I wanted to share my sister Cindy's meatloaf recipe with you today. My sister makes the best meatloaf. Everyone loves it. She adds a secret ingredient to it which sounds a bit unusual. Bisquick Baking Mix.
Yes, you read that right. Bisquick Baking Mix. It does sound like a rather odd addition, and I was quite sceptical about it until I tasted her meatloaf. It was fantastic and had the loveliest flavor and texture. I was sold! Best meatloaf I had ever eaten.
You can also make your own copycat recipe. I do and I keep it in the freezer. You can find my recipe for that here. I've been making my own for years.
Anyways, my sister's meatloaf is one of the best meatloaves you could ever want to taste. Using simple ingredients as well. You just mix and shape and bake. The glaze is entirely optional and something which I add because my family always enjoyed a glaze on meatloaf.
You can enjoy this without the glaze or with. It's entirely up to you. Some people like this with a gravy and others enjoy it plain with a dollop of ketchup on the size for dipping.
Meatloaf was not something I ever enjoyed when I was growing up. I think that was because our mom always bought the cheapest ground beef. Loaded with fat and gristle and sometimes bone. If there was anything nasty in it, it always landed on my plate. Seriously. I hated anything my mother made with ground beef for that very reason.
Today I buy a locally sourced, free range grass-feed ground beef and it is lovely. Not too fatty. I have never come across anything nasty in it. I am enjoying ground beef now like I was never able to when I was a child.
In any case, I do hope you will give this delicious meatloaf a go. I think you will be suitably impressed! Maybe it will even become a favorite with your family. Simple ingredients, put together in the most delicious way.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CINDY'S MEATLOAF
The secret ingredient to my sister's meatloaf recipe is the addition of Bisquick baking mix. No worries if you can't get it. I have included the link to my homemade recipe for it on the recipe card. You can also find the recipe here. Make Your Own Baking Mix
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
For the optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
I used Heinz tomato ketchup. There are no other kinds. (LOL)
My sister doesn't put a glaze on the meatloaf when she makes it. This is my addition. My family always enjoyed a sweetish glaze on their meatloaf.
HOW TO MAKE CINDY'S MEATLOAF
This old family favorite is very simple to make and something which our family has been enjoying for many years.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap and spray a shallow casserole dish that is large enough to hold the meatloaf with baking spray. Alternately butter it.
Crumble the beef into a bowl. Add the onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato ketchup and Bisquick baking mix. Mix lightly together without over-mixing, but do make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf pan and press it down lightly smoothing over the top. Tip it out into the baking dish. Discard the plastic wrap.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While it is baking whisk the glaze ingredients together until well combined.
Spoon the glaze over top and brush it over with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. (If not doing the glaze leave to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.)
Cut into thick slices to serve.
This meatloaf is a real family favorite. Everyone loves it. I thought that you would love it also and so I got the recipe from my sister to share it with you. The leftovers make great sandwiches as well, hot or cold!
I enjoyed this meatloaf today with some scalloped potatoes and steamed carrots and broccoli. It was a hearty and delicious dinner that I really enjoyed. I sent some over to my next-door neighbor for her to enjoy also, and I will freeze the rest to use at a future date.
Ground Beef is such a versatile ingredient and often one of the more inexpensive options. Here are a few other ways that we enjoy using it in our kitchen!
GROUND BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP - This delicious soup can be on the table in about half an hour. It is hearty and loaded with beef, vegetables and barley in a delicious broth. Nothing could be simpler, faster or tastier! This soup spells winner to me! We like to enjoy it with either crackers or crusty rolls.
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE - This is an excellent, from scratch Bolognese sauce, and is the result of probably thirty or so years of my trial and testing of what worked for me and what didn't. The secret is to brown the meat, onions and garlic off and then add the wine and allow it to almost evaporate until adding the remaining ingredients. This really concentrates the essence of the wine into the flavor of the sauce and makes for a really delicious result.
Yield: Serves 4
Cindy's Meatloaf
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
This is the recipe that my sister uses to make her meatloaf. It always turns out delicious and everyone loves it. She doesn't add a glaze, that's my addition, and it's completely optional.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
For the optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap and spray a shallow casserole dish that is large enough to hold the meatloaf with baking spray. Alternately butter it.
- Crumble the beef into a bowl. Add the onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato ketchup and Bisquick baking mix. Mix lightly together without over-mixing, but do make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf pan and press it down lightly smoothing over the top. Tip it out into the baking dish. Discard the plastic wrap.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While it is baking whisk the glaze ingredients together until well combined.
- Spoon the glaze over top and brush it over with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. (If not doing the glaze leave to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.)
- Cut into thick slices to serve.
Notes
I have an excellent recipe on making your own baking mix which you can find here. It is excellent. It makes a fair bit, but it can be frozen, and you can use it to make pancakes, biscuits, waffles, etc. I also have quite a few recipes on here that use it. Here are just a few:
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
I am really excited to share this Brioche Bread Recipe with you today. I am not a person who is really very good at making bread. I have always said I make better doorstops than bread, but this recipe, which I adapted from one I found on a page called Hostess at Heart promised to be simple and easy to make.
Brioche bread, for those who are not familiar with it, is an enriched type of French bread. It is rich with sugar and butter and eggs. Unlike a typical French loaf, it has a melt in the mouth crust and a slightly sweet and rich taste. It is perfect to enjoy just as is but really excels when used for making bread puddings or French toast!
It is known for its rich golden color, soft texture and slightly sweet taste. In short, it is delicious!
I never ever thought that I would be able to make a great Brioche loaf, but today I proved myself wrong. This came out beautiful. It might not have been the most attractive loaf to look at, but the texture, crust and flavor were all spot on!
I think the next time I make it will make it into a more conventional loaf shape. You will often see it as round loaves as well with a little topknot on top, baked in fluted round baking tins. I have some small round individual ones which might be fun to try next time.
I do hope you will give this a go, however. If I can make it and have it turn out as good as it has, then anyone can! Trust me on this. This is very easy to make and incredibly delicious!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE EASY BRIOCHE BREAD
Just a few simple baking cupboard ingredients and a bit of time.
- 4 cups (397.5g) white bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 TBS butter, softened
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
You can use regular flour, but bread flour will be better as it had more gluten in it. You can use instant yeast if that is all you have, bearing in mind that your dough will rise quicker.
It is quite a few egg yolks, but don't worry about wasting the whites. You can freeze them. I like to freeze them in individual ice cube trays, one white per ice cube hole. Then I pop then out and into an airtight container ready to thaw out and use whenever I need egg whites. This comes in very handy if you are wanting to make an angel food cake, meringues or a pavlova.
I just used regular butter. I did not find it to be very salty. If you do by all means use unsalted butter. I just choose to keep one kind of butter in my house all the time, salted. I have never noticed anything I make with it to come out overly salty and I am a person who does not salt their food so I would notice if things were too salty.
HOW TO MAKE EASY BRIOCHE BREAD
When I tell you this is really easy to make, I am not kidding. I am not a great bread baker and if I can make this successfully, anyone can!
Stir the yeast into the warm milk and leave it to sit and prove for about 5 minute or so. It should dissolve and get foamy. If you don't have regular dry yeast you can use instant yeast, but it will rise faster.
Measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer and give it a good whisk together. (You will need the dough hook.)
Working on low speed, slowly add the yeast mixture. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing only until just combined before you add the next one.
Add the softened butter, 1/2 TBS at a time. Continue mixing on low until the dough starts to come together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too dry you may need to add a bit more milk. (I did, but you won't and shouldn't need much. This is supposed to be a somewhat stiffish dough.)
Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times into a soft dough ball. Spray a large bowl with some baking spray. Add the dough ball, cover tightly with plastic cling film and then set aside in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and knock it down. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin with some baking spray and place the dough balls into the tin. Cover with some plastic cling film and set aside in a warm place for a further one hour to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. The egg wash should be nice and shiny.
Tip out of the pan onto a wire rack. The bottom should sound a bit hollow when you knock it with your knuckles. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
HELPFUL NOTES AND TIPS
Make sure your milk is not too hot when you add the yeast to it. It should be not much warmer than blood temperature, meaning you can comfortably stick your finger in it. If it is too hot it will kill your yeast.
I like to sit mine on top of the stove to prove. Usually, I will have had something cooking in the oven so it is a nice warm spot for it to rise. You can also heat your oven to 175*F/80*C and turn it off, then place your covered dough into the oven. This works well.
If you only have instant yeast, you can use it instead of regular yeast. Use the same quantities. Bear in mind that it will rise faster.
Cut finished bread with a serrated knife.
Store any leftovers in an airtight bag. It will keep for up to 4 days.
You can also shape the dough into burger buns.
You can freeze this bread in an airtight bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when you are ready to eat it.
I was absolutely thrilled with how this came out. I am nowhere near being a great bread baker from scratch without using my bread machine. I had my doubts as to if this was going to work or not as I thought the dough was rather stiff, but all my doubts were for naught because I ended up with a beautiful loaf!
It is light and fluffy with a beautiful tight crumb and texture. The crust is lovely and crisp, melt in the mouth. The bread itself almost melts in the mouth. I can't wait to make some French toast with it!
Nothing is more delicious than a homemade loaf of bread or some fresh homemade rolls. Here are a few others that we enjoy!
BEST LION HOUSE DINNER ROLLS - These are delicious rolls made famous by the Lion House Pantry Restaurant in Salt Lake City. They are amazingly light and fluffy. My personal favorite to bake for any holiday.
OATMEAL BATTER BREAD - If the thought of making a yeast bread scares you, there is no better loaf to try out first than a batter bread. They go together easily with no kneading required. Usually just a hand mixer works fine. This is a particularly delicious loaf, slightly sweet from the use of molasses with a distinct nutty flavor from the oats. This is very simple to make.
Yield: One large loaf (9 X 5-inch)
Easy Brioche Bread
Prep time: 25 MinCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 2 HourTotal time: 3 Hour
Soft and fluffy with a buttery melt in the mouth texture and a beautiful flavor. It is helpful to have a stand mixer for this recipe, but not necessary if you have the time and will to knead everything together on your own.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (397.5g) white bread flour
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 tsp salt (I use kosher)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) whole milk, warmed
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 TBS butter, softened
- 1 beaten egg for brushing
Instructions
- Stir the yeast into the warm milk and leave it to sit and prove for about 5 minute or so. It should dissolve and get foamy. If you don't have regular dry yeast you can use instant yeast, but it will rise faster.
- Measure the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of your stand mixer and give it a good whisk together. (You will need the dough hook.)
- Working on low speed, slowly add the yeast mixture. Mix on low for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing only until just combined before you add the next one.
- Add the softened butter, 1/2 TBS at a time. Continue mixing on low until the dough starts to come together and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough seems too dry you may need to add a bit more milk. (I did, but you won't and shouldn't need much. This is supposed to be a somewhat stiffish dough.)
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times into a soft dough ball. Spray a large bowl with some baking spray. Add the dough ball, cover tightly with plastic cling film and then set aside in a warm place to rise. It should double in size.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, remove it from the bowl and knock it down. Divide it into 8 equal pieces and shape each into a ball.
- Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf tin with some baking spray and place the dough balls into the tin. Cover with some plastic cling film and set aside in a warm place for a further one hour to rise.
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Brush the top of the loaf with the beaten egg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. The egg wash should be nice and shiny.
- Tip out of the pan onto a wire rack. The bottom should sound a bit hollow when you knock it with your knuckles. Leave to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing to serve.
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Another cheap, cheerful and easy dish sized for two to three people to share with you today. Chicken Parmesan Mac & Cheese. I saw this recipe on This Is Not Diet Food and was instantly intrigued. It sounded too good to pass by!
But to be honest, most of the recipes on that blog sound too good to pass by! It is definitely not diet food for sure. Everything looks delicious! But once in a blue moon, it never hurts to indulge a tiny bit.
It has been quite a while since I have wanted to make or eat Chicken Parmesan. I got food poisoning once, about 10 years ago after eating some and it had not appealed to me since. I was actually quite surprised when I found myself wanting to make this!
It makes use of frozen popcorn chicken, which I did not have. I did have some leftover chicken strips however and so I heated them up and used them in the place of the popcorn chicken. I cut them into bite sized pieces.
I also didn't have the soup required for the cheese sauce, but I substituted it with something which I think was even better. (See below.)
This was a hearty and delicious casserole that would be great for two hearty eaters, or three smaller eaters. Especially if you add a salad to enjoy on the side. Eating a salad on the side might actually help you to feel a tiny bit more virtuous and make up for the cream in the sauce, lol. (Let's not go there!)
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN PARMESAN MAC & CHEESE (small batch)
This is a bit of a cheat in that it uses a few store cupboard ingredients, but once in a while I don't see a problem with that! Do YOU? We do what we can.
- 1/4 pound (4 ounces/113g) frozen popcorn chicken
- 1 1/3 cups (320ml) water
- 2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream
- 6 ounces (170g) macaroni (scant 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 ounces (170g) processed cheese spread (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 TBS onion powder (not salt)
- 1/2 TBS garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups (148g) grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (123g) marinara sauce, or to taste
I will admit I toyed with using boxed macaroni and cheese, but that would have been going too far down the convenience rabbit hole, besides I have lots of pasta and stuff that needs using.
I used whipping cream/heavy cream. (35% fat) The original recipe had used condensed cheddar cheese soup. I did not have any of that, but felt that cheese whiz cheese spread would be a great substitute, and it worked out beautifully. If you use the soup, you will need roughly 1/3 of the tin. Using cheese whiz meant I did not have to open a tin of soup and then decide what I was going to do with the rest of it.
I was a bit worried at the amount of garlic powder and onion powder, but it worked fine. Just make sure you use the powders and not the salts.
True disclosure here, I used a four cheese Italian blend which had Mozzarella, Emmenthal, Provolone and Parmesan cheese in it. It worked beautifully.
I used a good jarred Marinara sauce. You can always freeze the bit that you don't need to use another time. It freezes very well.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN PARMESAN MAC & CHEESE
This was really easy to make. What I loved about it was that there was no need to make a separate cheese sauce for the macaroni. It all cooks together in one pot, ready to spread out in the baking dish.
Cook your popcorn chicken according to the package directions. Make sure your oven is preheated to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. While the chicken is cooking make the macaroni and cheese.
(I had a quantity of leftover chicken fingers from the other day and so I just reheated them in the oven while I was preheating it and then cut them into thirds with a pair of kitchen scissors. If you don't have or don't like popcorn chicken you could use chicken fingers, either cut up or kept whole, or you could even use two breaded chicken breast fillets cooked according to the package directions and just keep them whole and proceed as per the recipe for topping, etc.)
Measure the water and cream into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and then stir in the macaroni, making sure the macaroni is completely submerged.
Cover and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender. Do not drain.
Stir in the cheese spread, garlic and onion powders, salt and black pepper. Stir in 1 cup (111g) of the Mozzarella cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese.
Butter a 9 by 4-inch baking dish. Spread the macaroni and cheese in the dish evenly. Place the cooked popcorn chicken evenly spaced on top.
Drizzle the marinara sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the remainder of the Mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 13 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown and everything is heated through.
Divide between two (three) heated dinner plates and enjoy!
This was relatively easy to make and was a great way to use up my leftover chicken strips. (I cut them into pieces and reheated in the oven until hot.) The macaroni and cheese itself was fabulous. It was rich and delicious, and I could see it being enjoyed all on its own.
I would make this again. I think my family would really enjoy this, especially my daughter and son-in-law! A tossed salad goes very well on the side, and if you are a true carboholic you would probably enjoy some garlic bread.
If you are a fan of the pasta bake, you might also enjoy the following tasty options which are perfectly sized for the smaller family. You can of course double the recipes to feed more people.
DUMP AND BAKE MEATBALL CASSEROLE - No fuss, no muss deliciousness sized for two people, with a marinara sauce and pasta base, topped with delicious meatballs and ooey gooey cheese. Simple and tasty!
EASY CHICKEN & BROCCOLI PASTA BAKE - Creamy, cozy and healthy, this delicious casserole makes a fabulous weeknight dinner. This is a perfect casserole to help get some broccoli into your diet. Quick and easy to make as well.
MACARONI CHEESE & TOMATO BAKE FOR TWO - This one is from my own cookbook, The English Kitchen. What you have here is a base of pasta in a deliciously simple tomato sauce. A rich and cheesy bechamel sauce gets slathered on top and then you crush some cracker crumbs over top of that. Small batched to feed two people, this is an old family favorite!
Yield: 2 -3 servings (depending on appetites)
Chicken Parmesan Mac & Cheese (small batch)
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 45 Min
This is a hearty and delicious pasta bake that boasts a rich macaroni and cheese base, topped with popcorn chicken, marinara sauce and more cheese!
Ingredients
- 1/4 pound (4 ounces/113g) frozen popcorn chicken
- 1 1/3 cups (320ml) water
- 2/3 cup (160ml) heavy cream
- 6 ounces (170g) macaroni (scant 1 1/2 cups)
- 6 ounces (170g) processed cheese spread (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 TBS onion powder (not salt)
- 1/2 TBS garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups (148g) grated Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup (123g) marinara sauce, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook your popcorn chicken according to the package directions. Make sure your oven is preheated to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. While the chicken is cooking make the macaroni and cheese.
- Measure the water and cream into a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil and then stir in the macaroni, making sure the macaroni is completely submerged.
- Cover and turn the heat down to medium low. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the macaroni is tender. Do not drain.
- Stir in the cheese spread, garlic and onion powders, salt and black pepper. Stir in 1 cup (111g) of the Mozzarella cheese and all of the Parmesan cheese.
- Butter a 9 by 4-inch baking dish. Spread the macaroni and cheese in the dish evenly. Place the cooked popcorn chicken evenly spaced on top.
- Drizzle the marinara sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the remainder of the Mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered, for 13 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted on top and is beginning to brown and everything is heated through.
- Divide between two (three) heated dinner plates and enjoy!
This content (written and photography) is the sole property of The English Kitchen. Any reposting or misuse is not permitted. If you are reading this elsewhere, please know that it is stolen content and you may report it to me at: mariealicejoan at aol dot com
Thanks for visiting! Do come again!!
If you like what you see here, why not consider signing up for my newsletter and/or subscribing/following me on Grow. You can also bookmark my recipes via the Grow platform. Check out the heart on the right hand side of the screen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Social Icons