Meatloaf with Brown Sugar/Ketchup Glaze

Ahhhhhhhh, October in The Great SouthWest!!!!!!!

It's 5:30 on a Friday evening and I am sitting outside, letting you all know about one fantastic
meatloaf. The thermometer tells me it is 82 degrees in our yard, the sun is setting, the table candles are not being blown out -- pretty much perfect.

Now, you note I stated it is Friday evening, and you know what that means: It's Old Fashioned
Friday. Mr. RestaurantQuality has interrupted his current project (waxing the car of FD #1) to pour the perfectly proportioned (a science) and well iced (an art) brandy old fashioned with both cherries and olives. It adds to the 'ahhhhhhhhhhh'................. (ok, I was patiently awaiting my Friday Old Fashioned and Mr. RestaurantQuality was not coming in the house, AND it was after
5 o'clock --- so, wait-for-it, I went out to the garage and helped wax the car. Yup, I know how to wax a car, and it got Mr. RestaurantQuality into the house sooner to attend to his bartending duties.

As an aside, I also know how to make an old fashioned, but not like Mr. RestaurantQuality can. I think it has to do with the wink he gives me, as he hands me my drink...............

The RestaurantQuality West household is back to normal, now that The Nuthouse has returned to The Great City On A Great Lake. What a wonderful visit we had with them. Action packed for everyone. Our pool was the #1 attraction for The Little Sweethearts --- when we planned the pool it was meant for moments just as we experienced when the LS were jumping into the water, going underwater to get coins, cannonballs, 'rides' in the raft, and watching as the LS had an overall blast. Joy, joy, joy. Makes one sit back (in the shade, of course) and just enjoy the simple moments of happiness, as they unfold. It's good for the soul...................

Back to the meatloaf. I am a 'Meatloaf Gal'. I love meatloaf. Meatloaf was a staple in my childhood home and James K. made one heck of a meatloaf. I asked Ms. Monona if it was an Irish thing and she agrees. She comes from a Chicago Irish home and feels the same way.
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, man oh man, as James K. would say.

Life is good...........................................

Meatloaf with Brown Sugar/Ketchup Glaze

suggest musical background: This Masquerade, George Benson


350 degrees

Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup
4 T. light brown sugar
4 T. cider vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan; set aside.

Meatloaf

2 t. oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 large eggs
1/2 t. dried thyme
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground black pepper
2 t. Dijon mustard
2 t. worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. hot pepper sauce
1/2 C. milk
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2/3 C saltine crackers, crushed
1/3 C fresh parsley, minced

Heat oil in skillet. Add onion and garlic; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to
cool.

Mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, worcestershire sauce, pepper sauce, and milk.

Combine the beef and pork in separate large bowl (I use my hands).

Add eggs to meat mixture. Add crackers, parsley and cooked onion and garlic; mix until evenly
blended.

Turn meat mixture into loaf pan.

Brush with 1/4 of the glaze.

Bake 45 minutes.

Top with another 1/4 of the glaze.

Bake another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes.

Simmer remaining glaze over medium heat until slightly thickened.

Slice meatloaf and serve w/ the remaining sauce. And, say 'man of man' as you taste each
forkful.

Serve with mashed potatoes.


My Notes:

I love this meatloaf ---- and I've had alot of meatloaf in my lifetime. I think the secret ingredient is the crushed crackers. Have never had meatloaf with crackers as the binding agent.

And, the hot sauce. In meatloaf? What's with that? An Irish household NEVER used hot sauce. But, it adds 'something' to this meatloaf. Be not afraid ---- use it.

I did not use a loaf pan. I just formed a loaf in an 9x13 pan. For easy clean up, put alum foil in
the pan.

The recipe calls for 2 t. oil ---- I just put in what looks good to me.

I use the bottled minced garlic. 1 heaping teaspoon.

Original recipe calls for 1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 1/2 pound ground veal. I could not find ground veal at my grocery stores in The Great SouthWest, so I used 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork and it was delicious.

The mashed potatoes: You cannot have meatloaf without mashed potatoes. I grew up with your basic mashed potatoes: boiled potatoes; mash them; add some butter and milk; mash it all together. Now, I throw in some sour cream, as well. And, to be exotic, I'll throw in some freshly grated parmesan.

Which reminds me: best mashed potatoes. The Landmark Restaurant in NYC.

"Don't Look At Me" Chicken

Wow, I have been gone from blog-land for too long.

RestaurantQuality has been going 'non stop' since last we spoke. We're back 'home' in the Great SouthWest and in the interim we've had a lovely visit from Ms. She 'Who Share's My Birthday' (lots of wine and laughter), several days of caring for LS#5 while her Mommy was on a business trip, and now, an action-packed visit with FS #1, FDIL and LS #1-4. FS #1 calls his house "The Nuthouse", which is how I shall refer to them henceforth in this missive.

The Nuthouse landed on Wednesday morning, and the motion has not stopped.

And, to add joy on top of excitement, FD #2 flew in from The City With Big Shoulders for a weekend visit to get in on all the action.

The best part for me has been having just about everyone together (FS #2 could not be here). The house is bursting when all five of our Little Sweethearts are here. Granddaughters as bookends to the three grandsons. Can't get enough of them.

But, right now the Nuthouse is in SanDiego for a few days of fun and frolic in one of those most wonderful places on earth ----- mountains to your left, Pacific Ocean to your right, gorgeous flowers everywhere, and the relaxation inducing sounds of waves crashing into shore. Ahhhhhh..........

So, I sit hear and say 'listen...............do you hear it'? It is very, very quiet in my kitchen now that the LS are getting ready to watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean.

So, with my 'quiet time' I grabbed a recipe to tell you about.

But, first I opened a bottle of wine recommended to me by Mr. Cedarburg. Joel Gott, Cab Sauv.
Very, very nice. Very smooth, which is how I like my wine and my jazz.

'Don't Look At Me' Chicken: very, very easy and quite tasty. I made it for LS #5's parents and Mr. RestaurantQuality FSIL immediately said 'You have to give us the recipe'. Mr. RestaurantQuality deems it a 'repeater'. 'Repeater' is the highest form of praise coming down from the mountain top, in this household.

So, with my glass of Joel Gott raised to all of you, I say 'Slainte'.........................


Don't Look At Me Chicken

Suggested musical background: Last Dance, Donna Summers

Oven at 325 degrees

9x13 pan, greased



4 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of celery soup
3/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked (white or brown minute rice)
1 envelope dry onion soup mix

In large bowl, mix together the soups, milk and rice.

Pour into prepared pan.

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.

Remove pan from oven.

Law raw chicken over the rice mixture.

Sprinkle the dry onion soup mix on top of the chicken.

Cover with foil; back into the oven for another hour.

NO PEEKING while baking.



My Notes:

The original recipe uses 2 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces. So if you don't want to use only chicken breast, go ahead and use the bone-in chicken pieces. HOWEVER, if you do, here's the baking adjustment: Place the rice mixture in the prepared pan, and then place the chicken on top of the rice mixture, right away. Cover with foil. Bake for 2 hours; NO PEEKING.

When using just chicken breast, you bake the rice mixture for an hour, on its own, then add the chicken breast. If you put the chicken breast in for two hours, the Mama Bear would say 'this chicken is too tough'..................

The recipe calls for the 9x13 pan to be 'greased'. I did not grease the pan, I used non stick aluminum foil, my new best friend in the RestaurantQuality kitchen. In fact, the two of us are going on a cruise, together.

I used brown minute rice. You could even go hog wild and use a combo of both white and brown.

My recipe above calls for a can of cream of chicken soup. The original recipe calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup. RestaurantQuality has tried (and I am sincere in saying this) to like mushrooms, but to no avail. As LS #2 would say: 'Mushroom alert, mushroom alert, I hate mushrooms'. So, substitute cream of mushroom soup for cream of chicken soup if you like.