Sunday Dinner

It's been a long time since I cooked a traditional Sunday dinner. Since we put the bid in on our new house we've cut out Sunday dinners for the family and we've just been too busy for a leisurely sit-down meal.

But after watching Tyler Florence make his Ultimate Meatloaf on Friday I decided to resurrect Sunday dinner this week, even if it was just for the two of us. SP asked me to make a potato gratin and since broccoli was on sale, roasted broccoli rounded out the menu.



The meatloaf is Tyler Florence's Ultimate Meatloaf:



... that he claims is incredibly moist due to the addition of milk-soaked bread. I have to agree with him; this is probably my family's new meatloaf recipe. It's very moist and has tons of flavor. And everything is better when it's topped with bacon.

SP loved the red pepper relish:



... that goes both inside and on top of the meatloaf mixture, as well as alongside for dipping. It's tangy from the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce and sweet from the peppers and onions.

The last time I made a potato gratin the potatoes didn't cook all the way through. I used a different recipe this time:



... and the result was rich and creamy. The potatoes held their shape, but were also cooked perfectly. I added some grated Pecorino cheese to the top before I baked it and the cheese made the top layer nice and crispy.

The recipe couldn't have been easier: peel and thinly slice 2 1/2 pounds of russet potatoes (I used my mandolin) and put them in a pot with 1 cup of heavy cream, 1 3/4 cups milk, salt, pepper, a pinch of nutmeg, 2 tablespoons butter and 1 clove of minced garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub the cut side all over a 2-qt baking dish, then butter the dish. Add the potato and milk mixture to the dish, spreading out the potato slices. Grate some Pecorino cheese over the top, cover with tin foil and bake 40 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Rachael Ray's Chili-Garlic Roasted Broccoli:



... is a dish I've made a dozen times before because it's a family favorite. The broccoli tastes nutty from the roasting and the chili powder provides a nice kick.