Meatloaf with a Twist

 

I grew up hating meatloaf. Whenever my mother would proudly announce she had made a meatloaf, I cringed. What she really meant was she put some ground beef and seasoning in a casserole and baked it. When it was done, she set it on the table, and my brother and I got to watch all the fat from the beef floating in the casserole. Had I known more about cooking then, I would have recommended that she transfer the cooked meatloaf to a clean serving plate, leaving the fat behind.

Mom Cooking Tip 179

 

Can you help?  I made a stand-alone stuffing in a casserole dish instead of inside the turkey at Thanksgiving, and the stuffing turned out mushy.  I want to try again during the Christmas holidays, but this time I'd like the stuffing to be crisp.  What do you suggest? --Ellen S.

I can offer two thoughts.  

1) When you are baking the stuffing in the casserole dish, remove the lid or aluminum foil covering the stuffing about 20 minutes before it's fully cooked.  This will allow the steam to escape and the stuffing to crisp up.

2) If you are cooking onions and celery to combine with the stuffing before baking, add the dry stuffing to the vegetable mixture before adding any broth or water.  Gently stir.  This way only a small amount of stuffing will be inundated with liquid, and the rest will have a chance to crisp up.  For extra flavor, dot the top layer of stuffing with a few spoonfuls of butter before baking.

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Dinner from the Deli Counter

 

Ham BBQ sandwiches have long been a family favorite, but I seldom make them.  I’m not sure why.  They are a direct link to my own childhood, when my mother would occasionally take my brother and me out to lunch at Isaly’s, an East Coast family restaurant/delicatessen chain that served Chipped Ham Sandwiches.  At the end of the meal she would buy a pound of paper-thin slices of ham to take home.

Why Make More Work for Myself in the Kitchen?

Turkeyburgers with BBQ Sauce

I decided the other morning that I would serve turkeyburgers for Sunday dinner.  It’s one of the few meals that everyone but the family vegetarian likes. 

I prefer making small burgers because ground turkey is easier to cook thoroughly that way.  No rare turkeyburgers at my table

Mom Cooking Tip 169

When you don't have quite enough food to feed your guests, serve smaller portions.  I was making turkey burgers for 4 and 2 extra people turned up at the last minute.  Luckily I had a package of 12 small buns in the freezer.  Somehow I made 20 mini-burgers out of 20 ounces of ground turkey.  Everyone seemed thrilled with 2 burgers plus a burger without a bun.

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Question for Mom

When I roast a whole chicken or turkey, how thoroughly should I scrub the insides before cooking it? –Virginia C.

You should not scrub the insides or even rinse the chicken because water destroys some of the flavor.  The roasting process will kill any bacteria. 

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Are You an Old-Fashioned Cook?

I am an old-fashioned cook.  Many of us are when holiday dining is involved.  I’ve eaten turkey on Christmas all my life, and even though it’s a big, messy meal I would feel terrible eating anything else.

If I want to add something new to the holiday menu, I might choose a new side dish—maybe Honeyed Sweet Potatoes along with the mashed potatoes.

When I Learned to Love Spaghetti and Meatballs

Growing up in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania meant different foods served at dinner, depending on where your parents came from.  My little town, about 15 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh, included many nationalities, drawn to the coal mining and steel working opportunities.

Thus was I introduced to Syrian sandwiches, made on bread much thicker and fresher than today’s packaged and often tasteless pita bread.  Or I might have been served that Polish classic, sauerkraut and kielbasa (sausage), or sticks of Greek souvlakia (aka shish kebab).  Or if I were eating at my grandmother’s house, I could count on boiled chicken.

I loved them all, but my favorite food from that time was Spaghetti and Meatballs.

It’s Time to Take Turkey Leftovers Out of the Freezer

After gorging on turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I got truly sick of it.  That’s why I carefully packaged up the leftovers and popped them in the freezer for a day when I’d appreciate them. 

Well, that day arrived.  After rummaging through an overcrowded freezer, I was actually excited to see a package labeled Christmas Turkey Leftovers.  A few nights ago I made Turkey Stuffed Tortillas--cut up pieces of turkey as a filling for a heated tortilla, topped with grated cheese, guacamole and salsa.

Then I used up some more

Mom Money-Saving Tip 89

Roast Pork Loin

Roasts provide lots of meals.  Buy them when they’re on sale, cook them and then freeze half the leftovers.  Use the rest for sandwiches, cut up in tortillas or soup or a simple repeat of your original dinner.  I just bought a 4-pound pork loin roast for $10 and used some of the leftovers for Cuban Sandwiches.  

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Mom Cooking Tip 129

Draft an ice cream scoop to shape meatballs or burgers, keeping your hands out of raw ground meat.

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Mom Cooking Tip 128

Here’s the perfect device to help you get rid of hot turkey fat on Thanksgiving: a specially designed cup with a low spout.  Transfer the liquid at the bottom of the roasting pan into this cup.  The fat will rise to the top, allowing you to pour the remaining fat-free liquid into a pot or bowl for use as needed when making gravy.  Dispose of the leftover fat in an empty can.

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The Healthy Reuben Bagel

There’s nothing like biting into a Reuben Sandwich and having corned beef juice dribbling down your face and sauerkraut falling into your lap.  The Reuben Sandwich of my dreams is so stuffed with these ingredients, plus melted Swiss cheese and Russian dressing on rye bread, that I can barely get it into my mouth.

I happily dealt with that problem for years until I decided that too much fatty meat was not good for me.  So I gave up eating Reuben Sandwiches. But I never forgot the taste.

Then I bought a dozen mixed bagels and discovered a rye bagel in the bag.  “Aha!” I thought.  “Time for a Reuben Sandwich.”

Question for Mom

Why do recipes say that roasted meat and poultry should rest for at least 15 minutes when they come out of the oven? - Angie P.

Resting time allows the juices to settle back into the cooked meat or poultry and also makes carving easier.
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Mom Cooking Tip 116

Uncooked Turkey Burger

I’ve offered this tip before, but it bears repeating on the 4^th of July.  If you are grilling turkey burgers and want to make sure they are fully cooked without burning them, do this:

Grill them for a few minutes per side, making sure they are beginning to brown and have grill marks.  Then transfer them to a roasting pan or sheet pan and bake them at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until the juice they exude is no longer pink.  Turkey burgers should never be served rare.

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Remember Recipe Cards?

Back when I first started cooking, some grocery stores offered free recipe cards.  They were made of heavy-duty paper, cut into a 3” x 5” shape so they would fit into a wooden or metal recipe box.  On one side would be a detailed recipe and on the other a picture of the end result.  The cards were marketing tools.  If the picture looked attractive and the recipe called for a pound of stewing beef, why not buy some right now?

Revisiting Old Favorites

Ground Turkey Stroganoff

My tastes have changed.  I began to realize this when leafing through a collection of old recipes, looking for something different to cook. 

I stumbled on Hamburger Stroganoff, a dish I made regularly when I was first out of college.  When I read the list of ingredients, though, I began having second thoughts.  I don’t eat ground beef any more, and I stopped using canned cream of anything soup years ago.

Emergency: Bring on the Ground Turkey

I try to make a list before I go get groceries, although sometimes I leave the list on the counter.  Other times I’m in the store looking at the list and somehow failing to see one of the items I’ve written down.  I have yet to understand why that happens.  I’ve just been to the eye doctor, and I am not going blind.

Maybe to compensate, I always buy a package of ground turkey when it’s on sale—even if it’s not on my list.  I probably just forgot to write it down.

What Makes a Sandwich?

Cuban Sandwich

Did you ever hear of a Spaghetti Sandwich?  How about a Chip Sandwich (aka Chip Butty or French Fry Sandwich)?  These used to be food staples on British film sets—served to starving actors and crew members, often during shoots in the middle of the night. 

Kale: What Is It and How Do I Cook It?

You’ve probably seen kale at the salad bar—not necessarily in the salads but underneath the salads.  It’s practically indestructible and also cheap, with thick stems and strong, curly leaves. 

Kale is often a deep green, but it can also have some purple or blue streaks.  It’s sold in bunches in the fresh vegetable sections of most stores, and it holds up well in the fridge.  Avoid bunches that look dried out or have yellowish leaves.