Whiskey and Maple Meatloaf

This is an original recipe that I first experimented with when we ended up with a bottle of Balcones Brimstone Texas Blue Corn Whiskey that had a little too much oak and smoke for our sipping pleasure.

Serves: 4 to 6
Total time: ~90 minutes
Source: Family recipe
Contains: milk, eggs

Ingredients

• 2-3 tbsp of butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped (~1 carrot)
• 1/2 cup Walla Walla sweet onion, finely chopped (~1/2 large onion)
• 1/2 cup zucchini, finely chopped (~1/2 zucchini)
• 1 1/2 ground venison or lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 rolled oats
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp Dijion mustard
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup (be sure to use real maple syrup)
• 1 shot of your favorite bourbon style whiskey or corn whiskey (the more smoke, the better)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brown the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Press the garlic into the brown butter. Sauté until the garlic starts to brown. Add carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes. Carrots should start to be tender and brown. Add onion and continue to sauté until onions begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sauté until zucchini is tender. Your carrots and onions should be caramelized with some crispy bits. Remove sautéd vegetables from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl add the ground venison or lean ground beef, eggs, rolled oats, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, maple syrup and bourbon (or corn whiskey). Mix well. Add sautéd vegetables and continue to mix until ingredients are evenly distributed. Add the meat mixture to your favorite meatloaf pan, and pat firmly. Bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour or until the top is crispy and the inside temperatures reach at least 155.

Sentiments

The first time we had this meatloaf it was with venison and it was probably the best we had ever eaten. So so good! Everyone we've served it to for dinner has raved about it.

The 8-year old

"The insides are too exposed. It's very very very very delicious!"

Dad

"Meatloaf is the bomb honey."

1 clove garlic in brown butter. Sauté garlic until brown.

Add carrots and sauté for about 5 minutes

Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes

Add finely chopped zucchini and sauté until tender.

Your carrots and onions should be caramelized with some crispy bits.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in large bowl.

Add the sauté vegetables to the ground meat mixture.

Add to meatloaf pan and firmly pat to get rid of any air pockets.

Bake it and bake it some more, for about an hour or until the top is brown and crispy and the internal temp is at least 155.

Almond Zucchini Soup

I snagged this recipe from our Noteworthy cookbook. I chose to half the recipe since there were only 3 of us eating. Below is the recipe verbatim.

The Recipe

This is a popular Nantucket recipe.

• 1 Spanish onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup ground blanched almonds
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Amaretto
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• zucchini slices
• slivered almonds

In large kettle sauté onion in butter over medium heat until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 2 zucchini and 1/2 cup slivered almonds. Cook, stirring constantly, until zucchini is barely tender. Add chicken broth' simmer uncovered 25 minutes or until mixture is reduced by one-third. Add ground almonds and simmer 10 minutes, stirring. Add remaining ingredients except zucchini slices and almonds. Cook over low heat until warmed through. Service soup in heated bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 or 2 paper-thin zucchini slices and several slivered almonds.
Serves: 6 to 8
Total time: ~60 minutes
Contains: almonds, milk

Substitutes

I and had to make a couple of substitutes since I was going off of what ingredients I already had.

• Walla Walla sweet onion instead of a Spanish onion
• Half and half instead of whipping cream.

Sentiments

Not bad, but not phenomenal either. We'll make it again, but I don't think it will be a "go-to" recipe for us. Almost a solid, Autumn-time soup.
The 8-year Old
"It looks gut-like, I guess. Like a stomach digesting stuff. Looks really gross, tastes really great."
The Dad
"Hmm. That's good. What all is in it?"

Saute onion in butter 4-5 minutes

Thinly sliced zucchini

Add zucchini and slivered almonds, stir until zucchini is tender

Add chicken broth and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes

I didn't have any ground almonds, so I used an old, clean coffee grinder

Add ground almonds and simmer for 10 minutes

Not the prettiest soup I've ever made

The remaining ingredients 

Add remaining ingredients: brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, amaretto, and cream

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