I know I've been posting a lot of recipes for the foods that I make when my daughter comes home for a visit, but that's one of the times when I tend to do more cooking. This last trip home also coincided with Easter, so that meant a lot more cooking than usual. I do have a new recipe coming up soon that I've made since her visit, so stay tuned! Now, on to the recipe for today.
Is there a more familiar meal to the average American family than one that includes some form of meat and potatoes? One of those hearty meals is definitely Meatloaf and it's usually accompanied by some form of potato side dish. Now, I know that meatloaf isn't necessarily just an "American" concept. It's origins date back to fancy meat terrines and pates that have been made in multiple cultures for centuries, but the one I'm posting today is the simple version that has graced the tables of American families for generations.
As it happened with most of the meals I prepared while the child was here, I didn't take a lot of step by step photos. But, I'm sure nobody's going to have any problems filling in the blanks. :~)
Mom's (that's me) Meatloaf
- 2 Lbs Beef, Pork and Veal Mix (sometimes labeled "meatloaf mix")
- 1 Med Yellow Onion, minced
- 1/2 Lg Red Bell Pepper, minced
- 1/2 Cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
- 2 Eggs
- 2 Tbls Ketchup
- 1-2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
- 1/4 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tbls Yellow Mustard (heaping)
- 1/4 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix all of the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. You can use just beef or turkey or whatever ground meat(s) you'd like to.
Combine all of the glaze ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and set it aside.
Bake the meatloaf, uncovered, for 40 to 50 minutes, depending on size/thickness. It could take up to an hour if it's baked in a high sided loaf pan. About halfway through the cooking process, I remove it from the oven, pour on the glaze and spread it evenly over the top.
When it's done, transfer the meatloaf to a heated platter and let it rest for about 5 minutes before slicing it. Since it's usually just the Hubbs and me for dinner, I'll just throw in a couple of baked potatoes along with it, or if I'm in the mood, I'll make mashed/smashed or twice baked. This time, I made oven roasted herbed potatoes (recipe to follow) because they just happen to be someone's favorites. Can you guess who? LOL Serve it with your favorite sides and enjoy!
**This serves 4 people (generously) with plenty left over for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Yummm! I still make the entire recipe when it's only the two of us. I just divide it in half and place the second loaf on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer until it's frozen through. When it's completely frozen, I'll put the additional loaf in a large zip-top bag and pop it back into the freezer for another meal at a later time!
Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to save any recipe as a PDF, email a recipe to yourself (or a friend) and remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing! That can save on ink and paper. Who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!
