The arrival of cool fall weather means a few different things to me. One, it means an end to the dreadfully hot Phoenix summers, and two, it means that I can once again eat things like hot oatmeal for breakfast without sweating over the bowl!
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When I was growing up, I don’t really recall eating a lot of meatloaf. It’s a very basic, homey kind of dish, yet I do not have a lot of memories of my mom cooking it for dinner.
Once I started cooking on my own, it was not a dish I would have chosen if I had my pick. Red meat, while tasty, has never been my go-to entree of choice, primarily because I’d rather have something more healthy and more vegetable-heavy. For better or worse, ground beef is always generally inexpensive and that’s a definite plus when shopping on my limited budget. Save for the rest of the ingredients, which are generally pantry staples, one meatloaf runs a little over 4 bucks and can serve almost as many people. It’s great because you can still turn out an easy, delicious meal when hard times are upon you. I’m glad I decided to embrace the humble dish that is meatloaf. Now, it’s one of my bi-weekly staples for dinner, and I just love it. Try this version and I dare you to tell me that you don’t also love it!
I know this is the second post on potatoes in about as many days, but can you blame me? Potatoes are just so damned tasty. Mashed potatoes are one of those foods that I could just eat for the entire meal. It wouldn’t be balanced, for sure, but it would be a meal! They’re the best kind of comfort food. Warm, filling, with a hit of butter for good measure. I always used to make my mashed potatoes with the standard butter and milk, but then I started replacing half the milk with sour cream. They was good, but not great. It was when I used all sour cream and no milk, that I was finally satisfied with my mashed potatoes. These are creamy and slightly tangy, rich but not overwhelmingly so. Perfect with any meal, or as a meal in themselves if you’re so inclined. Don’t worry, I won’t tell.
If I had to say which side dish I cook the most, it would definitely be potatoes. They’re cheap, taste great, are quick to cook, and don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients to make them taste fantastic — salt and pepper is generally all they really need, and maybe a bit of butter if you feel like gilding the lily.
Both food snobs and picky eaters alike can find something to love in potatoes. One such satisfying dish is these simple roasted baby potatoes. They’ve got the necessary salt and pepper, as well as some fresh rosemary and garlic to punch them up a bit. Since the little potatoes are left whole, the outside takes on a slightly crispy texture, absorbing all the herbs and all that tasty fresh garlic. The insides stay perfectly creamy and soft, with nothing but earthy potato flavor.
These little taters are very simple to prepare and will do just fine left to their own devices in a hot oven while you prepare the rest of dinner on the stove. They are excellent with roast chicken, and would be equally welcome with a good steak and a simple salad. My favorite accompaniment for these guys? Just a bowl and a fork, thank-you-very-much.
oven + apron 