Earlier this month, I made one our fave comfort meals, Mary’s Meatloaf.
The thing was, even with my mom-in-law staying with us, that eight inch square pan o’ tasty meatloaf, was too much for us. and my husband is not a huge fan of leftovers (or meatloaf sammiches), so I went on to da google to see what I could do.
Spaghetti sauce was out, my mom-in-law finds pasta a bit of a challenge, but, hey, leftover meatloaf soup?
Yeh! We can do this!
INGREDIENTS
•Leftover meatloaf, chopped
•1 tbsp olive oil
•1 onion, diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes
•2 cups chicken stock
•2 cups beef stock
•1 bag frozen pearl onions
•1 bag frozen peas and carrots
•1 bay leaf
•1 tsp Italian seasoning
•1 tsp dried parsley
•1 tsp seasoned pepper
•1/2 tsp dried Thai basil
•1/2 tsp steak seasoning
•Tortellini
•1 tbsp Sherry vinegar
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Add the olive oil to a large pan over medium heat, then add the diced onion and Sherry Peppers Sauce.
Cook, stirring often, for about ten minutes, until the onions are tender.
Add the tomatoes, chicken and beef stock, the pearl onions and peas and carrots.
Add the seasonings and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for twenty minutes.
Stir in the crumbled meatloaf and the pasta, return to a boil, then cover and simmer for another twenty minutes, until the tortellini is tender and the soup is nicely heated.
Give the soup a taste and, as I do with most any soup or stew, stir in one tablespoon of sherry vinegar before serving.
Nice.
This is one of those “impossible” pies, made with biscuit mix and cooked ground beef and eggs and cheese and milk and such.
Credit where it is due, the entire series of “Impossible” pies comes to us from the nice folx at Bisquick. For this batch, I was looking for Krusteaz version of the mix, but the market I was in only had Bisquick and this Old Country Store mix, which I opted to try out.
INGREDIENTS
Batter:
*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.
Whisk the eggs together with the milk and the hot sauce in a bowl, then stir in the biscuit mix in increments, I went 1/4 cup at a time, and stir until blended.
Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and scatter the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
So, no. This is not an authentic recipe.
Imma keep making this soup; just not so much for her anymore.
INGREDIENTS
To start with, I began my version by sneaking in extra veggies, by was of sautéeing some coleslaw mix and baby spinach in a tablespoon of olive oil until the cabbage is wilted.
Slowly whisk about 1/4 cup of the soup into the frothed egg until well blended. This will keep the egg from curdling and give your finished soup a creamy texture.
A friend had posted an old picture of friends enjoying the local barbecued chicken back when they lived on Guam and well…
The original also called for drumsticks and/or thighs, but allowed as how boneless/skinless was an option, and, since my mom-in-law is with us for a while, I went for chicken tenders, because they are just easier for her.
Also, too, since it is January and we live in far northeastern Illinois, I opted for air frying in place of grilling. Friends of ours are wicked hardy and will grill in a blizzard.
Marinade:
Whisk the marinade ingredients together, then pour over the chicken pieces in a bowl or gallon-sized zipper bag.
Stash in the fridge for at least two or, far more better, up to 24 hours; giving the chicken a stir or (if in that zipper bag), a flip or three when you think to.
Heat your air fryer to 400º.
Now is when we add the bonus hit of flavor.
When I first came across this idea on 
I thought it worked a treat.
Drain the spinach really well on a colander, and then, using your hands, squeeze the spinach really well to get out as much excess liquid as you have the patience for.
Melt the butter in a large pot (that is an eight ounce stick of Irish butter, so two sticks of regular.
Happy New Year!
For roast beef?
INGREDIENTS
Note: I used a rump roast this time, and, it was good, but I will try another cut next.
When ready to roast, heat your oven to 325º, line a roasting pan with enough foil to tent loosely over the roast, and place the roast in the pan.
In the 1980’s, I headed to my parents’ house in Florida for the holidaze armed with Parade Magazine loaded with Julia Child’s ideas for a feast worthy of the daze.
INGREDIENTS
Place the orange and lemon zest in a small food processor with the 1/3 cup of sugar and pulse until pulverized.
Add the pulverized sugar and zest mixture and the remaining ingredients.
Check out this sauce!
INGREDIENTS
•1 tbsp 
Add the wine, turning the heat to high and scraping up any bits of onion stuck to the bottom of the pan.
INGREDIENTS
•1 tbsp 
Slice into the sausages and remove the casings. Add to the food processor along with the ground pork and pulse until well and truly blended.
Remove from the oven and set aside to rest while you make the sauce.
For my final canning project of this holidaze season, I set about making what I call Ciao! Picollo, which is a mélange of pickled cauliflower, cabbage, bell peppers, jalapeños, onion, and garlic.
and chopped case at my local market’s produce section.
INGREDIENTS
Note: don’t fret too much if even your largest pot is looking to be filled to over flowing; all those veggies will cook down as you go.
Note: I use my dishwasher’s “sanitize” cycle to sterilize my canning jars, but you can just boil them in the water bath for ten minutes before draining and filling.