Meat and Cheese Loaf

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe. It's from the New York Times Heritage Cookbook. 

2 pounds ground beef chuck (or a mixture of 1/3 ground beef chuck, 1/3 ground veal, 1/3 ground pork. This comes as a package in the grocery meat case as meatloaf mix)

1 1/2 c. grated swiss cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped green pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon celery salt

2 c. milk

1 c.  dry bread crumbs

4 slices lean bacon

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Mix all the ingredients except the bacon together. Pack into a large loaf pan (glass or metal). Top with the bacon and bake one and one-half hours or until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees in the center of the loaf. Dad likes it best when you bake it with ketchup on the top.

Yield: Eight servings

Rhubarb Custard Cake

This cake is from my mom's friend Judy who is pretty much the best cook (after my mom of course). It's ridiculously easy and has been nicknamed 'crack cake' by friends of mine because once you start eating it, you cannot stop and always need more, more, more. Just like crack. So I hear, at least...

4 c. rhubarb (if frozen, thawed, I've used fresh when in season and it's great)
1 c. heavy cream
1 c. sugar
1 box of yellow cake mix

Mix the yellow cake mix according to the instructions. Spread in a greased 13x9 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle the rhubarb over the cake batter. Then sprinkle the sugar over the rhubarb. Finally, pour the cream over the top evenly. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until brown on top. Let it cool for a bit and then eat till you're sick.

What ends up happening is everything sinks to the bottom and forms this kind of rhubarb custard with a layer of yellow cake on top.