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Saturday, July 2, 2011

Loaf of Meat

My mom is one of the nicest people I know. I couldn’t ask for a better mother. She does however, have a bit of a mean streak that ever so seldom seems to sneak out.



I am not a big fan of mixing my foods. For some reason the thought of casseroles are just not that appealing to me. As kids, my brother and I wouldn’t eat casseroles. This was much to the demise of my dad. He grew up in the Midwest where casseroles are a dinner staple.

Now in my logic a meatloaf is a type of casserole. The thought of it kind of disgusts me. I absolutely refused to eat it. It was not a dinner option thanks to me and my brother.


On a side note, one time I went away to camp where meatloaf was on the dinner menu once a week. I was forced to eat a few bites otherwise I would have starved to death but once home I again refused to eat the stuff.

Fast forward about 20 years, and think about my mom’s mean streak. She thought that it would be a great idea to teach me her famous meatball recipe. I love her meatballs. I never learned how to make them since I get grossed out by touching raw beef. Living far away though meant I had to get over that if I ever wanted to have meatballs on a regular basis. As she was showing me the ingredients she puts in to the meat balls. She stopped and chuckled (insert meanness here). Her comment was the meatball recipe was basically her meatloaf recipe in ball form. Then she went on to say that she always thought it was very amusing how I refused to eat meatloaf but would happily scarf down the meatballs. Thanks mom!


Well fast forward a couple more years and here I am making meatloaf. I am not sure what changed in my mind but suddenly a loaf of meat sounds like a fantastic idea. (It could have been the beautiful pictures from Kath that changed my mind.)

Turns out, Mr. J loves the stuff. The first rendition wasn’t as pretty as I had hoped but it sure did taste good. I guess I need to start making it on a regular basis.

Old-Fashioned Meat Loaf- A.K.A 'Basic' Meat Loaf

Adapted from Paula Dean
Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.

12 comments:

  1. Okay...THAT was funny! I had a brother like you in that respect. He didn't like his food to even touch. My other brother - mixed everything on his plate just to annoy him...and they sat next to each other at dinner.

    Glad you like meatloaf...it's a favorite of mine!

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  2. My son is the same way. Actually, so if my husband now that I think about it. lol. This looks delish! Classic comfort food. :)

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  3. Lol! I think as kids many of us have that "ewww" response to meatloaf. It's kinda funny looking but oh my, it can be delicious if done right! Thanks for sharing :-)

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  4. We actually just had a bison meatloaf last night for dinner! It's one of our favorite meals - and I'm so glad you're a fan of "the loaf of meat" now =)

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  5. Glad you have come over to the meatloaf eaters table-there is lots of variety, some good and some bad. However this one looks like a winner! Thanks for sharing!

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  6. Meatloaf is so good! hahaha but i agree with you am not a big fan of casseroles for the same reason. I still cannot comprehend 'tuna casserole' eh...But meatloaf is good i have to try it with oats it sounds delish!

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  7. Your mum's trick is classic but awesome nonetheless!

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  8. The only thing better than hot meat loaf is cold meatloaf sandwiches!

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  9. Meatloaf is not a favorite at our house. I am a HUGE fan of meatballs, but hubby isn't. I like a good meatloaf every once in awhile though!

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  10. I have to confess to playing these kinds of mean food tricks on my husband! He's not really that keen on eating leftovers, but if I take whatever he didn't like and reuse it in something he does, well... win/win, right? I also find it really helps to rename things. Meatloaf around here is meatload. It appeals to his inner caveman a little more than the latter!

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  11. Funny story! It reminds me of my mother in law. She can create whole new dishes with whatever left over she still had. Since she didn’t know how to combine everything, the combos were awful. She’s doing lots better now though.
    Back to your meatloaf…it looks more like meatlove! JUM!

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