Meatloaf Patties, Smashed Potatoes, and Pan Gravy

Cooking for Kids: Rachael Ray

I cook dinner for my employers four days per week. By far their favorite meal I make for them is the meatloaf recipe pictured to the left and described below by Rachael Ray in her cookbook Kid Food: Rachael Ray's Top 30: 30-Minute Meals. The gravy is the key to making this the best meatloaf the family I work for and I and have ever had.

Although the meatloaf, potatoes, and gravy are included in a cookbook with "30-minutes" in the title it always takes me longer than 30-minutes to prepare this meal. To speed up the preparation I have used Italian seasoned bread crumbs instead of using cumin, allspice, and parsley. But I never skimp on the barbeque sauce gravy.


Potatoes

8 to 10 small white- or red-skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 cup regular or reduced-fat sour cream
2 splashes low-fat milk (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Patties

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 splash low-fat milk (about 1/8 cup)
1 large egg, beaten
1 small boiling onion, chopped fine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
A handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound 90% lean ground beef sirloin
A drizzle extra-virgin olive oil or nonstick cooking spray

Gravy

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14 ounces) low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons smoky barbeque sauce
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

What to Do:

Bring a medium-size deep pot of salter water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are fork tender. Drain and return to hot pot. Add sour cream, milk, butter, and scallions and smash to desired consistency with potato masher. Season with salt and pepper.

While potatoes cook, combine the bread crumbs, cumin, and allspice in a large bowl. Add the milk, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce. tomato paste, parsley, and beef. Mix together and from 4 large, oval-shaped patties, 1-inch thick.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a little oil or nonstick cooking spray. Add patties to pan and cook 5 to 6 minutes. Flip patties, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

To make gravy, add butter to pan and melt. Sprinkle in flour and cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes, whisking. Slowly add broth, stirring until combined. Bring to a boil. Reduce broth, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in barbeque sauce and tomato paste. Remove from heat and season with black pepper. Cover with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Serve patties with generous amounts of gravy with the potatoes and green beans, corn, or green salad.

Click links below to purchase the cookbook:


Kid Food: Rachael Ray's Top 30 30-Minute Meals