A "Fat(ass) Tuesday" Little Dinner Party

Woo! Whip out your business for beads 'cause it's Mardi Gras time! I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure what Mardi Gras is about. I think it has something to do with France because we usually had a busy-work/craft day in French class on Fat Tuesday.  This yearly festival of fools is much bigger in the South than up here in the Midwest, or maybe we just do our binge drinking holidays a little differently. I decided instead of making an appearance on Girls Gone Wild again, that I would stay in and entertain my, huskier, friends. After eating this dinner, you'll be giving your friends beads just to keep their top buttons closed.

Rosemary & Pear Infused Vodka

I suppose the purpose of Mardi Gras is to get wasted, with this craft you can recycle while you're at it. This is best done a few days in advance so that your vodka has enough time to steep. You can alter this recipe with your own blends of herbs and fruits. After a particularly militant recylcing crusade I began saving glass bottles, now I'm trying to find uses for them, let's view one now:

You Will Need the Following: cheap vodka, bartlett pears, fresh rosemary, and empty jars/bottles.

Step 1: Slice pear into pieces fit to your containers. Poke several holes in the fruit with a fork. 

Step 2: Fill jars with pear slices and one sprig fresh rosemary (as is). Pour vodka to rim. Seal and freeze for 3-5 days. Serve with tonic and lime or on the rocks. 

Mardi Gras Meatloaf!

Anyone who says they don't like meatloaf is either a vegetarian or still dealing with childhood misconceptions. And I say, if you're going to go all out for Fat Tuesday, then you should go big! This little loaf is stuffed with caramelized onions, wrapped in bacon and frosted with BBQ sauce. Meatloaf is another thing that can be done a hundred different ways and this was how I spoiled my guest. I apologize for all the graphic images of ground turkey. 

You Will Need the Following: 

1 lb ground turkey

1/2 lb bacon

1/2 red onion (sliced)

1 dinner roll (in pieces)

1/4 c milk

1/2 c bbq sauce 

1/4 c tomato paste

1 egg

1/2 t-spoon sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt & Pepper

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl combine bread pieces with milk and allow to soak. In the meantime caramelize onions by heating in oil until translucent. Add sugar and continue to cook for five minutes. Set aside.

Step 2: Pound bread and milk into a paste. Add egg, stir until mixed. Add meat, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and press half into a loaf pan. 

Step 3: Add a layer of caramelized onions and bury with remaining loaf mix. 

Step 4: Wrap loaf in bacon slices by pressing bacon ends down the sides of the pan with a spatula.

Step 5: Frost top with bbq sauce and cover. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Allow to sit before serving.

Well that's it for this week. Hope you enjoy your Midwestern Fat(ass) Tuesday!