It’s strange how a scent can take you back to another place and time in the blink of an eye.  The smell of Avon’s Roses Roses always makes me smile and think of my grandmother.  As a kid I absolutely hated the smell of it and would wrinkle my nose and tell her so (yes I was one of those kids, if I thought it I said it.)  Today if I catch a whiff of it I don’t wrinkle my nose I smile and remember her sitting on the porch swing reading her Harlequin romances, reading to us, watching Wheel of Fortune, or in the Kitchen singing while she was cooking.

As I get older I realize how much like her I really am.  I love to sing, I love to read, I love anything crafty, and I love cooking.  I lot of the dishes that she used to cook are comfort foods to me.  Her Potato soup recipe is my all time favorite and what I want when I’m sick.  Her meatloaf recipe is a favorite in my house.  However, now that I’m in the middle of a Paleo Challenge with my gym I can’t have it right now, so what’s a girl to do?  She searches the internet!  I found a great recipe that my kids love, even their friends love it.  The first time I made it, it was with the intention of freezing some of it.  That didn’t work out so well, the boys devoured it, I mean there weren’t even crumbs.  I made it again the other night and since it definitely has my kids seal of approval I will share it with y’all today.

 

Chorizo Mini Meatloaves – Paleo

Source: Once A Month Mom
Serves 6

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb fresh chorizo, casing removed
• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 2 Tbs adobo sauce (from can of chipotles below)
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal (i used meal for the consistency that we like)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs tallow (or bacon grease)
• 1 medium avocado (sliced, if freezing you only need this for serving day)

Sauce:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 chipotle pepper (from the can used above)
• 2 Tbs Olive Oil (I used coconut oil)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large saute pan, saute onion and garlic in tallow ( or bacon grease), until translucent. Divide onion and garlic mixture in half. Place half of the onion and garlic mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add the chorizo, ground beef, eggs, adobo sauce and almond flour or meal. Mix together with hands. (kids love to do this part)  Using two normal sized muffin tins, divide meat mixture into tins, filling no more than 3/4 of the way fill, to avoid overspill.  Bake in oven about 25 minutes, or until fat is rendered and meatloaves are brown. To prepare sauce: Remove the other half of the onions and garlic from the pan and place in food processor. Add tomatoes to saute pan and cook until skin begins to blacken and the tomatoes begin to pop open. Add tomatoes, chipotle pepper, olive oil to food processor and blend until it reaches a sauce consistency.  Add a spoonful of sauce and an avocado slice to each serving.

Freezing Directions:

Prepare as directed above. Allow meatloaves to cool, remove from muffin tins and flash freeze on a cookie sheet. Place in a gallon freezer bag, place sauce in quart freezer bag. To serve: Thaw. Reheat meatloaves in microwave for 2-3 minutes. Place sauce in microwavable safe bowl, heat 1 minute at a time, stirring between, until heated thoroughly. Serve meatloaves with a spoonful of sauce and an avocado slice.