Easy Meatballs and Polenta

This is one of those recipes that is near and dear to my heart. Meatballs and polenta has become my showstopper dish when I have people coming over for dinner. For years I have worked to execute exotic, technically difficult dishes when I have company over and it's only when I was pressed for time or had a specific request that I begrudgingly made something simple instead. What I found time and again was that while the "fancy" dishes were always well-received, there is just something about elevating basic ingredients that everyone loves. Sure, you can impress with a perfectly executed crème brûlée but when you can create magic with simple things like ground beef, corn meal and cheese you will win over even the stiffest of critics. I think this is because with all the hustle and bustle required of us to survive, it feels good to be reminded that you don't need to have a ton of time or skill to make delicious food for the ones you love.

As an aside, I won't lie...I use store bought red sauce because I just have not mastered the art of homemade yet but feel free to use whatever you prefer. Homemade red sauce would just elevate this to the next level.

Directions:

Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lean ground beef (I used 94/6 but you can use whatever you can find. This is also amazingly delicious with veal/beef/pork mix but I'm trying to give up eating baby animals)
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs*
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cream*
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (reserved for later)

Directions:

1. Mince your garlic, add to a large bowl with egg, cream, mustard and Worcestershire sauce - whisk to combine. Turn oven on to 400 while you prep the meatballs.
2.  Add ground beef to bowl and begin mixing. Add in breadcrumbs until the mixture is sticky and just barely holds together in balls. *You may need to add more cream or more breadcrumbs in order to reach this consistency. 
3. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a cast iron skillet on medium heat for several minutes. Once oil is up to temp add your meatballs and brown on all sides,  about 15 minutes total. 
4. Cover cast iron with foil and place into oven for about 20 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Remove foil, cover each meatball with a think layer of mozzarella cheese and return to oven for another 5ish minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with warmed sauce over polenta immediately. 

Polenta

Ingredients:

• 5 cups unsalted beef stock (you can use whatever stock or broth that you want but beef is my favorite for polenta served with meatballs)
• 1 cup dry polenta
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup whipped cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat your stock in a sauce pan over high heat until it reaches a rolling boil. 
2. Turn burner down to medium-low (simmering) and slowly whisk in polenta in a steady stream.
3.  Turn heat down to low (only bubbling occasionally) and stir every minute or so for the next 12-15 minutes until polenta has thickened. 
4. Remove polenta from heat and add in butter, cream cheese, sour cream and salt. Stir until combined. Serve with meatballs and leave covered over low heat for seconds.

 

How Far Would You Go?

 

I have shared with some of you already that I recently got accepted into a leadership program at UPenn. The intention of the program is to identify the next leaders within the University, train them to be effective managers/mentors/role models, teach them the importance of  personal development and in turn, strengthen the University as a whole overtime. We undergo a combination of classroom learning, coaching, peer feedback sessions and extensive personality and strength/weakness assessments.

The program stresses that we cannot (and should not) separate our professional and personal lives. That is to say, that we are made up by the sum of our parts and it's impossible to see the whole picture without accounting for all aspects. That said, the personal development is a major aspect of the classes and I have found the additional guidance in this realm to be positive and enlightening. 

In the most recent classroom session one of the speakers mentioned something in passing that I wrote down because I knew I wanted to think about it more after class was over. He said, "You can only lead others as far as you yourself have gone. How far are you willing to go?" 

The idea seems painfully obvious at first glance. But in my ((relatively)) new position as a leader in my Center and my ((definitely)) new position as a wellness coach I looked at this from the perspective of my strengths and weaknesses and how they translate to my team. When I think about where my staff at work get hung up or when it seems like my Goal Diggers are a bit distant I turned the lens around and focused on myself. I realized there were aspects of myself and my personality that needed work which I had failed to see before and that my insecurities make their way to them as well. It made me want to become the best version of myself so that I can be a leader worthy for those who follow my journey. 

I don't think this is about being perfect - on the contrary. I think it's about being open-minded, introspective and constantly taking stock of how you feel and where you stand. Just because you aren't "there" yet doesn't mean you won't be there ever. And the fact that you are working toward it will be a powerful tool in leading the way for others to succeed. There is no destination in personal development - we are ever-changing!

Cheeseburger Casserole

Cheeseburger Casserole

 

This is most certainly one of my favorite fall/rainy/chilly/lazy night dishes. It's quick, easy, satisfying and tastes like a cheat meal but isn't. I love cheeseburgers more than one person probably should but cooking them inside is messy and while we are proponents of all-year grilling, I'm not crazy enough to ask my husband to grill in the rain (usually). 

This casserole of ground beef, pasta and cheese is perfect topped with whatever you usually like on burgers. We chose "whopper style" with fancy sauce (lightened up by using greek yogurt instead of mayo), lettuce tomato and pickles.  This would also be amazing with sauteed onions and BBQ sauce or any other number of toppings. Keep it simple or get nuts with your toppings! The choice is yours, but either way you will not be disappointed!

Casserole Ingredients:

• 1 pound extra lean ground beef (I used 96/4)
• 1/2 pound small, whole wheat pasta (best to use something that will soak up your cheese sauce - shells, rotini, elbows, etc)
• 1/2 cup cheese of choice (cheddar, jack, american, swiss will all work - whatever you prefer on your burgers)
• 1/2 cup vegetable both
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• Black pepper to taste 
• Toppings can include lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, etc.

Fancy Sauce:

• 1/4 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.  
2. While oven preheats cook your pasta according to package directions and saute your ground beef. Drain both of excess liquid. 
3. Once beef and pasta are cooked, make your cheese sauce. In the pot where the pasta was, combine the cheese and vegetable broth over medium-low heat (4 out of 9 on my stove top) until melted and combined. 
4. Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking oil. Add pasta, beef and cheese sauce. Toss until thoroughly coated. *Note: it may not look like a ton of cheese sauce ans that's okay, it will still flavor your casserole. 
5. Bake uncovered for about 15 minutes until top of crispy. 
6. While your casserole bakes, mix up your fancy sauce. *Note: May need to play around with the proportions to get it to taste the way you want it to. We prefer a creamier sauce but you can adjust it to be exactly what you want. 
7. Serve immediately, top with fancy sauce and toppings and enjoy!