Confession #101 – I’m totally an emotional eater.
But I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing. Even after two years of clean eating and vowing to live a healthier life.
I know I am going against the grain by saying that (especially as a Beachbody Coach), but hear me out.
Coming from a long line of home cooks, food is nostalgic for me. It’s comfort in a bowl. Being in my kitchen, my favorite place, is therapeutic.
When someone is sick or suffers a loss, we organize a meal train.
When it’s time to celebrate, we do so over dinner and drinks.
Food is tradition. Food is family. Food is love.
And while I am certainly not condoning that you overeat or make unhealthy choices (drop that bag of Doritos), I think it’s perfectly ok for food to bring you joy, happiness, or solace.
Food brings us together.
On this rainy, cold day in November, many of us need a little comfort.
And we all need to come together.
Somehow.
For me, I’ll be in the kitchen, making my Momma’s Meatloaf, a recipe that has been in my family for generations. I will bask in the familiar smells of my grandmother’s kitchen. I will remember my nanny, and how she used to make this dish for her children and grandchildren, before I was even born.
And I will take comfort in our time at the dinner table tonight.
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PinIngredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2lbs of lean, grass fed ground beef
- 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs (we use gluten free)
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup cup of shredded pecorino romano, plus more for topping (Locatelli brand is the best)
- 1 tsp of dry parsley or 1 T freshly chopped parsley
- 2 T of tomato sauce, plus an addional cup for topping
Carrots/Potatoes
- 4 cups of thinly sliced potatoes
- 4 cups of thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 and spray a 9×13 baking dish with olive oil spray.
- Mix all ingredients for meatloaf by hand, then shape into two loaves.
- Place loaves in baking dish. Top each with loaf with 1/2 cup of tomato sauce and 2 T of cheese.
- Arrange veggie/potato mixture around loaves and bake for approximately an hour, stirring halfway through.
- After an hour, check to see if the veggies are done. Add additional cooking time, if necessary.
Notes
1 RED, 1/4 BLUE, 1/3 YELLOW, 1/2 GREEN
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of meat, 1 cup of potato/veggie mixture
Keywords: meatloaf, beef, dinner, gluten-free
Amanda says
Can I make this the night before?
Nancylynn says
Sure can! Assemble it and just bake when you are ready! It’s also great reheated!
Chiara says
Which jar sauce do you recommend?
Nancylynn says
For this, I just use a small can! I love Tuttoroso brand.
Kim Walsh says
I love and appreciate your recipes as I’m not very good in the kitchen. Thank you for adding the container counts as well. I would love to make this meatloaf but I’m never sure what the portion size is. If one slice is one portion, how many slices do you cut the meatloaf into?. (If the food doesn’t fit into the containers, I’m always unsure what the portion sizes are)
Nancylynn says
Hi! So this recipe serves 8, so if you slice the meatloaf into 8 equal pieces you will be all set!
Steve says
How does one “stir” meatloaf?
Nancylynn says
You don’t. You stir the carrots and potatoes.
Cherie Monahan says
This was amazing! It was pretty easy to throw together and my family loved it! Thank you for another awesome recipe.
Nancylynn says
Yay! I am so happy you guys loved it! <3
Molly says
Looks amazing! Are the container counts just for the meatloaf or does it include the veggies, too?
Nancylynn says
The veggies, too!
Siobhan Healy says
Could you make this ahead and freeze and then cook it?
Nancylynn says
Sure can!
Kimberly Bober says
I have a question. The container count for green is only listed as a half. But if it is one cup of vegetables as the serving wouldn’t that be a full 1 container?
Nancylynn says
It’s 1 cup of the potatoes and veggies combined!