Valentine's Dinner for the Whole Family

Growing up, my dad would cook us all sorts of theme-based dinners -- from green slime sauce over rice for Halloween, to building a tropical oasis in the dead of winter, to the now-traditional heart-shaped Valentine's Day meatloaf.  I've added my own flair to the meal this year with roasted garlic mash potatoes, sauteed spinach, roasted garlic cheddar biscuits, and strawberry shortcake to finish it off.  Enjoy!

Step 1 Heart Shaped Meatloaf

Use you favorite meatloaf recipe.  I throw mine together every time not following a recipe.  Here's how I make mine:

You need about a pound of ground beef, one egg, half a large onion, minced garlic, bread crumbs (I used cracker crumbs this time), BBQ sauce (many recipes call for ketchup, but I love the flavor that BBQ sauce gives to the meatloaf so much more), and assorted spices (this time I used salt, pepper, basil, paprika, and a little rubbed sage).

Mix everything together.  Use your hands!  It's a great time to let your kids lend a hand.  Just make sure everyone washes their hands when handling raw meat. 

In a baking dish (I'm using a Pyrex), shape the meat into a heart.  I spread a bit more BBQ sauce on top.  Throw it into an oven, set to 350 degrees, and cook for about an hour.

For an extra special touch, remove the cooked meatloaf from the pan onto a platter, and use a green onion as an arrow shot through the heart. 

Comments

[favoritos]

Good))

[The Rambler]

Haha, so much garlic! Still, this sounds fun, and I like garlic anyway.

[jlloyd4]

Yeah. There was bit of a garlic over kill, but I love the stuff.