The Best Gluten Free Meatloaf

March 20, 2020August 19, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Hi friends! Welcome back to the blog. I am writing this post as we close out our first week of COVID-19 home quarantine. It has been crazy to see how quickly the news and information has changed over the last month, and then even more drastically over the last week. We are trying to do our part by staying home as much as possible. Looking on the bright side of things, I am happy to be spending extra time at home because I am a homebody. Being home also means that I get to spend more time with our dog, going for daily family walks and having much more time to cook.

If you follow me on Instagram (@redroseandhoney), you may have noticed that I have been more active on Stories. I am hoping to spread some cheer, share some home organization tips and encourage everyone to get into the kitchen a bit more. You can shop some of my favorite organizational items on my Amazon page (click here) and also on LiketoKnow.it (click here).

Now to the good stuff – the best meatloaf ever! This week my husband suggested meatloaf for dinner. We haven’t had it in ages, so I thought it was a good idea. I realize that meatloaf is a meal that makes a lot of people say, “ugh, meatloaf!?” BUT, I think that may be because they’ve never had a good meatloaf – like this one. When I set out to make this for dinner, I intended to add carrots to the mixture, but quickly realized we were out. In efforts to not waste fresh ingredients, I decided to add sauteed spinach. Although it may seem a bit odd, I think it made this meatloaf absolutely delicious.

The Best Gluten Free Meatloaf

Servings: 6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

1-2 tbsp evoo
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 oz fresh baby spinach, rough chop
1 lb ground beef
1 large egg
1/4 c (rounded/heaping cup) gluten free Italian bread crumbs
1/4 c (rounded/heaping cup) grated pecorino romano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
A few dashes of worcestershire sauce
1-2 tbsp ketchup
2-4 pieces of bacon

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees (F)
Satuee the onions in evoo on med/low until they are soft (3-5 mins) then add garlic (1-2 mins).
Toss in fresh spinach and cook until spinach wilts down then turn off heat.
In a large bowl, combine beef, egg, bread crumb, cheese, seasonings and worcestershire then Add the spinach, garlic and onions. Be careful not to over mix/turn – this can make the beef tough.
Form beef into a loaf shape, top with ketchup and bacon strips.
Transfer meatloaf to a baking try of your choice (see notes below) and bake for about 40 minutes. Cook time may vary based on your oven, so it’s a good idea to use a meat thermometer.
To finish and crisp up the bacon, turn the oven to low-broil for no more than 3 minutes (keep an eye on it).

Note: I like to cover a baking sheet in aluminum foil then place a baking cooling rack on top. Spray the rack well and place your meatloaf in the center. This helps the meatloaf cook evenly, the outside will stay crisp and it prevents sogginess.

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Stuffed Sweet Potatoes + Grace and Frankie Season 6

March 22, 2019 Red Rose & Honey2 Comments

I LOVE the Netflix original series, “Grace and Frankie.” Last year I started the tradition of hosting an annual season premier party and girls night. My mom and some of the ladies in our family come for dinner, snacks and quality time on the couch. Hopefully it’s a tradition we keep up for years to come.

At the time I am writing this, I have already finished watching season 6 and if I’m being honest, I was a little disappointed in this season! I didn’t care for the continual tension between Grace and Frankie. Did anyone else feel like the writers toned down the funny factor and bumped up the drama? Why can’t a funny show just stay funny? My favorite scene of the season was probably the piece about Mallory’s daughter’s school art project; too funny!

Anywho, today I wanted to share the dinner that I have been making for this get-together. For the last few months I have really been enjoying making all different types of stuffed sweet potatoes. I have also found a great use for slow cooker shredded chicken. If you have read some of my prior posts, or follow me on Instagram, you may already know that I have a love-hate {mostly hate} relationship with the slow cooker. But, for the past couple of months, I have been finding so many uses for slow cooker shredded chicken, and this recipe is one of them. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded Chicken
-Place about 1 1/2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast in the slow cooker, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then add no more than 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
-Cook for 4 hours on high then shred with two forks.

Stuffed Sweet Potato Ingredients

1 1/5 lbs. Shredded Chicken Breast
1 Medium Sweet Onion
4 Cloves of Fresh Garlic
8oz Frozen Artichoke Hearts (thawed)
1-2 Cups of Mushrooms
1/2 Cup Crumbled Feta
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
6 Medium Sweet Potatoes
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
3 TBSP EVOO

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Directions
-Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
-Pierce each sweet potato a few times then wrap in tin foil. Bake all sweet potatoes for 1 hour – 1 hour 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when they’re tender to the touch.
-Sautee onion in 2 TBSP EVOO then add mushrooms and garlic. Add another tablespoon of EVOO if needed.
-Add in artichoke hearts, salt and pepper then add feta and cranberries.
-Add the flesh of 1 sweet potato and shredded chicken to the veggies
-Slice each of the sweet potatoes length wise, but not all the way through.
-Using kitchen tongs, stuff each potatoes with the veggie mixture then brown under broiler for no more than 5 minutes.

Gluten-Free Italian Chicken Meatballs

March 26, 2018August 19, 2020 Red Rose & HoneyLeave a comment

Good morning blog friends! Have you all recovered from this last snow storm? I still can’t believe how much snow we woke up to on Thursday. I would imagine the weathermen were thanking their lucky stars that the storm actually happened and their predictions weren’t a total flop. Although the last snow fall did make our neighborhood look like a winter wonder land, I am definitely ready for spring. Bring on the backyard BBQs and grilling for dinner!

Today I wanted to share a recipe that goes perfect with last week’s post. Along with knowing a basic sauce recipe I think you all should know how to make tasty meatballs. This isn’t quite a traditional recipe as most are made with beef. My mom usually makes hers with a combination of ground beef, pork and veal. My recipe is a little lighter made with ground chicken. If you are gluten-free make sure to always check the ingredients in your meat and poultry. It is not uncommon for gluten to be hidden in the ingredients.

This recipe is so easy to put together {even on busy week nights} because there is not much to it. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, form meatballs and bake! Don’t forget that when you’re cooking poultry it’s super important to make sure it is cooked to a safe temperature, so be sure to use a cooking thermometer to check before serving. I have this one and the cover lists the required cooking temperatures for meat, pork and poultry which comes in handy.

Chicken Meatballs

Servings: 2-4
Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients

1 lb Chicken Chop Meat
1/4 cup Gluten-Free Italian Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg
1 Small Shallot or Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper
In a large bowl combine all ingredients, but do not over mix. Over mixing the ingredients can cause the meatballs to be tough. If the mixture seems very wet, add an additional 1/8-1/4 cup of bread crumbs.
Form the mixture into balls (again, don’t over work the meat) and place on baking sheet
The size of your meatballs will alter the cooking time. Plan to bake for 25-30 minutes on convection (if your oven doesn’t have that setting, bake for longer) then broil on high for about 5 minutes.
Use a meat thermometer to check temperature to ensure chicken is cooked to a safe temperature.