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Italian Meat Loaves

Posted in Beef, Dinner (Lunch), Recipe Kitchen, Supper (Dinner), tagged Beef, Italian Seasoning, Meat Loaf on December 5, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Meatloaf is really a personal preference. Everyone seems to have their own

version and it usually starts out with a ground meat of some sort … for some

it’s pork, for some, chicken, turkey or beef and for some it’s a combination of

one or more of these. At our house, well … it’s always been just plain beef,

because that’s what we have an abundance of. For years now I’ve been

making a standard meatloaf that combines the ground meat with eggs, milk,

salt & pepper, breadcrumbs, sour cream and a shot of worcestershire sauce

and mustard covered with a ketchup and brown sugar topping. It’s always

been well received by most of my family, except my youngest son, Jordan.

With my two oldest sons away at school a lot, it’s become rather difficult to

make the usual meatloaf, because there’s often just three of us and if one of us

doesn’t like it … well, it just seems to last forever.

So, determined to find a meatloaf that even Jordan would like, I decided to try

these individual italian seasoned meat loaves. The basic recipe is very similar

to what I was already doing, but it seems that the addition of the spices and

the parmesan cheese changes everything. They were declared a winner and

now I can make meatloaf again. Thank goodness, because I was wondering

just how I was going to use up all of that hamburger meat that I have in the

freezer.

Here’s the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Italian Meat Loaves

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup (112 g) cracker or bread crumbs

1/2 cup (125 ml) milk

1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 2 tablespoons

(30 ml) grated parmesan cheese, divided

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic salt

1 teaspoon (5 ml) Italian seasoning, divided

2 pounds ground beef

1/4 cup (60 ml) ketchup

1/4 cup (60 ml) brown sugar

Method

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, crumbs, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, onion,

Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt and 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Add the

ground beef and mix well. Shape into 10 individual loaves; place on a rack in a

greased large shallow baking pan. Mix ketchup and brown sugar together and

spread on top of each individual loaf; sprinkle with the remaining parmesan

cheese and Italian seasoning. Bake at 350 °F ( 180 °C) for 45-55 minutes or

until no longer pink inside. Makes 10 individual loaves. Recipe can easily be

halved.

lian

Italian seasoning is a staple in most grocery stores. If, however, you have

trouble finding it, it is possible and actually nice, to make your own. This

recipe can be made and stored in an airtight container for 3 months. You can

use this combination of store-bought herbs or fresh herbs that you’ve dried

yourself. Of course, the ones you grow and dry yourself will no doubt have

the best flavour.

Italian Seasoning

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

2 Tablespoons basil
2 Tablespoons marjoram
2 Tablespoons oregano
2 Tablespoons rosemary
2 Tablespoons cilantro
2 Tablespoons thyme
2 Tablespoons dried savory

Method

In a food processor, combine basil, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, cilantro,

thyme, savory and red pepper flakes. Blend for 1 minute, or until desired

consistency is achieved. Remember, you can always change it up. Leave out

what you don’t like and add more of what you do like.

Adapted from: Taste of Home Magazine

Hope you enjoy these tasty meatloaf bundles!

This Sweet Wife ♥

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Hungry Farmboy Hamburger Pitas

Posted in Beef, Dinner (Lunch), Recipe Kitchen, Supper (Dinner), tagged BBQ Sauce, Beef, Dinner, Farmboy, Hamburger, Meat, Mozzarella cheese, Pita, Supper on October 28, 2011| 2 Comments »

You might not be’ef this, but when we buy beef … we buy it in bulk; a full cow … or a half a cow … depending on how much room is in the freezer. Scout’s honour. So this situation makes for a lot of ground beef, and as a result I have spent a large portion of my life coming up with meals made from it, because let’s face it, a person can only eat so much spaghetti. This is a recipe I created, based on ground beef and easy, nutritious foods that are usually in my pantry. It’s a real crowd-pleaser, full of flavour, and hits the spot with famished, hard-working, farmboys! There isn’t a farmboy for miles who won’t thank you for making this dish.

Farmboy #1

Hungry Farmboy Hamburger Pitas

6 X-large pitas, white or whole wheat

BBQ sauce (we like Dianna’s)

2 lbs. lean hamburger meat, cooked

2 large onions, diced

1 cup corn, blanched, and drained

1 ripe tomato, diced

1 really large or three regular sized mushrooms, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 cup flour

1/8 cup + 3 tablespoons water

1 cup beef bouillon

1 teaspoon gravy browning

3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Farmboy #2

Method

1. Chop two onions into chunks & cook in olive oil until transparent.

2. Add chopped mushroom to onions and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, then set aside.

3. Cook hamburger meat in skillet until no longer pink, drain off the fat and finish by patting with paper towel to remove the last of the grease.

4. Return cooked beef to the pan and add the cooked onions, mushrooms, corn, and bouillon (if you have any beef bouillon left over from cooking a pot roast, use it here, the results are to die for). Stir over medium heat, for 3 minutes.

5. Thicken the bouillon. Mix water and flour together and whisk until there are no lumps. Add gravy browning, mix and pour into the hamburger mixture. Stir hamburger until most of the liquid has been thickened. Remove from heat.

6. Spread each pita with BBQ sauce, coating evenly. Then place a generous helping of the hamburger mixture onto each pita and spread it evenly. Divide the cheese evenly between the pitas. Add tomatoes if using.

7. Bake in a 425 °F oven on the centre rack for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and turn slightly brown. Cool for 10 minutes and cut into wedges.

Farmboy #3