Meatloaf Everyone Will Love
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The magic of Mom
Our kids were home over Christmas and my youngest said, “We gonna have meatloaf while I’m home, Mom?” Honestly, this kind of surprised me. Meatloaf is probably one of the least glamorous dinners I make. But my recipe is straight from my mom, and it was a childhood favorite, as well. So I think we’ve hit on a winner.
My middle son joined the conversation with, “Yeah, I love your meatloaf, Mom.” And before I could get a word out, he added, “But only yours. Nobody else’s. Most of them are nasty.”
There you have it. Clearly, I’m a virtuoso meatloaf-maker, or this is one tasty recipe.
The truth
The truth is, this is genetic. My meatloaf recipe is my mom’s meatloaf recipe, which was her mom’s meatloaf recipe. And I felt the same way about meatloaf, as a kid, as our kids do. I would only eat my mom’s.
My mom has always said, “Anything baked/cooked/prepared by someone else always tastes better.” And now, after years of cooking for a family, I have to agree.
But is this a function of a superior recipe? Or, is it more a comment on subzero Minnesota winters where one of the warmest things I made was the simple meal of meatloaf and baked potatoes. And maybe broccoli. The dog (Fluffy) was under the table, the family was seated in front of the frosty windows, and all felt right. And it was.
This is why they love my meatloaf.
Meatloaf’s been around forever
Actually, maybe not forever. Most say its origins coincided with the invention of the meat grinder. Prior to that, making a meatloaf would have been quite a chore. And because of its ability to stretch a pound of ground beef, it was very popular during The Great Depression, and WWII, alongside the rationing of meat.
Meatloaf may not be glamorous but it’s home. And I’ll keep making it, as long our kids keep coming home.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup dry bread crumbs, homemade or packaged
- 1 cup milk
- 1- 1/2 pounds 85/15 ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup onion, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper, to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried sage or 1 tsp fresh, chopped
- 12 oz bottle Chili Sauce (like Heinz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, except Chili Sauce. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Mix well. The only way to really do it is with your hand. (Take off any rings first, wash your hands well and get in there!) Make sure all is fully mixed into the ground beef.
- In a loaf pan, sprayed with cooking spray, add ground beef mixture and smooth top. Cover the top with bottle of Chili Sauce.
- Bake at 375° for about an hour.
