Been making/testing inexpensive recipes for Christmas houseguests

A

anna_x

Well-known member
1. Made and froze extras of Pat-NoCal' s My Favorite Meatloaf. We both think it very tasty.

2. Froze a batch of Confetti Chili. Always popular in this house and it has a variety of veggies in it.

3. Surprisingly, Olga' s Creamy Baked Beefaroni seemed just OK, suitable for kids and older folks. Any ideas on how to punch up the flavor beyond salt and pepper?

4. We both liked our first attempt at Melissa Dallas' Gordon Ramsey' s Shepherd's Pie. Very good flavor and it will be made again soon. Does anyone know if it can be frozen with the potatoes on top?

 
This is the best meatloaf! I thought I would be nice and bring a slice to a co-worker...big mistake!

She is always asking when I'm making The Meatloaf again. Now she is pregnant and craves Pat-NoCal's meatloaf. She doesn't cook so she is not about to make it herself.

 
"Punching up" Olga's Creamy Baked Beefaroni, my suggestions

Instead of all beef, try half beef and half decent, lean-ish, Italian sausage. Try using half commercial pizza sauce and pasta sauce. Add a little decent balsamic vinegar to the jarred pasta sauce, just enough to give it a tang; cook briefly before using. Add a small amount of good Italian salami, minced, to your sauce; cook briefly before using. More spices are sometimes nice in jarred sauces; you can try extra garlic, oregano, thyme, or perhaps a pinch of hot red pepper (just a pinch), or to give it a Greek slant, try some cinnamon or finely minced lemon zest. One last suggestion: a big handful of fresh finely chopped aromatic basil is pretty tasty if you can get it--put this into the sauce JUST BEFORE you toss it with the pasta and sprinkle with the cheeses (just before you bake it).

 
Thank you so much. I will try some of your ideas with the

second batch which is waiting in the fridge. More seasoning, and next time, use some spicy Italian sausage.

 
Two of my "it needs something" are a few splashes of Worcester

Sauce and a splash of red wine can often deepen the flavor. This recipe sounds very much what I call Goulash where I come from minus the cheese sauce mixture. I add lots of sharp cheddar cheese at the end to make it sticky gooey with the pasta. My go to seasonings are dried basil, oregano and some chili seasoning and I like to add a bit of smoked paprika along with regular paprika.

 
Let me know if you have problems with search. I did not do a link, as there have been a few

suggestions / tweaks along the way. I know I added bacon, and I recall a bay leaf. BUT, I think there were other suggestions also. This is such a great and easy dish. Gotta love when you can use the crockpot!

 
That is a really good recipe. I think you can cut down on the

time a bit (like most slow cooker recipes) and the amount of liquid.

 
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