Ain't Yo Mamma's Meatloaf... Cake?!

April Fools Day. A day for being a trickster. Really, that seem like every day in our house! And no, this post isn't a joke, though it's probably been close to a year since my last post!

My kids were super excited when I told them we were having cake for dinner... little did they know it was meatloaf (full of veggies no less!) and mashed potatoes!

My 7 year old daughter thought it was hilarious!
My 3 year old son was not very happy with me!
Muahahaha!!

This meatloaf recipe is one I get asked for ALL THE TIME! It's made people who claim to hate meatloaf into believers again. And goes great with mac & cheese, as well as the classic mashed potatoes.

And if my kids (and hubby) have no idea the dreaded veggies are all up in this, then I'm guessing yours won't either...

Meatloaf

2 lbs ground beef, pork or turkey (or combine 2 different kinds, or all 3... whatever...)
1 smallish zucchini -super diced in a food processor
a handful of baby carrots- super diced in a food processor
1/2 of a yellow onion- super diced in a food processor
About a 1/2 cup of seasoned breadcrumbs
2 eggs
A couple teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/2 cup ketchup
A few Tablespoons A-1 sauce
A couple teaspoons 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's
A generous sprinkle of Garlic powder
Salt & Pepper

Combine it all (I use my hands, that way it doesn't get tough...)
Form it into a loaf in a baking dish, bake for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes at 375.

If you're making it into cake form, like what is shown in the pictures, spread the meat mixture evenly into two 9in cake pans, bake at 375 for an hour, let "rest" for about 10 minutes before transferring the first meatloaf cake-patty to a cake stand. Evenly spread mashed potatoes over it, enough so that it's about an inch thick. Add the second meatloaf cake-patty, and put the rest of the potatoes on top, and spread evenly around, covering all the way down the sides. Top with diced steamed carrots for decoration.

 

 

 

Gettin' Our Stuffed Cabbage On!

Hey! Look at me! I'm blogging!

Is it possible to get Bloggers Block? I think that's what I've had for the past month or so (maybe even longer! When was my last post again?), even though I cook dinner every night, and try, or make up, new recipes. Hmmm... Sorry about that.

Well, here you go... an actual blog entry! Woo hoo! *pats self on back*

Tonight I got in touch with my long buried Pennsylvanian Dutch/German roots.

I made cabbage rolls. And they were good.

And they took FOREVER!!

Note to self: When trying a new recipe, make sure you look at the total time it takes other to make it by looking up similar recipes on the interwebs... This one took about 40 minutes to prep, and 2 hours to cook... so make sure you start about 3 hours before you want to eat. So starting the whole process at around 5pm isn't the best idea if you want to eat at a normal time... Just sayin'.

So here they are folks:

Cabbage Rolls/Stuffed Cabbage

1 head of cabbage, core carefully removed, whole leaves gently peeled off
Enough water to fill up a LARGE pot
Lots of salt in the water... a least 2 TBSP, probably a little more.

Filling
1 Lb. Ground Beef
1 Lb . Ground Pork (or Pork Sausage)
3/4 cup Uncooked White Rice
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 a large onion, finely diced
A good handful of baby carrots (about 3/4 cup), finely diced
1 TBSP. Worcestershire Sauce
1 TBSP Cider Vinegar
1-2 tsp. Salt
1+ tsp. 21 Seasoning Salute (Amazing salt-free seasoning from Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup Ketchup
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
4- cloves Garlic, pressed/minced
2 tsp. Dried Parsley

Sauce
1 can Tomato Soup
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1tsp. 21 Seasoning Salute
1 tsp. Seasoning Salt
1/2 cup Water
1 TBSP EACH: Worcestershire, Cider Vinegar, White Vinegar
1 clove Garlic, pressed/minced

Preheat oven to 350.
Get your salted water in your large pot good and boiling. Drop your cabbage leaves, about 6 at a time, in and sir with long tongs for about 3 minutes, until they become a little more tender/easier to work with.

Removed them with the tongs into a colander, to drain and cool so you can work with them. Try to keep them as in tact as possible, being careful not to rip them.

After the cabbage is all par-boiled, put all of the filling ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix with your hands until it's all well combined.

Now take one leaf at a time, and fill with a good amount (about 1/2-3/4 cup) of the filling, folding the sides in first, then rolling them up, like a burrito, and placing them seam side down in a 9x13 baking dish (my favorite is the Rectangular Baker from Pampered Chef), continue until you use all your filling up. (I had a few leftover cabbage leaves. And I also ha to use a smaller baking dish to fit the last 6 or so roll in, as my bigger pan was full.)

 

 

 

 

Now combine all the sauce ingredients, and stir well. Pour it evenly over all the cabbage rolls.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 2 hours. I served mine with zucchini and fresh French bread and butter, but mashed potatoes would be great with this too.

Oh, and I think traditionally, they are served with a dollop of sour cream, but I forgot to do that... I'm sure it's be fantastic though. I have enough leftovers that I'll try it that way tomorrow. Seriously, this recipe made enough for us to have dinner twice and probably still have leftovers... it probably serves 10!