Stocking the Freezer

Some of the things on my list this past weekend were a few grocery items that I needed in order to stock the freezer.

On Monday morning I made a double batch of meatloaf. Here is the recipe I used.

Dan Willis’ Balsamic Meatloaf

3 T olive oil

1 large zucchini, finely diced 2 pounds ground beef

1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 C bread crumbs

1 yellow pepper, finely diced ½ C grated Parmesan cheese

5 cloves garlic, pressed or 1 cup ketchup, divided

smashed to a paste ¼ C plus 2 T balsamic vinegar

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 T finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 425^o F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and thyme in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 TB of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables, and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf in a glass pan. (This recipe could ruin a metal pan.) Line with aluminum foil for easier cleanup. Whisk together the remaining ketchup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl.

Spoon some of the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1.25 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining ketchup/balsamic mixture.

On Tuesday morning I made spaghetti sauce. Here is the recipe I used.

Spaghetti Sauce

4 (14oz) cans diced tomatoes-crush with hand blender

4 (15oz) cans tomato sauce

4 (6oz) cans tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 t salt

¾ t pepper

1 T dried oregano-crush in hand or with mortar and pestle

3 T dried parsley-crush in hand or with mortar and pestle

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

Saute’ onion and garlic in olive oil. Cook all ingredients in a crock-pot all day.

On Wednesday morning I cooked ground beef, added chopped vegetables, and taco seasoning.

We now have a stocked freezer. Come on travel call!