Alston's Favorite Food

Since I post most all of my photos on Facebook, it got to where it was pointless to post any here because anybody who reads this is more than likely a Facebook friend of mine. So having said that, I decided maybe I can use the blog to showcase what little creativity I have in me. I cannot draw a stick man, I cannot sew a stitch, in fact, I don't think I iron correctly. BUT what I can do is cook. And I don't mean that as in I'm the next potential Food Network Star, no, I mean, I enjoy doing it, am willing to search high and low for a recipe and will try cooking anything. So I guess you can say I have the passion, but maybe not 100% of the talent. My mom does, however, and she can just make up a dish and it is always delicious. My biggest challenge these days is finding the time and energy to cook a full meal. I will gladly admit that Alston has had instant mac-n-cheese and green beans straight out of the can many times. She actually prefers green beans out of the can as opposed to say, fresh green beans with tomato sauce, garlic, sauteed shallots, fresh basil........but I digress.

Any of you who know me know that I am obsessed with this girl:

This is Giada De Laurentiis, Food Network star of Everyday Italian and Giada at Home. She is my all-time favorite and I LOVE her recipes. If I had to choose a celebrity to meet, it would more than likely be her. I will have much more to say about her in a later blog post.

When Alston first started eating table food at about nine months old, for some reason, I had made meat loaf that day and so I let her try it and she LOVED it. Meat loaf is part of my childhood, of course like most southerners, but the only kind I had had was the one with the ketchup-y sweet topping. I made it for Jeff soon after we got married, and if anyone knows Jeff, you know he is NOT a fan of sweet stuff mixed with savory. So here is how I changed it up.

Anyone know her?

Yeah, she rules. I use her Basic Meat Loaf recipe from her very first cookbook. I have changed the topping, however, so I will add that as well. The topping recipe is from the Winning Seasons cookbook from The Junior League of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It is the topping that actually goes with an Italian Meat Loaf recipe, but I only use the topping.

Basic Meat Loaf:
1 lb ground beef (I use ground sirloin because it is juicier)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (I just use a sprinkling of Kosher salt)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (the finer the chopped, the better, according to my husband)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (see above)
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice (I just use half of a 14 oz can that has the basil, garlic or whichever Italian herbs in it)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2-3 drops Tabasco sauce (or whichever hot sauce you have on hand)
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf. Bake loaf for 30 minutes, pour topping on and cook 30 minutes more.


I'm kind of obsessed with these ovens.


I mix the topping together in this glass measuring bowl. Since it has a spout, all I have to do is pull the oven rack out and pour the topping on.


I know meat loaf isn't the most photogenic dish, but the only reason I put this on here is for those of you who have had the old-school ketchup topping. Doesn't this look better? Okay, it may still photograph badly, but it really is good. It's on the menu at the McLane house at least twice a month!!!