Mini Meatloaves

I'm sure everyone has seen these before. What I like about doing meatloaf this way is that they cook so fast. For our version, this is what you will need.

In a bowl cover two pounds of ground sirloin with fresh black pepper.

To this add one tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, one tablespoon of Italian seasoning, one half teaspoon of dried sage, one half teaspoon of salt, one half teaspoon of dry mustard, one half teaspoon of garlic powder, some celery seed, some grated parm to taste, a couple of shallots chopped, and one large egg.

To this add one cup, plus or minus, of whole wheat bread crumbs, a quarter cup at a time.

Mix together with your hands, adding bread crumbs as needed, until the mixture stiffens and is fairly dry.

Place the mixture into a lightly oiled cupcake pan.

Brush the tops with ketchup.

And place in a preheated 350 degree oven for thirty minutes or so.

They should look about like this after thirty minutes.

Now top with cheese (we like Mexican).

And cook for another five minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Notice how the mini meatloaves are not swimming in fat. That's because of the ground sirloin instead of a cheaper cut of meat. Remove from the tin.

And serve.

What's a guy gotta do to get a drink around here?

Swiss Chicken Casserole

This one is one of my favorite main dish casseroles because it is so easy to make but tastes so good. Be careful, you can become addicted to it. Some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and these are all that you will need.

Arrange four to six chicken breasts in a lightly oiled casserole dish. Top with slices of swiss cheese.

In a bowl mix together one can of cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup with one quarter cup of milk (I used sour cream instead) and a few chopped mushrooms(or you could use a jar of mushrooms drained).

Pour this mixture over the chicken.

And top with about two cups or more of seasoned stuffing mix.

Drizzle bread crumbs with a stick of butter or margarine.

Cover and bake at 350 for fifty minutes.

And serve.

How easy was that? And clean up is so easy!

Who wouldn't want to come back as our dog?

Clam Fritters

I got this recipe many years ago while on a camping trip from the late Charley (Chicken) Fry. The clams were fresh because we had pulled them out of the bay that afternoon. It is especially memorable to me because when I got finished cooking I went to take the skillet off the stove and forgot that it was cast iron. I burnt the piss out of my hand. Lucky for me I was full of Dutch courage and it did not hurt too much until the next day. This is all that you will need.

First finely chop a whole onion.

Now mix together one egg, a cup of flour, 2 cans of clams, and the onion. Season with pepper.

Stir this into a batter.

Heat enough Canola oil over medium heat to cover a skillet. Add one heaping spoon full of batter to the skillet.

Fry on both sides until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel covered platter. Taste the fritter and correct the seasonings. When you've got it right finish them up.

And now you have the perfect food for dipping in your chowder.

Clam Chowder

When I was growing up I didn't know there was such a thing as white clam chowder. We always had the red kind. So that's what we're cooking today. This is what you'll need.

First take the whole tomatoes (about 28 ounces) and crush them in the pot. Then add about the same amount of tomato sauce.

Now coarsely chop half of a head of cabbage

and add it to the pot.

Mix this all together and place over medium low heat. Now begin frying up a skillet full of bacon.

Coarsely chop one whole onion.

Add this to the bacon drippings when the bacon has finished cooking.

Cook until they begin to loose their color (not brown). Drain the grease and add the onions and bacon to the pot.

Now's a good time to add a generous amount of black pepper. Do not add salt.

Add water to the pot and bring to a boil. I like to use the containers that the tomatoes came in to add the water.

Cover with the lid vented to release the steam and let it boil for about thirty minutes, stirring occasionally. It will have a tendency to stick, do not scrape the bottom. Now it's time to add some taters. I like to chop mine like this.

How many you ask? If you like taters add a lot. If you don't, don't. They will help thicken it though. I like to add the taters a few at a time so as not to kill the boil. Continue boiling for another twenty minutes or so or until the taters begin to be done. Now for the fun part.

Now you can use canned clams if you like but you just haven't lived until you've cleaned a big old chowder clam. I like to use about a dozen of them. First I put them in a sealed bag in the freezer for an hour or so. This will kill them and make them easier to open. Make sure you save the juice.

As I clean the clams I cut them up and place in a smaller bowl.

These go into the pot. I then carefully pour off the juice leaving the sediment behind.

Now this goes into the pot. Bring it back up to a boil for a few minutes just because you can. Raw seafood and all that. Next you want to adjust the salt. You never know for sure how salty the clams will be.

And now it's ready. I like to serve mine with clam fritters.