These meals are crowd-pleasers, timesavers, and budget buddies – we bet there won’t be any leftovers either! Market 32 Meatball/Meatloaf Mix is freshly seasoned so you have a delicious base to build with. Let’s check out this week’s ingredients, shall we?
Meatball Slider Bake
1 lb. Market 32 Meatball/Meatloaf Mix
1/2 lb. Market 32 Deli Sliced Provolone
1 jar (24oz.) PICS Marinara Sauce
1 Yellow Onion
1 Seedless Cucumber
1 package Bakery Brioche Buns
Shop for Meatball Slider Bake here!
Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs. Market 32 Meatball/Meatloaf Mix
1 1/2 lbs. Sweet Potatoes
1 pouch PICS Beef Gravy
1 bag Pero Farms Green Beans
Shop for Meatloaf here!
Meal 1: Easy, Cheesy Meatball Slider Bake and Cucumber Salad
A crisp, bright side salad brings crunch and zest to complement the savory, cheesy sliders. YES!
Essentials: 2 cutting boards, large, serrated knife, sheet pan, Simply Done Aluminum Foil, 2 Simply Done gallon storage bags, large bowl for salad, paring knife, vegetable peeler (optional) liquid measuring cup, meat thermometer
From the Pantry – 3 TBSP PICS Unsalted butter, melted; PICS White Vinegar, PICS Sugar, Italian Spice Blend
Food Safety notes: Wash hands before and after handling raw and cooked meat. Wash cucumber before slicing. Use separate cutting boards and knives for each food group.
Directions:
– Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Place 2 sheet pans on the counter, and cover with aluminum foil. Spray aluminum foil with PICS Vegetable Oil. Count the number of rolls in the package of rolls you are using, and plan to make the same number of meatballs. For this recipe, we will use 12 as the number of rolls and servings.
-Place 1 cutting board on the counter, and transfer meat from the package to the board. Flatten the meat slightly, and lightly score with a butter knife in a cross-section pattern to get to the # of sliders/servings you need.
- For example, scoring 3 lines from left to right, and 4 from top to bottom should yield 12 even-ish portions that can be cut and rolled into meatballs. (Hack/optional – Use the 2 storage bags as “gloves” to make meatballs, (you can secure with a rubber band or chip clip) rolling them to your preferred size, and flattening slightly as you place them on one of the sheet pans. Put the meatballs in the oven to cook for about 20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer says 145 degrees. Remove from the oven and place the pan on top of the stove, allowing it to cool for a few minutes.
-While the meatballs are cooking, remove the rolls from the package and cut in half, placing close together on the second sheet pan.
-Place a ½ slice of provolone on the rolls. They can touch or overlap slightly.
-Place the warm meatballs on top of the cheese. Spoon PICS Marinara onto each meatball, then sprinkle with Italian Seasoning.
-Place second piece of cheese on top of the sauce, and top with the rest of the sliced bun.
-Brush the tops of the sliders with melted butter, and sprinkle with additional Italian Seasoning.
-Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and meatball internal temperature is 145 – 160 degrees.
-While the sliders are baking, using the clean paring knife and clean cutting board, make the cucumber salad. Depending on the number of people you are serving, plan ½ cup sliced onion for each cucumber, assuming they are average size. If you prefer, peel the cucumbers with the vegetable peeler, then slice. I like to peel stripes for a nice presentation and added texture. Place cucumber slices and onion in the bowl. In a liquid measuring cup, pour ½ cup of white vinegar, ½ cup water, 2 teaspoons of sugar, and 1 teaspoon table or Kosher salt. You can also use apple cider vinegar if you prefer a sweeter vinaigrette, and a pinch of dried dill or parsley. Toss and set aside to serve with the sliders.
Meal 2: MMMMMeatloaf Dinner – Sheet Pan Easy
Essentials: 2 Simply Done Gallon Storage Bags, 2 Sheet pans, Simply Done Aluminum Foil, 1 cutting board, 1 chef knife, small saucepan, wooden spoon, large tongs, meat thermometer
From the Pantry: PICS Olive Oil, Cayenne pepper or other favorite spice.
Food Safety Smart – Wash produce before preparing, leaving the skin on the sweet potatoes and leaving the green beans in the colander to dry. Wash hands before and after handling raw meatloaf, even if you are using the plastic bag hack.
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
-Prepare 2 large sheet pans with Simply Done Aluminum foil. Spray both pans with PICS Vegetable Oil.
-Hack – (optional) – using plastic bags as “gloves”, remove the Meatloaf Mix from the package and place it on one of the sheet pans. (You can also use bare hands, and wash again before touching other food or utensils.) Shape the meatloaf to a low, rounded loaf shape. Remove and discard the plastic bags. Wash hands again, and place the meatloaf pan in the oven, lower rack. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
-On the cutting board with the chef knife, cut the sweet potatoes into 4 lengthwise wedges each. Place them the second sheet pan on one end of the pan, skin side down, slightly apart. Lightly spray with PICS Vegetable Oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of cayenne or Cajun seasoning. When the set timer rings, open the oven, and place the second sheet pan on the upper rack. Set the timer for 10 minutes.
-Place the colander in the sink, or on a paper towel. Pour 2 TBSP of PICS Olive Oil over the green beans in the colander, tossing with the tongs to coat in the oil. Season with a sprinkle of garlic powder, if you like.
-When the timer goes off the second time, remove the upper rack sheet pan, spray again with vegetable oil, and spread the green beans on the empty side of that pan. Return the pan to the oven and set the timer for 10 more minutes.
-Combine beef gravy mix with approx. 1 cup of cold or boiling water, stirring vigorously with a whisk for 1 minute. Heat and simmer for another minute, stirring occasionally.
-When the timer goes off the third time, test the meatloaf with the thermometer. It should be about 158-160 degrees. Continue cooking until temp reads 160, 5 – 8 more minutes if needed. Remove the pan to the stove top. You can also check the tenderness and color of the sweet potatoes and green beans, removing them to a heat safe surface when the wedges are lightly browned, and the green beans are roasted and tender. Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing. Divide the vegetables on 4 plates, along with sliced meatloaf. Add gravy as desired, and serve it up! MMMMMM……….