Meatloaf Patties & Smashed Potatoes with a healthy twist! $6.94

We bring you a bit more (adapted) Rachel Ray tonight - in some life a long time ago we watched the food channel on occasion (back when I had time to watch tv before cooking dinner! - now the food channel is something I Google on occasion!) - Joe saw this being made on tv and requested it ... it was the first meatloaf I'd ever made, and I actually enjoyed it. Now, it's one of his favorite treats!

Meatloaf Patties

1 to 1-1/2 pound ground beef - preferably 93% lean $2. 39

1 slice bread, torn into smallish chunks .04
1 egg white .08
1 tsp. seasoning salt (or 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper)
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste .05
1 medium onion chopped finely -- reserve 1/4 for later use. .20
1/8 cup milk (add last if necessary) .05

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create well in the center - put bread chunks in well and cover with milk... pour egg whites over bread along with salt, tomato paste and 3/4 of onion. Combine everything well and form 4 patties about 3/4 inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent (traps heat - a stove top/oven combo.



Hi Barbara here with a healthy potato recipe.
I have taken to hiding food groups in my sons meals. In my meat sauce I will put a lot of finely ground up carrot, I put ground up beats in his chilli, pureed sweet potato in his mac and cheese. It's one of the only times I feel good about being a liar. Michael absolutely eats with his eyes first, and his eyes dont like the site of vegetables. Cauliflower is so incredibly healthy, I found the easiest way to hide it in food, through the only way my son will eat potatoes- mashed.

The recipe is simple:

1 to 1-1/2 lbs potatoes of choice (red with skins, peeled, yellow, white - it's up to you!)$1.25

1 head fresh cauliflower $1.39

1/4 cup butter .20

1/4 cup milk.10

salt

pepper

Wash, and if applicable, peel potatoes and place in cold water in large enough pan to boil both potatoes and cauliflower simultaneously. Bring potatoes to a boil, add frozen cauliflower or cut up fresh cauliflower, and boil approximately 10 minutes until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork. Drain, return potatoes and cauliflower to the hot pan in which you cooked them ... add butter and salt/pepper to taste, mash with potato masher or fork to desired consistency - add milk as necessary for creaminess.

(returning the cooked potatoes/cauliflower to the pan helps to eliminate the moisture from the water and helps them soak up the creaminess from the milk and butter.)

For most people this procedure would produce amazing healthy mashed potatoes, however, for my oh so picky son, who wont eat mashed potatos that have any lumps in them, I have to run the potato cauliflower mixture through the food processor or blender(a hand mixer will do as well) It is worth all the trouble for me, because Mr. Finicky always asks for seconds! Of course I dont tell him he is having "seconds" on vegetables. Ha!

Finally, this is the most awesome meatloaf gravy ever!

3-Condiment Pan Gravy

2 tbsp butter ,20

remaining onion
2 tbsp finely chopped mushrooms (if desired - totally optional!)

2 tbsp flour.05

1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock.59

1 Tbsp ketchup.10

1 tsp. spicy brown mustard.10

1 Tbsp. steak sauce.15

Total $6.94

Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to medium heat. Add butter and onion to skillet - cook 2 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour - cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock - bring to a bubble... add more stock if it's too thick. Stir in condiments and remove from heat.

Serve smashed cauliflower potatoes, meatloaf and a bit of gravy on a plate - sit back and enjoy the smiles. You might also enjoy a side tossed salad with oil and vineagar tonight.