Week night meal...Melt in your mouth meatloaf and creamy mashed potatoes

The weeks get hectic, I know this for a fact. I try to put a hot meal on the table every night, and I also make my entire family sit down together without phones or TV and have that meal. Here is a quick and easy home cooked meal.
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lb of ground beef or chuck. Season salt (I like Tastefully Simple) Garlic powder or if you can find it use granulated, (again I use Tastefully Simple) seasoned bread crumbs, two eggs, worsershire sauce (I only use Lea & Perrins), onion flakes, pepper, tomato paste, beef boullion *optional topping ketchup, mustard and brown sugar

*I use mostly what is on sale except where otherwise specified




Next put the ground beef, eggs, tomato paste, about 1/4 cup of bread crumbs, 1tsp of garlic, 1 tsp of season salt, 2 tbsp of onion flakes, 3 tbsp of worsesteshire, fresh ground pepper, boullion disolved in 2 tbsp of hot water and mix. I use my Kitchen Aide, because I love it and use it whenever possible, however, hands work well too.
*Season salt, beef boullion, and onions can be omitted in place of dried french onion soup mix, however I was fresh out.

Next line a 9x13 cake pan with foil, it makes clean up a breeze form into a loaf and bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes.

Next cut potatoes and put in cold water and bring to a boil, cook until fork tender and drain.

You are welcome to use an electric hand mixer, or a hand smasher, HOWEVER....this is a ricer. My opinoin is this is an AWESOME $20 investment. No lumps, ever and makes potatoes light and fluffy with little work.

This is what it looks like...simply add a stick of butter (I cook for 6) milk, salt and pepper and stir.

I simply made gravy (out of packet with meatloaf, it is too greasy to make pan drippings), peas and refrigerated crescent rolls.

Mmmmm....Dinner is served.

Note~ To pre-plan I frequently make a few things ahead of time on the weekend. I spend Saturday or Sunday preparing for the next week, I will always give these hints at the end of the blog. For this I would mix the meatloaf and cover with foil and put in the fridge pulling it out the night I want to cook (within 2 days) otherwise it can be frozen at this point. The night before you can always peel potatoes while watching tv, cover with water and place in the fridge. After work you can pop the meatloaf in the oven, start the potatoes and while that is cooking you will have time for homework or whatever chores you have while still putting dinner on the table. Enjoy!