This is Primal - Meat Loaf and Mashed "Potatoes"

As the weather has turned colder, comfort foods have been my family's cravings.  I must confess that this has made it quite challenging to stay primal.  There is something about a chill in the air that makes me want to head to the kitchen and start baking:  bread, cakes, pies, cookies...the works.   While I haven't been able to resist the siren's song entirely, I've been more successful than I would have imagined with a view traditional dishes.  This one, "Meat Loaf Muffins and Mashed "Potatoes"" turned out to be an resounding success.  (No, seriously, the kids fought over the leftovers the next day!)  Best of all, this one of those really simple meals...no wonder our moms always made meatloaf...notice, however, that there is no ketchup to be found here...I used to hate meatloaf!

So, with no further introduction, here is the recipe I used for my Primal Meat Loaf Muffins and Mashed "Potatoes".

Meat Loaf - makes 12 muffins
(Modified from my previously shared recipe for mini meatloaves.)

One package (roughly a pound) of ground turkey (any ground meat will do)
cupcake liners
cupcake pan

1 egg
1/2 cup of almond flour
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

grated cheese (optional)







1)  Mix together all the ingredients above.  Just use your hands...it is gross, but most effective.  Take your scooper or a big spoon and fill the muffin tin.

2)  Bake for 1/2 hour (or until meat is done)

3)  Turn off oven.  Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each muffin and place back in oven to melt.  Once the cheese has melted, serve the muffins.

Mashed "Potatoes"

One head of cauliflower


1/4 cup of sour cream
1/3 stick of butter
salt and pepper


1)  Get a pot of water boiling.








2)  Cut the stem off the cauliflower until you're left with only the florets. 

3)  Boil the cauliflower until it is tender, then drain.  (This is really important.  Drain very, very well or you'll have watery "potatoes".)

4)  Pour into mixing bowl and add in sour cream, butter, salt and pepper.  Using hand mixer, beat the cauliflower until creamy. 

5)  Serve.

There you have it.  A perfectly primal meal for a crisp autumn evening.  Simple, traditional, and, most importantly, really good.  (Oh, and in case you're wondering...I don't have a picture of the plated meal because my kids couldn't wait long enough for me to set it up.  "Mom, we're hungry!")

Mini Meatloaves...

In an effort to get out of the rut I feel like I'm in, I'm trying new recipes. Last night I made mini-meat loaves and, I must say, they were a hit. I modified the recipe to suit our tastes and it turned out really well. Superman was so excited, you would have thought I'd thrown a steak on his plate (that is enthusiasm, let me tell you). The kids liked them and I liked them, so this is definitely a keeper.

Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients:
1 pound ground meat (I used ground turkey, the recipe called for ground beef)
1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix
1 egg (the recipe suggested adding 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce...I added egg instead)
1 cup of water
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (the original recipe called for 1 tsp)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (the original recipe didn't call for this)
1 teaspoon salt (the original recipe didn't call for this)

1 cup Cheddar cheese - grated

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare muffin tins: I've used the type that only makes 6 muffins (you know, the super big ones) and a standard-sized one. You can grease the tin or use tin liners (I used liners for easy clean-up).

In a large bowl, mix together ground meat, stuffing mix, egg, water, Italian seasoning, garlic, and salt. Using a scooper, scoop the mixture into the muffin tins. (I used an ice cream scoop.) Bake for 25 minutes, pull out, top with grated cheese, and bake for five more minutes. Serve hot.

This is definitely a kid-friendly meal...with the added bonus of appealing to my meat and potato loving man. What else can I ask for?

P.S. I also made another loaf of Cinnamon Swirl Bread...it was just so good, we needed another one.