This was our family brunch from 2 years ago. Thought you might like to see it! Happy Mother's Day!
Today was a great day in every way. Being with my children and grandchildren has to be one of my favorite ways to spend a special day. It may have been raining outside but inside every minute the sun was shining. Angela an Mark put together a wonderful brunch. We had a few Mimosa's, courtesy of Susan and Dan to celebrate our day. I managed to get out my camera lol. Here are a few of the delights of the day!
One of Dad's favorites: Stuffed Italian Style Meatloaf!!!!
I served it with Bibb lettuce and vinaigrette dressing salad.
Dad loved stuffed meatloaf and honestly when Mom didn't have the time she'd use Stove top stuffing instead of her homemade stuffing . (Don' hesitate to use box stuffing. .It does speed up your meal). Today I did her recipe but put it in a baking dish (stuffing first and then topped it with meat mixture. (She used to put her meat mixture on the bottom of the dish and then put her stuffing and then top it with the remainder of the meat.. I decided to try it a little different. It baked quickly, about an hour or a little more. My meat was under 1 lb. Delicious and presents beautifully! Nice for entertaining a small group. Serves 4 medium portions.
Enjoy!
Happy Cooking!!!!
M.J.
Ingredients for meatloaf:
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¾ to 1 lb. ground pork (beef or turkey can be substituted)
1 egg
½ cup bread crumbs (regular or seasoned) I used Garlic Herb breadcrumbs
1 small onion grated
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried parsley
pinch pepper
½ cup milk Topping:
1 to ½ cups marinara sauce (jarred or homemade) I used my homemade easy recipe sauce using Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes)
¼ cup mozzarella for garnish Meat Mix
In a medium bowl place pork, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, parsley, milk, salt and pepper. Mix together…Set aside
Stuffing
1/3 cup Italian style bread (broke in pieces)
1 egg beaten
½ to ¾ milk
dash pepper
½ cup Italian cheese grated
¼ cup shredded mozzarella
1 small onion chopped
1 stalk chopped celery
4 tablespoons butter (salted)
In a pan melt butter, add onion, celery…Saute until translucent
In a large bowl put broken bread pieces, 1 egg beaten, ½ cup milk, cheeses..Set aside.. Add slightly cooled butter mixture. Mix together with hands until bread in well moistened.. Set aside
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x8 inch baking dish with butter.. Place stuffing mixture in dish.. Top with meat mixture.. Bake 1 hour or until browned.. Take out of oven top with Marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella. Bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until Marinara is warmed and cheese is melted and bubbly..
It is sooo cold for this April 15th that I felt I had to make something warm and comforting. This is my choice. Soupy Chicken Pot Pie!
Fall is in the air today so my thoughts are going to making something in my crockpot. This recipe is super easy and using a crockpot is an easy option. This meal is great to warm you up on a chilly day I was accustomed to making Pot Pie in a crust! That's how I made it when I was first married. I used Betty Crocker's easy pot pie recipe but today I am making the version that was frequently made by my friends when I lived in another area of the state and it was more soup like but thick in a gravy type broth. Happy Cooking! 6 cups chicken broth (canned chicken broth can easily be used) 1 large whole chicken breast 1 large carrot 1 to 2 stalks celery 1- 8 oz. large thick style pasta or noodles In a medium to large crock pot place all ingredients. Cook on high until chicken is tender. If using crockpot option: After chicken and vegetables are tender (Cook on low for approx. 6 hours) Strain and dice carrots, celery and chicken and add to **thickened broth. Cook noodles separately or add to strained chicken broth and cook until thickened.
**Stove top method. Cook chicken and vegetables in large stockpot with approx. 6 cups water. Cook on medium heat until chicken falls off the bone. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Cut chicken and vegetables into bite size pieces. Add large pot pie noodles to broth. Cook on low heat until noodles are tender. Thicken broth as suggested below. **Thicken broth with a rue of 2 tablespoons melted butter,1 small grated onion and 1/4 cup flour. Blend together well with a whisk if possible and fold into broth. Enjoy! For Crockpot Method: Note: Do not add noodles until ready to eat. (I cook them separately) and add 10 minutes before serving.
M.J.
I dice my carrots,celery and chicken after soup is cooked.
Chicken Stock for a hearty chicken veggie flavor
I use grated onion, butter and flour for this pot pie rue.
Making a Rue Heating the liquid ensures lumps won't form as easily. Make sure you cook the flour-butter mixture for 1-2 minutes so the soup will thicken. Using a wire whisk really is essential. It incorporates the liquid into the rue very well, preventing lumps from forming.
