Day 13 - Mini Meatloaves...A Surprising Favorite

Much like Sunday evening, last night was cold and the kids had done a fair amount of snow playing so I needed something filling for their bellies. When I looked at the menu, I knew the recipe would be filling, but I honestly wasn't sure my crew would eat it. Meatloaf is one of those love/hate things....you either love it, or you hate it. And, I really wasn't sure which side my family would fall on.

What jumped out at me when choosing Day 13 as a recipe, was the fact that it was a complete meal that could be done in about 40 minutes. The recipe, Mini Meatloaves with Green Beans and Potatoes, is from Eating Well and promised not only to fill tummies but also offers a good amount of protein and fiber, which I am never sure my kids are getting enough of.

For this recipe, I only made one substitution - onions for onion powder. At this point, I think you see the trend. I can keep on making excuses but there are very few recipes that I actually put physical onions in. For this house, if they get blended or fried, they stay in. If they are in their natural state or cooked, they are switched out for onion powder.

The prep for this recipe was pretty easy and quick. Really, the only long part was waiting for the potatoes to roast in the oven which is why they were the first step. I cleaned, cut, and seasoned the potatoes. I sprayed my baking pan and quickly got them in the oven, since I knew they would take the longest.

Once the potatoes were roasting away, I combined all of the ingredients in the mini meatloaves (except I put in onion powder instead of onions). The best way to make meatloaf or mini meatloaves is with your hand, so in I dove. Working everything together with your hands also helps prevent overmixing which can make the meat a weird texture that is entirely unpleasant. Once everything was just brought together, I formed the mini loaves, brushed them with ketchup, and put them in the oven. Because the mini loaves are so much smaller than a regular meatloaf, they cook in about half the time. It took me about 10 minutes to get everything together, and with a 20 minutes cook time, they were ready at the same time as the potatoes.

The last step was seasoning the green beans and getting them in the oven. I usually do my green beans on the stove top but I have to tell you, putting seasoned, fresh green beans in the oven was very tasty and required much less attention.

Everything was ready about 10 minutes after I put in the beans, so out it all came. Because everything came out at once, the kitchen was filled with wonderful smells. Life is life and I had a real estate training to attend so I quickly plated the meal for everyone, grabbed mine on a paper plate, and headed to the office for the class.

During a class break, I checked in on how everyone was enjoying and it was a hit! Everyone, including Bennett, at the meat and potatoes. Everyone, excluding Bennett, enjoyed the green beans as well. Apparently, seconds were had by my husband and 9-year-old, and the meal was requested again by everyone! I guess I learned, my family is in the LOVE camp when it comes to meatloaf!

Highs:

• Everyone happily took down the individual meatloaves and paprika sprinkled potatoes.

• I learned oven green beans are just as tasty as stove top green beans and take a lot less work.

Lows:

• Bennett doesn't like oven-baked green beans either so I'm still on the hunt for a veggie he will eat besides sweet potato.

The Scores:

Joel: 4.5

Allison: 4.25

Parker: 4.75

Lucas: 5

Bennett: 4

Ashlynn: 4