Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Meatloaf and Sweet Potato Casserole


I really wish it weren't a bazillion degrees outside right now.
If it were cooler outside then I could make this scrumptious casserole for dinner again. I made it a week or so ago and it was really, really good.
Really.
But....as it stands, the sun is out to turn me into a pile of sweaty goo if I do anything more than open the fridge door. Therefore I will share the pretty pictures with you, and the recipe, and hopefully it is cool enough where you are that you can turn your oven on to make this.
Me? I'm waiting for fall now, thank you very much.


Meatloaf and Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 egg
2 tsp chili powder
salt & pepper
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 TBSP butter
1 cup bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can French's French Fried Onions (I think about 1 cup)
1/2 cup aged cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8 X 8 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Wash the sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Place in microwave and microwave until cooked - about 10 - 15 minutes. Peel the sweet potatoes and mash until no lumps remain. Mix in minced garlic. Set aside.


In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, bread crumbs, BBQ Sauce, egg, chili powder and salt and pepper until well mixed. Gently press into bottom of baking dish.
 Bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Carefully pour off any excess fat if needed.
Turn oven to broil.
Stir the evaporated milk, butter, bacon, and fried onions into the mashed sweet potatoes. Spread evenly on top of meatloaf and sprinkle with cheese.
Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned and sweet potatoes are heated through. Serve hot with additional BBQ Sauce.


I don't know if it is just me...but.....I love eating orange food. It just looks so cool.
That being said - if you don't share my love of orange food, you can make this with regular, boring white potatoes.
This is a great way to present the usual "meat & potatoes" in a different way.

One note about this - I put 2 medium sweet potatoes in the ingredients because I wasn't sure how much I was going to use. I didn't end up using all of it. You just want enough for about an inch layer on top of the the meatloaf. You can, of course, do it thicker, but it will need more time to heat through in the oven.
I just froze the leftover mashed sweet potato for a later use.

For some more great ideas visit - Kitchen Fun With My 3 Sons.

8 comments:

  1. OMG..you're right..its too hot to make it now but can't wait till I can. I don't keep canned milk in the house.(don't like it),is it ok to use 1/2& 1/2?

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    1. Absolutely. You can probably get away with regular milk too...maybe just a little bit less than the recipe calls for. You just want your sweet potatoes to be creamy so they don't dry out in the oven )

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  2. I'm not a sweet potato fan, so I'd be making this with white potatoes. It's been really hot here where I live in Western NY state too. But I have a motto, "If you can cook it, you can grill it." I may just try this on the grill. Last week I made chicken enchiladas on the grill, just too hot in the house to turn the oven on. I made the recipe as usual, put them in my 9x13 pan, covered it with foil, put that pan into a lasagna pan that I only use on the grill, and poured water around it,then covered the whole thing with foil again. After about 45 minutes on the grill with the top closed, my enchiladas were piping hot. I'm guessing meat loaf would work just as well this way. My daughter and her boyfriend are cooking tomorrow, so maybe sometime next week I'll give this a try.
    TFS!

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    1. Sounds like a great idea! Let us know how it works out :)

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  3. I am IN LOVE with your blog. Want to make everything from your healthier options section..... god give me strength.. and time. xx

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    1. Aaaw! Thank you for your kind words. That made my day :)

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  4. Replies
    1. You could. The french fried onions just add a bit of crunch

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