Mexicali Meatloaf 's Return Engagement

I love Spring, but wow is it busy! Seems like a million details pull me away from being an organized homemaker. But gee, my hubby never stops needing to be fed, and a call to the pizza place just isn't going to do it. Flexibility is one key to making my Diner system work. If I couldn't make the meal I had planned today, I will always have a back up in the freezer.

Today, a good friend had a death in the family. With many of the arrangements falling on her, I knew she would appreciate some meals delivered for the family. That can be interesting--feeding picky kids who aren't the low carbers we are. Since I do still have one carby boy at home, I had a box of macaroni noodles. Not using the Dreamfield's on carb eaters! I made a meal for that family and arrived home just in time to need to feed my guys. Since there are better days when I plan for situations like this, I just pulled a meatloaf out of the freezer. It can go straight into the microwave or regular oven. Then all I have to do is prepare the veggies or salad.

This one happens to be a Mexican Meatloaf. That is a regular meatloaf seasoned with some chili seasoning. I also add some cheese to the meat. On the day I first made these, I baked all three loaves. That made tonight's dinner much quicker. If your prep day is super busy, though, you can freeze the raw meatloaf as well. It is a little trickier though, because that would need to thaw before cooking. If you try to cook from frozen, the center would probably stay undercooked while the ends got dried out.

I used a chili seasoning packet which was low in carbs. If you choose to do that, be sure to watch for added starches. Or, you can make your own seasoning mix too. I used one package for almost 5 pounds of ground beef. You could add more or less according to your family's tastes.

For a side, the carby boy got some of the mac n cheese I took to our friends. It is a fav of his. John got some cabbage. I fried it in olive oil with a spoonful of Rotel type tomatoes for extra zip. Once the cabbage is tender, just add a bit of salt and a sprinkle of cheese. Another successful easy dinner anyone could do.