Dutch Meat Loaf

Dutch Meat Loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp powdered onion
1/2 cup tomato sauce, divided
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cup water
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, lightly mix beef, bread crumbs, onion powder, 1/4 cup tomato sauce, egg, salt, and pepper.  Shape into a loaf on a shallow baking pan.
3. Combine the other 1/4 cup of tomato sauce with the remaining ingredients.  Pour over loaf.
4. Bake meatloaf for 1 hour, 15 minutes.  Baste loaf with sauce from bottom of pan every 15-20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and let sit 20-30 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from Dutch Meat Loaf, pg 103 of Best Recipes from the Backs of Boxes, Bottles, Cans, and Jars, by Ceil Dyer

Cornbread

Cornbread

My husband likes his cornbread without sugar, without flour, cooked with bacon grease, and fairly thin. This recipe creates his ideal cornbread. If you would like something thicker, double all the ingredients except the bacon grease, and add an extra minute or two for bake time. 

Ingredients

1 cup white cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 egg
2 Tbsp bacon grease

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Heat bacon grease in 10" cast iron skillet on stove till almost smoking.  Meanwhile, mix all other ingredients in bowl with a wisk.
3. Pour batter into skillet and stir in the bacon grease.
4. Place skillet in the oven for 18-20 minutes or till sides are pulling away from skillet and top is starting to brown.*
5. Let cornbread cool in skillet for a few minutes before flipping onto a plate for removal.

*Sometimes I'll turn on the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top a little more, but it's not necessary. 

Based on this No-Flour Cornbread Recipe

Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges

My husband is not a great fan of vegetables in general. Beans, sure, he'll eat them happily. Corn is great. Just about everything else is met with suspicion. Ever since we had our first child, though, I've been randomly experimenting with winter squashes. This recipe for acorn squash has met with the best success yet. My kids call this dessert!

Roasted Acorn Squash Wedges  

Ingredients
1 acorn squash
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp vanilla  

Directions
 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash in half and scrape out the seeds. Slice each half into 4 wedges for a total of 8 wedges.  Place wedges in a baking dish, skin side down.
3. Cream together remaining ingredients. Smear mixture over each wedge.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, basting after 20 minutes and again at the end.

Based on Ree Drummond's Sweet Roasted Rosemary Acorn Squash Wedges