Cheese Stuffed Mini Meatloaves

There used to be a restaurant in the area called Café Soleil and the chef, Paula Ambrose, had dinners to go.  She would publish a calendar each month and you could see what was available each day.
She made BBQ meatloaf muffins with mashed potatoes and vegetables and it was our favorite meal.
When I was in Central Market the other day I picked up a bottle of a new barbeque sauce called Bronco Bob's Smoked Bacon Chipotle Sauce.  Knowing how much my husband, Steve, likes barbeque sauce I decided to make the meatloaves.  Such a homey and simple dish, but very satisfying and delicious.  I used grass-fed ground sirloin so there was no big pool of grease around the meat.


1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into small pieces
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs (made from white bread rolls I had in the freezer, defrosted, processed briefly in food processor)
1 tablespoon Montreal steak seasoning
1/2 cup barbeque sauce (any type is fine)
8 1 inch cubes cheddar cheese (or any cheese you prefer)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Put ground beef in a large bowl.  Put onion and bell pepper in food processor and chop into very small pieces.  Add to meat.  Add egg, milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl.  Mix in the barbeque sauce.  Mix well with your hands.
Coat a large heavy baking sheet with oil or spray.  Form meat mixture into small oval loaf shapes, about 8 total.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cut one open and check to see if it's cooked through.
Serve with more barbeque sauce.

Serve with baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, and carrots or green beans.

 

 
 
 



 
 



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Roasted Corn and Poblano Soup

Roasted Corn and Poblano Soup
Chef Julia Dunaway
I was inspired by a delicious Creamy Roasted Corn and Poblano Soup I enjoyed at the Hilltop Café near Fredericksburg in May 2014. The chef told me some of the ingredients he used and I came up with this recipe.  This soup makes me very happy!








3-4 large ears corn, roasted and kernels cut off
3 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
1 T butter
1 T olive oil
1 ½ cups onion, small dice
1 T minced garlic
½ cup red bell pepper, small dice
1 large carrot, small dice
2 stalks celery, small dice
½ mild jalapeno pepper, minced
¼ cup white wine
4 cups organic Swanson’s chicken stock (or homemade)
3 basil leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme
½ tsp chipotle seasoning (chipotle chile powder) or 1 chipotle in adobo
1/2 tsp cumin,
 salt, pepper to taste
1 cup cream
Chopped scallions
Chopped cilantro
Optional: diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, cornbread croutons, lime, white wine vinegar

Saute onion, garlic, and other vegetables in oil/butter until soft (5 minutes). Add ¼ cup white wine and cook down. Add 4 cups chicken stock, corn, and poblano peppers, basil, thyme, and seasonings. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove 1 cup of the soup solids and set aside. Use immersion blender until desired consistency or process carefully in blender or food processer until desired consistency. Some people like it chunky, some very smooth. Add back the solids. Add cream and cook until hot. Top as desired. Other similar soups I have tried on our travels: Buen Tiempo, Ouray, Colorado: Add chile powder, potatoes, roasted garlic, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers. Santa Fe Blue Corn Café version uses chipotle peppers and a little wine vinegar as a topping, more cream.  You can also use Hatch chiles instead of Poblano, but watch the heat level.

When I'm ready to eat it I add a little Sriracha to make it extra spicy.

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