Mini Meat Loaves and Cookbook Countdown #71!

Cook Book #71!

in my own personal cookbook countdown

If for any reason you want to take a look at all the cookbooks I've 'counted down' so far, 

just click on this link.

I guess what you can say about me is that I am slow but steady.

It wins the race, right?

But the finish line gets further and further away, as I keep adding new cookbooks to my collection.

I was very excited to get this one in the mail,  "Come for Dinner, Memorable Meals to Share with  Family and Friends".

I love to cook for family and friends.  I love to have people over.  I love to entertain.

I would much rather have the setting of a home kitchen and living room than out in a restaurant -- most of the time.

I love this cookbook. It has tons of menu ideas for entertaining small groups.

It gave me tons of ideas for dinner at home with people I love (and like).

Nothing has to be fancy, just simple, like meatloaves.

Meatloaf is one of those things that you either love (I do) or you don't really like.

I have a go-to meatloaf recipe that I ALWAYS use (check it out here, but the blog post was 7 years ago. I was blogger young and dumb.  It's like watching old movies of yourself--no one really likes it.  I mean, I would have done a different post than that if I did it today.) and I am proud of that meatloaf, because it lives on in the daughter of a friend, who had it 25 years ago and will make it and write to me saying "I made your meatloaf last night"

I tore the recipe out of a Cook's Illustrated magazine about  25 years ago.

There you have it. My secret.

I got off track...

....oh yes,  even tho we have a favorite meat loat

(we do argue about the sides tho.  My mom made a baked potato and Waldorf salad, The Handyman's mom made mashed potatoes/gravy and a vegetable)

and even tho I do love this cookbook, the mini-meatloaves looked EASY, and I was in a hurry to do some cooking from my cook books for the countdown.

Guess what?

Truly, honestly, seriously...

THESE ARE THE BEST LITTLE MEAT LOAVES I've ever had!!

They were so moist and so flavorful  (chopped up bacon inside).

They are good for company, family, cold winter nights, whenever.

Great meatloaf!

I say you should give it a try.

And you can choose your own sides.

Mini Meat Loaves

1 1/2 pound ground beef chuck

2 1/2 T butter

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2 slices of white bread, crusts removed

1/3 to 1/2 cup milk

1 egg

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 2 T ketchup

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 thin strips of bacon halved lengthwise and cut crosswise in 1/4 inch wide pieces

1/2 cup chopped parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 T soy sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 425F with a rack in the center.  set a medium heavy skillet over low heat with the butter.  When the butter has melted, cook the onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until the onion is  light brown and slightly translucent, 3-5 minutes.

Let cool to room temp.

2. Meanwhile, tear the bread into small pieces into a small bowl. Mix in enough milk to thoroughly soak it and set aside to soften.

3. Break the egg into a large mixing bowl and whisk it lightly.  Whisk in the mustard, 3 T of the ketchup, the Worcestershire and the thyme.  A handful at a time, squeeze out the softened bread and add it to the bowl, tearing it into smaller pieces as you do so.  Amalgamate it with a whisk and stir in the bacon, separating the pieces if necessary.

4. Break the meat into small pieces as you add it to the bowl. Add the browned onion mixture, the chopped parsley and a generous amount of salt and pepper.  combine lightly but thoroughly -- hands do the best job -- and form a teaspoonful into a patty.  Set a small skillet over low heat with a few drops of oil and cook the patty.  Taste it and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.

5.  Divide the mixture into 4 parts ( about  9.5 oz in weight) and pat them into slightly  flattened loaves about  4 1/2 inches long and 1 inch high.  set them in a roasting pan or other oven-proofed pan, separated by 1 inch of space.  In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ketchup and soy sauce.  Spoon the mixture equally over the loaves and spread it to coat the tops.

6. Bake the meat loaves until just cooked thru, 20- 25 minutes. Transfer them to a warm platter or plates, garnish with parsley if you'd like, and serve hot.

 This is a review off of Goodreads for the Cookbook:

Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner 
"Before chefs became philosophers, trendsetters, and TV stars, there was Leslie Revsin, a cook whose instinct for flavor is matched only by her sense of nurture. She has never stopped cooking from the heart, and I have never stopped wishing I could cook just like she does every night of the week. Now that she's written a book, I can." 
-Molly O'Neill, host of the PBS series Great Food and author of the New York Cookbook 

I am going to link this post to

Cook-Your-Books

at

Kitchen Flavours

Cook it Up

at

Love, Laughter (and a touch of) Insanity

Weekend Cooking

at

Beth Fish Reads

See Ya in the Gumbo

at

Ms. enPlace