Meatloaf and Potato and Parsnip Mash with Sauteed Garlic Spinach

Hey there!

This is Scot. I have always liked to cook/bake, but until recently I haven't really had the time or space to start experimenting making dishes. Ok so for those of you that know me, I recently moved out and I now have my own kitchen and place to cook and I also get to go to the store and buy everything myself with my own money (the less fun part of being an adult). Anyways, I decided to make a blog and start chronicling my food-ventures to share with you all who like to cook and try new stuff. My goal is to post at least 1 recipe every Friday (maybe more if I'm feeling ambitious.) So here we go here is my 1st post!

So here is my 1st meal: Meatloaf with Sweet and Spicy Glaze, Red Potato and Parsnip Mash, and Sauteed Garlic Spinach!


So started 1st with the Meatloaf (since that took the longest).

1st off preheat the oven to 375 then start making your meatloaf! Here's the recipe:

- 1- 1 1/4 LB of Ground Beef
- 2 cloves of fresh garlic
- 1 packet of Dried Onion Soup/Dip mix
- 1 egg
- 1 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 tablespoon of Garlic Sauce
- 1/4 cup of Sweet and Spicy Glaze (recipe coming up below!)

Put everything into a mixing bowl. I personally put on some rubber gloves and mixed everything together with my hands. That way everything really gets all mixed together. Once it all got mixed together, I made it into a nice little loaf and put it in a glass baking pan that I lined with a little Olive Oil  (so it didn't stick).

After I put the loaf in the pan I put the glaze on top. Here's the recipe for the glaze:

-1 1/4 cups of Ketchup
-3/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 Tablespoon of Chipotle Tabasco

I put covered the glaze over the top of the meatloaf. I had a lot extra ao I put it to the side so people could add more to their meatloaf when it was done cooking. After I put the glaze on I then put it into the oven. I personally like my meatloaf a lil crispy on the edges so I kept it in the oven for about 45 mins or until the outside is a dark brown. But always check the center of the meatloaf to make sure it's fully cooked. It should read 155 if you use a cooking probe.

While the meatloaf cooked I made the Red Potato and Parsnip Mash. Here's how I made it:

-1 bag of Red Potatoes(about 1 pound of potatoes)
- 1 Parsnip (Peeled)
- 1 Leek
- 2 gloves fresh garlic
- 2 Tablespoons of  Salted Butter
- 1 1/2 cups of Half and Half (feel free to use Milk as a healthier option)
- 1/2 cup of Shredded Sharp White Irish Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 Tablespoon of Pepper
- Salt to taste 

First, I cut the Parsnip into smaller pieces and I halved the Red Potatoes. For those of you that don't know what a Parsnip looks like I took a picture below

If you don't know what a Parsnip is, don't be sacred. It's basically a white carrot that has the qualities of a Radish. It really goes along well with the Red Potatoes.

So I boiled the Potatoes and the Parsnips in a large pot of water on high for about 20-30 min. While that boiled, I took the Leek and cut it into smaller pieces.  I put all the pieces into a food processor along with the 2 cloves of fresh garlic with a lil drizzle of Olive Oil and blended it all together it was almost like a paste.

I then drained the potatoes and parsnips into a strainer. While I waited for the water to drain, I added the blended Leek and Garlic into the hot pot with a cube of butter and sauteed the mixture with a pinch of salt.  Once all the water had drained and they cooled a little bit I put the Potaoes and Parsnip pieces back into the same pot. I took a hand masher and mashed everything together. I personally like the skins on the Red Potatoes so I kept them on when I mashed them. Once all the big chunks were gone, I added the half and half, cheese, butter, pepper and salt and mixed it all together with a hand mixer until it was smooth. I turned the burner to low and covered it to keep it warm while the meatloaf finished baking.

After I made the Mash was done and the meatloaf had about 5 minutes left I made the final dish. The Sauteed Garlic Spinach. This is SUPER easy:

-1 lb of Baby Spinach
- Splash of Olive Oil
- 1 clove fresh Garlic
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Throw all those ingredients into a pan or wok and saute them on medium heatuntil the spinach starts to welt and become soft. Should only take about 4 minutes.

Once the meatloaf was done I let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. I then added a little more glaze to the top before I sliced it.

And that's it! Place the bowl of glaze next to the meatloaf for your guests/family to put on their meatloaf and dish up! Serves 4-5 people :)

Enjoy!