☺☺PENNYWISE PLATTER☺☺ June 30th, 2011

Here it is, another delicious edition of The Penny Wise Platter from The Nourishing Gourmet. 

Today I'm going to share an inexpensive meal that is also FAST and delicious! Everything comes together quickly and bakes at the same time in the oven so it all comes out on the table at once and is no fuss! 

This is also the type of menu  my husband affectionately calls a "Hunter's Delight" because it uses up little bits of this and that that you 'hunt' through the cupboards and pantry for.

Jenn & Pat's Southern Meatloaf

I found this recipe this morning on Jenn's blog (don't you LOVE the name of her blog?) and made it right away. The Stove Top adds an herby goodness and moisture that can't be beat and the BBQ sauce adds sweet kicky yumness (oh look, I made a new word!) that I could not believe. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground meat

1 cup barbecue sauce

1 cup Stove Top Stuffing

2 eggs 

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the other ingredients and mix well. Put in your loaf pan and bake at 350* for one hour. Voila! Done and YUMMO!!

Now comes the two side dishes that make this dynamite and cook at the same time as the meatloaf:

Easy homemade cheesy scalloped potatoes

4-5 large baking potatoes, peeled and sliced in 1/8-inch thick rounds

2 cups of whatever cheese you have on hand, shredded

2 cups milk (whatever you have in the fridge)

1 stick of butter OR 8 Tablespoons margarine (hey, I know not everyone has butter these days!)

Butter or spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish generously. Layer one-fourth of the potatoes, sprinkle 1/2 cup of cheese over and pour 1/2 cup of milk over. Dot with 2 Tablespoons of margarine cut into small pieces. Repeat layers ending with cheese/milk/butter. Cover with foil and bake right alongside the meatloaf for an hour at 350*. 

Roasted carrots

1 large bag or two small bags ready-to-eat baby carrots (you can wash and peel if you have regular carrots at home, you'd want two carrots per person if you go that route)

Olive oil

Ground ginger

Ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper

Put the carrots in a 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 square baking dish. Generously pour olive oil over. Sprinkle liberally with ginger and nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake along with the potatoes and the meatloaf. 

Since ground beef is generally cheap in the 5# chubs here it is usual to have it on hand. I'd say you could buy it for around $2.49 per pound at most markets right now, even cheaper since it's 4th of July weekend. Those ready to eat carrots are ALWAYS on sale here for 2 bags for $3 so I stock up and use up. Potatoes, butter, olive oil, milk and cheese are staples as well and of course the price varies with what you use. I use store brands mostly so this whole meal cost me less than $4 and makes about 8 servings, so that's what, $.50 a serving??? I'd call that VERY penny wise!! 

Have a yummy day!