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Saturday, December 05, 2009

Mini Meat Loaves, And Sour Cream Scalloped Potatoes


When there are only two of us eating here, I try to force myself to make smaller meals- yet do the foods we enjoy. My wife loves meat loaf! I've made it so many times, and many ways- I think I've got the hang of it! Years ago, I bought 4 small loaf pans for making mini loaves of bread...I found they worked quite well for a small meat loaf too. This recipe can be used as meat loaf, or meatballs- with out doing anything different except the shape!
1-1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb. of bulk breakfast sausage
2 large eggs
3/4 cup of bread crumbs
1/4 cup of Worchestershire sauce
1/3 cup of BB-Q sauce(your pick)or Red Pasta sauce
Season with onion powder, garlic powder, celery seed, Kosher salt, coarse ground black pepper. I don't use fresh onion or celery- as we like a firmer meat loaf!
Mix all above, until blended
Make into meatballs or meatloaf- bake meatballs 15 minutes at 350F, turn and bake another 10 min. Meat loaf in size shown- 1hr. at 340F(top with some BB-Q sauce before baking uncovered)
The potatoes are a simple scalloped potato recipe, using 6 potatoes, peeled and sliced in scallop shape. The sauce being made of flour, butter, milk, sour cream, dried dill,dried parsley, salt, and black pepper. Simmer until thick, while chopping and sauteeing a medium onion in a separate pan.
Mix potatoes and onion together, covering with sauce, and baking in a covered dish for 60 minutes- at 340F. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes, until just starting to brown.
I can make this quicker than the time it takes to explain it!

38 comments:

jules said...

I hope you're happy that your posts always make me drool all over my mac. Also, thanks for your reply about the eye surgery!

Akelamalu said...

I found it very difficult to make smaller meals after the boys left home but I think I've got the hang of it now - 12 years later! LOL

Mona said...

that sounds like something interesting & tasty too. I make meatball curry too! :)

buffalodick said...

Jules- If nervous, insist on this! Don't deal with a place that gives out coupons- it's your eyesight!
Ake- I'm still bad at it! Miss the the little dinklets...

buffalodick said...

Mona- Much like a cheesecake, I can do a meatloaf in any popular cuisine flavor! I'd like you to cook for me for a week, then I would cook for you! I think we would gain weight!

Chris said...

We bought a 4 mini loaf ceramic tray years ago and just haven't used it enough. Meatloaf is a great idea to use it a bit more! Plus I can customize how much glaze each gets, since one of my boys only wants a little and the other wants his drenched with the tomato sauce.

Martha said...

Yum, I love meatloaf too! Did you ever see my leftover meatloaf creations? Check it out if you haven't, it's a family favorite at my house ...
http://meandering-martha.blogspot.com/2009/07/no-way.html

Brian Miller said...

snap! i think i just missed you on the chat...i love meatloaf! it is one of my favorite comfort foods. the mini pans sound really cool, and i bet my boys would get a kick out of it...

buffalodick said...

Chris- You got it! Comes out like meat loaf- but can still tweak it to individual tastes! Why doesn't everyone see it my way? I guess it's because that is what makes our World go around! May it never change!

buffalodick said...

Martha- I'll check it out!
Brian- Kids love it when it is their own to change, and arrange!

Anonymous said...

So many good mini meat loaf recipes....so little time! :-) This looks great BD and those taters! YUM

MarmiteToasty said...

Wondering what the hell a 'breakfast banger' is and do you have different ones for breakfast, dinner or teatime LOL

x

Amy said...

MMMMmmmm....I love small food. So cute. I am going to have to try these very soon.
Looks delicious..xx

Mike said...

I love meat loaf!! I had a Joke that I was going to use on my Random Thoughts that was kind of like the comment that you left me about the golf. I may still use it!

Just telling it like it is said...

I totally never thought about putting dill in the potatoes! Good Idea! hey just wanted to thank you for always being a good blogger friend!
sincerly,
Amie

JihadGene said...

I love meat loaf looong time! Looks tasty.

Jen said...

I've never made meatloaf, not sure I love it. But "bulk breakfast sausage"? That caught my eye, what's that?

Workforced said...

Sounds delicious. However, my arteries are seizing up as I read the recipe.

Don Joe

http://workforced.blogspot.com/

buffalodick said...

Highlander- Potatoes are killer-wife killed them gone!
Marmy- Yes! We have a smallish sausage or a patty of sausage in the morning, lunch or dinner would be a bigger diameter sausage cooked longer..
Amy- Not bad stuff!
otin- I will die a bad, unrepentant man!
Darngirl- I am here for you always, E-mail or post..
Gene- Good stuff! I guarantee!
Jen- It is pork sausage, ground, uncased, and ready to mix or fry as patties! Like Hamburger- only pork- usually seasoned..

Ileana said...

Your last sentence makes you my Kitchen hero! :)

buffalodick said...

Workforced- Welcome! You're gonna die anyway- go eating the good stuff! Goddam doctors don't know sh*t from Shinola..

buffalodick said...

Lly- Hope all is well with you! I miss your in depth comments!

Marjie said...

Meat loaf is always a welcome and warm meal! This looks great.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

great recipe. I have the same problem, just my wife and I most nights... Lots of leftovers, or trying to cut portion sizes.

This works great, and love the meatball tip

Christo Gonzales said...

are you sure? you have an 8 ounce meat loaf cooking for one hour and about 32 ounces of potatoes cooking for an hour and a half - just sayin'

Chef E said...

Sounds so good that after I read you were making them I made a cross between a huge MB and a small loaf pan sized oval meat, yeah I should have just squashed them down and called it a burger, but they are much easier cooking in the oven in those pans...no grease splatter, just damn good...the potatoes I will just have to drool on here...

Barbara said...

Try cooking for one. Talk about leftovers!

pam said...

Hey! Great minds..and all that. I made mini meatloaves tonight to. Except I think I handled the meat too much, they were sort of tough. Yeah, that's a great out-of-context.

buffalodick said...

Marjie- only used one, the other will be used in Rigatoni gigante..
Griller- I always have some frozen meatballs around for a quick meal or appetizer..
Dog- The meatloaves (2) were over a pound a piece! The long cooking time of the potayoes had more to do with the sauce reducing..
Chef- My usual meatloaf is about a 3-1/2 pounder..
Barb- When I cook for one, I usually end up with a sandwich..
Pam- That's why I use lean ground beef, and slightly fatty ground pork..

Shelly Rayedeane said...

All I want to know is if you can cook a gator? Btw, does gator meat taste good cooked?

And how much can a wood chuck chuck if it chucked up enough wood?

buffalodick said...

Gator meat tastes like chicken that was cooked in oil used for fried fish all day...Depends on the size of the wood chuck- they can get pretty big!

UBERMOUTH said...

Buffy- Do you have to par boil the potatoes first? I LOVE scalloped potatoes.

And how do some people put a whole egg in a meatloaf and it retains it's shape?

buffalodick said...

Uber- No, don't boil potatoes first. Egg works as a binder with bread crumbs, oatmeal, or any other "filler" you use to soak up meat juices while cooking...

Marjie said...

I know what Uber means there about the egg. I had a friend whose mother used to put a whole hard boiled egg in the middle of her meat loaf. It kind of freaked me out.

Liz Mays said...

Meatloaf is feel good food to me!!!

tavolini said...

Scalloped potatoes! I haven't made those in forever, and I have 10 lbs of potatoes sitting on the counter. That would put a dent in it!

pinknest said...

Aren't mini loaf pans wonderful? I find myself wanting to do many things in mini forms. Just because.

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

The mini-meatloaf is a great idea, since in our house everyone fights for the end piece and I like a red gravy or BBQ and my husband only wants brown gravy.