When I have a bit more time to cook, I love to make what we call “three things on a plate”. This is a main dish, and two sides.

It’s real home style comfort food and if you plan it accordingly, it isn’t too much work to pull it together. The key is to simplify and keep it basic.

Here’s the menu:

Mini Umami Meatloaf
Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Lime Butter Yellow Corn

Mini Umami Meatloaf
These are really easy and fun to make. Children love them, as they get their own mini meatloaf. The process to prepare is the same, except you cook it in a 12 cup muffin tin.

1 lb of Lean Ground Beef
1 lb of Lean Ground Pork, if you don’t eat pork, then you can substitute Ground Veal
1 tsp Umami Paste
1 packet of Instant Onion Soup Mix, or 1 packet French Onion Dip mix.
3/4 cup Unseasoned Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup of Water
1 Egg
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ketchup, Optional

Preheat you oven to 350F. Gently mix all ingredients together, except the water. Once all the other ingredients are mixed, add the water a bit at a time. It will seem very wet at first, but the bread crumbs will absorb it.

Grease your muffin tin with a non stick cooking spray and then put about 1/2 cup into each muffin cup. Even them off, but do not pack them down. Put into the oven with a baking sheet underneath in case they drip.

Bake for 30 minutes and if you want ketchup on top, put that on at 20 minutes and finish the timing. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil and let them rest for at least 15 minutes. This gives you time to finish off your other dishes.

Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes

3-4 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/2 stick Unsalted Butter
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/2 cup Sweetened Coconut
Salt and Black Pepper

Heat a large pot of salted water with the cut sweet potatoes. Cook until done and add all ingredients and mash together in the pot. Put the top on the pot and set aside to keep warm.

Lime Butter Yellow Corn

1 Packet of Frozen Yellow Corn
Juice of two Limes
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp finely minced fresh Chives
Salt and Pepper

Prepare the corn as indicated on the packet, drain and add back to the pot, then add all ingredients and stir until combined and put top on pot and set aside to keep warm.