Meatloaf 101

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Country Families : One Thread

Hello everyone,

Please excuse the anonymous name and address.

I'm curious to hear what your favorite meatloaf recipe is. I used to like ground beef with a package of seasoning mix that was originally for "chex mix". It flavored the meat well, but I can't find the prepared envelope of seasoning anymore.

Some people like meatloaf with tomatoes, some like it with cream of mushroom soup. What's your favorite?

-- chickadee (chickadee@treetops.com), March 15, 2002

Answers

I love to make meatloaf. Here is how I make it. I use 1 pound each of ground beef, turkey, venison, and sausage. Then I add a cup or so of oats, lots of spices like garlic, oregano, fresh ground pepper, a chopped onion, and then I use whatever tomato stuff is left in the frig. This might include BBQ sauce, ketchup, taco sauce, chili sauce, and also a few eggs, and maybe some bread crumbs if I have them and then mix it well. This will make about 3-4 nice size meatloafs, so I cook all of them and freeze the extras for another time. I pour ketchup or BBQ sauce on top also.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), March 15, 2002.

Hello chickadee,

We make meat loaf using anything we have on hand. A couple of variations might interest you and others here. One variation that I like since it makes a great presentation at the dinner table, is to put a couple of whole boiled eggs inside the loaf before baking it. When you slice the loaf you will have this pretty slice of egg in the middle! Another variation is to grate carrots into you meatloaf mixture. This was the only way I could get my daughter to eat carrots and that is only because she never notice them!

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), March 15, 2002.


I love it. I thought I was the only one who made meatloaf from what was on hand and needs used: left over soup, bread crumbs, stale bread, crackers, oats, salsa, barbeque sauce, catsup, chip dip, etc. To this I add 3 pounds, or so, of hamburger, a couple of eggs, milk (either dry, whole or canned or sour, if it's there and needs used), enough oats to be filler (until it feels right), onion, salt and pepper, and usually garlic. I form it into loaves so that five of the 6 sides are where they can brown because the brown edges are what we like best. Somehow, my family always likes it and talks about "Mom's meatloaf" as if it were a prized recipe, when, actually, it's a way to clean the refrigerator! It looks as if a lot of the rest of you do much the same thing. It always works a lot like my "Clean the Refrigerator Soup", which we have every so often, only the meatloaf goes over better.

-- Rosalie (Dee) in IN (someone@heavenbound.com), March 15, 2002.

hamburger meat, and egg or two, cracker crumbs, a jar of tomatoes + a spaghetti sauce mix, or a can of spaghetti sauce. I also like onions in it, and have been known to add such things as a small jar of squash, mashed up, of course;)

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), March 15, 2002.

I use oats, eggs, tomato sauce, onions, green chiles, and spices such as garlic, cumin, chile powder, and pepper. I have used yogurt when I was out of tomato sauce, also sometimes I add mustard and brown sugar. I also sometimes used leftover cooked veggies. I love meatloaf!!!

-- Gina NM (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), March 15, 2002.


I forgot to say I also use whatever ground meat I have on hand.

-- Gina NM (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), March 15, 2002.

I gotta leave the computer now. I am hungry!!!! Thanks a lot!!!

-- SteveD(TX) (smdann@swbell.net), March 16, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ