Meatloaf Meatballs with Mixed Mashed Potatoes

Cooking is one of the things I love to do. It’s something about picking out ingredients, preparing a meal, and enjoying what you made from scratch. For a while, I have wanted to share recipes, but in an informal way that doesn’t focus on specific measurements, but rather the types of ingredients used. Welcome to the first post of Dinner Diaries. I cannot promise it will only be dinner recipes, but I can say that it’ll be good!

I kept seeing recipes for sweet and white potatoes swirled together. While they are super pretty, the process was more steps than I was willing to take. I decided to boil and mash them together for the same taste and this is becoming a favorite! My meatloaf meatballs were created out of a taste for meatloaf with the convenience and cuteness of meatballs. All I can say is yumm!

For the Mixed Mashed Potatoes

• 6-8 small to medium white potatoes, not peeled

• 2-3 sweet potatoes, peeled

• pot of water

• butter

• salt

Chunk the potatoes roughly while bringing a pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, place the potatoes in the water and boil until tender. I usually say it’s done when the potatoes break by the touch of a fork. Drain the water from the pot. Add in butter and mash with a fork until smooth. Salt to taste!

For the Meatloaf Meatballs

• Butter

• 1 lb. of Organic Grass Fed and Finished Ground Beef

• Garlic Powder

• Red Pepper Flakes

• Red Bell Pepper, diced

• Italian Seasoning

• Ground Sage

• Honey

• Salt

• Pepper

• Ragu Simply Traditional Pasta Sauce (No Sugar Added)

• Chili Powder

Place ground beef in a bowl and season with/add to the bowl all ingredients to taste, EXCEPT butter, chili powder, and Ragu sauce. Use hands to incorporate and thoroughly season ground beef. Add more seasoning to taste if needed. Then use hands to form balls however big you’d like your meatballs. Place in a Dutch oven on medium heat with butter and brown on all sides. Once the meatballs are 85-90% done, pour desired amount of Ragu sauce. Add chili powder, more garlic powder, and honey. Let meatballs finish cooking in sauce on low heat with the lid on top. Occasionally stir meatballs to prevent any sticking and combine flavors. Finish on low heat with the lid on top to thicken sauce and deepen flavors. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the meatballs on top of the mashed potatoes. Don’t forget to pour that meatball sauce on top, it changes things!