Life would be quite interesting if I prepared dinners similar to Coq au vin and desserts such as Crème Brûlée every night. Gourmet heaven, and while we're fantasizing how about someone to do the clean up for me as well because goodness knows I get a “A” in the “I exploded the kitchen” category.
However, it doesn’t work like that, I don't prepare dinner like that every night; real life demands our time and attention. We have lives. There are careers to run off to, babies and children that need raising and loving, dogs to be walked, houses to be cleaned (and we are NOT even going to talk about the LAUNDRY…shhhh) and bills to be paid; the business of running a Family.
Coq au vin kinda takes a back seat to these things when you live in the real world. That doesn’t mean that we need sacrifice time, nutrition, and taste. Weekends are for fun, and experimenting in the kitchen, and spreading our Kreative wings. During the working week, there are plenty of fantastic meals out there, just waiting for you and your budgeted time and money to partake of them. Fireman’s Meatloaf is such a one.
Oh. Ouch. That’s right. I said meatloaf. Of which, by the way, I am a die-hard fan.
So sue me- I like meatloaf. A testament to my good ole’ Bourgeoisie upbringing, if you ask me. I am especially fond of it in the winter months. And in the rainy season. Or on autumn afternoons as a sandwich with a glass of wine while I am pretending to watch WVU play football but am really just daydreaming about…different stuff.
The fact of the matter is that meatloaf is a versatile dish that you can serve “Plain Jane” or dressed up and it’s still going to be good. Whether eaten as a hearty and filling main dish or as a hearty and filling sandwich it’s all in how you prefer your poison and you are limited only by your own imagination.
I prefer to imagine mine with Firemen…and some mashed potatoes and gravy.
Don’t forget the Sangria...and I'll be thinking of ya'll tomorrow- when I am having my meatloaf sandwich for breakfast.
Bain sult as! (Enjoy!)
Fireman's Meatloaf
Preheat oven to 375. Soak bread in warm water and then drain, make sure to squeeze any excess water from bread slices. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT BBQ sauce by hand until blended. Form into loaf and bake in loaf pan 60 minutes. Apply 1-2 tablespoons BBQ sauce to top of meat loaf, and cook for 15 more minutes.
%20and%20bills%20to%20be%20paid;%20the%20business%20of%20running%20a%20Family.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ECoq%20au%20vin%20kinda%20takes%20a%20back%20seat%20to%20these%20things%20when%20you%20live%20in%20the%20real%20world.%20That%20doesn%E2%80%99t%20mean%20that%20we%20need%20sacrifice%20time,%20nutrition,%20and%20taste.%20%20Weekends%20are%20for%20fun,%20and%20experimenting%20in%20the%20kitchen,%20and%20spreading%20our%20Kreative%20wings.%20During%20the%20working%20week,%20there%20are%20plenty%20of%20fantastic%20meals%20out%20there,%20just%20waiting%20for%20you%20and%20your%20budgeted%20time%20and%20money%20to%20partake%20of%20them.%20Fireman%E2%80%99s%20Meatloaf%20is%20such%20a%20one.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOh.%20Ouch.%20That%E2%80%99s%20right.%20I%20said%20meatloaf.%20Of%20which,%20by%20the%20way,%20I%20am%20a%20die-hard%20fan.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESo%20sue%20me-%20I%20like%20meatloaf.%20A%20testament%20to%20my%20good%20ole%E2%80%99%20Bourgeoisie%20upbringing,%20if%20you%20ask%20me.%20I%20am%20especially%20fond%20of%20it%20in%20the%20winter%20months.%20And%20in%20the%20rainy%20season.%20Or%20on%20autumn%20afternoons%20as%20a%20sandwich%20with%20a%20glass%20of%20wine%20while%20I%20am%20pretending%20to%20watch%20WVU%20play%20football%20but%20am%20really%20just%20daydreaming%20about%E2%80%A6different%20stuff.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20fact%20of%20the%20matter%20is%20that%20meatloaf%20is%20a%20versatile%20dish%20that%20you%20can%20serve%20%E2%80%9CPlain%20Jane%E2%80%9D%20or%20dressed%20up%20and%20it%E2%80%99s%20still%20going%20to%20be%20good.%20Whether%20eaten%20as%20a%20hearty%20and%20filling%20main%20dish%20or%20as%20a%20hearty%20and%20filling%20sandwich%20it%E2%80%99s%20all%20in%20how%20you%20prefer%20your%20poison%20and%20you%20are%20limited%20only%20by%20your%20own%20imagination.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20prefer%20to%20imagine%20mine%20with%20Firemen%E2%80%A6and%20some%20mashed%20potatoes%20and%20gravy.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EDon%E2%80%99t%20forget%20the%20Sangria...and%20I'll%20be%20thinking%20of%20ya'll%20tomorrow-%20when%20I%20am%20having%20my%20meatloaf%20sandwich%20for%20breakfast.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EBain%20sult%20as!%20(Enjoy!)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFireman's%20Meatloaf%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPreheat%20oven%20to%20375.%20Soak%20bread%20in%20warm%20water%20and%20then%20drain,%20make%20sure%20to%20squeeze%20any%20excess%20water%20from%20bread%20slices.%20Mix%20all%20ingredients%20EXCEPT%20BBQ%20sauce%20by%20hand%20until%20blended.%20Form%20into%20loaf%20and%20bake%20in%20loaf%20pan%2060%20minutes.%20Apply%201-2%20tablespoons%20BBQ%20sauce%20to%20top%20of%20meat%20loaf,%20and%20cook%20for%2015%20more%20minutes.%3C/p%3E){kind=small}