Taco Meatloaf & Venetian Salad

Taco Meatloaf & Venetian Salad 

Lately I have seen recipes for Taco style meatloaf. All were so complicated. Complicated equals expensive in my book.

So I experimented and came up with my own version.

Here is what I did:

                                            Taco Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1/4 pound of ground beef (I use 90% fat free because that is what I had. A 70/30  blend would have more flavor)

2 handfuls of tortilla chips crushed (I put the chips in my 1 cup chopper)

2 green onions ( chopped up in the chopper)

1 piece of celery (chopped up in the chopper)

1 tablespoon of taco seasonings 

1 teaspoon cumin

Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1.blend all the ingredients together   and place in a pie pan or something of that size.

2. under the meatloaf and around the meatloaf place pieces of bread to absorb the Grace from the meatloaf. ( Love  the crispy pieces of bread when I remove the meatloaf)

3. Next place in oven at 350 degrees for one hour. ( if you set the temperature at 375 cook for 45 minutes.)

Top with shredded Mexican cheese and cover with foil.

It is ready to place in the oven.

***If you cook little potatoes as I did first place in a plastic bag with cumin and taco seasonings. Shake the bag and place in the microwave for five minutes. Four minutes if your microwave  is more that a 1000 watts. Then place potatoes around the meatloaf.

                               Venetian Salad

2 cups of chunky vegetables 

1/4 cup of croutons (make your own if you have time)

Vinaigrette  dressing 

Mix together and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so flavors can blend

I am not telling you what vegetable to use because I want you to use what you like best.

The only rule for this salad is it much be chunky vegetables.

If you are unsure what is chunky then just think if you had to eat this salad with your hands which vegetable would you choose.

This recipe is 1000 years old and a salad this long ago was made to eat with your hands.

I choose what I had on hand and what two of my neighbors gave me. Yesterday one neighbor and I exchanged with each other what we had too much of. She gave me baby carrots, black olives, 1/2 of a head of cabbage and green onions.

My next door neighbor today gave a cucumber right out of her garden along with a had full of cherry tomatoes.

From my refrigerator all I added was the vinaigrette and croutons. 

I cooked it early so I could make sure this was a recipe I wanted to share. I knew I would share the salad but the meatloaf and potatoes were really good too.

It is easy to make this meal and it takes only a few minutes to prepare.

As always its a meal under two dollars and is so good!

Enjoy!!!