Armadillo Eggs

Another "as seen as Pinterest, sort of" recipes.  Another Pin Win too.

This is one of those make-it-with-whatever-you've-got recipes...hot peppers or sweet peppers, ground meat of nearly any persuasion or combination, whatever cheese appeals to you and whatever sauce/glaze you can rustle up out of the fridge.

I had pork sausage, sharp cheddar, mini sweet peppers and garlic jelly in my fridge so here's what I did (though meatloaf mix, provolone and beer jelly or jalapeno jelly glaze sounds good too).  The original Pin also suggested grilling them...trying to keep 3 kids under the age of 5 supervised and clear of the grill is not my idea of a good time, so I baked mine on a rack placed over a lipped sheet tray.  But I bet grilled is good too.

I really, really, really wish I had made more of these and popped them in the freezer.

Last thought...this reminds me of a recipe from the 1973 Betty Crocker International Cookbook for "Scotch Eggs"...those are peeled hard-boiled eggs wrapped in breakfast sausage, then breaded and deep-fried.  I think the next time I make Scotch Eggs (which are outstanding post-Easter leftovers), I'll glaze them and bake them instead of breading and deep-frying.

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Salsa Verde Meatloaf

I'm trying to use up the straggler tomatillos from my garden, and had a yen for meatloaf, so this is what we have!  If you were to include *actual* salsa verde in the meatloaf mix, it would be far too wet.  This recipe draws on the salsa verde flavors without making soup out of the meatloaf.

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Grilled Zucchini Meatloaf

I'm taking a page from the South Beach cookbooks and using oatmeal as a binder in this meatloaf.  The old-fashioned oatmeal (not quick or instant) will absorb more liquid in the meatloaf, and you'll need less and get more fiber.  All good things for reducing glycemic impact.  In fact, the recipe is so low-carb, I feel at liberty to use a shmear of jalapeno jelly on top as a glaze, but feel free to skip the extra carbs/calories if you desire.

I'm experimenting with cooking this puppy on the grill (ETA: experiment was SUCCESSFUL!!), cuz it's that time of year, it keeps the kitchen cool and everything is better with a little smoky grill flavor (and I love hearing my 3yo say, "Looklooklook, Daddy cooking dinner OUTSIDE!").  I threw foil-wrapped potatoes on the grill at the same time as the meatloaf, and put sliced zucchini directly over the coals for the last 10 minutes of cooking for a complete grill meal.

This makes a LOT of meatloaf, so freeze extras ahead, cook for a crowd, give them as gifts, whatever.  With only egg in play, it's hard to scale down.  But if you REALLY wanted to, you could use 1 tbsp + 1 tsp of liquid egg substitute per loaf, or use 1 whole egg but add some more oatmeal to compensate for the extra liquid.

Frozen wine and tomato paste

I dip into my freezer stash for the tomato paste and red wine.  I freeze extra wine in ice cube trays, and leftover tomato paste in a small ziptop bag.  That way, I can cook with small amounts (as called for below) without having to crack a whole new bottle or can.

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Veggie-stuffed turkey meatloaf

This is adapted from a Better Homes and Gardens recipe.  I like using grits instead of breadcrumbs in turkey meatloaf.  Ground turkey can be, well, squishy and breadcrumbs just seem to amplify that quality.  Grits give a little more tooth to a slice of turkey meatloaf in my opinion.  If you don't have grits, just use breadcrumbs but I do think grits are worth keeping around if only as a breadcrumb-substitute.

The vegetables tucked inside the meatloaf help keep it moist and almost count as their own side dish.  You need 2 cups of lightly cooked, chopped vegetables.  Doesn't really matter what they are.  A brilliant plan would be to get some frozen mixed vegetables, nuke them a couple minutes and pulse them a couple of times in the food processor to chop them.  You'll wind up with enough vegetable stuffing from a 16 oz. bag to do two meatloaves in advance.

As far as the glaze, it's delicious but not really necessary.  Skip it if you want, or use whatever type of jelly/jam you have on hand.  I would avoid strawberry or grape, personally, but apricot, currant, apple, or blackberry would all be delish.

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Make-ahead Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf Sandwiches

[A moment of reflection for the greatness that is this dish]

No, this is not health food, but this is one of the best things I have EVER eaten.  Ever.  There are no words to convey how serious I am about this fact.  Best. Ever. Period.  And you get versatility in preparation, storage and serving methods.  I don't know that there is anything more perfect anywhere in any category of being.  I cannot claim responsibility for originating this masterpiece, though I have naturally tweaked, simplified and Dinner Done Yesterday-ed it.

There are two main prep-ahead/serving options: 1) mix the meatloaf to store (fridge or freeze), bake later and serve as meatloaf, 2) bake the meatloaf to store to slice and fry later for sandwiches.  And there's the planned leftover option...serve as meatloaf for dinner #1 and slice and fry for sandwiches for dinner #2. If you want to go for complete gastronomic orgasm, fry the meatloaf slices in mojo de ajo.

The meatloaf mix lends itself well to either ground pork or beef, accomodates whatever herbs you have on hand, and did I mention that it's wrapped in bacon and made with bacon fat?  Oh jah, good stuff. 

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Stuffing-stuffed Meatloaf

Tonight's dinner is brought to you courtesy of leftover stuffing.  There are only so many stuffing sandwiches you can eat before you start to swell like a bird eating wedding rice, ya know?  Going halfsies with the beef and turkey adds moisture to the meatloaf and lightens the cholesterol/fat load.

Stuffing-Stuffed Meatloaf
Serves 8
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp poultry seasoning
dash Worcestshire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups leftover stuffing

Combine all ingredients except stuffing.  Mix the meatloaf mixture well, using more breadcrumbs if necessary to form a moist but cohesive mixture.  Pat half the meatloaf into a loaf pan.  Top with the stuffing and pat the remainder of the meatloaf mixture on top, completely covering the stuffing. 

You can freeze the meatloaf now or bake it.  If you freeze it, wrap it tightly in foil and either vacu-seal or wrap in a layer of plastic wrap. 

If you bake now, preheat the oven to 350F and bake about 1 hour and 15 minutes. 

To bake from frozen, let thaw overnight in refrigerator and bake at 350F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or a little longer if the loaf was still a little frosty. Pin It