Artisan Cast Iron Dutch Oven Bread

This recipe is a typical one with two rising periods.  Most of this time it's the yeast working and not you!

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 packet active dry yeast

1 Tablespoon salt

6 cups bread flour

Toppings of your choice - I used "everything bagel" topping

Proofing the Yeast:

Pour the water, hot from the tap, into a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.  As the water dissolves the sugar and warms the bowl, it cools somewhat and should be just right for activating the yeast - somewhere between 95 and 115 degrees is fine.  Add the yeast and let the mixture sit for 5 or 6 minutes until it begins to bubble and show signs of life.

Don't add the salt yet.  Yeast doesn't like salt and will be happier if you add it after you stir in the first cup of flour.  

Stir in your first cup of flour into the yeast mixture and add the salt.  Then stir in 4-1/2 cups more flour.  When the dough begins to hold together and pull away from the sides of the bowl, it is ready to knead.

If you like to knead by hand, by all means do so.  I use the dough attachment of my stand mixer.  Knead for 3 to 4 minutes adding a little flour at a time so the dough is not sticky.  Let rest for 15 minutes and continue kneading another 3 to 4 minutes.

First Rising

Form the dough into a nice, round ball and place it in your greased bowl, turning it over so the top has a thin layer of oil on it.  Cover the bowl with a damp towel or a piece of plastic wrap.  It's a good idea to grease the underside of the plastic wrap so that it won't stick if the dough comes in contact with it.  Put the dough in somewhere cozy and let it rise until doubled in bulk.  This will take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.  After it has risen, punch the dough down and cover it and return it to it's cozy spot.  Let rise again - about 45 minutes.

Shape the loaf tucking the ends underneath into the center - this will be the bottom of your loaf.  Turn the loaf over and tidy it up if necessary.  Place is on a piece of parchment paper a little bigger than your dutch oven.  Cover with a towel while we preheat the oven.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees

Place your dutch oven, top and bottom in to preheat for 30 minutes.

When your oven is ready, remove both top and bottom of heated dutch oven (careful!).

Pick up your loaf with the parchment paper and place it in the bottom half.  Use a mister spray to spray your loaf.  Sprinkle with your favorite toppings and cut two slits with scissors or a razor.  Cover the pot and place it in the oven.  Let bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until crust is golden brown.

The dutch oven is the secret to a fabulous homemade bread!

Take out some butter to soften while the bread cools and enjoy!

~Patti

~Adapted from King Arthur Flour Cookbook

Picadillo Sloppy Joes

A new twist on an old favorite!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 lb. ground sirloin (90% lean)

1 - 15 oz. can Ro-tel tomatoes with green chilis

3/4 cup chili sauce

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup pimento-stuffed olives

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Hot sauce to taste

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot.  Reduce heat to low.  Add onions and cook 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Turn up the meat to medium high.  Add ground sirloin and cook, breaking up the lumps for about 5 minutes or until no longer pink.

Add tomatoes, chili sauce, water, olives, raisins and salt and pepper.

Simmer 15 to 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in lemon juice and hot sauce.  Adjust salt and pepper.

Divide among brioche buns and serve hot with plenty of napkins.

ENJOY!

Zucchini & Mushroom Meatloaf

When you are using leaner meats for a healthier meatloaf, you need to bump up the moisture.  Besides being a healthy addition, mushrooms and zucchini make for the moistest meatloaf ever.  You can substitute ground turkey if you prefer.  I love cooking my meatloaf in a cast iron pan.  If you are feeling ambitious, try this meatloaf with my Bang! Bang! Homemade Ketchup!

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, finely diced (about 1 cup) 5 oz. white button or cremini mushrooms (about 5 or 6) finely diced 1/2 cup zucchini, grated 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning Blend 1 clove garlic, minced 1 lb. 90% lean ground sirloin 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats 1 large egg 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce 1/2 cup petite diced tomatoes (with juice) 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tsp. Country Dijon mustard 1 Tbsp. molasses
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To make life easier, chop your onions and mushrooms in a food processor until finely minced. Heat the oil in a small skillet, add the onion, mushrooms and cook until the liquid is evaporated and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste, Mrs. Dash Seasoning and garlic and cook, stirring 2 minutes more.  Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine the beef, oats, egg, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom mixture, zucchini and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix until just well combined.  Transfer the mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish or cast iron skillet and shape into a loaf.
In a small food processor, combine the tomatoes, ketchup, molasses and mustard and pulse until smooth and pour over the meatloaf.
Cook the meatloaf until a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees, about 55-60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let rest 15 minutes before slicing.  Serve with mashed potatoes drizzled with olive oil and chives.
Prep Time:  30 minutes Cook Time:  1 hour Servings: 8 1-inch slices @Adapted from Ellie Krieger

• 222Calories / Serving
 
• 10%Daily Value
 
• 8Servings

Need more meatloaf recipes?
Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf French Onion Meatloaf Cheesy Porcini Meatloaf Grandma's Tomato Soup Meatloaf

Sweet & Spicy Orange Chicken

Tender chicken breasts cubes marinated in orange juice, garlic and ginger.  A simple saute makes for the best orange chicken ever!  Choose your sides - steamed broccoli, jasmine rice and dinner is served.  Fresh ingredients always replace take out!

For the sauce:
1-1/2 cups water 1/4 cup orange juice 1/3 cup rice wine or red wine vinegar 2-1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce 1 Tbsp. orange zest 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. freshly grated ginger 2 Tbsp. grated onion 1 clove garlic minced 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste) 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 2 Tbsp. water 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes
For the coating:
1 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Mix all marinade ingredients except for the cornstarch and water.  Bring to a boil and let cool until room temperature, about 15 minutes.  Cube chicken breasts and place in a ziploc bag with 1 cup of the cooled marinade.  Reserve remainder.  Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours. 
Mix 1 cup of flour with salt and pepper.  Add chicken cubes and shake em up until coated with flour.  In a large saute pan, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil.  (You may need additional oil as I had to fry these in three batches - don't overcrowd the pan!  Shake off excess flour and saute chicken in batches until golden brown - about 2-3 minutes per side.  Transfer cooked chicken to a plate to keep warm.  Wipe out pan.  Add reserved marinade and bring to a boil.  Add cornstarch slurry and cook until thickened, about 1 minutes.  Add chicken and simmer on low, covered for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Porcupine Meatballs & Tomato Gravy

Porcupine Meatballs is one of those "oldie but goodie" recipes that are rarely found in any cookbooks today.  This recipe was popular in the 50's, and it's listed in my Mom's old cookbook from that time period.  Mom used tomato soup quite a bit back in the day for her delicious Tomato Soup Meatloaf and Polish Stuffed Cabbage.  I always have tomato soup on hand for a quick meal.  When my boys were growing up, I always made them elbow macaroni with tomato soup - it's still their comfort food today.

You will need:
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef 1/2 cup raw rice, rinsed 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup chopped green pepper 1/4 tsp. garlic powder Salt and Pepper to taste 1 large egg, slightly beaten 1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup 1 can water 2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix first seven ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined.  Form into golf-ball sized meatballs and place in baking pan.  Mix tomato soup with water and Worcestershire Sauce.  Pour over meatballs.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour.  Uncover and bake 15 minutes longer or until sauce thickens.
Serve with a nice side salad or steamed veggies.
Enjoy! Prep Time:  15 minutes Cook Time:  1 hour 15 minutes Servings:  Makes about 15 meatballs

The Best Black Bean Burger with Chipotle Mayo

I have tried many a recipe for Black Bean Burgers - all of them did not measure up.  Filled with ingredients like oats, quinoa, you name it, all of them were mushy or fell apart when cooking.  I think America's Test Kitchen really found the secret to a great Black Bean Burger.  The secret is tortilla chips in place of any other binder and to let the mixture rest for one hour.

I made half the recipe (just in case) to try it out.  I swapped one ingredient and left one out since I didn't have it, but it still came out to be the best Black Bean Burger! You will need: 1 can of your favorite Black Beans (I used Bush's) drained and rinsed 1 egg 1/4 cup tortilla chips - I had Tostitos Fajita Scoops 1 Tbsp. flour 2 scallions, chopped 1-1/2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 tsp. cumin Salt and Pepper Directions: Process tortilla scoops until finely ground.  Measure out to 1/4 cup and set aside.  After rinsing the black beans, let them dry for about 15 minutes on a paper towel. In a medium size bowl, beat egg.  Add flour and whisk until well combined.  Add scallions, cilantro, garlic, cumin and salt and pepper and mix to combine. Add beans to food processor and pulse about 5 times.  There will be some beans that are not fully ground up, but you want some texture.  Add beans and ground tortillas to egg mixture and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 tsp. canola oil over medium heat.  Divide mixture into thirds and form into patties.  Fry burgers about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown, adding more oil if necessary when frying the second side.  This gives you a little bit of a crispy crust - like on a grilled burger. Get some nice Brioche buns, some chipoltle mayo, a juicy tomato, sliced raw Vidalia onion, shredded lettuce and build your burger! Makes 3 burgers. Chipotle Mayo: 3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise 3 Tbsp. Sour Cream 1 Tbsp. Cholula Chipotle Hot Sauce (or to taste) 1 tsp. fresh lime juice Pinch of garlic powder and salt Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!   

Maple-Glazed Chicken Tenderloins with Sweet Potatoes

A super quick weeknight meal with the help from refrigerated mashed potatoes!  The spicy steak seasoning just adds a kick of spice!

1 lb. 8 oz. package mashed sweet potatoes 1 lb. chicken breast tenderloins 2 tsp. steak grilling seasoning blend, such as Montreal 2 Tbsp. butter 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup scallions, sliced
Directions:
Prepare sweet potatoes in microwave oven according to package directions. Lightly coat chicken with steak seasoning.  Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add chicken.  Cook 5 to 6 minutes until no long pink, turning once halfway through cooking.  Remove from skillet; cover and keep warm.  Stir maple syrup into hot skillet; cook 2 minutes.  Stir in green onions.
Drizzle potatoes and chicken with maple syrup mixture.

Serves 4 Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Vegetarian Chili with Steel-Cut Oats

Oats for Dinner?
Adding steel-cut oats to a smoky chili with chipotle peppers makes a quick, hearty and wholesome meal.  This chili is great for lunch time leftovers and is so quick to make!  

Ingredients:
4 cups vegetable broth 1/2 cup steel-cut oats 1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed 1 Tbsp. chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or to taste) 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. oregano 2 tsp. cumin 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 14.5 oz. can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 14.4 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice Sliced scallions and sharp white or yellow cheddar for garnish
Directions:
Bring vegetable stock to a boil in a medium soup pot.  Add oats and quinoa and lower to a simmer.  Cook, covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally  Uncover and continue cooking until oats are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, garlic, beans and tomatoes with their juice.  Cover and simmer over low heat to allow flavors to blend.  Salt to taste.
Top with sharp cheddar and scallions.  Serve with tortilla scoops or chips or crackers.
Enjoy!

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 5
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 305.5

• Total Fat: 2.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 340 mg.  14%  Depending on which products you use
• Total Carbs: 41.g 14%
• Dietary Fiber: 9g 36%
• Protein: 13g 26%

Patti's Time-Saving Hack
Although whole grains can take a while to cook, you can cook them and freeze them for future use. Try this:  Cook up a big pot of grains.  When they're fully cooled, scoop half-cup portions into a cupcake baking pan sprayed with nonstick baking spray.  Stick the pan in the freezer, and when grains are frozen, pop them out of the pan and into a big plastic bag, which you can store back in the freezer.  When you need a serving of grains, grab one from the bag, toss it in the microwave, and heat it up for a minute or two.  You'll have a serving of delicious whole grains in less time than it takes to make instant rice.

CrockPot Chicken 'n' Dumplings

Warm up during this cold snap with a steamy bowl of old-fashioned Chicken "n" Dumplings.  It really doesn't get any easier to make this tasty comfort food.  

Ingredients:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can condensed cream of celery soup 3-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup shredded carrots 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 can Pillsbury Crescent Roll Sheet Chopped fresh parsley Additional freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Spray 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.  In slow cooker, mix both soups, broth and onion and carrots.  Arrange chicken in slow cooker.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dot with butter.
Cover, cook on LOW setting for 5-1/2 hours.  Uncover, shred chicken using two forks and return chicken to slow cooker.
On work surface, unroll crescent roll dough.  Cut into 1" x 3" strips.  Place strips in stew, pressing gently with back of spoon to submerge into liquid.  Cover and cook on HIGH an additional 30 minutes or until dumpling are cooked through.  Sprinkle with addition pepper.

Barley-Lime Fiesta Salad

When the weather is cold, a big pot of soup simmering on the stove warms the heart.  Adding some whole grain barley to the pot will improve your health along with the flavor of any soup or stew you are cooking.
Barley is a good source of fiber, Vitamin B1, magnesium and niacin.  Barley also makes a great salad!  It's a great grain with a chewy pasta-like consistency that works well in this Mexican-style barley salad.  

Ingredients:
1 cup pearl barley 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 green pepper, minced 1/2 red pepper, minced 1 small can whole kernel corn, drained 1 can Ro-tel tomatoes and green chilis 1/2 cup red onion, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped fine 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 cup water 1 Tbsp. sugar (or to taste) 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 tsp. lime zest 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley) 1 tsp. red wine vinegar 2 Tbsp. canola oil 1 Tbsp. Cholula Hot Sauce (or to taste) Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Rinse barley in cold water.  Add to saucepan with 2 cups water and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and chill.
In a large bowl combine cooked barley, black beans, green and red peppers, corn, celery, red onion, carrot, Ro-tel tomatoes (undrained), 1 Tbsp. canola oil, salt, pepper and cumin.  Mix to combine.
In a small bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, 2 Tbsp. canola oil, lime juice, hot sauce, cilantro, lime zest and red wine vinegar.  Pour dressing over barley mixture and toss to combine.  Refrigerate until chilled.

This salad just gets better the longer it sits.  Go perfect with any Mexican meal or great to bring to a party!

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

Making homemade sausage is easier than you think!  Mix your own sausage and it can be free of preservatives that are found in processed foods.  To cut the fat, these sweet and savory sausages can be made with ground chicken or turkey.
You can easily make these into patties - but if you get a bit more ambitious, you can have the traditional shaped sausage without using any casings.

Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage
1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 Gala or Honeycrisp apple, grated 1/2 cup grated sweet onion 1 clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp. poultry seasoning 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, ground Dash of paprkia 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper 1 lb. ground chicken
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.  Add apple and onion.  Cook about 2 minutes or until apple and onion begin to release their juices, about 2 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.  Set aside to cool.
If you are grinding your own chicken, cut boneless, skinless pieces into one-inch cubes.  Place in food processor in batches.  Cover and pulse until the ground meat holds together.  Do not over process.
In a medium bowl, place chicken, cooled apple and onion mixture, parsley, poultry seasoning, thyme leaves, ground fennel, paprika and salt and pepper.  Mix well with your hands, just to combine.  Refrigerate one hour for flavors to blend.
To make sausage:
Place one piece of plastic wrap, approximately 12 x 16 on counter top.  Place 1/3 cup of sausage mixture in the center.  Fold over plastic wrap and mold into a cylinder.  Twist ends in the opposite direction and tie ends.  Cut off any excess plastic wrap.

Fill a medium saute pan about 2/3 cup filled water water.  Bring to a low simmer.  Lower sausages into barely simmering water.  Cover and poach until cooked, about 10 minutes.

Remove from simmering water and let cool enough to handle.  At this point you can refrigerate or freeze.

All the juices are trapped inside these little bundles.
Remove water from skillet.  Dry with a paper towel and add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter and heat over medium heat.  Cut end of sausage casing with scissors and squeeze out sausage (along with the juices) into saute pan.  Saute until most of the liquid evaporates and sausage are nicely browned on all sides.

Serve warm with a drizzle of maple syrup and a stack of pancakes or waffles.  This makes a great "breakfast for dinner" meal.
Enjoy!

Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf

I love creating new recipes using what I have left in the fridge.  This Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf has a few delicious surprises inside.
A while back I was looking for recipes using Ritz crackers for an article I was doing.  A neighbor gave me a recipe for Elvis' favorite meatloaf using Ritz crackers in place of breadcrumbs.  That's where the crackers come in.  This meatloaf was also made with sour cream instead of eggs.  I was really surprised that the sour cream makes for the most tender meatloaf!  I had everything for the Elvis meatloaf but I also had some leftover pizza sauce and cheese.  The last ingredient - frozen mozzarella sticks.  And the Stuffed Pizza Meatloaf was born.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. 85% lean ground beef 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 clove garlic 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup Ritz or Town House crackers (about 20) 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 cup sour cream 1 cup pizza sauce, divided 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 6 frozen mozzarella sticks 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In the bowl of a small food processor, add crackers, garlic and red pepper flakes and pulse into fine crumbs.  In a small skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil.  Add cracker mixture and toast lightly over medium heat.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, crumb mixture, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, 1/3 cup pizza sauce, 1/2 cup mozzarella and sour cream.  Mix well to combine.  Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray.  Flatten out meatloaf into a 9" x 6" rectangle.  Arrange mozzarella sticks side by side.

Form into a loaf shape enclosing mozzarella sticks.  Place in 8 x 12 baking dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, top with remaining pizza sauce and return to oven for 20 minutes more.  After 20 minutes, add remaining mozzarella and return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.

This a new family favorite!  I hope you'll give it a try! MORE MEATLOAF RECIPES: Grandma's Tomato Soup Meatloaf Cheesy Porcini Meatloaf

Pineapple Upside Down Minis #dolerose

The idea of cooking a cake upside down, is an old technique that started centuries ago when cakes were cooked in cast iron skillets.  The idea of the pineapple came soon after 1911 when one of the James Dole's engineers had invented a machine to cut his pineapple into nice rings.  Soon the convenient and pretty rings were used in this age old technique of the skillet cake. It's time to bring back this classic dessert - in mini form! Perfect size for snacking or on your holiday table.

This holiday season, Dole Packaged Foods, LLC will be part of the annual Tournament of Roses Parade.  Dole Packaged Food's float, "Soaring Over Paradise" explores the world's rain forests.  The float includes four waterfalls, a zip line that travels through the rain forest canopy and a flock of Macaws that appear to take flight over the floral gardens.  Featured thoughout the float are Dole's non-GMO fruits, including bananas, pineapples, strawberries and mangoes.  It's a celebration more than a century old - a festival of flowers, music and sports unequaled anywhere else in the world.  It's America's New Year Celebration!   
Dole Packaged Foods ‘Live on Green’ Food Blogger Blast Party 2016 Rose Parade
We are so excited to be part of the food blogger blast!  Alice Phillips of What's for Dinner - Ally's Kitchen will demonstrate this recipe and several others at the Dole Bistro where she'll be cooking "live on green" December 29 and 30th as part of the parade.  Dole recipes are easy there are so many delicious ideas for the holidays or anytime.
Ingredients
2 cans (20 oz. each) Dole Pineapple Slices 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 package (18.25 oz.) yellow or pineapple flavored cake mix Maraschino cherries
Directions
Drain pineapple; reserve juice Stir together melted butter and brown sugar. Evenly divide sugar mixture into 18 muffin cups. Press well drained pineapple into sugar mixture.  Place cherries in center of pineapple. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, replacing water with reserved pineapple juice. Pour 1/3 cup batter into each muffin cup. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes (Important!) Invert onto cooling rack. Drizzle with any left over brown sugar syrup left in muffin tins.

Be sure to watch the parade and look for Ally and our recipes!

Pastina for One

This dish has to fall in to the category of Comfort Food Favorites. Sometimes it's the only thing that will do when you are feeling sad or tired or just stressed out a little and need some comfort.   You could also go back to some fond memories of childhood if you had this growing up.
Simply, pastina, butter and cheese and your favorite bowl and spoon.

1 cup low sodium chicken broth 1/4 cup Pastina Grated Cheese Unsalted butter
Bring chicken broth to a boil over medium heat.  Add pastina and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the chicken broth is absorbed, 5-6 minutes.  Fill up your favorite bowl.  Top with a pat of butter, parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

So go ahead, make your self a bowl.   You'll feel better!
Another comfort food favorite are my sister's meatballs!
Barb's Melt in your Mouth Meatballs with Gravy