What's For Dinner? Leftover Meatloaf Sandwich & Air Fryer Onion Rings

Wow has it been a whirlwind jumping back into real life; between schools and sports and work it almost feels as if Covid is finally gone (although we all know it is not). Sometimes the weeks are so busy that I do not feel like making an entirely new meal and as a trained chef I also do not like throwing away food.

My kids mostly refuse to eat the same thing twice in one week, which is really annoying & I definitely blame myself because I was always making different meals trying to expand their horizons.  Last week I happen to make way too much meatloaf, so at the end of the week I used the rest to make sandwiches & really tried to create an entirely different meal. My oldest daughter asked me if we could try air fryer onion rings together...and let me tell you: YUM! The kids had a blast making them. 

Air Fryer Onion Rings:

1 Large Onion, All-Purpose Flour, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Cooking Spray, Eggs, Water

You will need 3 bowls because you are going to dredge the onions as you would chicken cutlets. 

-Cut onion into slices and separate into rings; prepare the following:

Bowl 1- 1 cup All-Purpose Flour, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste

Bowl 2- 3 eggs, splash of water, beaten together

Bowl 3 - 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat Air Fryer to 375 and spray with cooking spray 

-Dredge one "ring" in the flour (shake off excess), coat with egg wash, dredge into breadcrumb mixture; 

-Spray the bottom of the air fryer basket with cooking spray 

-Lay out coated onions in a single layer and spray tops of onions with cooking spray

(*TIP* sometimes the breadcrumbs get lumpy from the extra egg. If that happens I throw away the lumpy breadcrumb mix and add new ingredients to the bowl for the 2nd half of the onions)

-Bake @ 375 for 6-8 degrees until brown 

Meatloaf Sandwich with Caramelized Onions and Cheese:

Caramelized Onions:

1 Onion Sliced thin, 1 TBSP unsalted butter, 1 tsp oil, salt, pepper

-Melt butter (with oil) in a small sauté pan;

-Cook on low, constantly stirring so it doesn't burn in one spot (it will take awhile); 

-When the onions are halfway cooked I add a pinch of salt and cracked black pepper

Leftover Meatloaf (sliced), Hearty Bread

For the meatloaf I sliced into 1 inch thick pieces, sprayed a pan and browned both sides in a pan:

While the meatloaf is in the pan I topped with onions and cheese and leave until the cheese is melted. I used ciabatta bread since that is what I had in the house (you need a sturdy bread such as this, a wedge/hero or baguette) Top with BBQ Sauce or leave plain!