22 October 2007

Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes..The Ultimate Comfort Food


Here it is almost the end of October already. Shorter days, cooler nights. It has been a rainy fall here in the "Sunny Okanagan". Wink...wink...With these dreary days comes a multitude of comfort foods. Warm soups, Shepherd's Pie, Macaroni & Cheese, roasts of all shapes and sizes. This coming weekend we change our clocks back (I think). Then we will not be driving to and from work in the dark. It's time to sit by a cosy fire, enveloped in a warm blanket, engrossed in a good book (perhaps a cookbook) and enjoy the quiet evenings.
Meatloaf (at least in my opinion) has to be the ultimate comfort food! I served it up with some Smashed Potatoes and topped all with the tomato sauce. The Smashed Potatoes are a lighter version than the last recipe, but, equally as good. October 18th was National Meatloaf Day put on by Serious Eats. I missed the deadline but decided to post my meatloaf recipe anyway for all to enjoy...if you wish of course.

The photo is of my daughter when she about 6 at Algonquin Park in the province of Ontario. The leaves were just starting to turn.

**Meatloaf & Smashed Potatoes with Tomato Sauce**

Meatloaf

1/2 cup white wine
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup grated carrot
1 lb ground round or sirloin, or ground turkey (93% lean or leaner)
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup uncooked old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 large egg whites
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup chicken broth
vegetable oil cooking spray

Topping:

1-1/2 cups pasta sauce, heated
6 basil leaves

Smashed Potatoes

4 large baking potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup skim milk
3 T light sour cream
3 T butter
1/2 tsp salt
dash black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 T fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

*********************
Preheat oven to 375F. Pour wine into a medium skillet and cook onion, pepper and carrot over low to medium heat for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly, using hands. Spoon in vegetables and liquid from skillet. Shape mixture into a loaf approximately 5 inches wide and 10 inches long and 3 - 4 inches high. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then fill with mixture. Bake 1 hour, let stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Top each slice with 1/4 cup warmed sauce and basil leaf.
Smashed Potatoes: Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add potatoes and simmer 15 minutes or until they yield to soft pressure. Drain, then transfer to a swerving bowl. using a potato masher, combine remaining ingredients. Serve warm with meat loaf. The potatoes should be lumpy!!

Serves 6
Best Blogger Tips

14 comments:

  1. I love this time of year when I can make warm comfort food!! And this sounds like the perfect comfort food!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Val, this meal must have been real good...you didn't even have time to take a pic of the dinner...oats in meatloaf sounds cool!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like what I want to eat right now! I can't believe it is still in the 80's here in Florida!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You hit it kiddo! Great comfort food indeed! I have not tried using oats in mine, but I may try them as a substitute for my bread crumbs. Yum!
    The photo of your daughter is so sweet Valli! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I didn't miss the deadline - I missed the event completely... but posted a meat loaf sheerly by coincidence!
    Love this recipe with the pepper and carrot...next time...

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks guys. I didn't know meatloaf was made any other way except with oats??? Like mother like daughter I guess. I'll have to try it with breadcrumbs when I need my next meatloaf fix!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sounds like a tasty meal. I had forgotten about sour cream in mashed/smashed potatoes.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Meatloaf isn't the thing I grew up with... but I do love it... Thanks for a lovely recipe. I will be tryin' it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. One....I am BACK!
    Two....I spend the day at the VA Hospital with Marc...the window i my van is stuck in the down position..it is 56 degrees and raining and windy..I get home after dark...to find that the kids forgot to fix dinner and were warming hotdogs...
    and then I come here...to...this.
    ARRRGHHH
    Seriously...it sounds AWESOME. As usual

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree meatloaf is great comfort food. I like the way every family seems to have their own personal hand me down recipe. Yours does sound delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear Valli, Love your recipe, the childs like so smashed potatoes. Did I tell you I love soooo the Autumn?? but know we are at spring, almost summer (Today 31ยช) I have to search my summer's clothes!!!! I dont like too much the summer (too hot) I only love the summer for Swimming and I wait the peaches, apricots, grapes, raspberries, blackberries, etc.ect.
    I know. I'm a fresh!! xxxxx Gloria

    ReplyDelete
  12. Would you believe I've never made meat loaf? I feel like I have no more excuses with this lovely dish!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You are right, Valli. I don't think comfort food gets any better than this.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Its still a little on the warm side here in Georgia, but I love this time of the year...we don't get a lot of pretty fall foliage like you do, but there is still something wonderful about the light at this time of year. Your meatloaf and potatoes sounds so good, Valli. And the photos of your daughter are lovely...I can't get over that blonde hair. Did it stay that light as she grew up?

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.