Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf and Macaroni & Cheese

Last week I tried Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf and Macaroni & Cheese. I have been obsessed with trying Ree's recipes from her cookbook (especially after having met her a few weeks ago), and I have been wanting to try these two recipes for some time.

They weren't too bad. I used ground turkey for the meatloaf (trying to make it a little more healthy) and it was pretty moist. The Macaroni & Cheese was really good, but I wished I had put some breadcrumbs on top. I did put cheese on top and baked it, but I think having the breadcrumbs would make it really crunchy and tastey.

Meatloaf

Ingredients

Meatloaf:
-- 1 cup Whole Milk
-- 6 slices White Bread
-- 2 pounds Ground Beef
-- 1 cup (heaping) Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
-- ¼ teaspoons Seasoned Salt
-- ¾ teaspoons Salt
-- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
-- ⅓ cups Minced Flat-leaf Parsley
-- 4 whole Eggs Beaten
-- 10 slices Thin/regular Bacon

Sauce:
-- 1-½ cup Ketchup
-- ⅓ cups Brown Sugar
-- 1 teaspoon Dry Mustard
-- Tabasco To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan, seasoned salt, salt, black pepper, and parsley in a large mixing bowl. Pour in beaten eggs.

With clean hands, mix the ingredients until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat to drain. (Line the bottom of the pan with foil to avoid a big mess!)

Lay bacon slices over the top, tucking them underneath the meatloaf.

Make the sauce: add ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce in a mixing bowl. Stir together. Pour 1/3 of the mixture over the top of the bacon. Spread with a spoon.

Bake for 45 minutes, then pour another 1/3 of the sauce over the top. Bake for another 15 minutes. Slice and serve with remaining sauce.

Macaroni & Cheese

Ingredients
-- 4 cups Dried Macaroni
-- 1 whole Egg Beaten
-- ¼ cups (1/2 Stick Or 4 Tablespoons) Butter
-- ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
-- 2-½ cups Whole Milk
-- 2 teaspoons (heaping) Dry Mustard, More If Desired
-- 1 pound Cheese, Grated
-- ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste
-- ½ teaspoons Seasoned Salt, More To Taste
-- ½ teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
-- Optional Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Paprika, Thyme

Preparation Instructions

Cook macaroni until very firm. Macaroni should be too firm to eat right out of the pot. Drain.

In a small bowl, beat egg.

In a large pot, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together over medium-low heat. Cook mixture for five minutes, whisking constantly. Don’t let it burn.

Pour in milk, add mustard, and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until very thick. Reduce heat to low.

Take 1/4 cup of the sauce and slowly pour it into beaten egg, whisking constantly to avoid cooking eggs. Whisk together till smooth.

Pour egg mixture into sauce, whisking constantly. Stir until smooth.

Add in cheese and stir to melt.

Add salt and pepper. Taste sauce and add more salt and seasoned salt as needed! DO NOT UNDERSALT.

Pour in drained, cooked macaroni and stir to combine.

Serve immediately (very creamy) or pour into a buttered baking dish, top with extra cheese, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.