Meatloaf, Mashed, Peas & Gravy

08 23 2017

I had an outpatient procedure at the hospital Monday so wanted something easy to digest. I was hungry for meatloaf so I fixed my wife’s favorite; a recipe from Lipton soups. My favorite sides to have with meatloaf are mashed potatoes, peas or corn and country gravy.

I did the meatloaf on my Traeger, at 250 deg. grill level for about 40 minutes and then went to about 285 deg. grill ; level for another hour for 165 deg. IT.My sides was some Bob Even’s white cheddar mashed potatoes and some frozen peas. For my gravy I made Pioneer brand country gravy. Using store bought sides makes this an easy meal.

I had some sourdough bread I toasted as garlic bread under the broiler. It all tasted pretty good!

Meatloaf ready to smoke

Done on the smoker

Resting

My supper

Lipton's Meatloaf, Smashed Potatoes and carrots

Jun 28 2017

My first real meal in about 1 ½ months! I was getting tired of eating carry ins; my wife doesn’t cook a lot, but she did make salmon patties last week. My stomach was getting back to normal. I had blood tests last Tuesday and saw my Dr. Monday. She said all the numbers were back to normal. I have two more tests to make sure all is OK.

The Lipton’s meat loaf is not my favorite but I like it and it’s my wife’s favorite. It doesn’t take much prep work I use Lipton’s Beefy Onion soup mix. I had some smashed baby Dutch potatoes and carrots as sides.

I only used 1 ½ lbs. ground chuck so cut the water and bread crumbs some. I made up the meatloaf early and had it ready for the oven. I had to use the oven since I don’t have my smoker fixed yet. We like meatloaf and I think this is the first time I have done it inside since 2011 when I got my pellet smoker.

I got the meatloaf in the oven at 350 deg. I set it on a foiled trivet in a Lodge CS skillet to drain the fat. I cut crosses in enough potatoes for the two of us and nuked them for 5 minutes on high. I smashed them up roughly, and added, a little salt, dried garlic and poured ½ stick melted butter over them and in the oven. The carrots I did stove top with water a couple pats of butter, salt and parsley. It took about 1 hour 20 min. for the meatloaf. My potatoes were done early so I placed them on my warming burner.

I had some Kings Hawaiian hot dog buns left so that was our bread and butter rolls. Did that ever taste good to me!

Click Here for printable meatloaf recipe

All but the eggs

Meatloaf

Potatoes

Carrots

My supper

Lipton's Meatloaf and Sides

Mar 26 2017

For our Friday might’s supper I did a meatloaf on my Traeger. I looked through my recipes and found one from Lipton using their Onion Soup Mix. It was a nice 72 deg. day and I was happy to be out on my smoker.

For sides I had some Bob Evan’s scalloped potatoes and his cheesy broccoli; this made it a pretty easy supper to prepare. I turn more and more to Bob Evans for potatoes and veggies; his products are pretty good.

I made up the meatloaf early and let set in the fridge a few hours before smoking. I added about 2 Tbs. ketchup to the top and seasoned well with some Weber Chicago steak seasoning. It went on the smoker for a half hour at 200 deg. then went to 280 deg. grill level. It took another hour and 15 min, to get to 160 deg. IT. I did go to 300 deg. grill level the last 20 minutes.

The meatloaf turned out great; the wife even approved. Over the years I have made a lot of meatloaves and very seldom the same recipe. My wife was always saying why don’t you get a good recipe and use it all the time. I thought they were all good just some better than others! This one was better than most; just the right flavor and moist so will have to remember and use it for a while.

Click Here for printable recipe

Ingredients

All mixed up

Ready for the smoker

Done at 160 deg. IT

My sides

Ready to serve

My supper

Meatloaf and Steamed Potatoes & Carrots

Feb 19 2017

It was a nice day to cook out, a sunny 65 deg. It’s been a few years since I fixed this recipe for Dad’s meatloaf by Tyler Florence. I got it from a fellow LTBBQ member. I did change by using stuffing mix instead of bread crumbs and used buttermilk in place of milk. That was an idea from a follower of my blog.

This is a little different; you cook the veggies making a tomato relish instead of adding them raw. I think it really intensifies the flavor. It comes out rather wet and is really moist after cooking. It has a sweet tomato taste. I prefer a more beefy taste but my wife liked it and it was good for a change. I just had two pounds of meat instead of 2 ½ so I cut back to using 5 tomatoes and I used 6 mini sweet peppers.

I got it all mixed up and went in the fridge for a little over an hour before smoking. I usually like it to set at least 2 hours but I had forgotten I had to cook the veggies. I preheated my Traeger to 200 deg. and got the meat loaf on at 4:20. I had added some of the tomato relish to the top and then topped it with bacon. I planned to eat at 6:00

My side was some steamed baby Dutch potatoes and carrots tossed with butter and parsley. I did them for 10 minutes on steam in my Instant Pot. It all came together about the same time; the meatloaf was at 165 deg. IT.

I had a salad with mine and the wife had an English muffin. We both liked it; the meatloaf was fall apart but tasted great. I had added a half cup plus a handful of stuffing mix and it could have used a cup probably.

Click Here for original recipe

All but the meat and eggs

Veggies for the tomato relish

Relish cooking

Meatloaf ready for the fridge

Ready for the smoker

Done ready to take in and rest 5 min.

Potatoes and carrots

My salad

My supper

Instant Pot Meatloaf Stuffed Onions W/Carrots & Potatoes

Nov 07 2016

I am re-seasoning my new skillet so it was cook in the Instant Pot tonight. I found this recipe on Cowgirl’s Country Life blog by Jeannie. It looked delicious so decided to try it. She did hers outdoors in a Dutch oven so for you outdoor cooks that do Dutch oven cooks it will work for a one pot meal.

Her meat loaf was from Lipton Onion Soup Mix, and you can find the recipe on their site or on the back of the package. I cut the recipe in half for just one pound of ground chuck. I used the beefy onion soup mix. I cut a large onion in half and was able to get enough rings separated to hold the pound of ground chuck.

I diced about a pound of baby Dutch potatoes and 3 large carrots cut into ½ inch dice. They went in the pot with enough water to cover. I placed the stuffed onions on top. I locked the lid on and did on Meat/Stew normal mode for 18 minutes. I let them set on warm hold for 5 minutes while I cut and puttered some cheese bread. I released the steam and checked the meat temp and was overdone a little and the veggies were tender. I think 15 minutes would have been plenty.

I served the wife and I and always like to mash my potatoes and carrots, add a little butter, salt and pepper. Tasted great, we both thought the meatloaf was extra good too.

Getting the onions stuffed

Carrots & Potatoes in the pot

Stuffed onions added

Done in 18 minutes

My supper

Now I am ready to eat!

Cabbage Meatloaf & Steamed Veggies

Oct 20 2016

Last night’s supper was pretty simple but thought it was worth sharing since I used cabbage in a meatloaf. I thought of it and searched for recipes to get an idea of how much cabbage to add. I couldn’t find any so I winged it.

The meatloaf was 1 ½ lbs. of ground chuck, a good cup of fine shredded cabbage I did in a food processor, 1 package of Lipton’s beefy onion soup mix, 1 egg, ¼ cup half & half cream, and a half sleeve of crushed saltine crackers.

I am getting a new kitchen stove and the kids wanted my 18 year old Amana glass top that still looks new. That was with at least 10 years using cast iron on it too.

I did up the meatloaf early on my Traeger to an IT of 160 deg. I steamed some cabbage, carrots and baby Dutch potatoes in my Instant pot and had supper ready at 6:00 when the kids came to get my old stove.

I liked the meatloaf and so did our son who doesn’t like cabbage that well; he had two slices of it. The wife said she liked my old style better. We had some garlic knots with the meal.

For the meatloaf

Ready to mix

Ready to smoke

Done on my Traeger

Cabbage, carrots and potatoes

My supper

Meatloaf & Cornbread Panzanella

Aug 25 2016

I had some cornbread left and had fresh garden tomatoes to use. Panzanella was a natural to think of. I searched the net for some ideas and found a good one at Two Peas and Their Pod. In theirs they used Jalapeno cornbread, lime juice, cilantro and a Mexican Cheese for more of Tex Mex flair. I used it as a guide and used my plain cornbread, balsamic vinegar, basil and mozzarella cheese for an Italian version.

I thought a meatloaf would be good with it so got 1 ¼ pounds of 80-20 ground chuck from my butcher. I mixed in a package of Lipton Beefy Onion Soup Mix, 1 beaten egg, ½ sleeve crushed saltine crackers, ¼ cup ½ & ½ cream, salt and pepper. I mixed it all up and in the fridge for an hour before smoking.

I cut up and toasted the cornbread early so all I had to do was assemble the salad just before supper.  I did the meatloaf on my Traeger. It took about 1 ½ hours to get it to 160 deg.IT.

Our son is away on a golf outing this week end so asked the DIL for supper; I know she likes panzanella. The grandson had soccer practice so she came ate with us and was taking him and a friend out after the practice.

I had the salad made and sliced the meatloaf and it was get your own and heat up the meatloaf. I had the salad, two slices of meatloaf with Maille mustard and two pieces of the Super Pig Bacon Candy Corn. I was surprised our veggie DIL had two pieces of the meatloaf! I liked some bread panzanella I made a while back better but the wife said she liked this cornbread version.

Click Here for printable panzanella recipe
Click Here for Link to Two Peas recipe

Toasted cornbread

After 1 hour

Resting

For the salad

Ready to serve

My Salad

My supper

Meatloaf, Mashed W/Gravy & Corn Pudding

Mar 22 2016

It was a nice sunny day getting up to 63 deg. With the blustery winds it didn't seem quite that warm. Even though; it was a great day to be out and cooking supper on my smoker.

I had a smoked meatloaf, yellow mashed potatoes, and corn pudding. The meatloaf I just made up the recipe.

1 pound ground chuck

1 fresh bratwurst

1 onion chopped fine

1 teaspoon garlic flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup Heinz chili sauce

1/3 cup ½ & ½ cream

2 eggs

about a cup of crushed cracker crumbs

Some bacon for topping

I made up the meatloaf early and in the fridge until 5:00 PM. The bacon was some I had left and was thick so I knew it would not be eaten but helped keep the meatloaf moist and gave some flavor. For my pellet smoker my meatloaves are on the wet side so they stay nice and moist.

After I got the meatloaf all mixed up I pealed and cut up the potatoes. I boiled them about 20 minutes in salted water then drained in a collander. I set the collander back on the cooking pan and covered with a towel to let the potatoes steam and drain. I returned them to the pan with 6 pats of butter, ½ stick and mashed them by hand then added 2 tablespoons of sour cream and mashed it in. I use the potato masher to whip the potatoes some. I like my mashed potatoes nice and thick; not light and fluffy! After they cooled some they went in the fridge; I heated up individual servings at supper time in the micro wave.

I got the meatloaf on my Traeger at 200 deg. for a half hour then eased it up to 300-310 deg. grill level for and hour. After I got the meatloaf on I made up the corn pudding and in the oven at 350 deg. for 45 minutes. I made some Pioneer Country Gravy just when the meatloaf was done at 162 deg. IT. It sat and rested a while while I nuked the mashed potatoes and served the daughter and wife.

We all thought it was a good supper, I got a little too much onion in the meatloaf for the wife but I liked it that way. I had bread leftover from monday for some bread and butter. Another addition that would be good in the meatloaf would be some chopped green chilies.

For the meatloaf

Making up the meatloaf

My mashed potatoes

Making the corn pudding

Meatloafs done

My supper