixture into a loaf and slather the surface with extra ketchup. Bake for the first 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then reduce to 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

I like to bake my loaf on a rack in a roasting pan with a little foil underneath for support. This allows the fat to run off and the ketchup coat to caramelized. Pam everything if you want to make clean up easier. If you don't want the fat drippings to smoke up your kitchen, add a couple of cups of water to the roasting pan...or you can do the traditional bread loaf pan baking method, your choice. Happy Autumn, Eat Hearty!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Oh Autumn, my most favorite season! I love the weather, I love the harvest, I love the energy, the colors, and the holidays that accompany it!

But best of all, I love all the seasonal foods that one can't help but associate with it... especially pumpkins and squash!

To kick off the first day of Fall at my house, we made stuffed acorn squash. In our local grocery store, acorn squash was the first to appear for the season, and their colors were pretty to boot, so we grabbed 'em up. If there are some at your local market, get a few for yourself, and try this!

Courtney's Stuffed Acorn Squash

Makes 2 servings for every acorn squash; 

this recipe is for a family of 4

2 large acorn squash (heavy for their size), cut in half from stem to end, seeds scooped out*

Pinch of salt

non-stick cooking spray

water

For the stuffing:

1/2 lb ground sausage (we used a breakfast sausage)

1/2 C coarse bread crumbs

1/4 C almond meal

2 eggs

Handful of celery leaves (or one rib of celery, minced)

1/4 C mayo (we used olive oil mayo)

1 tsp dry rubbed sage

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (optional, but cleanup will be way easier!). Spray foil (or plain baking sheet) with non-stick spray and place acorn squash cut-side down on tray (lightly salt cut side of squash first). Prick skin with the point of a sharp knife a few times to allow steam to escape while squash cooks.

Place squash into preheated oven and pour about a cup of water around them. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the biggest squash can go all the way through (you're not looking for mush, but you do want them to be soft).

While squash bakes, combine the filling ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with your (clean!) hands. When squash is done, carefully remove tray from oven and transfer squash to heat-safe surface with tongs (don't forget there's hot water in the bottom of the tray!). Evenly distribute filling among squash, packing it firmly in the scooped-out seed cavity. Return to the oven on the top rack and bake until golden brown.

Serve warm with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar (if desired), some sweet potato biscuits, and a glass of Shiraz!

Enjoy!

*Don't throw out your squash seeds! Squash seeds like acorn, butternut, and pumpkin, are a great source of protein and fiber... try roasting them!