Meatloaf! (the food, not the singer)

Mmmm... Meatloaf. Another over looked culinary delight. I too, was once scared of meatloaf.... Until, one day, I was bestowed the Fanny Farmer Cookbook. She provides a savory alternative the wretched pop culture images of sitcom moms (like Roseanne, for instance) angrily crushing Ritz crackers and ground beef together into a loaf pan, while the sitcom family groans and winces at the mere thought of the meal. It simply is not so. It's merely a simple savory weekday meal, as well as a hearty comfort food to help melt away the knowledge of the 3' of snow outside. With only a few modifications to Miss Farmer's original recipe, this is how meatloaf is truly done... Plus, it's great to make ahead and then pop into the oven once everyone gets home for a stress free dinner.

Meatloaf

1 cup Bread crumbs (Italian style)

1 small Onion, chopped fine

1 Egg, beaten

1 lb. Ground beef

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black pepper

just over a 1/4 cup Milk 

3 tbsp. Parsley, fresh, minced -or 1 tbsp dried, crumbled

pinch of dried Basil 

Optional:

1 can Tomato Sauce (8oz)

1-2 tbsp butter, unsalted

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Grease a loaf pan.

Beat egg and milk together in a large bowl. To this add all the ingredients except for the 'optional' ones. 

Using clean hands, thoroughly mix all the ingredients well.

Place mixture into the loaf pan, gently patting it down.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, let rest for 10 minutes.

OPTIONAL: 

Once the meatloaf is resting, take a small saucepan over medium heat and melt butter. To the melted butter, stir in the can of tomato sauce. Serve this over the sliced meatloaf table side.

Brussel sprout Chicken skillet

I had no clue what I was going to do for last night for dinner. All I know is I had made up some potato salad and figured it would go well with grilled marinated chicken... Except the only chicken I had in the freezer were whole birds, and the gas grill was out of propane. So, I asked my boyfriend to pick up chicken breasts on his way home from work -though by the time he got in, it was to late to do much with them (b/t/w, never send a hungry man to the grocery store). So, I just threw something together right quick, and it tasted fabulous. And, since I made it up, I'm naming it Brussel Sprout Chicken Skillet.

This is all I did:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Sprinkle 3-4 chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Set aside.
Parboil some halved brussel sprouts for about a minute in salted water.
Heat up a cast iron skillet with bacon grease (approx. 3 tbsp.), and brown 1/2 a medium onion and 2 cloves of garlic in it.
Add the drained brussel sprouts to skillet. Cook/fry them up for 4-6 minutes.
Push brussel sprouts to sides of pan, and add chicken in the middle.
Sear chicken for 1-2 min. per side.
Place skillet in oven until chicken reaches 155 degrees internal temperature (20-30min.)
Rest chicken for 5 minutes before serving.