MONDAY NIGHT MENUS - THE BEST MEATLOAF IN THE LAND

MAKING COOKING AT HOME EASIER

WITH MONDAY NIGHT MENUS

THE BEST MEATLOAF IN THE LAND WITH THE BEST SIDES TOO

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

 Here is a little Southern Comfort Food Menu for this Monday:

THE BEST FRUIT SALAD EVER

THE BEST MEATLOAF IN THE LAND

MY FAVORITE MAC AND CHEESE

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This menu is a standard monthly meal at our house. Everyone cleans their plate when I fix this meal, and it is easy and simple to put together. 

These Southern Comfort foods are not the best for your waist-line; so just to be safe, I left off the dessert this time.  I'll tell you what my Mom used to tell me; the fruit salad COUNTS for desert!  Sorry, all you sugar lovers, but you MUST get some control.  Just call the fruit salad your dessert and enjoy every minute.  After all if you check out the ingredient list; you WILL see VANILLA PUDDING in this fruit salad.  So there!  It is very tasty.

Meatloaf may not be the MOST healthy thing you can eat either; but occasionally there is nothing like a good meatloaf.  I like to serve this one up with lots of fresh salads and fruit, then temper them with a comfort food like a good old fashioned side of mac and cheese.   I'll tell you the secret to the mac and cheese (besides the smoked paprika,)  it is the heavy whipping cream!  Don't leave it out if you want that mac and cheese to taste delicious.

Everyone has their favorite green bean casserole recipe.  I have three different ones that I use according to whatever style of cooking I'm trying to achieve.  This is the one that I like best with meatloaf. It is simple, quick and easy and it always taste good.

Here is the meatloaf recipe I like to use as well as the recipes for some great side dishes that go well with meatloaf.  

THE BEST MEATLOAF IN THE LAND

Ingredients:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 onion – chopped into thin pieces

3 eggs slightly beaten

2 cups Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix

3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

¼ cup Moore’s Sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 cups ketchup (2 separate cups)

1 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a metal loaf pan with cooking spray.  Mix one cup of ketchup with brown sugar and spread in the bottom of the loaf pan.  Combine all the other ingredients and mix well.  Place meat mixture over top of sauce in pan and place in the oven for exactly one hour.  Take from oven, invert meatloaf out of pan onto a plate to serve sauce side up. 

MY FAVORITE MAC AND CHEESE

Ingredients:

2 cups macaroni noodles

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika (also some for sprinkling on top)

2-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

3-1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup chopped bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Boil noodles on the stove top in water until tender but not limp, drain and rinse with cool water.  Set aside. Turn the stove top to medium and in another boiler on the stove add butter until melted, then add all-purpose flour, salt, dry mustard, black pepper and paprika.  Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended then slowly add heavy whipping cream.  Continue to stir until sauce becomes thick (10 -12 minutes.)  Remove from heat and add 2 cups of the grated cheese into mixture while it is still hot.   Place one half of pasta in a prepared casserole dish.  Pour one half of cheese sauce over pasta and mix until all pasta is covered with cheese sauce.  Add one half of the bacon bits as the next layer.  Add half of the grated cheese that is left on top of bacon bits.  Add the other half of the pasta and pour rest of cheese topping into it.  Top pasta with last half of grated cheese as well as  last half of the bacon bits.   Bake 25 to 30 minutes until the cheese on top is slightly brown.  Serve hot.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen large flat green beans, or even better one bunch of freshly snapped and broken fresh green beans.

1 envelope dried Lipton Onion Soup Mix

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 large can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup

1 can dried onion rings

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray.  Lay green beans inside casserole dish.  Mix next four ingredients well in a bowl then pour over the top of the green beans.  Cover the top of the bean mixture with the dried onion rings.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. 

THE BEST FRUIT SALAD EVER

Ingredients:

1- 8 ounce jar tropical fruit mix

2 apples sliced, cored and chopped

2 bananas sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced into small pieces.

1 box vanilla instant pudding mix

1 small bag frozen mixed fruit (leave frozen, it will thaw quickly and keep the rest cold)

Directions:

Mix all together well.  Keep cold in refrigerator until time to serve. 

  Enjoy!