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)

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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