Double-Post Monday

Besides being Meatless Monday, it's also Double-Post Monday. Today's six offerings include Mississippi Roast and Bill Blass’s Meatloaf. Enjoy!

TUSCAN TORTELLINI SALAD

This comes from Rian Handler on Delish. Rian wrote, “This hearty pasta salad might be better than a trip to Tuscany.”

Yields: 6; Prep Time: 10 minutes; Total Time: 20 minutes.

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh cheese tortellini

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1/2 tbsp. honey

kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3/4 c. chopped salami or prosciutto

1/2 c. baby spinach

1/2 c. oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.

Make dressing: Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar and honey and season with salt and pepper.

To bowl, add prosciutto, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and dressing and toss until well combined.

Garnish with Parmesan.

MISSISSIPPI ROAST

This is from Sam Sifton in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. The recipe begins, “An Internet darling of a recipe, a favorite of mom bloggers and Pinterest, Mississippi Roast is traditionally made by placing a chuck roast in a slow cooker and simmering it beneath a stick of butter, a package of ranch dressing mix, another of “au jus” gravy mix and a handful of pepperoncini. And you can certainly cook it that way. The raves are justified. But replacing the packaged mixes is no real chore, and it results in a luscious tangle of deliciously tangy beef that goes beautifully with mashed or roasted potatoes or egg noodles, or as a hot-sandwich filling. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your roast and the effectiveness of your slow cooker. But six to eight hours generally does the trick. (If you're in the market for a slow-cooker, our colleagues at The Sweethome have spent a great deal of time testing them. Check out their guide to the best on the market.)”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 6 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours.

This was featured in “The Improbable Rise of Mississippi Roast”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 boneless chuck roast or top or bottom round roast, 3 to 4 pounds

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

8 to 12 pepperoncini

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon buttermilk, optional

Chopped parsley, for garnish

Preparation

Place roast on a cutting board and rub the salt and pepper all over it. Sprinkle the flour all over the seasoned meat and massage it into the flesh.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over high heat until it is shimmering and about to smoke. Place the roast in the pan and brown on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes a side, to create a crust. Remove roast from pan and place it in the bowl of a slow cooker. Add the butter and the pepperoncini to the meat. Put the lid on the slow cooker, and set the machine to low.

As the roast heats, make a ranch dressing. Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, dill and paprika in a small bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the buttermilk if using, then whisk again. Remove the lid from the slow cooker and add the dressing. Replace the top and allow to continue cooking, undisturbed, for 6 to 8 hours, or until you can shred the meat easily using 2 forks. Mix the meat with the gravy surrounding it. Garnish with parsley, and serve with egg noodles or roast potatoes, or pile on sandwich rolls, however you like.

ITALIAN MAC & CHEESE

This recipe, from Delish, begins, “This is our new Italian dreamboat.”

Yields: 4; Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 35 minutes

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb. Italian sausage

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

10 oz. shells

16 oz. marinara or tomato sauce

4 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 c. half-and-half or heavy cream

1 c. shredded mozzarella

Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage until golden.

Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook until soft, 5 minutes.

Add shells and stir until coated in sausage and peppers, then pour over marinara and chicken broth. Simmer until shells are al dente and almost all of the liquid is absorbed, 20 minutes.

Stir in half-and-half and mozzarella. Garnish with parsley and serve.

BILL BLASS’S MEATLOAF

This is from The New York Times cooking e-newsletter, and starts off, “This homespun, bacon-wrapped version of the American classic is attributed to Bill Blass, the world-famous clothing designer of the 60s, 70s and 80s, who is perhaps best known for dressing First Lady Nancy Reagan and the upper echelons of New York society. While he became hugely successful – he reportedly sold his business for $50 million in 1999 – his culinary tastes remained firmly Midwestern. From his 2002 obituary in The Times: ‘A man of robust but simple tastes who would go out of his way for a hamburger, Mr. Blass would serve guests his own meatloaf recipe, followed perhaps by lemon meringue pie. He always maintained, only partly in jest, “My claim to immortality will be my meatloaf.”’ This is his recipe.”

Yield: 6 to 8 servings; Time: 1 hour 15 minutes.

This was featured in “Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf”, and can be viewed online here.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped celery

1 onion, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

2 pounds ground beef sirloin

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups Heinz chili sauce

3 slices bacon

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan. In a heavy skillet over medium heat, saute the celery and onion in the butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a large mixing bowl and cool.

When the onions are cool enough to handle, add the meats, parsley, sour cream, bread crumbs, thyme, marjoram and salt and pepper to the bowl. Whisk the egg with the Worcestershire sauce and add to the mixture. Using a wooden spoon or your hands, combine the mixture and mold into the shape of a loaf.

Place the meatloaf in the prepared pan. Top with the chili sauce and bacon slices. Bake until firm and nicely browned, about 1 hour.

RASPBERRY LIME PIE

This comes from the infamous long-since-forgotten emailing list.

Ingredients

14 ozs. sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lime juice

8 ozs. frozen whipped topping -- thawed

Few drops red food coloring -- optional

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 9 inch graham cracker crust -- baked and cooled

Additional raspberries for garnish -- optional

Fresh mint for garnish -- optional

Lime slices for garnish -- optional

Directions

In a mixing bowl, stir together milk and lime juice (mixture will begin to thicken). Mix in whipped topping and food coloring, if desired. Gently fold in raspberries. Spoon into crust. Chill. Garnish with raspberries, mint and/or lime if desired.

Note: Whoever submitted this to the list added, “Here is a pretty and refreshing dessert that tastes good after any meal. I especially like to serve it after a picnic or barbecued meal.”

BROWNIE CUPCAKE BITES

This is from a Weight Watcher's emailing list from y-e-a-r-s ago, and began, “These Halloween treats will trick your taste buds: They're moist and delicious with less fat than normal. If you're not a fan of candy corn, get festive with orange and black sprinkles.”

At the time this was sent, it had a points value of 3 per serving.

Servings: 24; Preparation Time: 12 min; Cooking Time: 14 min; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

21 oz regular brownies, dry mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten

1 1/2 cup lite whipped topping

1 1/4 oz candy corn, about 24 pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line 24 mini muffin tin holes with mini cupcake papers.

Combine brownie mix, water, applesauce and egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat 50 strokes with a wooden spoon; do not under mix. Pour brownie mixture into prepared muffin tins.

Bake cupcakes until a tester inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely; remove cupcakes from pan. Before serving, decorate each cooled cupcake with a tablespoon dollop of whipped topping and 1 piece of candy corn. Yields 1 cupcake per serving.