TASTY MEATLOAF

Here's a recipe that's easy enough prepare any day of the week. In fact, I wish you would. It will yield two nice loaves so you can easily have one for dinner, and one for a reserve meal later in the week, or if you're feeding more people, just make one large one. For the mixture part of the recipe, dig deep in your vegetable drawers. You'll likely have some of the ingredients on hand, and if not, the basic version is fine. The additional ingredients simply add to the complexity of the flavors. Let your imagination and your on-hand supplies give you the opportunity to be creative.

1 round onion, diced into 1/4" pieces
3 cloves whole garlic, finely chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, finely diced
1/2 pk of fresh mushrooms (optional)
1/2 bell pepper (green, red or orange), finely diced (optional)
10 - 12 slices of bacon, (4-6 pieces into 1/4" inch pieces and reserve another 4-6 slices for the loaf)
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (HINT: I used stale flavored bread and ground it up in a food processor - excellent option)
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 to 1 cup barbeque sauce (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the onions, garlic, celery, and bacon (plus any of the additional ingredients) in a drizzle of olive oil for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until all the ingredients begin to soften and take on a slightly browned color. Set aside to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the pork and beef in a separate bowl.
When the mixture has cooled, add it to the meat along with the egg, bread crumbs and cheese.
Using your hands, gently mix everything together until it is well blended. This is the only way to do this. Dig way to the bottom of the bowl to make sure that everything is well combined.
Season with salt and pepper. Do not over mix. Prepare a large 9 x 13 pan by spraying a little bit of cooking spray (aka PAM) and wipe off the excess. Divide the meat mixture into two and shape both pieces into a loaf, directly in the pan. If you prefer, shape the entire mixture into one large loaf. Place bacon strips over the top of the meatloaf and carefully spread barbecue sauce over the bacon. Cover tightly and bake at 375 degrees for about 1 hour. You will need to check it before the hour is up to make sure that it is not overcooking. Remove the cover and bake for another 10 minutes. After it is done, let it set for about 15 minutes to let it rest and allow the juices to redistribute throughout the loaf. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a nice green salad. Enjoy!

GROWN UP GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH

Today's sandwich was heavily inspired by one of my favorite Food Network shows, "Down Home With The Neely's." After my usual Saturday wake up to the food channel, I knew I had to try this sandwich. As usual, I called upon my refrigerator to see what ingredients I already had. Lucky for me, these are the ingredients which quickly made this sandwich come together. Enjoy!

One loaf of Rosemary Olive Oil bread from Costco (or any hearty bread of your choice)
Goat cheese
Asiago cheese (or any other creamy white cheese of choice)
Flat leaf parsley
Basil
Butter

The team members:Preheat a cast iron pan over medium heat. In the meantime, prepare your fillings. Finely chop the parsley and basil. Gently mix them together and set the blend aside. Grate the asiago cheese and set aside. Cut loaf of bread into 1/4" slices and pair up two slices each for the amount of sandwiches you need. Spread a nice layer of butter on the outsides of each pair, and place them together, butter side in, and set them aside with the inside of each pair facing up. Using a knife spreader, spread a nice thick layer of goat cheese on the inside of the top piece of each pair. Go ahead. Use as much as you like.
Next, sprinkle a layer of herbs over the goat cheese. Add a thick even layer of asiago cheese on top. When the pan is hot, place the dressed piece of bread into the pan, butter side down. Place the second piece of bread on top (butter side out). Do not touch it, as tempting as it seems.
Allow the bread to grill for 2 or 3 minutes, or until it is nicely browned and the cheese inside begins to melt. Gently press the top piece down so it begins to seal both pieces together. When the first side is nicely browned, gently turn both pieces over to grill the other side.
Again, let it sit for at least 2 or 3 minutes. Because the bread is thick, it will take some time to form a nice grilled, buttery, sinful crust. That is how we like it. Serve immediately just as is, in all its crunchy goodness, or better yet, with a nice bowl of tomato soup (because I had that too!). Enjoy!