If you are someone who is trying to juggle zoom meetings, housework and online classroom assignments that routinely remind you that you are not smarter than a fifth grader, this is the recipe for you. Grandpa Swede's tacos will be a welcome relief at the end of the day. They're quick and easy and taste great. It's true that food truck tacos are the best tacos on earth, however, these are a close second. 

Gather together an onion, 1 lb. of ground beef, a can of mild green chiles, a small jar of pimientos, minced garlic-"LOTS," 1 Tb. ground cumin (not listed) and salt & pepper. Celery is optional. Why does every recipe call for optional celery?? And who is opting for it?? 

Chop your onion and put it into a large pan. Brown the ground beef with the onion on medium heat.  Add the spices (cumin, Johnny's Seasoning Salt or regular salt & pepper). You don't have to measure them, just sprinkle enough to cover the meat. Sing this song while you shake your spices. 

Once your spices are in, you can add the rest of the ingredients (green chiles, pimientos, garlic) one by one and stir. Let cook for 10 minutes uncovered on medium heat. Drain the meat. Then cover and finish cooking on low heat for about 10 more minutes. Drain it again. 

Now you're ready to plate your taco meat! This recipe serves 4-6 people. I usually make rice and beans to go with it. 

Links to the veggie chopper and some fun taco holders * 

In the comments, tell me about what your grandparents like to make! What is their specialty? Happy Cooking! 

Grandpa Swede's Taco Meat 

I recently compiled a list of quarantine essentials...

1. Private beach 

2. Justin Timberlake 

3. Toilet paper 

Since I can't have any of these at the moment, I will have to settle for the one thing I can have- scalloped potatoes- the ultimate comfort side dish. This recipe originates from Janebp. 

When I first stumbled on this recipe, I was a bit skeptical to be honest. The reason is- it doesn't call for cheese and I am a HUGE fan of cheese. I feel like a dish is just incomplete without that highly caloric wedge of goodness we all know and love bubbling over the edges. However, because this is a highly rated recipe (4.5 stars) and because this quarantine has me feeling some kind of crazy, I decided to go for it and make it anyway. I'm so glad I did. If you are someone who feels that no cheese is a dealbreaker, you can always add it, but I really didn't miss it.  

For this recipe, you're going to need 3 lbs. of red potatoes. If you can make a happy face out of them, then you know you have enough. The yummy cocktail I was drinking played no part in my decision to create this potato art. At all. 

In addition to the thinly sliced potatoes, you will need 1/2 onion (thinly sliced), 9 Tbs. of flour (divided), 6 Tbs. butter (sliced & divided), 3 c. whole milk and salt & pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Easy enough. 

Once you slice the potatoes and the onion, the hard part is over. Then it's just a matter of layering the ingredients in the dish. 

The layering can be fun, but don't be like me and forget a step and start yelling out to the heavens when you realize what you did. The pattern is- potatoes, onions, 3 Tbs. flour, 2 Tbs. butter and salt & pepper. Repeat two more times for a total of 3 layers. As my Irish grandmother would say- make sure you use ALL of the potatoes. 

I did substitute the salt for a cherished family secret ingredient. I probably shouldn't tell you, but as long as you promise not to tell them that I told you....Johnny's Seasoning Salt. It's life-changing. 

(After you do the layering, don't forget to add the milk, a bit at a time. I poured a little too fast and disaster struck. The recipe says to warm the milk, but I never have and it still comes out great. Bake it for an hour. This gives you plenty of time to do a little dance with Justin Timberlake. Classic. 

For the recipe card, please click here.  It also goes great with Mom's Apple Meatloaf. Happy cooking!

You may not be looking at this meatloaf pic thinking, "What a beautiful meatloaf! I can't wait to make that!" but hear me out. It's so good. It's literally the king of all meatloaves. If you have ever dreamed of making the perfect meatloaf, this is your recipe. It's going to win you a blue ribbon at your next meatloaf competition. 

My mom and I have been making and serving this (with copious amounts of gravy) for years. Legend has it that the recipe "came from one of the neighbor moms back East in the 70s." Ahhh, the 70s- the culinary decade when jello salads were cool and our moms traded handwritten recipe cards at Tupperware parties. (Am I the only one who wishes we still traded recipe cards- the ones with the perfect cursive handwriting and gravy stains?) 

I can just imagine my mom, little Mary-Margaret, standing in her vintage olive green kitchen, complete with yellow appliances, turning up the Crystal Gayle on the radio, drinking a Tab, lighting up a cigarette while at the same time mixing together this next-level loaf of meat. I have no memories of actually watching my mom make this because I am sure I was running around the neighborhood at the time, completely unsupervised, probably drinking from the hose or something dangerous like that. 

If you're currently wondering if you have what it takes to make such a perfect loaf, you do. Find your biggest pair of Jackie O. glasses, put your hair in a scarf, get yourself some ground beef, crank the Hall and Oates, grab a lucky whisk, and get to work...

What makes this meatloaf fun and exciting is that it doesn't use ketchup or tomatoes of any kind. For the Apple Meatloaf, you will use mustard and applesauce instead. I like to use Dijon mustard when I make my loaf. If you want to add a little kick to it, go wild and spike it with the "Dijon with Chardonnay" mustard.  

Put on your roller derby skates, pull up your socks, and crank the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, apple sauce, ground beef, slightly beaten egg, onion, dijon mustard, and salt & pepper. The recipe says that you can add celery, but I never have and I don't think you should either, unless you're someone who really "digs" celery and wants to add it. 

Don't be shy when mixing this loaf of wonder. This is no time for spoons. Really get your hands in there. Be one with the loaf. 

Shape your loaf in any nonstick bread pan (a 9x5x2.5 in. pan will work fine). Use your fingers to create a "crater-like depression" on top. Mix together 1/2 c. applesauce, 1 Tbs. brown sugar, 1 1/2 Tbs. vinegar and 1/2 tsp. of mustard in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into the depression. 

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. This gives you plenty of time to do the hustle! ​

Don't (and I mean don't!) forget to grab a lucky whisk and make obnoxious amounts of your favorite brown gravy to drizzle (or pour waterfall style) onto your baked loaf. Mmmm..... 

Feeling like I need olive green everything now... *

In the comments, tell me something good! (Remember that song?!) 

Mom's Apple Meatloaf