Meatloaf with ricotta

I came across this recipe on The Early Show - I love their recipes - and made it for dinner the other night. There were 8 adults and 5 children eating; there was a small piece left over for me to enjoy yesterday for lunch. It goes a long way and is delicious!

MEATLOAF WITH RICOTTA -- Polpettone di Manzo con Ricotta
Serves 8 or more

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup milk
3 cups day-old bread cubes, from a loaf of country bread
3 pounds ground beef
3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
1 pound drained fresh ricotta (about 2 cups), plus more for the sauce if you like
1 bunch scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3.4 inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 to 5 cups Tomato Sauce

Recommended equipment: A sturdy roasting pan, 10 by 17 inches or larger

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Pour the milk over the bread cubes in a bowl, and let soak for a few minutes, until the bread is saturated.

Squeeze the soft bread a handful at a time, pressing out as much milk as you can (discard milk, or give it to a pet), then tear bread into small shreds and toss back into the bowl. Crumble the ground beef into the bowl, and add the eggs, ricotta, scallions, grated cheese, parsley, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Fold and toss everything together, and squeeze the mixture a few times between your fingers to distribute all the ingredients evenly. Scatter the mozzarella cubes on top, and fold and mush them throughout the loaf mix.

Brush the roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Gather the meat mixture in the bowl, turn it into the pan, and shape it into a fat oval loaf. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover the pan with foil tent it so it doesn't touch the meat -- and bake 45 minutes. Remove the foil, and continue to bake until the meatloaf is browned all over and completely cooked through, another 1 hour and 30 minutes or so. (If you check the loaf with a meat thermometer, it should reach a temperature of 160o.) Remove the roast from the oven, and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Heat the tomato sauce to a simmer in a saucepan as the meat rests. Turn off the heat, and, if you like, stir 1/2 cup or so fresh ricotta into the sauce. Cut the loaf crosswise in the pan or on a cutting board, in slices as thick as you like. Serve topped with a spoonful or two of sauce, and pass more sauce at the table (or, for family-style serving, arrange the slices on a warm platter, topped with some of the sauce).

Note: If you love fresh ricotta, as I do, you can stir some into the tomato sauce, too, just before serving the meatloaf.

Ham and noodle crockpot casserole

I know, I know. "Casserole" makes you not want to make it, right? I made this for our monthly family potluck last week and it was a hit. So I was asked to post the recipe here. Just try it; you won't be sorry you did :) (For the potluck I doubled this recipe.)

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked noodles
vegetable oil
1 cup cooked cubed ham
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 can (12 to 16 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
dash ground black pepper, or to taste

Preparation:
Cook noodles according to package directions until barely tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and toss the cooked noodles with 2 to 3 teaspoons of vegetable oil, just enough to coat. Add noodles, ham, cream of chicken soup, corn, pimiento, cheese, ground pepper, and green bell pepper to a greased crockpot; stir gently to mix. Cover and cook on LOW setting 6 to 7 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serves 3 to 4.

Sizzling Sesame Beef

(You're supposed to serve it with rice, but I didn't think of this until we were about to eat, so we had it with rice noodles instead. I would have preferred the rice, but it was still delicious.)

Ingredients
1 pound beef sirloin or rib-eye steak, cut 1-inch thick
1 cup short-grain or jasmine rice
2 green onions, white portions cut into 2-inch chunks, green portions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 pounds broccoli florets

Directions
1.Place steak in freezer. Prepare rice as label directs. Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon sliced green onions, 1 teaspoon garlic, 2 teaspoons oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; set aside.
2.Cut cold steak across grain into very thin slices; in shallow bowl, toss with sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, green-onion chunks, and remaining garlic.
3.In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 inch water to boiling on high. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain well; place in same bowl as onion-garlic mixture. Toss well. Heat remaining oil in same skillet on high until hot. Add beef in single layer; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining sliced green onions and salt and pepper (to taste); cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining soy sauce. Serve with rice and broccoli.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves
4 beaten eggs (I don't beat them early. I just mix it with everything else)
2 cups pumpkin
1 cup oil

Mix. Pour into a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 30 min.

Winter Squash Soup
Serves 8

Soup
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 cup whipping cream

Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

* When I made this, I didn't notice the second calling for acorn squash! oopsy! I only did 4 cups of butternut squash! The end calls for sugar to be stirred in, but there was no mention of sugar in the recipe, so I added 1/4 cup of brown sugar. It was super tasty soup, even with my mistakes! :)

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes
Makes 10 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick or 1/2 ounce) butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
3 pounds 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter mixed unpeeled red-skinned and white-skinned potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch-wide wedges

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add potatoes; sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Divide potatoes between prepared baking sheets, leaving any excess mustard mixture behind in bowl. Spread potatoes in single layer. Roast potatoes 20 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and roast until potatoes are crusty outside and tender inside, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes longer.

Transfer potatoes to serving bowl.

Do ahead: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheets at room temperature. Rewarm potatoes in 425°F oven 10 minutes.

*Disclaimer: Unlike Steph's beautifully photographed foodies, I did not take these pictures, I stole them from the interweb where I got the recipes. Just keeping it real with full disclosure.

Artichoke Dipidity Do Dah

4 Jars marinated Artichoke Hearts (drained and chopped)
*I buy the big bottle at Costco and use 1/2 to 2/3 of it.
1 cup Mayo
1 cup Grated Parmesan
1 cup chilies
1 clove garlic

Combine ingredients and bake 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes

Chicken and pasta in peanut sauce

INGREDIENTS
8 oz. thin spaghetti
1 bunch broccolini, cut in 2-inch lengths
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut in bite-size strips
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Salt and ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup bottled peanut sauce
Crushed red pepper (optional, for serving)

DIRECTIONS
1.In Dutch oven cook pasta according to package directions, adding broccolini and sweet pepper during the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain. Return to Dutch oven and set aside.
2.Meanwhile, halve chicken breasts horizontally. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In extra large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes each side, or until no longer pink (170 degrees F).
3.Transfer to a cutting board. Slice chicken; add to pasta and vegetables.
4.Heat through. Add peanut sauce. Pass crushed red pepper.

Notes: I just cooked the spaghetti in a regular sauce pan, and that worked fine. This last time I made this, I used a rotiserrie chicken instead of chicken breast, which I just put in with the peanut sauce. It's delicious both ways.