Meatloaf And Yukon Gold Mashed Potatos

i don't know why but in the Fall i just gotta make meatloaf. Maybe it's because it's another of those dishes that's hearty, has lots of flavors & textures and of course my all time favorite thing about any dish---makes for great left-overs. i like to pair this dish with one of my favorite staples, mashed potatos. But not just any mashed potatos. Yukon Gold mashed potatos. i prefer the Yukon Gold variety for the following reasons: They tend to require less cooking time than the traditional Idaho potato.

Their texture is superb. By now i'm guessing visitors to this site have figured out i'm a tactile type and that idiosyncrasy is definitely a large part of what defines my preferences in the kitchen. As any cook worth their salt will tell you a meal should seduce all five senses and it's a bonus when any one ingredient can handle that requirement. Yukon Gold potatos can do. When i mash them i leave the skin on. They're so flavorful once they're mashed you don't need to salt or butter them. And speaking of butter these potatos texture is well...'like butter'. Yukon Gold spuds are good for you and good to you. They have naturally occurring anti-oxidants vitamins C and A and most importantly luteins and carotenoids.

Luteins and carotenoids are good for the eyes and skin. But don't take my word for it. Here are some scientific statistics: "There are over 600 known carotenoids; they are split into two classes, xanthophylls (which contain oxygen) and carotenes (which are purely hydrocarbons, and contain no oxygen). Carotenoids in general absorb blue light. They serve two key roles in plants and algae: they absorb light energy for use in photosynthesis, and they protect chlorophyll from photodamage.[2] In humans, four carotenoids (beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, gamma-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin) have vitamin A activity (meaning they can be converted to retinal), and these and other carotenoids can also act as antioxidants. In the eye, certain other carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) apparently act directly to absorb damaging blue and near-ultraviolet light, in order to protect the macula lutea."

"Lutein in Yukon Gold potato was at ca. 0.4 mg/100 g FW. Certain Yukon Gold was also found to contain violaxanthin (0.35 mg/100 g FW). Structures of lutein, beta-carotene and violaxanthin were identified by LC-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization MS in positive ion mode, and by comparing the retention time and UV-vis spectral data with standards. Results from this study suggest the selected crops and agri-food industrial processing by-products of these can be a good source of free lutein."

Anyway as i was saying Yukon Gold spuds taste good and they're good for you. Boil 6 to 8 potatos for 45 minutes to an hour. They should give when pricked with a fork but still have some firmness. Remove immediately from boiled water, mash and add milk to preferred creamy consistency. If you do want to add salt or butter do so immediately after mashing. But as stated earlier seasoning them after mashing is more a matter of preference than requirement. i sometimes add a sprinkling of parsley but again not a necessity.

For the meatloaf you'll need one lb ground beef 3 large eggs bread crumbs tarragon 6oz of tomato sauce worcestershire sauce sliced red onion black pepper red pepper 6 sliced mushrooms. Combine all and place in 6-8 inch loaf pan. Depending on it's material the pan may require a light coating of vegetable oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

Text Credit: Wikipedia
Text Credit: U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute Of Health
Image Credit: sookie's Meatloaf and Yukon Gold Mashed Potatos