Monday Morning Recap: Grilling Galore!

Both the Wisconsin and Arkansas test kitchens had interesting weekends. The Wisconsin test kitchen celebrated their daughter Sawyer's fifth birthday with a party of epic proportions. Over fifty people, hay rides, a bounce house and ten rotisserie chickens.

What can we say? Cool Dads (and Grandpas!) like to do it big!

Meanwhile, the Arkansas test kitchen had fun fighting the elements. Here's Doug's blog:

What happens when you go out and buy all the ingredients to make a fabulous grilled lunch, and then it rains when it's time to light the grill? It's time to take a step back and punt. That's what we had to do this weekend in the Arkansas Test Kitchen. But it all worked out for the best. Here are some fantastic and easy recipes that will wow everyone who tries them.

 

Chipotle Mayonnaise

 

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 to 2 canned Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce minced

1 tbs Adobo Sauce

 

1. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, minced chipotle chilies, and the adobo sauce

 

Pepper Stuffed Beef Sirloin

 

3 lbs. of Petite Top Sirloin (cut in tenderloin style)

1 sweet onion

1 bell pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Thinly sliced aged Provolone cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

 

1. Cut Onion and Bell Pepper into strips (think onion ring size)

2. Brush onion and bell pepper with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper
3. Sauté the onion and bell pepper in a skillet with olive oil until translucent, approximately 5 to 6 minutes
4. Butterfly the petite top sirloin (Make a lengthwise cut in the meat not cutting all the way through and open like a book.)

5. Brush 1/2 of the meat with a little chipotle mayonnaise (reserve some for serving with the meat)

6. Place the sautéed onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms inside the meat and top with slices of Provolone cheese

7. Close the meat around the cheese and vegetables, and tie at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s string (cotton string that you can find in the hobby section of most stores)

8. Brush the sirloin with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
9. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 425 degrees
10. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, turning halfway through (this will cook the meat to a well done preparation)
11. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness
12. Remove from oven and let the meat rest for 10 minutes before cutting
13. Make sure to cut the butcher’s string before serving

 

Adapted from the Barbecue Bible

 

 

Asparagus Stuffed Beef Sirloin 

 

1 bundle of asparagus

3 lbs. of petite top sirloin (cut in tenderloin style)

Thinly sliced aged Provolone cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

 

1. Remove the hard, wooden ends of the asparagus
2. Brush asparagus with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3. Sauté asparagus until it turns a darker green and turns tender
4. Butterfly the petite top sirloin (Make a lengthwise cut in the meat not cutting all the way through and open like a book.)

5. Place Asparagus and Provolone Cheese inside the meat

6. Close the meat around the cheese and vegetables, and tie at 2-inch intervals with butcher’s string (cotton string that you can find in the hobby section of most stores)

7. Brush sirloin with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8. Place on a cookie sheet and place in the oven at 425 degrees.
9. Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, turning halfway through (this will cook the meat to a well done preparation)
10. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness
11. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before cutting.
12. Make sure to cut butcher’s string before serving

 

Adapted from the Barbecue Bible

  

Roasted Zucchini and Carrots

 

2 zucchini

3 large carrots

Extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

1. Cut vegetables into 3 inch slices (try to make sure that they are even in thickness)
2. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil
3. Place vegetables onto baking sheet in a single layer
4. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
5. Cook vegetables at 425 degrees
6. Cook for 20 minutes turning half way through

 

From the Voracious Vander website

 

 

 Needless to say, it was a busy weekend in both test kitchens, filled with lots of delicious food. What did you try in your kitchens this weekend?

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Football Friday

Here in the Wisconsin test kitchen; we have a few party/tailgate staples we can't live without: Little Smokies sausages in barbeque sauce, cheese and sausage (duh!) and spinach artichoke dip. We decided we wanted to try a new spin on the traditional dip... and wondered what would happen if we turned the dip into muffins.

Yup. Spinach artichoke muffins. We're that crazy here.

Spinach Artichoke Muffins

1 8oz brick cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (sour cream works too, we just always have Greek yogurt on hand)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 tube of crescent roll dough
finely shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine first six ingredients together. It's ok to use the microwave on low heat to get the cream cheese to soften and combine more easily with the other ingredients.

Once dip is combined, set aside.
Roll out your crescent roll dough onto a large workspace. Use half of the roll of dough at a time. Pinch all of the creases together so you're left with one large piece of dough to work with. Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 squares

Press each of the dough squares into the muffin tin.

Use a tablespoon to fill each cup with spinach artichoke mixture. Top each cupcake with a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cheese is melted and crescent roll dough is browned. Serve warm. Yield: 1 dozen muffins

We decided this new take on dip was awesome! The flaky crescent roll dough paired perfectly with the warm, creamy dip. This might become one of our new Sunday staples.

Recipe inspired by www.parkhouselove.com

Friday Football Predictions

Baltimore Vs. Buffalo
Dad 1: Ravens
Dad 2: Ravens

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland
Dad 1: Browns
Dad 2: Browns

Chicago vs. Detroit
Dad 1: Lions
Dad 2: Bears
Uh oh...

Kansas City vs. NYG
Dad #1: Chiefs
Dad #2: Chiefs

Minnesota vs. Pittsburg
Dad #1: Steelers
Dad #2: Vikings

Arizona vs. Tampa Bay
Dad #1: Cardinals
Dad #2: Buccs

Jacksonville vs. Indy
Dad #1: Colts
Dad #2: Colts

Seattle vs. Houston
Dad #1: Seahawks
Dad #2: Seahawks

NYJ vs. Tennessee
Dad #1: Titans
Dad #2: Titans

Denver vs. Philly
Dad #1: Eagles
Dad #2: Broncos

Oakland vs. Washington
Dad #1: Redskins
Dad #2: Redskins

San Diego vs. Dallas
Dad #1: Cowboys
Dad #1: Chargers

Atlanta vs. New England
Dad #1: Patriots
Dad #2: Patriots

Miami vs. New Orleans
Dad #1: Saints
Dad #2: Saints

Good luck this weekend and let us know what kind of football staples you can't live without in your house!
Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen Wednesday: Pizzas

Both the Wisconsin and Arkansas test kitchens make homemade pizzas for lunch and dinner pretty regularly. It's so much less expensive than carry out; and when made correctly it can actually be a pretty healthy dinner!

Why pizza?

 We've blogged before about the importance of giving kids ownership in making their food. This is a great way to have kids help, and if you introduce a variety of different vegetable toppings, kids are going to put them on their pizzas, and they will eat them. Bam- how easy is that?!

 Also, making homemade pizza can actually be faster than ordering, and waiting for delivery to arrive. 

Last week the Arkansas test kitchen made homemade pizzas; here is Doug's blog:

 We used Huffy Pizza Dough mix per the instruction. You will want A LOT of flour on your hands because the dough is sticky. Since we had 3 kids participating, we divided the dough into three equal size balls. We rolled then out on a well oiled cookie sheet, and baked for 3 minutes before topping.  We like a very thin crust so we spread it out very thin. I ended up using a rolling pin to make it as thin as possible.

 When it came to sauce, we used Contadina Pizza Squeeze, which was fast, easy, and yummy. Then we topped the pizzas with a shredded pizza cheese mix. Then the fun part... the toppings! My little dude only wanted pineapple (which is huge, since he does not eat a lot of fruit). Our niece wanted pineapple and ham, and finally my nephew wanted pineapple, ham, and sliced mushrooms.

The adults wanted a veggie pizza; so if there was a veggie in the house- it pretty much found its way onto the pizza.

Notes from the Kitchen:

There are a lot of great recipes for homemade pizza crust, but when you're in a hurry, the Huffy brand or even Boboli will work really well.

Pizza is a great way to get veggies into your kids diets, as well as lean proteins. Think about chicken, or even turkey pepperoni.

Don't limit yourself to just tomato sauce: the Wisconsin test kitchen regularly uses fresh basil pesto instead of marinara sauce- and the results are incredible.

We encourage you to try pizzas for dinner next week- it will be a fun cooking exercise for the kids, and a healthy meal the whole family will enjoy.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

 

 

 

Cool Dad Birthday Blog

This past weekend our Arkansas based Cool Dad, Doug, celebrated a birthday. We all know what that means... cake! Or in this case, cupcakes! His lovely wife Caroline let him take a day off, and made him an incredible batch of chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter filling and chocolate buttercream frosting. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be! Here's Caroline's recipe for cupcakes!

Cupcakes 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup buttermilk
1 & 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 & 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 & 1/2 sticks of butter
1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350. Line 24 muffin cups with paper or foil liners.
2. Put the cocoa powder in a medium heat proof bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until smooth. ***I recommend using an actual spoon to "whisk" the cocoa and water together. I used a whisk and the mixture was so thick it stuck to the whisk badly.
3. Stir in the buttermilk until smooth.
4. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda, baking powder and salt. ***if you don't have a sifter, just use a fork to sift and mix the ingredients thoroughly.
5. Separately, in a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter, with he granulated sugar, until light and fluffy. The mixture will take on a light yellow color.
6. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
7. Beat in the dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture.
8. Carefully spoon the batter into the muffin cups, filling them about half to 2/3 full.
9. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the center comes clean with a toothpick inserted in the center.
10. Let the cupcakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool. I completely.

Peanut butter filling ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, beat the peanut butter with the 3 tablespoons of butter until creamy.
2. Sift the confectioners sugar into the bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes. ***i didn't have a sifter, so I just added the sugar in small amounts and beat each amount into the mixture.
3. Beat in the heavy cream until smooth and creamy.
4. Spoon all but 3 tablespoons of the filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4 inch star tip. ***I didn't have a pastry bag, so I put mine in a gallon size bag and sealed it. Then I snipped a small bit off one of the bottom corners.
5. Holding a cupcake in your hand, plunge the tip into the top of the cake, pushing it about 3/4 inch deep.
6. Gently squeeze the pastry bag to fill the cupcake and repeat until all of the cupcakes are filled.
***If using just a basic gallon bag as I did, use a paring knife to carve a hole in the center of each cupcake, then fill as if you were using a pastry bag.
7. Once you have made the frosting and iced the cupcakes, use those other three tablespoons of filling to pipe onto the cupcakes as a yummy decoration.

Chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 pound powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
3. Increase speed to medium, and slowly add milk and vanilla, beating until smooth.
4. Microwave the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl on medium for 1-2 minutes, or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals.
5. Gradually add the melted chocolate to the mixture, beating until blended and smooth. ***I found that the chocolate chips were still kind of thick after 1-2 minutes, so either heat them longer or just put all it in and blend at a higher speed to smooth it all out.
6. Use the icing to frost the cooled cupcakes.

A few recommendations:
Get all your ingredients out on the table and organized based on what part of the recipe you are using them for.
Pull out three bowls - a medium size heatproof bowl, a large bowl for the cupcakes and a medium bowl for the filling.
I just rinsed out the large bowl once the cupcakes were in the oven and reused it for the icing, because you will have a lot of icing when you are done.
On the parts that called for butter, I softened it in the microwave before I added it to the recipe, to make the mixing easier.
I used a gallon size zip-lock bag for the filling, but I recommend having a pastry bag with a tip on hand. Even with cutting only a small hole in the corner, the filling tended to seep out whenever I had to put it down for any reason.

A birthday isn't complete without gifts. Want to know what every Cool Dad needs to have in his kitchen? Here's Doug's birthday wish list...

 1. Sportula ( hey every guy needs to have their favorite team with them- even when they are cooking!) http://sportula.com

2. An instant read meat thermometer (hey: you can't tell if the meat is done without one!) I recommend and drool over this one from Thermoworks. Yes, I know it is a little expensive but it will be the only one you will ever need to buy if you take care of it. That's an investment in your kitchen! http://thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/splashproof_thermapen.html?utm_source=amazon-pads&channel=on-amazon&publisher=www.amazon.com&pubpage=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FSplash-Proof-Super-Fast-Thermapen-Thermometer-Professional%2Fdp%2FB002GIZZWM%2Fref%3Dsr_1_18%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1379899363%26sr%3D8-18%26keywords%3Dinstant%2Bread%2Bthermometer&utm_medium=cpc&SKU=THS-231-207

3. A hinged cooking grate for you charcoal grill ( this makes it easier to place wood chips on the fire)

4. Chef knife: find one that fits your hand and is of great quality (and that you can afford). We highly recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Wolfgangpuck-Piece-Cutlery-Set-Black/dp/B00ADVJN04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379948704&sr=8-1&keywords=wolfgang+puck+knives

 5. A seriously manly apron. Doesn't matter if it's your favorite sports team, tv show, or just a Kiss the Cook apron. Cool Dads wear aprons! Here are a few we like:
http://www.amazon.com/Bang-Theory-Bazinga-Apron-09869/dp/B00AFLHJJ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379948776&sr=8-1&keywords=big+bang+theory+aprons

http://www.amazon.com/NFL-Chicago-Bears-Chef-Apron/dp/B001A8H4A0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379948818&sr=8-1&keywords=chicago+bears+apron

How do you celebrate birthdays with your families? Any special recipes, or any kitchen tools you can't live without? We love hearing from our fans!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Football Friday

It's everyone's new favorite day of the week: Cool Dads Cook Football Friday! Last week Sunday the Wisconsin based test kitchen was supposed to spend the day apple picking. Too bad Mother Nature had other plans...

So instead we decided to have a pajama day, and make some snacks to enjoy during the Packer game. After the wife checked Pinterest, she saw we had all the ingredients (and then some) to make potato nachos. We had some leftover homemade pizza from the day before; and nothing says football food quite like pizza and nachos!

Potato Nachos

3-4 russet potatoes (we had red potatoes, and used 5-6 of those instead)
5-6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (we had pre-cooked bacon, and diced a few slices of that)
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (depends how cheesy you like your nachos)
Fresh parsley or chives (we went with chives)
Cooking spray

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Clean the potatoes, and slice them into 1/8" slices. Kitchen tool time... for Christmas a few years ago my Mother-in-law bought me potato gloves. It was a pretty strange gift, but I use them constantly- it's the easiest way to get your potatoes really, really clean.

 

In addition to the potato gloves, I recommend using a mandolin to get the potatoes sliced correctly. I don't know about you, but I'm not good at eyeballing 1/8th of an inch and cutting accordingly. I let the mandolin do that for me.

 

 



Once the potatoes are sliced, put them in a pan with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Let them boil for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, carefully drain the potato slices and dry them on paper towel. They're going to be hot, but try and get them as dry as possible.

Meanwhile, slice up your bacon and chives. We also added fresh chopped jalapeno to half of the nachos.



 

 

Grease a baking sheet with cooking spray, and lay out the potato slices so they are overlapping (think tortilla chips when you're making traditional nachos). Sprinkle your toppings over the top of the potato slices.

 

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

 

 

 

The results? Yum. My sister and brother-in-law happened to stop over before the game, and were thrilled to see we had made snacks. They raved about how delicious the "nachos" were.

 

Test Kitchen Notes

 

-Think outside the box with toppings- pepperoni, or different blends of cheese might be really interesting.

-We made a dipping sauce with Frank's Red Hot sauce and Greek yogurt- it was a delicious addition to the potatoes.

 

And now for some football predictions!

 

Green Bay Vs. Cincinnati

Both Dads picked the Packers- because they're brilliant

 

Dallas vs. St. Louis

Dad 1: Cowboys over the Rams

Dad 2: Rams over the Cowboys

 

San Diego vs. Tennessee

Dad 1: Chargers

Dad 2: Titans

 

Minnesota vs. Cleveland

Dad 1: Vikings

Dad 2: Vikings

 

New England vs. Tampa Bay

Dad 1: Patriots

Dad 2: Patriots

 

New Orleans vs. Arizona

Dad 1: Saints

Dad 2: Saints

 

Washington vs. Detroit

Dad 1: Redskins

Dad 2: Lions

 

NYG vs. Carolina

Dad 1: Giants

Dad 2: Giants

 

Houston vs. Baltimore

Dad 1: Texans

Dad 2: Texans

 

Atlanta vs. Miami

Dad 1: Falcons

Dad 2: Dolphins

 

Buffalo vs. NYJ

Dad 1: Bills

Dad 2: Bills

 

San Francisco vs. Indy

Dad 1: 49ers

Dad 2: 49ers

 

Seattle vs. Jacksonville

Dad 1: Seahawks

Dad 2: Seahawks

 

Chicago vs. Pittsburgh

Dad 1: Bears

Dad 2: Bears

 

Oakland vs. Denver

Dad 1: Broncos

Dad 2: Broncos

 

Hope you have a great weekend of football and food!

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

 

 

 

 

 



Kids, Cookies and Making Memories

I think a lot of dads are overwhelmed by the idea of baking. Grilling? No problem: men love fire and meat. Mixology? Ain't no thing. But cookies? Ummm, yeah.

 

Dads see a long list of ingredients, imagine flour flying all over the kitchen, and burning the house down with half-baked chocolate chip cookies. Dads: take a deep breath and calm down. We got you. In fact, we have a cookie recipe so easy, you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right this second. And your kids are going to love helping to make these delicious five ingredient bites of happy.

 

 

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

1 cup Natural Peanut Butter (either smooth or chunky is fine)

1 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips (we used semi sweet)

 

 

 

 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl. You can use a stand mixer, or mix by hand

 

 

 

 
 

 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Use either a cookie dough scoop or a tablespoon to drop dough onto the cookie sheet leaving approx. 1/2 inch between each scoop.
 

 

 

Press each ball of dough with the prongs of a fork to create a criss-cross pattern.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for at least 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

 

 

Place on cooling rack, and allow to cool completely before placing in a storage container (if there are any left to place in the container!)

Test Kitchen Notes

 

You know the maturity of your little one, so allow them to preform the cooking tasks that you feel most comfortable with; while allowing them to expand their experience base. When I made my 1st batch with my 4-year-old I measured everything out and allowed him to dump each ingredient into the bowl. When I made my 2nd batch with my 7-year-old niece, I allowed her to measure out the peanut butter, sugar, and chocolate chips. Each helper did assist in scooping the batter onto the cookie sheet and making the criss cross pattern on the cookies. Kids just enjoy assisting and helping grown-ups cook in the kitchen.

Weekend Kids Memories

 

With my brother-in-law in town over the weekend, we took all three kids (my one and his two) to Lowe's on Saturday morning for the kids Build and Grow Workshop; where the kids learned how to build a fire truck. While the kids enjoy being able to use a hammer; they are actually learning valuable skills like how to complete a do-it-yourself project, and how to read instructions. The workshops also instill a sense of pride and accomplishment. At the end of the workshop, each child takes home their project, and an apron: just like a Lowe's employee!

 

After taking my Little Dude to so many of these, I recommend writing the date of the project on the bottom of each created piece.  My Little Dude is always so proud of the project he builds; he takes extra care with these crafts. As a matter of fact, he had to clean the tires of his fire truck twice while we were still at Lowe's, because they got dirty. Every time he sees Granddad, Meemaw or Grandpops (Pappa) he can't wait to show them off!

Time that I am able to spend with the Little Dude, and work on projects are special times for both of us. Home Depot and Lowe's both have workshops for kids; Home Depot is always the 1st Saturday of the month from 9am- 12 noon and Lowe's is the 2nd Saturday of the month from 10am - 11am. Note: at Lowe's you do have to pre-register and sign a waiver before being able to work on their projects.

 

 

Let us know some special projects you enjoy working on with your little ones!
Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Kids in the Kitchen

There's nothing more disappointing than preparing a meal, only to have your little one turn up their nose and tell you, "I'm not eating THAT!" We've all been there. The chicken tenders you lovingly hand breaded "don't look like the ones at McDonalds!" The tomato sauce you prepared, "tastes funny" and don't even think about trying to sneak vegetables into food...

The Cool Dads firmly believe that if you involve kids in the actual cooking process, they have ownership in the meal, and they're more likely to eat and enjoy. We try to provide you with meals kids can help to prepare, and will enjoy.

This past week the Wisconsin test kitchen decided to try a brand new meatball recipe, paired with tried and tested mashed "potatoes". We'll start with the meatballs.

Melt in Your Mouth Meatballs

2lbs ground meat (we used pork, because it's what we had in the freezer. A combination of beef or pork would work well. Chicken would even work)
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4oz shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Add all ingredients to stand mixer, and use paddle attachment to combine. We usually recommend using your hands to combine ingredients for meatballs or meatloaf, but you really need to get the cream cheese mixed in well- hence the need for a stand mixer.

Yeah, that's a Dexter apron. Got a problem with that? Cool Dads wear aprons- especially when cooking with raw meat.

Once the meatball mixture is well combined, roll into 1" balls. This recipe yields approximately 30 meatballs. We actually froze half of the meatballs to use for another dinner in a few weeks.

 Your finished product should look something like this:

Note from the kitchen. See how this cookie sheet doesn't have edges on it? Yeah... don't make the same mistake we did. Please, please, for the love of all that's holy: USE A COOKIE SHEET THAT HAS EDGES ON IT! Otherwise you end up with a stove filled with grease, and a smoked out kitchen. Wives don't appreciate either of these things... just saying.

Once the meatballs are prepared, put them in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. They should look something like this...

While the meatloaf is cooking, you can prepare the mashed "potatoes". Why the quotes? Well, it's not actually potatoes- it's cauliflower. If made correctly, cauliflower is a passable substitute for mashed potatoes- except healthier. It's a great way to sneak some vegetables into your kids diet. The secret to this recipe is the addition of one potato- it gives a little bit of starchy texture, and the end product isn't overly grainy.

Creamy Parmesan Cauliflower Puree

1 head cauliflower, cut info florets
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt (the original recipe calls for sour cream, but we pretty much use Greek yogurt for everything in our test kitchen).
3 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper

You can go one of two routes with steaming the potato and cauliflower: either use boiling water on the stove and a steamer basket, or put the cauliflower and potato in a large, microwave safe bowl with two inches of water, and steam for about 7-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are extremely tender (but not mushy).

Once they are steamed, you can either mash them with a potato masher, or put them in a food processor for a smoother texture. We went the food processor route.

Once the vegetables are mashed, processed, or pureed, combine with the yogurt, Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Serve warm.

So other than the smoked out kitchen, how was dinner? I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Yes, that's Sawyer chowing down on meatballs, green beans and cauliflower puree. At last count, she ate five of the meatballs, and was already wondering when we could make them for dinner again. If that's not a successful family dinner, I don't know what is.

The meatballs were delicious- they were juicy and literally melted in your mouth. We served them with marinara sauce, but they were delicious plain as well. The puree was great without any extra butter, and partnered well with the meatballs. There was a serious food coma in the Wisconsin test kitchen after this meal, let me tell you.

We look forward to sharing more family friendly recipes with you soon!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew