FIRESIDE COMFORT FOOD ON A SNOWY NIGHT: Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Yesterday it snowed all day and

 we got about 8 inches at our house!

Blue Jays and Rocky Mountain Bluebirds come to my back door to squabble over the nuts and inside I decided to make some true comfort food.  Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes work for comfort.  Nearby the woodstove was fired up and cozy!

This recipe is so yummy and easy.  That's important - yummy and easy!  Here is what you will need for your meatloaf:

1.25  lb lean ground beef and 1 lb of ground turkey, 1 cup of chopped mushrooms, 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup quick cooking oats, 3/4 cup of dried chopped parsley, 1 medium onion, chopped well, 1/2 tsp dried sage,1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  I purchased a meat loaf pan which is basically 2 pans with the top one having holes in it for the juices to drip into the bottom pan. I like this pan.  They have them at the grocery store or any discount market.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until well blended.  Place this thick mixture into your butter loaf pan. Bake until loaf is firm and browned - about 1 hour 15minutes.

Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes. You will be serving this with mashed potatoes and gravy.  I sliced mine and froze 1/2 right away for later use!

Now that I have made this gravy, I recommend doubling the recipe as we like a lot of gravy and could have used more!

Recipe for gravy:  3 Tb butter, 1 small onion chopped, 1 cup chopped mushrooms, 3 Tb flour, 1 can of beef stock - 1 1/2 cups, salt and pepper

This gravy is wonderful and so easy - you will use it often!  In your saucepan, melt the butter and saute  onions and mushrooms in it.  After the onions begin to brown, add the beef stock and stir in the flour and whisk it nicely to combine and reduce lumps.  Keep stirring into a gentle boil and reduce heat as it will thicken nicely.

Salt and pepper to taste and after you make this you will never need to buy any of those little brown gravy packets again.