Individual Meatloaves with Sautéed Spinach and Mashed Potatoes
Individual Meatloaves
Meatloaf doesn’t have to be dry or dull. You can use lean ground beef or ground turkey. Our mini meatloaf recipes are another great way to keep portion-size in check, and individual meatloaves cook quicker than a large meatloaf. But, what’s meatloaf without mashed potatoes? They are rich in carbohydrates, vitamin C and potassium.Sautéed spinach is rich in vitamins and minerals.
Individual Meatloaves
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 pounds mixed ground meats: beef, veal, lamb, and/or pork (you can use turkey or chicken also)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1 small carrot, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves or 1 pinch dried sage leaves
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 slices bacon (optional but good, especially if the meat is very lean)
Preparation
Heat the oven to 350°F. (375 if you are short of time).
Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk until the milk is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Mix together all the ingredients except the bacon.
Shape the meat into 6-8 individual loaves in a baking pan; top with the bacon if you like.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, basting occasionally with the rendered pan juices.
When done, the meat loaf will be browned lightly and firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center will read 160°F.
Variation
Spiced Meat Loaf. Omit the Parmesan and substitute cilantro for the parsley and 1 tablespoon curry
powder, garam masala, chili powder, or other spice mixture for the sage.
Gravy
Ingredients
-
2 ounces butter
2 ounces flour
1 quart beef stock
herbs (choice)
Preparation
Melt the butter in a saucepot without browning.
Add flour and cook gently until it has the consistency of wet sand on the beach and begins to smell like cookies baking. Whisk in all of the beef stock and bring to a gentle simmer for 20 minutes.
Add fresh herbs and season.
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-4 ounces butter
Preparation
In a large pot combine the potatoes with enough water to cover by an inch. Add salt until you can just taste it.
Bring to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely cooked (20-25 minutes).
Drain the potatoes and put back in the pot on low heat to cook out the moisture, you can tell if there is a lot of moisture by the amount of steam coming from the potatoes.
Meanwhile heat the cream and butter together.
Pass the potatoes through a food mill, a potato ricer or a heavy steel sieve. This allows the starch granules to separate and give you potatoes that are as light as clouds.
Using a wooden spoon beat in the hot cream and butter until it’s all fully incorporated.
Season with salt and pepper.
Variation
½ cup chopped basil, dill, chives, scallions, tarragon
1 cup cooked peas, roasted corn, roasted red bell pepper
1 cup grated cheddar, cream cheese, gruyere, Boursin, Goat cheese
1 cup sautéed onions, shallots and garlic
Ingredients
- 1 pound spinach
- olive oil
- garlic minced
Preparation
Plunge the spinach into a large quantity of boiling salted water.
When it wilts remove it.
If using immediately carefully press the water out of the spinach, and roughly chop.
If doing ahead plunge wilted spinach into an ice bath, when chilled, squeeze out extra liquid and reserve spinach.
To serve, gently sauté the garlic in the olive oil until it releases its aroma, but does not brown. Add spinach and toss gently until warmed through and coated with garlic and olive oil. Season.
Variation
Add herbs or spices while sautéing
Add nuts, diced peppers or other soft, quick cooking vegetables while sautéing.