Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Meat loaf and a traffic jam




Mexican Meat Loaf
Women's Circle Cooking With Taste

1 1/2 pound ground beef
1 medium onion -- chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup taco sauce
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1 egg -- beaten
1/2 cup tortilla chips -- finely crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Pack into an oiled 8 inch loaf pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 1/4 hours or until done.
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I wanted something that would go along with a corn dish you will read about later and Mexican meat loaf popped into my mind. It wasn't hard to track down a recipe. I wasn't sure my son would eat this version of meat loaf but he ate two servings. I chopped the veggies very, very fine.
This tasted so good to me but I must add the disclaimer that we were stuck in traffic for an hour and a half last night. I'm sure if that clouded my judgement or not. It's nights like that when I really appreciate the cooking ahead I've been doing on the weekend. We probably would have been eating McDonald's if I didn't have dinner ready to go. I just needed to heat the meat loaf up on the Griddler and I nuked the side dish and we were eating dinner. Finally. I was so hungry on the ride home but fortunately I had to pee really badly and that provided a distraction from my hunger (that and a screaming 10-month old).

The only thing I would change is I would use a taco sauce with a higher heat level next time. I used mild this time and I wouldn't have minded a little more kick in this.

This is a strange sort of cookbook. It was one of the first things I purchased from a dollar store when they first arrived on the scene in Philadelphia back in the 90s. It's built like a crossword puzzle book - soft cover, newspaper-like pages, all black ink, no pictures. I couldn't even find a copyright date. I have two cookbooks like this. They repeat many recipes, even within same cookbook several times so although this one boasts 1200 recipes, that doesn't mean 1200 distinct recipes but there are a lot of recipes. They don't sound like bad recipes either so I don't know why I've tended to pass over these books when looking for recipes. I don't think I will anymore based on this meat loaf recipe. I have another recipe from this book coming up this week too.

Question of the Day: What time do you usually eat dinner?

3 comments:

Annie Jones said...

I like to eat around 6:00, but lately because of work that needs to be done outside, we aren't getting around to dinner until around 7:00. Then it's a mad rush to get things cleaned up and get Kat bathed and ready for bed.

Unknown said...

I usually eat around 7 but sometimes I eat later if I forget to start cooking until 7! :-)

Rochelle R. said...

I have quite a few Women's Circle cookbooks on different themes. I think they used reader contributed recipes so that is why there are repeats.
I work a weird shift that starts at 5:00 pm. so I eat at 4:20. It sounds silly to have such a precise time but otherwise I am late to work :)