My Ideal Birthday “Cake” (is Meatloaf!)

A savory dish made with ground meat, my ideal birthday cake is meatloaf! This one is filled with curried carrots and covered with buttery cream potatoes. Happy Easter to all who celebrate and an early Happy April Fool's Day to all!

We all love a good prank for April Fool’s Day but I can’t remember the last time I actually pulled one. Probably when our girls still lived at home and that’s was a very long time ago – COVID days excepted. 

If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you probably know that I’m not much of a sweet eater so when our Sunday FunDay host for this week challenged us to make a dish that looked like something else for April Fool’s Day, I knew I’d make a savory dish. 

I also wanted to make a fun recipe that we could actually enjoy for a main course. I created this meatloaf recipe to fit the bill. Doesn’t it look like cake?!!!

My Ideal Birthday Cake is Meatloaf

I used two 6-in or 15cm round “smash” cake pans to bake the meatloaf layers. A tradition that started well after my two girls had turned one, smash cakes are little cakes baked so the birthday baby can put her whole face in. I presume there’s another cake for the rest of the guests at the birthday party.

Ingredients

For the “cake” layers:

2 slices sandwich bread (brown or white)

1/4 cup or 60ml milk

1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion

1 lb or 450g ground beef

1/2 lb or 225g ground pork

2 eggs

1/4 cup or 60ml ketchup

2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (like Colman’s)

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the cream potato “frosting”:

4 medium Russet potatoes (weight peeled: about 1 lb 6 oz or 625g)

1 teaspoon fine sea salt to boil, plus extra after mashing, if needed

1/2 cup or 120ml whipping or heavy cream

1/4 cup or 57g butter

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

For the savory carrot filling: 

3 medium carrots (weight peeled: about 7 3/4 oz or 215g)

1/4 medium onion

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt  

For decorating:

1 teaspoon paprika

Large piping tip

Piping bag

Method

Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Cut the bread into small squares and pour the milk over it in a small bowl, pushing the pieces down into the milk. Soak until all the milk is absorbed.

Mince your onion finely. I usually use a small food processor for this to make sure there are no big bits because no one wants to bite into a big bit of onion.

In a large bowl, add your onion, ground beef, ground pork, eggs, ketchup, mustard powder and salt. Mash the soggy bread with a fork till it falls apart and then add it to the large bowl with all of the other ingredients.  Mix well.

Divide the mixture in half and press it into the smash cake pans. My whole mixture weighed 1062g so each pan holds 531g.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the meatloaf is browned nicely and cooked through to a safe internal temperature of 160°F or 71°C.

While your layers are baking, make the filling and "frosting." Peel your potatoes and cut them into chunks. Boil them until tender with the teaspoon of salt. 

Warm the cream and butter together till the butter is just melted. I do this in a microwaveable vessel, with quick zaps, watching carefully so it doesn’t boil over. 

Drain the potatoes and mash them right away. I find they mash with fewer lumps while still hot. Add in the melted butter/cream and the white pepper. 

Stir well till combined. Taste and add more salt if needed. 

Peel and cut the carrots into chunks. Finely mince the onion (or use a processor) for the filling. 

Boil the carrots until very tender then drain and mash them right away. 

Transfer the carrots to a heat -proof bowl and melt the butter in the pot you used to boil them. Sauté the curry powder and chopped onions in the butter until the onions are translucent and very soft. 

Add the carrots back into the pot with the 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix well. Set aside.

When they are done, remove the meatloaf layers from the oven and leave to cool for a few minutes. Run a silicone spatula around the edge to loosen. Carefully remove them to plates.

Top one meatloaf layer with the carrot filling. 

Carefully put the second meatloaf layer on top. 

Cover the “cake” with the cream potatoes. 

You should have plenty left over so don't be shy.

Add the paprika to 3/4 cup or 170g of the cream potatoes and mix well.

Fit a large tip on your piping bag and use a spatula to add the paprika potato down the insides of the bag in stripes. Spoon the rest of the cream potatoes in the middle of the piping bag. Decorate the “cake” by piping on little rosettes or stars.

I did a row around the bottom, then a row around the top. And because more is more, I piped rosettes to cover the top. You do you. 

(You will probably have potato leftover at the end unless you choose to cover the whole cake with rosettes. Eat it as is or follow these instructions to make baked Marquis potatoes with the rest. 

I must confess that by the time I finished assembling the “cake” it was closer to room temperature than hot so we sliced it up and warmed it by the slice in the microwave. Delicious! 

If you make one to trick your family, I’d love to hear about it!

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and, as mentioned above, we are sharing April Fool’s Day recipes. Many thanks to our host, Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out all the illusion recipes below:

• April Fools Calzone Donut by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• April Fools' Day Chicken Nuggets & French Fries by Sneha's Recipe
• Big Ice Cream Taco by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Grogu's Frog Egg Dessert by Palatable Pastime
• Hot Beef Sundae by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• My Ideal Birthday "Cake" by Food Lust People Love
• Potted Plant Cremeux by Culinary Cam

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Hatch Chili Pepper Meatloaf

This hatch chili pepper meatloaf is flavorful and tender. It’s a meaty well-seasoned main course, made with both ground turkey and beef. So easy too!

When it’s Hatch chili pepper season (generally August and September in Hatch, New Mexico, depending on the weather) I buy lots of those great peppers, roast them in the oven, peel and freeze so we can enjoy their flavor all year round. 

I use them in lots of dishes, like my Creamy Hatch Chili Pepper Spinach Chicken (where you can see my roast and peel method) and even pimento cheese. As you’ll see in the pimento cheese recipe, if you don’t have Hatch peppers in your freezer, they can also be purchased in cans. 

It’s Sunday FunDay and we are celebrating Elvis Presley’s birthday by sharing recipes to honor him! Had he lived this long, Elvis would be 88 today. Everyone knows about the iconic sandwich he loved, but did you know that his actual favorite dish is meatloaf? 

Or so said Elvis impersonator, Mark Hussman in an interview with the Chicago Tribune many years ago: "Elvis ate a lot of Southern food, he loved steak, and he loved meatloaf. His favorite food was meatloaf. He ate it every day for month one year."  

That sounds a bit much but his former wife Priscilla Presley once confirmed that at one point, Elvis wanted his Sunday Meatloaf for every evening meal for six months straight! 

According to yet another source, once a week, Elvis would request meatloaf on the menu, a recipe subsequently printed in the Presley Family Cookbook. I did find that one online and considered making it but while my Hatch Chili Pepper Meatloaf is not the original Presley family recipe, I like to think Elvis would approve. My own family certainly did! 

Hatch Chili Pepper Meatloaf 

This meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes with the Hatch chili peppers. They add a lovely fresh and slightly smoky flavor to the meat. If you aren’t a fan of spicy, by all means substitute green pepper. 

Ingredients

4 slices sandwich bread or 2 hamburger buns

1/2 cup or 120ml milk

1 small onion

2 eggs

1 1/3 lbs or 600g ground beef

1 lb or 450g ground turkey

2 roasted peeled Hatch chili peppers

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup or 80ml ketchup

2 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (like Colman’s)

Method

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C.

Rip the bread into rough pieces and, in a small bowl, pour the milk over it, pushing the pieces down into the milk. Soak until all the milk is absorbed.

Put the onion in the food processor and process till chopped finely.

Add the hatch chili peppers and process again briefly.

Mash the soggy bread with a fork and then add to a large bowl with all of the other ingredients. 

Mix well.

Tip the lot into a loaf pan lined with foil. (The foil is not essential, especially if your pan is nonstick, but it does make clean up so much easier.)

Bake for about an hour or until the meatloaf is browned nicely and internal temperature reaches 155°F or 68°C. The temperature will continue to rise, reaching a safe temp of 165°F or 74°C for the ground turkey. Cover with foil for 10 minutes before slicing to serve. 

I suggest serving this juicy meatloaf alongside some rich mashed potatoes, gravy and the vegetable of your choice.

Enjoy!

As I mentioned above, it’s Sunday FunDay and we are honoring Elvis today! Check out the links below. Many thanks to our host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm. 

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Buffalo Chicken Baked Mac and Cheese 
• Food Lust People Love: Hatch Chili Pepper Meatloaf
• Culinary Cam: Oysters Rockefeller 
• Palatable Pastime: Pineapple Poke Cake 
• Sneha's Recipe: Pork Chops In Homemade Recheado Masala 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: "The Elvis" Peanut Butter, Bacon, & Banana Sandwich

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

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Spicy Salmon Shrimp Loaf #BundtBakers

This spicy salmon shrimp loaf is a new take on my popular salmon shrimp burger recipe, baked in a Bundt pan. It is tender and juicy so you don’t need the pink sauce, but I highly recommend it nonetheless.

Often when I’ve read recipes for a salmon loaf, they are either made with canned salmon or are more mousse than loaf, or God forbid, both.  This one is neither. It’s a “meaty” flavorful slice and the perfect main course for your family or even a dinner party. (Anyone remember what those are?) I served this with some buttered baby new red potatoes and sautéed yellow squash so it was a colorful meal indeed.

Spicy Salmon Shrimp Loaf 

If you are using raw frozen shrimp to make this loaf, make sure to thaw and drain it thoroughly before starting. In order to protect the shrimp from freezer burn, a coat of water is usually added to the outside of the shrimp. Unless thawed and well drained, that water will add too much liquid and your loaf may fall apart.

Ingredients
For the loaf:
Canola or other light oil for greasing pan
3-4 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs for coating pan
1 1/2 lb or 680g salmon fillet – weight after skinned and bones removed, if any
1 1/4 lbs or 567g raw shrimp – weight after peeling and cleaning
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
2 slices fresh whole-wheat sandwich bread
1 medium onion, chopped (my weighed about 170g)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
1 teaspoon mustard powder
Fine sea salt
Black pepper
6-8 green onion tops, minced

For the salsa rosada or spicy mayo:
1/2 cup or 120ml good quality mayonnaise
1/4 cup or 60ml ketchup
2 teaspoons hot sauce – or more to your taste
Optional – a little grated onion

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and prepare your 10- cup Bundt pan by brushing the inside liberally with canola or another light oil. Sprinkle on the dried breadcrumbs to coat. Set aside.

Lay your salmon and shrimp out on a cutting board and season them with salt and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Put the slices of bread into your food processor and process until they are large fluffy crumbs.

Add in the onion, eggs, chili pepper, mustard powder and a few good grinds of fresh black pepper.

Pulse until all is well combined.

Cut 1/3 of the salmon and 1/3 of the shrimp into small pieces.

Add the salmon and shrimp pieces to the food processor mixture. Pulse until you have a thick paste. Tip the mixture from the food processor out into a bowl.

Cut the balance of your salmon and shrimp into 1/2 in or 1 cm cubes. Add them to the paste bowl along with the green onions.

Mix well with a spoon or spatula. I like to fry a little of the mixture to taste for seasoning at this point. If it needs more salt or black pepper add some and mix well. (This is a generous tablespoon in one of those tiny pans made for one egg.)

Spoon the mixture into your prepared Bundt pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes or until cooked through and firm.

Meanwhile, make your salsa rosada by mixing all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Remove the loaf from the oven and leave it to rest for about 8-10 minutes. Run a wooden skewer around the edges and middle of the Bundt pan to loosen the loaf. Cover the pan with a serving platter and invert quickly.

Garnish the loaf with chopped green onion tops and put out the salsa rosada so people can drizzle some on for themselves.

Enjoy!

This is a very unusual BundtBakers month! At the instigation of our host, Sneha of Sneha's Recipe, we are baking "meat" loaves instead of cake. Check out all the great recipes below! 

• Beef Veal & Pork Meatloaf Bundtlets from Sweet Sensations
• Classic Bundt Meatloaf from Making Miracles
• Dates, Peanuts Meatloaf Bundt from Patyco Candy Bar
• Homemade French Onion Soup Bundt Meatloaf with Ham & Sausage from Sneha's Recipe
• Mini meatloaves with Strawberry Rhubarb Glaze from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Spicy Salmon Shrimp Loaf from Food Lust People Love

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all of our lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers can be found on our home page.

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Chive Potato Filled Cheeseburger Meatloaf Bundt #BundtBakers

Elevate meatloaf to a whole new level with this chive potato filled cheeseburger meatloaf Bundt recipe. It is a delicious new family favorite and a beautiful centerpiece for your Sunday supper or buffet table.

This month our Bundt Baker host is Colleen from Faith, Hope, Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice and she challenged us to use our Bundt pans to bake something untraditional.  I briefly considered making a pork terrine - a pâté de Campagne of sorts – or a crustless quiche. But the honest truth is that I didn’t feel like eating either of those things. What I really felt like eating was meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

And so, this chive potato filled cheeseburger meatloaf Bundt was born! It was an absolute hit with my favorite taste-tester/husband. After enjoying the meatloaf for dinner the first night, he took meatloaf sandwiches to work for lunch for the next few days, declaring them fabulous.

Chive Potato Filled Cheeseburger Meatloaf Bundt

Ingredients
For the chive potatoes:
1 lb or 450g waxy potatoes
1/4 cup or 57g butter
1/4 cup or 60ml cream
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Generous bunch green onion tops, chopped - save a little for garnish

For the cheeseburger meatloaf:
1 slice sandwich bread
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1 1/2 lbs or 680g ground beef
1/2 lb or 230g ground pork
1 small onion, minced finely
1/2 cup or 50g grated extra sharp cheddar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons dry mustard powder (like Coleman’s)
1/2 teaspoon salt
black pepper
1/4 cup or 60ml ketchup

To line the Bundt pan:
1 teaspoon canola or other light oil
8 slices bacon

Method
Peel and quarter the potatoes. Boil them till tender in lightly salted water. Drain the potatoes and mash them completely with a potato masher. Stir in the butter and cream and season the mashed potatoes with salt and black pepper. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the 350°F or 180°C and brush the 12-cup Bundt pan with the canola oil. Line the pan with the bacon.

Rip the bread into rough pieces and, in a large bowl, pour the milk over it, pushing the pieces down into the milk. Soak until all the milk is absorbed. Add all of the other ingredients to the bowl and mix well.

Carefully spoon two-thirds of the meat mixture into the prepared pan. Press it down and then use a spoon to create a channel in the middle.

Add the green onion tops to the cooled mashed potatoes and mix well. Spoon the potatoes into the channel in the meat.

Top with the rest of the meat mixture and press it into the sides and middle.

Fold the excess bacon over the top of the meat mixture from the sides and middle.

Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or till the internal temperature of meatloaf reaches 160°F or 71°C.

Cool the chive potato filled cheeseburger meatloaf Bundt for 15 minutes in the pan. Carefully turn it out onto a baking pan.

Raise the oven temperature to 400°F or 200°C and roast the meatloaf for 15 minutes more or until golden. I turned the top element of my oven on for the last five minutes, to heighten the color. You might want to do the same.

Cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with a side of lightly cooked green beans or perhaps a green salad.

Enjoy!
 

Check out the creative list of untraditional Bundts we have for you this month:

• Bacon, Zucchini, Raisins and Cheddar Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
• Cheesesteak Bundt from Cookaholic Wife
• Cherry Bundt Breakfast Danish from Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Chicken Fajita Bundt Cake from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chive Potato Filled Cheeseburger Meatloaf Bundt from Food Lust People Love
• Classic Vanilla Flan Bundt from All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• Pasta Chicken Bundt from Sneha's Recipe
• Soap Bundt Cake from La Mejor Manera
• Spinach Pasta Surprise from A Day in the Life on the Farm

 

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

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