I’ve only tried a few meatloaf recipes, and this is one that I found that calls for lamb instead of beef. We really like the flavor of lamb, and it’s a pretty decent price here in England, so I try to cook with it once in awhile. It paired really well with this potato side dish!

Lamb, Balsamic, & Sundried Tomato Meatloaf

Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Serves: 6

1 lemon
2 large eggs
2 T. balsamic vinegar
kosher salt & pepper
1/2 c. rolled oats
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1/2 c. sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 T. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1-1/2 lbs. ground lamb

1. Heat oven to 375F/190C. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Using a vegetable peeler, remove 2 strips of zest from the lemon and very thinly slice on a diagonal.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vinegar, 3/4 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper; stir in the oats. Add the garlic, shallots, sundried tomatoes, rosemary, and lemon zest and mix to combine.
(That’s ^ my favorite part of making meatloaf! :))

3. Add the lamb and mix just until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 9×3-1/2″ loaf.
4. Bake until the internal temperature registers 150F, 40-45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

**Each serving has about 275 calories, 14 g fat, 141 mg cholesterol, 419 mg sodium, 26 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 3 g sugar, 1 g fiber**

And now moving on to the side dish:

Bacon Potato Bake

Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 1 hour
Servings: 12

8 c. thinly sliced peeled red potatoes (I think I used about a dozen?)
2 T. flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. (8 oz) sour cream
2 T. butter, melted, divided
1-1/2 t. salt
1-1/2 c. (6 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1. Place potatoes in a Dutch oven; cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain; cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, eggs, sour cream, 1 T. butter, and salt. Spoon over potatoes and toss to coat. Place half of the potato mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish; top with half of the cheese; repeat layers.
3. Toss bread crumbs with remaining butter; sprinkle over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350F/180C for 1 hour or until a thermometer reads 160F and potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with bacon.

**Each 3/4 cup serving has about 460 calories, 25 g fat, 142 mg cholesterol, 1045 mg sodium, 39 g. carbohydrates, 4 g fiber, 18 g protein**

Tada! Here’s your meal! 🙂

Okay, I decided to try something different with this recipe layout. I took pictures as I cooked instead of just taking a picture of the finished product. I happen to be a very visual person, so I like lots of pictures. Let me know what you like better!

This recipe serves 4, but next time I will double it. I had wanted this to be an all-in-one meal, and the servings size definitely isn’t big enough for that. Plus it’s delicious, and you’ll want more than one serving!

Bake time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

2 c. torn bread
2 T. extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
coarse salt & ground pepper
4 c. packed flat-leaf spinach, washed
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 c. white wine
2 T. flour
1-1/2 c. (12 oz) half-and-half
1/2 t. fresh lemon juice
1 c. shredded rotisserie chicken (I used 1 large cooked chicken breast)

1. Preheat oven to 450F/220C. In a medium bowl, combine bread with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with coarse salt. Set aside.

2. In a medium pot, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high. Add spinach; season with salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes.

3. Transfer to a colander, let cool, then squeeze out water. Coarsely chop.
4. Wipe pot clean and heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil over medium. Add onion and garlic clove; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Add white wine to pot and cook until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in half-and-half. Add lemon juice and bring mixture to a boil over high.
5. Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach and shredded chicken; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and top with bread pieces.
6. Bake until bread is golden brown and mixture is bubbling, 8-10 minutes.

**Each serving has about 507 calories, 22 g fat, 21 g protein, 50 g carbohydrates, and 4 g fiber**

Part of the reason I like this dish so much is because I love arugula. 🙂 The other reason I like this dish is because it’s so colorful!

Active time: 25 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 main-dish servings

salt & pepper
2 pts. grape tomatoes
1-1/4 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 T. plus 1/4 c. olive oi l
1 lb. penne rigate
2-1/2 oz. baby arugula, packed (2 cups)
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus additional for serving
1 small garlic clove

1. Heat a large pot of water to boiling on high. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Cut tomatoes in half and cut chicken into 1/2-inch chunks.
2. In 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high until hot. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken to skillet in single layer; cook 4 minutes or until golden on both sides, stirring once halfway through. With slotted spoon, transfer to plate.
3. To same skillet, add tomatoes and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cook 3-4 minutes or until tomatoes are soft, scraping up browned bits; stir chicken and any juices on plate into skillet and remove from heat.
4. Meanwhile, add pasta to boiling water in pot. Cook as label directs, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1/4 c. pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot, along with tomato mixture.
5. In blender, puree arugula, Parmesan, garlic, reserved pasta cooking water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until smooth. (*Note*: I chop my garlic beforehand, and I usually need a little more than 1/4 cup of cooking water for my blender to have enough liquid to properly blend everything.) To pot, add arugula mixture, stirring until well combined.
6. To serve, sprinkle with additional grated Parmesan, if you like.

**Each serving has about 520 calories, 33 g protein, 61 g carbohydrates, 16 g total fat, 4 g fiber, 63 mg cholesterol, and 510 mg sodium**