It’s summertime and the grillin’s easy. I look forward to the days when I can grill dinner and make everyone happy (kids included) without having to dirty a pan or baking dish. Problem is, we’re getting tired of burgers and hot dogs, and while there are many other delicious things you can make on the grill, hot dogs are just about the only grilled item my kids will eat.
So when it’s not above 100°, I’m still cooking dinner in the oven. Some of our favorites include lasagna with homemade tomato sauce, tater tot casserole, and pizza. Today I’m baking my All American Meatloaf. It is delicious but unfortunately cleanup can be a nightmare.
Normally I have to soak the pan in soapy water overnight, and I absolutely despise having dirty dishes sitting in my sink. Last week I found a new product at Target, Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths which claim to provide serious scrubbing power without scratching and damaging your pots and pans.
I knew my All American Meatloaf would create a mess that would put these dish cloths to the test.I call this ‘All American’ because in the mix are the traditional American fixins: onions, ketchup, mustard, even crackers.
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 15 butter crackers, mashed
- ½ onion, chopped
- ½ cup ketchup + ½ cup for topping
- ⅛ cup mustard
- salt + pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, egg, crackers, onion, ¼ cup of the ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper and mix well.
- Shape into to large loaves and place onto a greased broiler pan so that the drippings drain to the bottom.
- Spread the remaining ketchup on top of the meatloaf.
- Bake for approximately 50 minutes.
We are regular users of the Scotch-Brite scrubbing sponges, but I do like washing dishes with a soft washcloth. The new Scotch-Brite dish cloths are the best of both worlds, and I was amazed at their scrubbing power on one side, and a gently soft cloth on the other. My messy pan was cleaned up in mere seconds!
Whenever we bake meat in the oven, we end up with grease splatter everywhere. So not only do the pots and pans need a good scrubbing, the oven needs to be cleaned up too. I stopped buying chemical oven cleaners a while back because it’s much more effective, cheaper and safer to make your own natural cleaner.
Homemade Natural Oven Cleaner
Step 1: Just make a paste using baking soda and water.
Step 2: Remove the oven racks from the oven and lay them out onto the counter.
Step 3: Brush or sponge the mixture onto the filthy oven surfaces and the racks that you set aside.
Step 4: Let sit for at least an hour. If your oven is really dirty, let sit overnight.
Step 5: Scrub with the scrubber side of the Scotch-Brite Scrubbing Dish Cloths, then wipe down the surfaces with the soft side of your damp cloth until no residue remains.
Pin it for later:
Meatloaf is one of my favorite meals! I haven’t had it in a while!!! And since it’s time to clean my oven, going to try your steps!
I love meatloaf! It can get pretty messy in the oven sometimes. Going to try your steps to clean my oven!