It's the summer! And evidently that means that I neglect the computer.
oops! Sorry about that.
But I have been crockpotting, and I'd like to share a meatloaf I threw together that we enjoyed out in the yard.
I really appreciate that I can use the crockpot on a hot day and not have it heat up the house the way the oven or stove does. I also appreciate that the kids and I can be out in the yard playing in the water instead of hanging out in the house while I tend to dinner.
The Ingredients
serves 4-6
1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 fully cooked andouille sausage links (6-ounces, total)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I put a metal loaf pan into the slow cooker and baked the meatloaf in it (no need to add water, just put the loaf pan into the crock), but if you'd prefer to not use a loaf pan, you can just make a blob with the meat and put it directly into the crock.
Anyhow, take the casing off of the sausage, and chop it into pieces. Toss it in a mixing bowl with the ground meat, all the spices and the beaten egg. Mix well; I always use my hands. Shove the meat mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 baking pan and put this pan into an oval crockpot (or plop the meat blob into the crock all alone).
Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3 to 5 hours. You'll know the loaf is done when it's brown on the top and it starts to pull away from the sides. If you're not using the loaf pan, the meat will cook faster---check after 4 hours on low, 2 to 3 on high.
When thoroughly cooked, turn off and unplug the cooker and let the meat sit for about 15 minutes before removing from the pot.
The Verdict
I loved how the andouille sausage livens up this meatloaf (which can sometimes be pretty darn boring). I also liked that I was able to use up the two sausages I had roaming about the freezer and a package of ground turkey meat. We ate our meatloaf in the yard with some potato wedges. The kids always dip meatloaf into A-1 sauce.
always.
more meatloaf!
traditional meatloaf
blue cheese and cherry meatloaf (sounds weird, but it's totally good)
I haven't started reading The Help yet, have you? I ordered it through Amazon, and sent it off with Grandma with strict instructions not to bring it back until July 1 so I could meet a few writing deadlines. She read it in three days, and LOVED it. I'm so looking forward to diving in!
brand new in the GF/CF world: My friend Diane just released her new cookbook, available for download. It's a great price, and a wonderful resource. She is also offering an affiliate program if you'd like to help out with advertising (this is not an affiliate link, btw, just helping to get the word out!).
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