Let’s Get Cooking!

Meatloaf and crap recipe styled on colorful surface

Momma’s Cheesy Stuffed Meatloaf

My mom’s cheesy stuffed meatloaf is a great weeknight dinner. She would make it on Sunday, and we’d have it for dinner until it was gone. Nothing went to waste in our house! For this recipe, you’ll need a 10-inch metal loaf pan. If you don’t have a 10-inch pan, you can use a 9 x 5-inch pan, but only use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef. It is crucial to let the meatloaf rest after taking it out of the oven. If you try to slice it while it’s hot, the cheese will ooze out.

This recipe serves 6.

For the meatloaf, you’ll need:

Nonstick cooking spray

2 pounds 80/20 ground beef

1 small onion, minced

1 large egg

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese

For the sauce, you’ll need:

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Heavy pinch of sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

To make the meatloaf:

In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper.

Mix with hands until well combined.

Pack half of the meat mixture tightly into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.

Add the block of cheddar cheese and then the remaining meat mixture, packing it securely.

Place the pan on a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack to catch anything that bubbles over.

Bake for 45 minutes.

To make the sauce:

While baking, prepare the meatloaf sauce.

In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Brush the sauce on top of the meatloaf.

Return it to the oven and bake 10 minutes longer.

Meatloaf and crap recipe styled on colorful surface

She Crab Soup

This seafood soup is typically served on special occasions, like a small family gathering or an intimate dinner for two.

Editor's note: Crab roe (listed as an optional ingredient) refers to the eggs produced by female crabs. If you catch your own crabs and regulations in your area permit harvesting of female crabs, then you may have this delicacy on hand. It may also be available online or at a fish market during the season. If you are getting your crabmeat in a tub from the supermarket, you can simply skip the roe.

This recipe serves 4 to 6.

You’ll need:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 bay leaf

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/3 cup clam juice

3 cups seafood stock

1/2 cup crab roe, plus a little more for garnish (optional)

2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt

1 pound lump blue crabmeat

To make the soup:

Recipes excerpted with permission from The Way Home: A Celebration of Sea Islands Food and Family (HarperCollins)