Ham and Cheese Rösti with Spinach and Pan Roasted Asparagus

Rösti.  Seriously, I think that is just a fun word. Don't ask me why... maybe it's because with those little dots over the 'o' it looks like the 'o' is ready to eat a slice of this ridiculously easy and yummy dinner, lunch or breakfast.  I don't know where this idea has been hiding my whole life either, but it was so good, everyone loved it and dinner was ready in 15 minutes flat.


Not too shabby, huh?!


So. It is basically a thinnish, pan fried, potato pancake with extras mixed in - ham and swiss cheese and spinach in this particular case.  You could vary what you mix in there however you like I'm sure, but those are ingredients I generally have on hand.


For a double bit of green with our dinner I also quick pan roasted some asparagus.  Including all the prep (which isn't much) and cooking time on everything, seriously, who wouldn't want dinner ready in 15 to 20 minutes tops (including very little to clean up).  Genius.


Speaking of genius moves... PheMOMenon is being redesigned in the next couple of weeks, so I hope you'll stay tuned for lots of fun changes! I'll be taking a little break in the meantime while all those details are worked out, but I'll be back soon!

Ham and Cheese Rösti 

Printable Version

1 large egg
5 ounces (approximately 1 cup) diced ham, whatever you have - I just used deli ham
1 cup shredded cheese, swiss, gruyere or whatever you like
1-2 shallot cloves, minced or about 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary or other herbs of your choice, finely minced (or 1/4 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large russet potato, peeled, grated and rinsed in cold water, then patted dry between paper towels
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
pinch of freshly ground red pepper flake or ground cayenne pepper
1 cup baby spinach leaves, chopped

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except for the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the cheese, and beat well.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet (9 to 10 inch) over medium-high heat.  Pour the potato mixture into the pan and cook until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes.  Cover the pan with a plate (or use the pan lid) and flip the potato cake out onto the plate by holding it over the pan and flipping the pan over (like you would a cake out of a cake pan onto a rack).  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet and slide the potato cake - uncooked side down - back into the pan.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese onto the top (cooked) side of the cake and cook the cake until golden, about another 5 to 6 minutes and the cheese is melted.  Remove the cake from the pan, cut into wedges and serve warm.

Pan Roasted Asparagus

1 lb asparagus spears, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the asparagus spears, cook 1 minute moving the spears around the pan gently and season with the salt and pepper.  Cook 1 to 2 minutes more until bright green, still crisp and hot. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and serve hot.

Chile Honey Chicken

I have such a plethora of recipes to tell you about in my drafts box that it is getting a bit ridiculous (30 and counting), just waiting for me to find the time to sit down and type. That said, this fast, simple chicken dish I threw together on a whim the other night was such a success that it is usurping the other recipes in the hopper because I just can't wait to tell you about it.

I'm not kidding, this one really hit it out of the park.  In fact, it was so good that when I made it the first time, I didn't even get any pictures and had no problem making it again the very next day so that I could share it with you.

The process for making this couldn't be easier, and honestly, even though it uses a few items from the Asian section you may not have in your pantry all the time, but once you make this you'll have no problem keeping them on hand - especially since they aren't expensive or too hard to find.

The first 'special' ingredient is sweet chile sauce.  I use this brand, because I like it and have had good success with it and have found it in most of the major stores, but you can make your own fairly easily.  It is, as the name suggests, a little sweet and a little spicy.  I love to keep it on hand for tossing in with veggies and chicken when we want a quick stir fry for dinner.

The second is Ponzu sauce. It is a citrus flavored sauce that is great in marinades on chicken, pork, beef, seafood, whatever. It really adds a nice, fast, bright burst of flavor.

The chicken pieces are first marinated in a mixture of the sweet chile sauce and ponzu, just for about 30 minutes. Then tossed in a little cornstarch to create a crust when they are then fried in a little bit of hot oil. The cornstarch helps to thicken the finished sauce a bit too.

Now, making the chicken this way is a little messy.  I'm not gonna lie.  But it is just SO good, that the little extra mess is worth it to me. However, if it's not to you, just skip the cornstarch step all together and follow the second set of directions in the recipe for just stir frying the chicken pieces and move on. You won't have that extra little crusty, crunchy layer on the chicken, but it will still be incredibly good.

Once the chicken is fried, it gets sauced.  This is where this dish gets so delicious that you'll be craving it again while you are still eating it.

Making the sauce couldn't be easier.  It is just a combination of some more sweet chile sauce with some honey and a little seasoning.  Pour it into the pan after the chicken has cooked to deglaze your pan (after you've poured out the oil if any was left of course) and let it reduce a little.  Slide the chicken pieces back in and coat them in the sauce.  Toss in a handful of sugar snap peas and let it all simmer together for a couple of minutes while the sauce thickens and reduces down to a glaze and that's it.  Just serve it all over since nice hot rice or noodles and dinner is done.

The finished dish isn't really too spicy at all, just more of a sweetness with a little bit of heat.  In fact, A. hates spice and he chowed down on this meal like I was going to snatch it away from him.  That is quite the feat for him these days, so I know we'll be making this often.  If you however like things a little spicier, just add a few chile pepper flakes to your sauce and you can up your heat quotient to your liking.

Speaking of the rice though, I like to make my rice on the stovetop... because I don't have room for a rice cooker, nor do I have a decent one.  Someday that will change, but in the mean time, I am loving this recipe. It really is the best rice I've ever made, and I love that it makes plenty (because the best fried rice the next day is made with cold, leftover rice - seriously).

Chile Honey Chicken

Original Recipe from PheMOMenon


Printable Recipe

Makes 4 Servings

For the chicken:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast or tenderloins

1/3 cup ponzu sauce

1/4 cup sweet chile sauce

2/3 cup cornstarch

2-4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup fresh sugar snap peas

For the sauce:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sweet chile sauce

3 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons water

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced very fine

Pinch red pepper flake, to taste

Trim and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place them in a large ziptop bag with the ponzu and sweet chile sauces. Mash the chicken in the bag a bit to get it all covered in the marinade. Set the bag aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes (I usually start the rice or noodles now so it will be ready when the chicken is done).

While the chicken is marinating, make the sauce by whisking the honey, chile sauce, butter, water, garlic and pepper flake together in a small bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

Use a colander over the sink and pour the chicken out in the colander, discarding any marinade left over. Toss the chicken pieces lightly in a large bowl with the cornstarch, preferably working a few pieces at a time.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, fry a few pieces of chicken at a time until golden on all sides, about 2 minutes total. Work in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Remove cooked pieces and set them aside while cooking the remaining chicken. About half way through the batches you can add more oil to heat if needed.*

Once all the chicken is cooked, pour any remaining excess oil out of the pan, but don’t worry about any other little bits, they will be absorbed in the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium and add the sauce to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to stir the sauce and let it boil in the hot pan for 1 minute before adding the chicken pieces into the pan.  Stir the chicken in the sauce to coat. Toss in the peas and stir to coat. Allow the mixture to simmer and cook in the sauce until everything is hot, glazed and the sauce is almost completely absorbed - about 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve hot over rice or noodles and enjoy!

*NOTE: Alternatively, you can skip the cornstarch frying process and follow the directions below for a simple stir fry.

Stir Fry Chile Honey Chicken Directions:

Marinade the chicken pieces as described above, then drain the marinade.  Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat and add the chicken, still in batches and cook on all sides till just golden. Proceed as usual with the rest of the recipe.

Recipe Source: © PheMOMenon, All Rights Reserved

FFwD: Gnocchi a la Parisienne

I wasn't really sure what I would think of this week's recipe for French Fridays with Dorie.  I don't have the book in front of me at the moment, but I remember reading Dorie's introduction/description (incidentally, probably my most favorite part of Dorie's books - always so helpful and fun!) being something along the lines of being choux dough cooked like gnocchi in a pot of salted water, then layered with bechamel sauce and cheese, then baked until bubbly and golden.  I mean really, what's not to like about that? Especially on a snowy day!  I do love me some choux pastry, so it didn't seem like much of a stretch that I would like this.

Since the recipe makes enough to serve 6 as a main course I also knew I was going to end up taking Dorie's suggestion to shape some of the dough onto a baking sheet and freezing them for later use.  I'm glad I did because making a double-layer in my two little ramekins was just the perfect size for me and the boys.  Cups full of doughy, cheesy goodness as Aidan called them.

To make matters easy for shaping the gnocchi I used a really small cookie scoop that I have and just scraped it so it was only half-full to equal the teaspoon amount for each dumpling.  I ended up with a sheet pan full for the freezer, plus about 20 more for my two ramekins.  

I layered the gnocchi in two layers of 5 in the ramekins, with the bechamel sauce in between each layer, and then generously topped them with shredded Gruyere cheese.  I baked them for the same amount of time as the recipe - roughly about 25 minutes in all - and they puffed up beautifully, but did deflate fairly quickly. Now that I know what to expect next time, I'll know better how to layer them, probably packing them in even a little tighter into the ramekins and another layer of Parmesan in the middle.

Anyway, cups full of doughy, cheesy goodness indeed.

For more cheesy goodness, just head on over to the French Fridays with Dorie site and scroll on through the LYL post to see how the other cooks faired this week.  As always, the recipe for the Gnocchi a la Parisienne can be found in Around My French Table, by Dorie Greenspan.

FFwD: My Go-To Beef Daube

I actually found some time last Sunday to make something other than grilled cheese.  Around our house lately, that is nothing short of a miracle!  I planned ahead.  I shopped.  I prepped.  I cooked.  It was awesome.

As much as I loved eating this recipe for Dorie's 'Go-To Beef Daube,' I think I may have enjoyed getting back to cooking the way I love even more.  I really don't get to do it very often any more.  While this recipe - which is basically like a really good, thoughtful, beef stew, isn't really anything fancy, it is just the kind of dinner I like to make.  Especially in the cold months.

I bought a nice sized (just over 3lb) beef chuck roast, trimmed and cut it into large chunks, just like Dorie suggests, then browned those in my Dutch oven.  I followed all the directions, adding the shallots, onion, carrots, etc.  The only change I made to the recipe was to just substitute good beef broth in place of the wine.  The recipe was definitely more time consuming than when I usually throw a roast into the slow cooker and walk away, but I tend to think that is partly the point of a book like this.  It is thoughtful food - not just food for the sake of eating.  I guess that is when something actually becomes nourishment.

Here's the thing though.  Remember above when I said that the recipe was thoughtful?  I felt like I took the time to slow down, enjoy what I was doing and get in touch with the process.  Choosing the ingredients, prepping them and taking the time to get them ready with some actual thought and care - not just hurry, hurry, hurry.  Now, the fact was that often the hurry, hurry, hurry happens when the hubs isn't here and I feel like I have to run in a million different directions all at once.  Last Sunday, he was home.  He helped with the kids while I made dinner.

I even made some crusty French rolls (recipe at the bottom) to go with the beef daube, as well as some really good mashed potatoes.  I started the roll dough right after I slid the daube into the oven and they all ended up being done around the same time.  I just let the daube rest in the covered Dutch oven on the stove top while the rolls baked.  The rolls were also great for making little sandwiches with leftover beef the next day.

When we finally sat down to eat dinner it was more relaxed and I felt more in touch with what I was eating than I have in a while.

The point of the story.  I need to find a way to slow things down again more often.  I seem to have forgotten that this is my therapy.  Taking time to take a deep breath is good for you.  Turns out breathing onion fumes can be good for you too. Who knew?

For more reviews of this month's recipes from my fellow French Fridays with Dorie participants, head on over to the site and click on the LYL post for today (or any Friday).  As always, this recipe can be found in Around My French Table (which incidentally would be the perfect gift for any food / cooking lover you know - or anyone who wants to learn for that matter).

Crusty French Rolls (aka Pistolets or Split Rolls)
Makes 8 large rolls

2 1/2 teaspoons active-dry yeast
1 1/4 cups water + up to 1/3 cup more, as needed
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Put the 1 1/4 cup water into a small bowl and sprinkle the yeast over the top.  Set aside and let dissolve for 5 minutes, then stir.  Meanwhile, mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well in the center.  Pour in the dissolved yeast, then stir enough of the flour in from the sides to make a thick paste.  Cover the bowl and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Mix the remaining flour into the wet mixture and add a little of the extra water at a time to make a soft, sticky dough.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough until it is soft, smooth and slightly elastic.  Try not to add too much extra flour to the dough while kneading.  This process will take about 10 minutes of kneading.  You can do all this part with a kneading attachment on a mixer, and it will only take about 6 minutes.

Put the dough in a clean bowl and cover it again.  Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled, then deflate the dough (punch down), cover it again and rise for 45 minutes more, then punch the dough down again, cover and rise 45 minutes again.  This process seems drawn out, but it lets the dough develop a really nice flavor and helps get that crust.

Deflate the dough gently one last time and divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (you could do smaller rolls if you want and easily get 12 - these rolls were fairly large, about 1 per person).  Roll the dough pieces into a tight ball and place them on a lined baking sheet, or sprinkle a little cornmeal onto the baking sheet.  The rolls shouldn't be touching, so leave a couple of inches between the dough.

Use the handle of a clean wooden spoon to push a 'split' down the middle of each dough ball, going all the way to the bottom, but not hard enough to cut the dough in half, just to leave a huge indentation - it will spring up some anyway on this last rise.  Sprinkle a little flour over the indented rolls then cover them and let them rise 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F and bake the rolls 20 minutes or until lightly golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Catering Review for the Moms Who Make It Conference

Earlier this week I mentioned that I would have more information to share about the food at the upcoming conference. What I actually have for you is a recipe from Chef Steven Swallow, of Utah Celebrations Catering, for one of their most popular menu items - the Chicken Marsala.

We got to sit down with Lani, the owner, event coordinator and wedding planner for Utah Celebrations Catering and have a great chat about their company too. I loved their philosophies of making their dishes from scratch and from the freshest and best ingredients available. I also loved that this company has been a long time dream - now come true - for her. You can really tell the difference when someone is truly passionate and cares about you, your event and what they do - that is Lani and Chef Steven to a T.

Utah Celebrations Catering will be providing a delicious and fun dinner buffet for the Moms Who Make It Conference! Seriously, where can you get dinner for that small an amount - especially a dinner selection of Chicken and Beef Fajitas on fresh, hot tortillas and also some luau type selections like their Kahlua Pork.

They have many other menu selections for your event - you want a carving station with some delicious beef? The chicken marsala? How about a crepe station with all the decadent fixings for your dessert table - or maybe, like me, you get a serious kick out of anything set on fire and want to have the bananas foster station. You can choose any of those options, and more!

I didn't get a great picture of it, but even their drinks are delicious - probably one of my favorite items of the night was their peach lemonade - I am usually the person who just drinks water, water and more water - but that peach lemonade was sweet, a little tart, cool, refreshing and dreamy.

Chicken Marsala
Source: Utah Celebrations Catering, Chef Steven Swallow

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Trimmed
2 teaspoons salt
Flour, for dredging

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon Shallots, minced
1 Cup Sweet Marsala Wine
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Season chicken breast with the salt and dredge in the flour. In a saute pan on high heat, melt the butter and add the chicken. Sear till the outside is golden brown, remove from the pan and place the chicken in a baking dish and place in the oven to finish cooking through, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. In the same pan the chicken was seared in, over medium heat, sautee the garlic and shallots until just slightly golden brown. Add the wine to the pan with the garlic and shallots and deglaze and reduce till a syrup consistency is reached. Add the heavy cream and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon and leaves a line when a finger is drawn through the sauce. Add the Parmesan cheese and basil and salt to taste. Pour sauce over the chicken and enjoy.

Slow Cooked Shredded Pork - Infinite Possibilities

Slow Cooked Shredded Pork, Shredded Cheese, and Fresh Cilantro on Corn Cup "Gorditas"

Probably my most favorite way to cook a pork roast is in the slow cooker or crock pot and my favorite way to cook it is to just add a couple of simple things - salsa and brown sugar. Since you basically just put everything in the pot and walk away, it is a perfect choice for any upcoming parties for the Independence Day holiday - and believe me, everyone is going to love you for making it and you get to enjoy the day instead of being in the kitchen all day!

Recently, Nicole at M80 asked if I would like to try a sample of Pace's new specialty salsas I jumped at the chance because I had this recipe on my mind. I also realized that I have never shared with you how to do this so the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

Pace has actually always been the brand of salsa I buy. It was what I grew up on. Surprisingly though, I really don't just eat salsa - it is always something I use in something else. The perfect example is this recipe. It just doesn't get any easier than this! Start it in the morning and by dinner time you have infinite possibilities of what to do with it.

I chose to use the Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa from Pace's new line of specialty flavors this time around and it really added a nice sweet undertone to my usual recipe. The really great thing about this recipe is that you can do this with chicken or beef too. The chicken will take a lot less cooking time, but a beef roast takes about the same amount of time. It will all depend on your cut of meat. I use a pork loin roast because it doesn't have too much fat. If you use a cut with more fat, your cooking liquid will be too fatty to make a good sauce.

I say that this recipe has infinite possibilities because, once you have the shredded meat, there is just no limit to what you can do with it. I like to just eat it with a little cheese and sour cream in some fried corn tortillas, or you could make corn up "gorditas" as in the first picture. You could use it on pizza, nachos, in burritos or enchiladas, on a salad or on a sandwich bun. It is really up to you.

If you would like to WIN 2 bottles of salsa - 1 Specialty flavor and 1 Picante sauce - plus a recipe guide and a coupon for a free 16 oz jar of Picante sauce or salsa - from Pace just leave me a comment and tell me an idea for what you would do with your salsa. The winner will be chosen by Random.org on Sunday, July 5th.

Slow Cooked Shredded Pork
Original Recipe by Holly

1 3lb pork loin (not tenderloin) roast
1 bottle Pace Pineapple Mango Chipotle Salsa
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Optional for added sweetness and flavor 1 can cola

Place the pork loin roast in the crock pot and pour the other ingredients into the pot on top of the roast. Allow to cook on low for 8 hours or until the roast falls apart and shreds easily. Add the shredded pork back into the pot with all the good juices and salsa liquid and serve warm on warm tortillas or as desired.

Recipe for Corn Cup "Gorditas"

Comfort Food 2008 - Chicken Pot Pie

Comfort Food. Mmmm... my favorite kind of food (and not fitting into my clothes still attests to this fact). Sigh. Back to the comfort. One of my earliest memories of cooking with my mom is of her making Chicken Pot Pie with biscuits on top. I think I was probably just 6 or 7 at the time because I remember it being in the house that was across from our town's high school.

I can go for a few months without making it, but without fail, the first day there is snow, there is Chicken Pot Pie at our house. Over the years I have had a lot of other versions, but the biscuit topped is my absolute favorite. Pastry crust just isn't enough bread for me. Mine just has simple veggies in it and a homemade gravy and biscuits, so even kids like it.

When I read about this Cook-Off on IMBB being hosted by Garden of Eating I am pretty sure it was snowing here in Utah (after all, we are supposed to have the "Greatest Snow on Earth"). Either way, here is my entry, for what is my absolute favorite comfort food.

How do I like it best? Pretty much, just lots of it... and I love making way too much so that I can have the leftovers for the next couple of days. It always hits the spot and is always satisfying.

Mom's Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite size pieces
1 can chicken broth
1 cup water
3 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced into small bite size pieces
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 can corn
1 cup frozen peas
2 tsp chicken bullion granules or base
1/4 cornstarch
1/4 cold water
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the potato pieces in a saucepan and cover well with cold water. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until fork tender. Remove to a 2 qt oven proof casserole dish, reserving two cups of the potato water.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan combine the chicken broth and water and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once the liquid boils, reduce the heat to a slow simmer and add the chicken pieces. Simmer approximately 7 minutes or until cooked through. With slotted spoon, remove the chicken to the casserole dish, reserving the liquid.

While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, prepare the biscuits as directed below.

In another medium saucepan place the carrots and cover with water. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas and can of corn with enough water to cover. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook til the carrots are tender but not mushy, approximately 4 minutes more. Drain and add to the casserole dish.

Combine the reserved broth and potato water in a large saucepan. Add the chicken bullion and whisk. Bring to a boil. Combine the 1/4 cup water with 1/4 cup cornstarch and stir with fork until well combined. Slowly add the cornstarch slurry into the broth mixture, whisking constantly. Season with the pepper and parsley flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. It should make a thick gravy. Stir enough gravy into the casserole to well coat everything.

*Top with the partially baked biscuits and place on a foil-lined baking sheet (in case of bubbling over). Place the dish into the oven and bake until gravy is bubbly and the biscuits are done and nicely browned, approximately 7 minutes more.

Remove from oven and allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Biscuits:
(Use your favorite biscuit recipe, or this one... when I am short on time I even use the frozen biscuits you can get from the grocery store.)

1/4 cup lard or shortening
2 cups flour
1 level tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the lard/shortening into the dry ingredients with a fork or pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the milk a small bit at a time, adding just enough so that the dough rounds up and leaves the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it is 1/2-inch thick. Then with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes, or until they are puffed and starting to set. Refer back to the * above.

NOTE: Another shortcut I use when short on time is to add enough of the milk to make the biscuits a drop consistency and replace the shortening with butter to make a drop biscuit topping.

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Meatballs... Doin' It My Way

Hmmm... another food blog event. So, the funny thing about this one for me was in the timing. I have never liked meatballs or meatloaf. Meatballs because I didn't much like the texture or think they had enough flavor. Meatloaf - same problem - amplified. Then, funny enough, just after Cole was born back in October, I started craving - gasp - of all things, meatloaf! What!? I am thinking that after basically starving for all seven months of the pregnancy (yes, only seven months... 33 weeks to be exact - Cole was seven weeks premature) from being so sick all the time that I was just hungry for anything! Still, meatloaf?

Anyway, after fighting the urge for about a week, I decided to just wing it and make some meatloaf for the first time in my life. Honestly, and how un-american is this, I can't remember ever having meatloaf at our house growing up. I don't feel like I missed out, because it would probably have been like all the other meatloafs I remember eating since then made by others.

Now, don't get me wrong, if you have a meatloaf recipe that you love, I'm sure that for you it is great. I didn't have that, so I've never acquired a taste for it - until now.

There are a few key things about this meatloaf that are different than any traditional meatloaf I've ever had though. My first issue, taste, I solved by amping up the flavors I like, and second, texture - as in too much loaf, not enough of the sweet crusty glaze on the outside - I solved by making the loaf, well, not a loaf. I decided to make "mini-loaves" or really, just big meatballs with lots of sweet, sticky glaze on the outside.

So, there you have it. I designed this recipe to satisfy me, and in the process, found something that my husband really loves - and even bragged to his mother about. Well, then. I guess I got something right.

Anyway, I have now made this at least once a week for the past month or so. When I saw the foodie event for "Meatballs for Seth" on Is My Blog Burning and hosted by Serge the Concierge I couldn't resist putting this one out there. So, whether you think of it as meatballs or meatloaf, I hope you enjoy it as much as we have been. I like mine with a heaping pile of sour cream mashed potatoes and ginger glazed carrots. Yum!

MOLASSES GLAZED MEATLOAF BALLS

For the Meatballs:

1 1/2 lb lean ground beef

1 - package onion soup/dip mix

1/4 cup water

1 T worcestershire sauce

2 T molasses

1/4 C dark brown sugar

1/4 C ketchup

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste, divided (3 T here)

1 t hot sauce (like Tabasco, or your favorite)

1 large egg

2/3 C dry Italian style breadcrumbs

1/2 t kosher salt

freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degress F.

Put the onion soup mix into a microwave-safe bowl with the 1/4 cup water, stir and microwave 1 minute. Stir again, then strain to remove the onion pieces (if you like the onion piece texture, then skip the strainer step). Place all the meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until a uniform color and texture throughout. Form into meatballs, approximately fist size or about 1/2 cup each (they shrink).

Line a large baking pan with aluminum foil and a cooling rack, sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Place the meatballs on the rack and place in the oven. Bake the meatballs for 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze. (Remaining instructions continued below).

For the Molasses Glaze:

1/4 C ketchup

1/4 C dark brown sugar

2 T molasses

1/2 t worcestershire sauce

1 t apple cider vinegar

Remainder of tomato paste

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan, heat until bubbling, then continue to simmer.

Brush a generous amount onto each meatball after the first 10 minutes of baking. Place the meatballs back into the oven to bake for 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and turn the meatballs over with spatuala and glaze the other side with another generous amount of sauce.

Place the meatballs back into the oven for 10 more minutes to finish baking. Continue to simmer the remaining sauce, adding a little water, to serve along with the meatballs on the side, if desired.