Meatloaf, Parmesan Green Beans & Potatoes

Hello again! Isn’t it crazy how the cold weather equals heavier meals?! This weather reminds me of big meals over the dinner table with a lot of family time! Luckily for you, not much preparation is needed and you can pop this bad boy in the oven so more time is able to be spent with the family! This is perfect for my work family!

And my journey begins…

INGREDIENTS:

MEATLOAF:

• 1 pound ground turkey meat (or ground beef)
• 1/2 cup quick oats (or crackers of any kind or breadcrumbs)
• 1 egg
• 1 TBSP ketchup
• 2 TBSP chopped onion (or minced)
• 2 TBSP celery
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
• A shimmy of salt and pepper
• 1-2 TBSP garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced; I love garlic, so the more the better!)
• 1/4 cup (or less) milk (OPTIONAL: I do not include milk, but you may want to)
• Ketchup and parsley to garnish on top

PARMESAN GREEN BEANS: 

• 1 pound green beans (you can use fresh, canned, or frozen but if frozen make sure to boil them prior to adding to the mixture)
• 2 TBSP butter
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (or make your own and include: basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme)

BAKED POTATOES:

• Idaho potatoes
• 1 TBSP butter
• salt
• plastic shopping bags
• Foil

INSTRUCTIONS:

MEATLOAF: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl (exclude the milk if you choose to use; add the milk a little at a time to not make the mixture soupy or goopy).
3. Place in a meatloaf dish or a small rectangular cake pan and bake for 1 hour before checking.
4. Garnish with a swivel of ketchup and parsley.

QUICK TIP: A little trick my mom taught me to check to see if it is cooked thoroughly is to take a butter knife and stick in the middle and wiggle a little bit. If juice rises to the top where you cut, then the meatloaf needs to be cooked longer. I would check back every 15 minutes after the initial check, so to not overcook. 

GREEN BEANS: 

1. Clean and clip the ends of the beans.
2. Melt 2 TBSP butter in a skillet over medium heat and add garlic.
3. After a few minutes (and the wonderful smell of garlic rises) add the Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan cheese to the pan.
4. After about 3 minutes, add the green beans (again, you can use frozen green beans, just be sure to have them thawed prior to putting them in the skillet with the mixture. The spices will be less likely to stick and the green beans will have little flavor).
5. Stir, stir, stir!

 

BAKED POTATOES: 

Baked potatoes in the microwave is the cheat way to get them to cook faster, but they still taste delicious! The time in the microwave depends on the size of the potato! 

1. Clean the potatoes and place inside a plastic shopping bag and wrap the remaining portion of the bag around the potato. QUICK TIP: wrapping in the plastic bag helps to keep the moisture in, which allows for the potato to cook all of the way through! 
2. Microwave until the feel of the potato is semi-soft. Not too soft, unless you want it to be like mashed potatoes!
3. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the foil. Have a tablespoon of butter and salt in the middle of each piece of foil.
4. Once the potatoes are finished, wrap in the foil and place to the side until the meatloaf is finished.

What a great combination: buttery, garlicky, and cheesy! Yum! Talk about adding a different flavors together! My work family loves filling meals like this one and hopefully you will as well! Good luck on your own cooking endeavors!

*cheers*

Shay