Thursday 22 January 2009

Homemade Meals

By : Christine Steendahl



Home cooking is adored by many. Almost everyone has their favorite home cooked recipe. And while more and more Americans eat out every year, there truly is no substitute for home cooked meals.

Home cooked meals are favored by almost everyone for several reasons. First off, no one cares more about your food than your own family. For instance, your mother will only serve you the very best food available. A fast food restaurant or casual dining restaurant will usually serve you something cheap or processed. Most restaurants can’t compare to the TLC in every home cooked meal.

In addition, with home cooked meals, you can quickly create meals that fit your specific tastes. Don’t like salt, not a problem, any other spice you like can be added to accomodate your taste preferences. If you are trying to eat healthy, you can choose the specific types of food and the amounts of each food in your dish. Some of today’s meals served at restaurants include so many preservatives food colorings, etc, you would probably run out of the restaurant if you saw the list of ingredients in a single meal.

For those that love homemade cooking, here are two of my favorite comfort foods; Grilled Cheese and Savory Meatloaf.

Homemade Grill Cheese
4 Slices of thick cut white bread
4 slices of American Cheese (I prefer Kraft yellow singles)
½ stick of butter
Salt to taste

In a non-stick frying pan, melt the butter carefully and heat the frying pan on a low to medium flame. Place two slices of bread onto the butter and gently toast a drop. Now set two slices of cheese on one slice of bread and cover with the other slice. Turn over the grilled cheese sandwich a few times till its nice and golden brown. Serve hot. This recipe yields two sandwiches.

Savory Meatloaf
Meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes. Not only is it a hearty dish that easily satisfies an entire family, but it also tastes awesome. There are many ways to create the ideal home cooked meatloaf, such as adding minced onions, chili, etc. Below is an easy, yet delicious recipe for Savory Meatloaf which is sure to please your entire family and is easy to make.

Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground hamburger beef
½ cup of Italian bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
1 can of French onion soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl, blend the beef with the bread crumbs, egg and can of soup. Mold into a loaf. Bake in an oven for about 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Once complete you can top with ketchup, chili or even barbecue sauce. One tip is to make a Meatloaf Mashed Potato Pie. Prepare mashed potatoes, bake the meatloaf completely and then layer the mashed potatoes over the loaf and continue baking for about 10 to 15 minutes warming the mashed potatoes.
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