pecan

I hosted a family dinner yesterday and was excited to spend the afternoon whipping up some comfort food for my favorite people.

Menu 

• Tomato Scallion Shortcakes 
• Kale Salad with Cherries and Pecans
• Tomato Glazed Meatballs
• Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
• Not Your Mother’s Green Beans

I have spoken praises of Deb from Smitten Kitchen for quite awhile now and her blog is always at the top of my reading list, so when she came out with a cookbook, I knew I had to get my hands on it.  It is filled with an amazing line-up of yummy dishes and they are the types of meals you want to share with loved ones.  So get yourself a copy and start working your way through her amazing creations!

Tomato Glazed Meatballs (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

Glaze

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and whisk constantly over low hear until well combined.
2. Remove from heat and set aside while preparing meatballs.

Meatloaves

Ingredients:

• 2 slices sandwich bread, torn up
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium stalk celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt, and more to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey or beef
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees.
2. Put torn bread pieces into a food processor and pulse until breadcrumbs are formed.
3. Transfer breadcrumbs to a large bowl.
4. Pulse the veggies (onion, garlic, celery, and carrot) in the processor until finely chopped.
5. Coat a large pan in olive oil and heat over medium heat.
6. Add the vegetable mixture, salt, and pepper.
7. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes – until the vegetables begin to brown.
8. Mix the vegetables into the breadcrumbs.
9. Add the meat, tomato paste, paprika, mustard, and Worcestershire.
10. Use your hands to thoroughly blended mixture (don’t over mix!).
11. With wet hands, form the mixture into meatballs (about 2-3 inches wide – whatever your preference is)
12. Place meatballs in a 9×13 baking dish.  Make sure they are at least an inch away from one another.
13. Brush each meatball with a generous brush of tomato glaze.
14. Bake for 20 minutes or until they are cooked through.
    
15. Serve with additional glaze, atop browned butter mashed potatoes.

Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes (Adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp table salt
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Peel potatoes and chop into 1/6ths.  Immediately transfer to a large pot filled with salted ice water.
2. Once all potatoes are peeled and transferred to the pot, boil them over high heat until tender (about 20 minutes) – you should be able to easily pierce them with a fork.
3. Drain potatoes and transfer to a Kitchen Aid bowl.
4. Brown butter and transfer final product to potatoes.  Also add buttermilk and turn Kitchen Aid on at a low setting.
5. Stir until combined and add salt/pepper to taste.
6. Enjoy the most decadent mashed potatoes ever!