Pasta Bolognese

Sometimes you just want the basics as in simple comfort food, like 'Spaghetti with Meat Sauce', ie Pasta Bolognese.  This is definetely one of those recipes you double so that you have one for dinner, and one for the freezer.

Virtually every Pasta Bolognese recipe has some variation of the same core ingredients; and, all of them are easy to make for a great meal with friends.  I have decided to feature Giada's version of 'Simple Bolognese' which is just that--super simple!

Just add salad and garlic bread. 

(Adapted from Giada's Cookbook 'Everyday Italian'.)

Equipment:

Large dutch oven or 5-qt saucepan.

Large saucepan for boiling pasta

Knife, for chopping

Chopping area

Stove top

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs of ground sirloin

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

28 oz of crushed tomatoes (like San Marzano or Cento)

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

8 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/3 cup of Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Prepare all of your vegetables before heating the skillet.

3. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, heat the oil at MEDIUM heat.

4. Add onions and garlic, and cook for 8 minutes until becomes translucent.

5. Add the carrots and celery, and cook another 4-5 minutes.

6. Add the meat and make sure it is broken into smaller pieces.

7. Brown the meat until the pink is gone, approx 10 minutes.

8. Add the crushed tomatoes, parsley, basil (I had to use 1 tsp dried instead), salt, and pepper.

9. Cook over MEDIUM-LOW heat until thickens, approx. 30 minutes.

10. Add the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

11. Boil your pasta.

12. Invite a few friends to bring the salad and bread.

Easy Meatloaf

Sometimes you need to try new things, or re-invent old ones. So here's a suggestion: break away from the old stand-by of making hamburgers with ground chuck or sirloin--instead, make a delicious crowd pleaser with a little extra effort--good ol' fashioned meatloaf. Who'd-a-thunk? Kid eats meatloaf?  Yep, that's Jon.  And from a parent's standpoint who wants meal diversity--it's an awesome burger alternative.

Add 'Crash Hot Potatoes' (next recipe this week), green beans in butter and basil (as already demo-ed with carrots)...and you might just find yourself running "Jon's Campus Bistro Blueplate Special".
You do know Steve Jobs never finished college, right?

Plan for requests to make this recipe again!  Leftovers are fantastic heated or made into a sandwich.

Equipment:
9" x 13" Pyrex dish
Large mixing bowl
10" non-stick skillet (if you are opting to add flavor with sautéed onions)
Oven

Ingredients:
4 slices stale white bread, torn
1/3 cup milk, any type
1 lb ground hamburger / sirloin
1 lb ground pork
1 large yellow onion, diced & sautéed
1 tsp butter
1 Tbls olive oil
2 eggs
2 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 pinch nutmeg (optional- I tend to skip this)
1 Tbls fresh parsley, chopped (optional, if budget tight or not handy)

Bacon

Instructions:
1. Wash hands and have kitchen cleaned.
2. Preheat oven to 400F degrees

3. Dice onion.
4. In non-stick skillet, sauté onions and set aside to cool.

5. Combine torn bread and milk in a mixing bowl.
6. Drain and squeeze milk out of bread.  Discard milk.
7. Add meats, bread, onions, eggs, and spices together and mix with your hands.

8. Form meat mixture into a log in the UNGREASED Pyrex dish
9. Cover log with strips of bacon.
10. Some folks like adding a final touch of BBQ sauce or ketchup here. I don't, but you might like the sweetness.

11. Bake @ 400 degrees x 25-30 minutes.
12. Turn down to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes.
13. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Use baking time to prep your salad or other sides.
Enjoy!

How about a cool notebook for Mother's Day?

Looking for gifts?

Seeds of Joy Notebook!

Mother's Day Ideas

Graduation Around The Corner. Get Your Announcements!