15 in 3: Dinner 15 Meatloaf with Green Beans, Baked Potatoes & Ciabatta Rolls

Welcome to the fifteenth and final installment of 15 in 3!  This is the place I have been sharing my 15 favorite dinners over the past 3 weeks.  They are all easy homemade dinner recipes containing lots of whole foods, minimal processed ingredients, and straight forward recipes with everyday healthy ingredients.  Some posts contain bonus breakfast and snack ideas.  Happy cooking!

Dinner 15: Meatloaf with Green Beans, Baked Potatoes & Ciabatta Rolls

This recipe is fantastic!!  The meatloaf actually comes from a recipe for "Farm Stand Meatballs" in the cookbook Food to Live By from Myra Goodman at Earthbound Farms.  I like it so much more than regular meatloaf because it is incredibly flavorful.  

The original recipe in the cookbook serves eight.  Below is half the recipe, serving four.  I have made it both ways and it turns out the same, but you do have to reduce the baking time as indicated below.  This recipe is not low in calories!  I could not make it all the time, even though it is awesome, but perhaps it will become our go-to holiday meal of choice?  As full as we were, it was begging for a rich chocolate fudge cake or decadent carrot cake finish.  We resisted:)  

(Note:  If I get around to experimenting with making this recipe more waistline-friendly I will let you know.  I'm wondering if it will still taste grate with half the cheese and breadcrumbs.)

My sister has informed me the Alexia rolls are hard to find.  This is disappointing to me because they are so good and easy, and (at the commissary at least) only $2.50.  We even have more of a selection now because they recently added this Ciabatta variety (before they had only French bread rolls), and a few other items.  I've just been looking at their website, which has some great looking recipes and a $1 off coupon.  It also tells where to buy their products (you can even choose which category or product you're looking for) here.

Now, time to make some meatloaf!

Ingredients:

1 lb. lean ground beef

2 eggs (The original recipe uses 3 eggs, but I used two because I didn't want to throw away 1/2 an egg!)

3/4 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 c. dry bread crumbs (I use Panko.)

1/4 c. milk

1 1/2 t. oregano

1 1/2 t. minced garlic

1 t. basil

1/2 t. thyme

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

Spray oil

2 medium to large red potatoes, rinsed and dried

4 t. butter

To taste, salt and pepper

2 c. frozen green beans

1/2 T. butter

To taste, garlic salt and pepper

4 Alexia Ciabatta Rolls

1 T. butter

1/2 c. canned gravy, optional

Directions:

1.  Turn oven to 400 degrees F.  Poke potatoes with a fork, wrap in foil and put in back of oven.

2.  Combine all the meatloaf ingredients except the ground beef into large bowl, mix well.  Add ground beef by breaking it apart into chunks.  Mix with hands or spoon until just mixed.  Spray sides and bottom of loaf pan, add meatloaf mixture, gently making the loaf flat on top.  Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

3.  Add green beans, butter, garlic salt and pepper to microwave safe bowl.  When meatloaf is done, remove it from the oven, and cook green beans in microwave for about 6 1/2 minutes or until hot.

4.  After adding green beans to microwave, arrange frozen rolls on baking sheet and bake in oven for 8-10 minutes, with potatoes still in the back.  Heat gravy on stove if using.  When lightly golden brown, remove rolls and potatoes from oven.  Serve and enjoy!

I'm not gonna lie...I think originally I miscalculated/underestimated the calories in this meal.  I did the math and the meatloaf dinner Husband and I enjoyed last night was actually 791 calories!  My original count for the meatloaf was 30 calories fewer, I didn't realize I prepared and we ate twice the amount of potatoes and green beans as originally planned, and I forgot how much we love butter on everything veggies.  We also did not have gravy last night as I forgot to buy it.  Husband noticed:)

The recipe above is a lighter version, closer to what I had originally written out.  This is what it allows per person for 644 calories each:  1/4 meatloaf, 1/2 potato with 1 t. butter on it, 1/2 c. green beans, 1 roll with 1/4 T. butter on it, and 1/8 cup gravy, just enough to drizzle on top of the meatloaf (as if it needs it, but some people I know love this).

*Bonus Breakfast Recipe*

Provolone, Spinach, and Tomato Egg Scramble with Whole Wheat Toast

Ingredients:

1 egg + 3 T. egg whites

1 c. spinach

6 grape tomatoes, chopped

1 oz. slice provolone cheese

1 slice whole wheat toast

To taste, salt and pepper

Spray oil

Directions:

1.  Spray pan with oil.  Add egg and whites, scramble with rubber spatula.  Heat on low, stirring occasionally as eggs set.

2.  Toast the bread.

3.  When eggs are mostly set, add spinach, tomatoes, salt and pepper.  Tear apart cheese and add to mixture, stirring frequently.  When eggs are cooked, cheese is melty, and spinach is wilted put the whole mixture on top of the toast.  Enjoy!

 I love that this is so good, but also so good for me.  Spinach and tomatoes are my breakfast vegetables of choice, especially with cheese.  This breakfast serves one person for 325 calories.  When I put the egg mixture right on top of the toast, I don't even miss having butter on it.

It has been really fun to (mostly) create these 15 recipes and cook them along with you.  I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.  I am about to repeat the three week cycle, too!  Happy cooking!