Hit the Sack

Okay, so maybe there are three worldly things I love: food, bed, and football.

Yesterday my Vikings finally pulled out a win, and I'm on track to win my first Fantasy game of the season if LT can rebound from his toe injury and kick up some yardage for me tonight. The Missouri Tigers are so far undefeated and have a respectable ranking. Ah yes, I do love football season.

Today is the first day of fall, my absolute favorite time of year. Fall is synonymous with football, but also fragrant comfort food and cozy down comforters that make their reappearance after several hot and sticky months in storage. In honor of my favorite season, below is the recipe for my favorite comfort food - an adaptation of my wonderful Grandmother's classic meatloaf. It is my objective for this site to grow a collection of recipes, tips, and photos, and I am excited that the first will be from my late Grandma. My biggest change to her original recipe is the addition of spicy chili-garlic sauce, but she was a spicy woman so I don't think she would have any objections.

Recipe for G-Pat's Spicy Meatloaf:

• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1.5 lbs regular ground beef (not extra lean)
• 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup minced green pepper
• 2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (asian section of grocery)
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1 large egg
• Chopped fresh parsely
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly butter the bottom of a pie plate and set aside. In a large bowl, soak the bread crumbs in the milk while you prepare the other ingredients. Place the remaining ingredients in the bowl and mix well with your hands. Transfer the mixture to the pie plate and shape into a loaf. Bake for one hour. Cut into slices and serve with ketchup and a cold beer.

Don't forget to throw a russet potato in the oven for a tasty side. I like it with lots of toppings. Scrub the tater and poke a few holes in it with a fork. After an hour in the oven, let the potato cool slightly, and cut a criss-cross in the top. Press the ends together, salt the inside, and stuff a tablespoon of butter down into the middle. Grate sharp cheddar over the top, add a dollop of sour cream, and snip some chives. Mmm.

Variation: G-Pat's Spicy Meatloaf Mini-Burgers. For dinner in a hurry, give this a try. Shape the mixture into small individual patties instead of a loaf, and grill until done. Serve on toasted mini rolls with roasted oven fries.