Recipe Roundup: Comfort Foods

It's that time of year again, a time during which we turn to certain foods when we want something that satisfies our soul as well as our hunger. It's the time of year when we turn to comfort foods.

For my family, our "comfort food" is a supper of meat loaf, garlic mashed potatoes and a salad. What makes the following recipe even better is that it's a lower calorie version of the usual meat loaf recipes. To see a photo of the finished product, visit Just Mom Cooking.

Oh! I found the following recipe in the August 2000 edition of Cooking Light magazine. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

Italian Meat Loaf with Fresh Basil and Provolone

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
2 large egg whites
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground round
Cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients (breadcrumbs through beef) in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.

6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)


Now it's your turn. Use the Mr. Linky below to link to your family's favorite comfort food. If you don't have a blog, please leave your recipe in the comments section. Oh! Start thinking about next week's Recipe Roundup: Casseroles and other one-dish recipes.