Free Online Cooking Recipes Network

Boston Market Meatloaf

If you already have a recipe that claims to be a clone for this delicious meatloaf...you can now toss it out, purge if from your hard drive, burn all hard copies. No clone recipe that I've found yet -- and there are several circulating -- has come even close to the tender, tasty meatloaf you can get from this popular chain. Don't be fooled! To make a REAL clone, first thing you've got to do is use ground sirloin, just as the restaurant chain does. And then you need to know how to make the special sauce that goes into the meatloaf and on top (no it's not ketchup and it's not V-8). And there's no minced onion in there (just look at it!), or onion soup mix for that matter. So, search no more for the perfect clone of Boston Market's tasty meatloaf. You've now got the result of days and days of vigorous testing. Even if you don't normally enjoy meatloaf, this one you'll be a craven'.

Required:

1 cup tomato sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons Kraft original barbecue sauce 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 1/2 pounds ground sirloin (10% fat)

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dash garlic powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine the tomato sauce, barbecue sauce and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the mixture until it begins to bubble, stirring often, and then remove it from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, add all but 2 tablespoons of the tomato sauce to the meat. Use a large wooden spoon or your hands to work the sauce into the meat until it is very well combined.

4. Combine the remaining ingredients with the ground sirloin-- flour, salt, onion powder and ground pepper. Use the wooden spoon or your hands to work the spices and flour into the meat.

5. Load the meat into a loaf pan (preferably a meatloaf pan with two sections which allow the fat to drain, but if you don't have one of those a regular loaf pan will work). Wrap foil over the pan and place it into the oven for 30 minutes.

6. After 30 minutes, take the meatloaf from the oven, remove the foil and, if you aren't using a meatloaf pan, drain the fat.

7. using a knife, slice the meatloaf all the way through into 8 slices while it is still in the pan. This will help to cook the center of the meatloaf. Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of sauce over the top of the meatloaf, in a stream down the center. Don't spread the sauce.

8. Place the meatloaf back into the oven, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until it is done. Remove and allow it to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tags: Boston market meatloaf, beef recipes

Benihana Ginger Salad Dressing

As far as salad dressings go, this is one of the most requested, and tasty. At the Benihana chain of hibachi grill restaurants, you are served a side salad before your meal that is doused with this tangy, slightly sweet, fresh ginger dressing. This Top Secret Recipes version of that dressing is a real cinch to make, once you've got the ingredients. Just dump everything into a blender, whiz it, and you're set. Although this recipe is inspired by the many variations of the clone recipe that are floating around (and that I have received by e-mail), you should know that this is an original never-before-published creation that comes closer to the original product than any other version I have seen. See what you think.

Required:

1/2 cup minced onion

1/2 cup peanut oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 2 tablespoons minced celery

2 tablespoons ketchup

4 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for about 30 seconds or until all of the ginger is well-pureed.

Makes 1 3/4 cups.

Tags: Salad, decorating salad

Baked French Onion Soup

Don't even try to find this one on the menu at Apple bee's, because it isn't there; though it's the most popular soup served each day at this huge restaurant chain.  This is the first of several big-time soup clones we'll unveil here in the next few weeks to help get you through the cold winter months. And they're all a cinch to make. Just be sure you have some oven-safe soup bowls for this one, since we'll have to broil it a bit before serving. Under the gooey melted provolone of the original version you get from Apple bee's is a unique round crouton that's made from bread similar to a hamburger bun. So that's exactly what we'll use in our clone.

Requirements:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 medium white onions, sliced

8 cups beef broth (Swanson is best)

1 cup water

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

5 plain hamburger buns

10 slices provolone cheese

10 teaspoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Add 3 tablespoons oil to a large soup pot or saucepan over medium/high heat. Add the sliced onions and saute for 20 minutes until the onions begin to soften and start to become translucent. You don't want them to brown.

2. Add the beef broth, water, salt, garlic powder and black pepper to the pan and bring mixture to a boil. When soup begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

3. To make the croutons cut off the top half of each top of the hamburger bun so that the bread is the same thickness as the bottom half of each bun. Throw the tops away. Now you should have 10 round pieces of bread -- 5 bottom buns, and 5 top buns with the tops cut off. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the bread in the oven directly on the rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until each piece is golden brown and crispy. Set these croutons aside until you need them.

4. When the soup is done, spoon about 1 cup into an oven-safe bowl. Float a crouton on top of the soup, and then place a slice of provolone cheese on top of the crouton. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of shredded Parmesan cheese over the provolone.

5. Place the bowl into your oven set to high broil. Broil the soup for 5 to 6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown (you may need to broil longer if you are making more than one bowl at a time). Sprinkle an additional 1/2 teaspoon of shredded Parmesan cheese over the top of the soup and serve. Repeat process to prepare remaining servings.

Tags: soup recipe, soup, onion soup, spicy soup