For years, I avoided making meat loaf, chiefly because my mother's dry, bland loaf was such a bad memory. She had taken my grandmother's savory, moist pork and beef blend, using only very lean ground beef and draining even that of what little fat it had, believing that she was virtuously saving my father's health. Then, Eureka! I ran into Tom Valenti's recipe, which he credited to a couple of his favorite cooks. It first appeared in New York magazine and then his cookbook, "Welcome to My Kitchen." It's marvelously adaptable, moist and delightful. Occasionally, I throw in Italian seasoning and use leftovers as a "meatball" sandwich bathed in tomato sauce. Chop or grind a single serving into tomato sauce, simmer and you have meat sauce. Luscious!
5
I co-wrote the Great American Meatloaf Contest Cookbook in 1992. One thing we learned is that by adding 1/4 cup of applesauce to any meatloaf will prevent it from drying out. Looking forward to seeing this book!
7
Some years back I compared a number of different meatloaf recipes for the wet/dry ratios they used, which seemed key to retaining "body". In a number of these the chefs insisted on cooking a "freestanding" loaf vs. one in a pan, since in a pan, you're parboiling the meat in the moisture. Freestanding gives you the crunchy outer crust.
I did ok with 1/2 beef, 1/2 beefalo, for moisture including egg, Campbell's mushroom soup, Trader Joe's garlic marinara sauce. Other ingredients: Italian-spiced bread crumbs, chopped mushrooms, sauteed onions, chopped mushrooms, garlic cloves pre-baked to semi-softness. Definitely a garlic-lover's loaf. Sauce topping depending on my mood from some of the above ingredients. But definitely, no cooking in bread pans!
Going to try diversifying with some of the ingredients mentioned by readers, but am mystified by the use of carrots and peppers, since their flavors can be so overpowering in recipes.
I did ok with 1/2 beef, 1/2 beefalo, for moisture including egg, Campbell's mushroom soup, Trader Joe's garlic marinara sauce. Other ingredients: Italian-spiced bread crumbs, chopped mushrooms, sauteed onions, chopped mushrooms, garlic cloves pre-baked to semi-softness. Definitely a garlic-lover's loaf. Sauce topping depending on my mood from some of the above ingredients. But definitely, no cooking in bread pans!
Going to try diversifying with some of the ingredients mentioned by readers, but am mystified by the use of carrots and peppers, since their flavors can be so overpowering in recipes.
3
In our house, it is the glaze that makes the meatloaf. During the final 15 minutes of baking, baste with half of the glaze. Use the remaining glaze as a sauce for the meatloaf.
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Worcester sauce
Mix and glaze away.
6
That's my mother's glaze, and her mother's as well. My mother's recipe for meatloaf would vary by what was in the fridge or on sale, but the glaze would stay the same. Thank you for reminding me; I think I'll make meatloaf this weekend :)
2
You are most welcome Mr. Wilson. We actually think meatloaf is pretty darning boring without the glaze. Enjoy!!
1
My wife makes 'clean out the fridge' meatloaf...usually very good or interesting.
2
Wait a minute - Chuck Schumer's meatloaf recipe has pork in it?
Treyf is stranger than fiction, it seems.
Treyf is stranger than fiction, it seems.
3
Anyone interested can google the Nellie Starr cake recipe and find the same story about the doctor. It's an unremarkable plain cake meant for a bundt pan and the glaze of your choice.
I've made lots of different meatloaves but my "go-to favorite" still remains ground turkey and hot chorizo in equal amounts with all the remaining ingredients. This has always garnered rave reviews.
2
I have a friend who grades any diner by the meatloaf thy make, and chances are if the meatloaf is good that there will be other items on the menu worth looking at (and eating!). I'm looking forward to reading the book and sharing it with my friend.
5
I'm meatloaf connoisseur. I eat it at almost any diner and small restaurant I go to. Some are good, some I wouldn't feed to my dogs.
But none are as goodas my mother's or my Grandmother's.
But none are as goodas my mother's or my Grandmother's.
I thought meat loaf was a little much for me when I saw him in a tape of a concert. Just not to my taste, a little too much on most accounts, to be honest.
4
Let's bind America more by presenting recipes that more of us can cook.
I am not constantly cooking ethnic or foreign foods. Procuring the ingredients for a one time meal is wasteful and it doesn't always come out as it should.
Most of our kitchens are not the United Nations. If I want ethnic food it's easier just to go out to a restaurant. As often as I make Pad Thai it never comes out as well as the Thai family owned place down the street. And a huge helping that serves two costs 9 bucks. I've got rose water, fish sauce, tahini, bulgar, umi plum paste, unidentifiable dried fruits and unusual herbs and spices that I end up tossing out after they sit around for years. I'm never rustling around the cupboards looking to dust off the tapioca noodles or canned heart of palms or lychee.
I served my family roasted pork and baked potatoes and steamed cauliflower last night and they all exclaimed how much they enjoyed it. Simple and less is more.
I am not constantly cooking ethnic or foreign foods. Procuring the ingredients for a one time meal is wasteful and it doesn't always come out as it should.
Most of our kitchens are not the United Nations. If I want ethnic food it's easier just to go out to a restaurant. As often as I make Pad Thai it never comes out as well as the Thai family owned place down the street. And a huge helping that serves two costs 9 bucks. I've got rose water, fish sauce, tahini, bulgar, umi plum paste, unidentifiable dried fruits and unusual herbs and spices that I end up tossing out after they sit around for years. I'm never rustling around the cupboards looking to dust off the tapioca noodles or canned heart of palms or lychee.
I served my family roasted pork and baked potatoes and steamed cauliflower last night and they all exclaimed how much they enjoyed it. Simple and less is more.
16
Basic recipes for things like baked potatoes and roasted pork are rarely needed by anyone with half a brain and even a little bit of experience and for those who do need help recipes are plentiful and easily found. I don't see how the presentation of slightly more exotic or unusual recipes, "ethnic" or not, interferes with that so I don't understand why you are so defensive about it. If these recipes don't interest you no one is going to force you to read them or try them out. Honest. However, some of us, even if we will never try the recipes ourselves, are still interested in reading and learning about foods a little off of our well beaten paths. Even if I'm not making the dish in question there may be aspects of the recipe that I can use in the cooking I am doing. If you have found yourself with a cabinet full of ingredients going to waste that's not the fault of the recipes it's the fault of your own imagination. Roast pork is a marvelously versatile dish. Next time you cook one try using some of those "exotic" seasonings that so baffle you. You might like it. However much you enjoy the old basic recipe you might find that a little variety every now and then is good too.
14
Sometimes, more than often, people enjoy a basic meatloaf or a meal of meat, potatoes and a veg, that's all.
2
No. "Simple and less is more" FOR YOU. Not necessarily for anybody else.
By the way, put the dried fruit in your oatmeal, make a delicious salad dressing out of the tahini (with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil), put a shot of fish sauce into anything (like beef stew! Spaghetti sauce!) that could use a deeper flavor, and stop sneering at people who cook differently from the way you do.
By the way, put the dried fruit in your oatmeal, make a delicious salad dressing out of the tahini (with lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil), put a shot of fish sauce into anything (like beef stew! Spaghetti sauce!) that could use a deeper flavor, and stop sneering at people who cook differently from the way you do.
12
My favorite meatloaf is a three meat mixture of ground beef, ground pork and ground veal, along with chopped sweet peppers, onion and garlic, some oats but not a lot as opposed to bread crumbs), an egg, some Worcestershire sauce and some HP sauce (certain varieties of A-1 will suffice if you can't get HP). Add some herbs and spices and top it off with a couple of slices of bacon and it is good to go and it is great cold the next day if the thing doesn't disappear at dinner.
8
I have not had a decent meatloaf since my mother died late last century...
6
OK - OK - the BEST meatloaf is from a 1960's McCall's cookbook, discovered by my MOther, called "Roast Meatloaf" - once I give the recipe to people they try no other....the secret is that the meatloaf mixture is packed into a bread pan, and then unmolded once it is chilled, and baked. It is sensational!
5
is he still around?
1
Try ground turkey breast and hot Italian sausage, 4 to 1, a variation on Ina Garten's recipe. I use rolled oats for bread crumbs.
3
May I humbly recommend the meatloaf from the diner next to the YMCA on 14th? It my favorite dish, whether I'm dropping in or asking for take out. I tend to love classic meatloaf diner flavors!
4
I do a Great Plains version once in a while with a nod to the Volga Deutsch (German-Russian) runza or bierock: beef or a beef-pork mix, cabbage or kraut depending on my sour mood, onion, caraway, allspice, some hot mustard or horseradish cream, salt and pepper along with egg and breadcrumbs.
3
If you had to use recipes from celebrities, I would have preferred to have Gail Collins's recipe to Paul Ryan's.
5
Half and half bison and sausage. The bison's leanness makes up a bit for the indulgence of the sausage, and the flavor of the sausage (Italian, sage, chorizo, whatever) determines the rest of the seasoning
Frank Bruni can make anything interesting. I miss him as the restaurant critic here but he truly found his calling in the op-ed section. His insight and gift with words is spectacular. I'd much rather he slice and dice El Trumpo than some hard working chef. The book should be great!
14
I hope they included Marcella's recipe for meatloaf braised in white wine with dried porcini. I haven't made it in years, but I remember it as unusually elegant (for meatloaf) and deeply delicious.
4
I like to glaze the meatloaf with a piquant sauce recipe, combining ketchup, brown sugar, prepared mustard, and nutmeg. Make enough to pass at table.
4
My mom "glazed" her meatloaf with a can of Campbell's Vegetarian vegetable soup -- un-diluted.
I know, it sounds awful. But in the oven, it bakes down to a shiny glaze laced with caramelized cubes of vegetables and those little alphabet noodles. It's delicious and adorable at the same time.
It's a depression era recipe, but it is actually quite wonderful.
I know, it sounds awful. But in the oven, it bakes down to a shiny glaze laced with caramelized cubes of vegetables and those little alphabet noodles. It's delicious and adorable at the same time.
It's a depression era recipe, but it is actually quite wonderful.
6
Meatloaf. I love it. It is never the same twice in my hands. Use what you got in the refrigerator before it goes bad.
Lost in this discussion, however, is the leftover meatloaf sandwich. Meatloaf must stand up to two tests—hot and cold. Don't forget the ketchup! It is after all a blue collar dish.
Lost in this discussion, however, is the leftover meatloaf sandwich. Meatloaf must stand up to two tests—hot and cold. Don't forget the ketchup! It is after all a blue collar dish.
17
Yes, tomorrow's sandwich - but with mayo, please!
4
Dang! you are right on the money.
As much as I love a meatloaf, I absolutely swoon over the next day's cold (or warm) meatloaf sandwich. It's like the leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich -- much more delicious than the original.
In our household -- where meatloaf is worshipped as a kind of manna from heaven -- we adore our leftover meatloaf sandwiches so much, that I usually bake TWO meatloaves -- one to eat the first day, one SOLELY for leftovers.
We like them on fresh Jewish rye bread with caraway seeds -- the real bakery stuff, not the packaged kind. And some good mustard. Some of us like a slice of cheese as well.
As much as I love a meatloaf, I absolutely swoon over the next day's cold (or warm) meatloaf sandwich. It's like the leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich -- much more delicious than the original.
In our household -- where meatloaf is worshipped as a kind of manna from heaven -- we adore our leftover meatloaf sandwiches so much, that I usually bake TWO meatloaves -- one to eat the first day, one SOLELY for leftovers.
We like them on fresh Jewish rye bread with caraway seeds -- the real bakery stuff, not the packaged kind. And some good mustard. Some of us like a slice of cheese as well.
9
I prefer meat loaf made with a combo of beef and pork. I find just using beef results in a loaf that is too dry. Other than that I don't think I've ever made two identical meat loaves. Once I had the basics down I just started winging it with seasonings and fillers. The big controversy in my family was gravy or ketchup. My sister is in the gravy camp and finds it quite annoying that her husband and kids all prefer ketchup. I'm also in the ketchup camp. I suppose that might change if I ever tried any of the more exotic recipes, but for the basic meat loaf give me ketchup every time.
5
I have made it all different ways, but beef alone is not dry if you correctly balance it with enough bread crumbs (fresh, preferably) and a bit of water. Some people use too lean a grind of beef, I think that's the problem -- we are obsessed in this country with "low fat" but a hamburger or meatloaf is not the place to start stripping out natural fats. The meatloaf has to BIND, and it needs SOME fat to do this.
I've used beef, beef & pork, and mixtures of turkey or chicken, and also my local supermarket has a special "blend" that is beef, pork and ground HAM. This sounds awful, but it is surprisingly good. It has more "porky" taste, but the ham lends a savory quality.
My family "secret recipe" is to add a package of Lipton's onion soup mix to the meat blend. It's just amazingly delicious. You can try to duplicate this with seasonings and dried onions -- or fresh onions -- or cooked onions - -and you can make something good, but it will take 10 times as much effort, and not taste half as good.
We also glaze with either a can of undiluted Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup -- an old Depression-era recipe, which tastes amazingly good -- OR I spoon on some Heinz chili sauce. Ketchup is OK in a pinch, but it just doesn't have enough "pizazz" to stand up to the meatloaf mixture -- it's bland. The chili sauce has just enough kick.
I myself dislike brown gravy on meatloaf, but your mileage may vary.
I've used beef, beef & pork, and mixtures of turkey or chicken, and also my local supermarket has a special "blend" that is beef, pork and ground HAM. This sounds awful, but it is surprisingly good. It has more "porky" taste, but the ham lends a savory quality.
My family "secret recipe" is to add a package of Lipton's onion soup mix to the meat blend. It's just amazingly delicious. You can try to duplicate this with seasonings and dried onions -- or fresh onions -- or cooked onions - -and you can make something good, but it will take 10 times as much effort, and not taste half as good.
We also glaze with either a can of undiluted Campbell's Vegetarian Vegetable soup -- an old Depression-era recipe, which tastes amazingly good -- OR I spoon on some Heinz chili sauce. Ketchup is OK in a pinch, but it just doesn't have enough "pizazz" to stand up to the meatloaf mixture -- it's bland. The chili sauce has just enough kick.
I myself dislike brown gravy on meatloaf, but your mileage may vary.
5
One other thing, I always saute my vegetables before mixing them into the meat. Almost always onion, celery and green pepper. Perhaps some grated carrot or some mushroom if I happen to have some on hand. If they are put in raw they don't cook enough and I don't like raw vegetables in my finished meatloaf.
3
Meatloaf is such a good Sunday Dinner comfort food, add some mashed potatoes and it is heaven-My husband is not such a fan of meatloaf but he has to suffer through Paula Dean's "Aunt Peggy's Meatloaf", it is divine- Founding Farmers in DC has fabulous meatloaf- Guess what we're having for dinner?
2
My sense memories of coming home from school, in the half-dark (gets dark here at 4:30PM in the dead of winter!) -- cold and wet -- those old fashioned rubber snow boots that ALWAYS leaked -- enter the backdoor, to be greeted by great wafting smells of hot, cooking meatloaf in the oven. My mom was a totally amazing scratch cook, with Eastern European roots but also transformed by the Great Depression economies of cookery and the rationing of the WWII era -- she knew every cheap but tasty recipe out there. Her meatloaf was one of her pride & joys -- she was known for it.
Anyhow the smell of that meatloaf just filled the senses. She always made it with roasted potatoes, cooked alongside -- scrub, peel the skins off roughly, and salt & pepper, then let them bake with the meatloaf -- they absorb some of the delicious meaty juices and fats, and get very crisp on the outside (soft and steamy on the inside).
It makes me tear up. Mom has been gone this year for 33 years, but she taught me everything I know about cooking and food and love of family and eating together, and her recipes live within me -- and now, passed on down to the next generation and the one after that.
Anyhow the smell of that meatloaf just filled the senses. She always made it with roasted potatoes, cooked alongside -- scrub, peel the skins off roughly, and salt & pepper, then let them bake with the meatloaf -- they absorb some of the delicious meaty juices and fats, and get very crisp on the outside (soft and steamy on the inside).
It makes me tear up. Mom has been gone this year for 33 years, but she taught me everything I know about cooking and food and love of family and eating together, and her recipes live within me -- and now, passed on down to the next generation and the one after that.
10
Lovely -- thank you.
5
Can ev’rybody just agree
That meatloaf is our history?
It binds our nation’s wounds until
We all take pride in Bunker Hill.
The Gettysburg address, to me,
Is just a meatloaf recipe.
A simple yet fulfilling dish,
I’ll take it over steak and fish.
Bring ketchup and the mustard jar;
The next food trend’s a meatloaf bar!
That meatloaf is our history?
It binds our nation’s wounds until
We all take pride in Bunker Hill.
The Gettysburg address, to me,
Is just a meatloaf recipe.
A simple yet fulfilling dish,
I’ll take it over steak and fish.
Bring ketchup and the mustard jar;
The next food trend’s a meatloaf bar!
9
Not a fan of beef in any form, don't miss it, don't crave it, and would never make a meatloaf with it. On the other hand, venison could change my mindset since it's much leaner and healthier, and not infused with chemicals, growth hormones, red dyes, or fed anything that isn't found in nature. Unless there's a game hunter in the family, good luck, cause it's not stocked on the grocer's shelves.
Takes 10 pounds of grain and 120 gallons of water to "produce" 1 pound of beef. I guess that doesn't matter when you are trying to sell a book.
Venison is too lean, too dry and too gamey to make a good meatloaf.
Nobody is going to force you to make a beef meatloaf, but frankly -- you don't know what you are missing.
If your objection is the chemicals or feed that American beef get -- today, there is a wide variety of choices, including organic and grass fed beef.
Venison is good for some stuff, but not meatloaf.
Nobody is going to force you to make a beef meatloaf, but frankly -- you don't know what you are missing.
If your objection is the chemicals or feed that American beef get -- today, there is a wide variety of choices, including organic and grass fed beef.
Venison is good for some stuff, but not meatloaf.
4
Turkey meatloaf is pretty darn good especially when made with terriaki sauce in place of the ketchup.
This country has to get over its love affair with meat. It's disgusting. Especially beef. Cattle ranchers are fascists, and they are destroying the environment and killing all our wildlife. GO VEGAN!
4
You might be more persuasive without the hyperbole. A little less self-righteous sanctimony, a little less name calling and demonizing could go a long way. Instead of telling people that they are disgusting why don't you simply try telling us what your personal choice is and why it works for you? Or are you more interested in judging others than in persuading them?
36
First they came for our arugula and we were quiet, then they came for our baby kale and we said nothing...
13
or maybe a little more reality when it comes to the hidden cost of raising your vegetables. How many cattle ranchers do you personally know? I know a whole bunch of cattle ranchers and none of them are "fascists" and if it were not for them owning and taking care of it, the native landscape would likely be plowed up (habitat destroyed) to raise vegetables to feed people - sanctimonious vegans included.
5
Would have loved to have been at that table with the two of you, little brother. Always tempted to comment on your serious writings and now a chance to ease up on something yummy. Will get the book for my Italian daughter.
2
My secret is chunky salsa - hot - mixed into the meat with a bit of panko bread crumbs to bind. Makes it juicy, with a bit of a kick. I throw in a little bit of extra chopped vegetables from time to time, and an egg. Base is typically 60 / 40 beef and pork. Sometimes veal too in which case I'll do 50/25/25. Don't go overly lean on the beef either, and get very good quality minced meat. I top with classic catsup, brown sugar glaze that I reapply 15 minutes before its done.
Serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and southern style green beans cooked in bacon fat (or ham hock) and chicken stock.
Second day serve as sandwiches sliced on good bread with a bit of mayo and bread and butter pickles. Heaven.
Serve with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and southern style green beans cooked in bacon fat (or ham hock) and chicken stock.
Second day serve as sandwiches sliced on good bread with a bit of mayo and bread and butter pickles. Heaven.
5
As anyone in my family will tell you, the best meat loaf was made using Spatini spaghetti sauce mix, which is sadly discontinued. I used my last, hoarded packet a few years ago and it was a sad day indeed.
1
you can get spatini at the vermont country store
2
Amazon has it too.
Really?!? Recipe shmecipe. Meatloaf is a gr8 adventure. What ever is in the kitchen will do nicely thanx.
PA Dutch ham loaf--- unheard of outside Central PA and wonderful!
1
Nope, we ate it in Ohio too! It's very old fashioned, but delicious. I have not had it in years. They used to serve ham loaf in our high school cafeteria! with creamed peas!
I had a neighbor who served ham loaf at a party -- baked in a ring mold, and FILLED with the creamed peas -- the guests (mostly younger than us) were appalled, but when they tried it...they all LOVED it.
I think it is another Depression-era recipe, that was designed to use up the last of a Christmas or Easter ham in a thrifty way.
I had a neighbor who served ham loaf at a party -- baked in a ring mold, and FILLED with the creamed peas -- the guests (mostly younger than us) were appalled, but when they tried it...they all LOVED it.
I think it is another Depression-era recipe, that was designed to use up the last of a Christmas or Easter ham in a thrifty way.
3
I just don't think this isn't the time for publishing some fluff piece about "bipartisan meatloaf" while white nationalists are in charge, and bent on handing the economy back to Goldman Sachs, our health back to insurance profiteers, and the planet ever more rapidly on the path eventual destruction. Really. Publish your silly meatloaf recipes, but keep it in the Home section and don't make such light of the current debacle.
5
I started out writing what I soon realized was a pointless rebuttal to your comment. Instead just picture me rolling my eyes and shaking my head.
24
It actually IS in the food section.
And honestly, why such a screed? Do you think that people stopped eating even in times of political upheaval or WAR? Do you think they stopped eating during WWII or the Great Depression or Vietnam or Watergate?
Come on. Life goes on. Everything is not about politics.
And honestly, why such a screed? Do you think that people stopped eating even in times of political upheaval or WAR? Do you think they stopped eating during WWII or the Great Depression or Vietnam or Watergate?
Come on. Life goes on. Everything is not about politics.
13
I have a friend whose mom used to create recipes for Frito Lay. One that seems especially timely, given the color and character of our president, is Cheetloaf, a recipe that uses Cheetos as a flavor and binding agent. Like Trump, it's strangely orange and hard to stomach.
48
Ironic Judine that you feel free to attack Trump's skin color. I'd think given concerns about diversity on his part that would strike you as hypocritical and unwise. And your need to drag him into even a discussion of meatloaf tends to undermine your position. How he got elected, facing critics of this kind.
Years ago the NY Times published a wonderful meatloaf recipe by Nigella Lawson, which had apple sauce and bacon on top. I wonder, Mr. Bruni or Ms. Steinhauer, if this recipe is in the book.
9
My husband and I once had a last minute guest, recently separated, on meatloaf night. 30 years ago, I topped my meatloaf with catsup for that reddish brown glaze. Our guest was swooning over the "special sauce". I have a feeling neither he nor his ex did much cooking.
17
A good tablespoon dollop of catsup added to any tomato based sauce is always good too.
3
Catsup is just tomato sauce with some seasonings and brown sugar in it. It works well in many recipes.
However, I have found it is a bit bland on a meatloaf. I suggest you try Heinz (or a similar commercial brand) of CHILI SAUCE -- it's about the consistency of catsup, but has chilis and a stronger flavor that stands up well to cooking.
However, I have found it is a bit bland on a meatloaf. I suggest you try Heinz (or a similar commercial brand) of CHILI SAUCE -- it's about the consistency of catsup, but has chilis and a stronger flavor that stands up well to cooking.
2
Beef, pork, and veal: Democrat Senator Schumer is on the right track.
4
The cookbook--what a clever idea! A fresh reminder that the perfect meatloaf is not the only one out there.
1
My mother, God bless her, was a wonderful baker and a terrible cook. There was nothing more dismal than coming home from school to find out that meatloaf was on the menu. I developed a loathing of the dish until I was newly married and tried Marcella Hazan's meatloaf with porcini mushrooms. I t was a revelation, and I love finding new variations to make. I like making more than I need, because most recipes reheat and freeze well. A favorite from the NYT website is Melissa Clark's spicy meatloaf. Just wonderful!
8
Leftover meatloaf makes excellent sandwiches.
15
My mother-in-law's meatloaf is the best I've ever had. She thinks the secret is the quality of the beef and she swears by Costco's beef. She is an incredible cook and it's all innate.
When my son, a junior at Texas A&M, comes home to Dallas for a few days, he gets my mother's chicken-fried steak and cream gravy one night and my mother-in-law's meatloaf another night. Fresh green beans with both meals, made similarly but somewhat differently by each grandmother. My mother makes her macaroni and cheese for a starch; my mother-in-law makes 3 kinds of biscuits from scratch (bc some biscuits are more like dinner rolls, you know).
Both grandmothers beam as he eats. Food is how they love this 21 year-old boy since they can't smother him with kisses anymore.
I happily wash the dishes.
When my son, a junior at Texas A&M, comes home to Dallas for a few days, he gets my mother's chicken-fried steak and cream gravy one night and my mother-in-law's meatloaf another night. Fresh green beans with both meals, made similarly but somewhat differently by each grandmother. My mother makes her macaroni and cheese for a starch; my mother-in-law makes 3 kinds of biscuits from scratch (bc some biscuits are more like dinner rolls, you know).
Both grandmothers beam as he eats. Food is how they love this 21 year-old boy since they can't smother him with kisses anymore.
I happily wash the dishes.
41
Thank you. Your post reminds me of the lasagna dinners my mother made for carloads of my college friends two or three times a year. It was one dish she made well and she pulled out all the stops. Needless to say, there were never leftovers.
5
Thanks, Honeybee. It reminds me of my Nana, who thought I was starving to death at college and whipped up huge meals for me whenever I came home on a break.
I hope YOU are eating some of that wonderful home cooking yourself! nothing heals the soul like love on a plate from Grandma.
I hope YOU are eating some of that wonderful home cooking yourself! nothing heals the soul like love on a plate from Grandma.
4
IMy meatloaf is terrific!.. Secret ingredients are: meatloaf mix, which can be found in most grocery stores, the beef section, dried onion soup mix, eggs, ketchup, and Rice Krispies…In my life, I have placed strips of bacon across the meatloaf before putting in the oven. Others liked it. I didn't. This is a classic meatloaf that makes a wonderfully tasty sandwich, too - especially on rye toast and a bit of mayo.
2
I cannot emphasize enough the DRIED ONION SOUP MIX. It is a kitchen miracle, and transforms plain meat into something luscious and delectable.
You can make a sort of version of this with dried beef boullion mix and dried onions, and some garlic & onion powder...but it will take 10 times longer to mix up and not taste half as good. I always keep this in my pantry; both Knorr and Lipton's make excellent mixes. It works miracles on meatballs too.
I haven't tried rice krispies but...why not? I've used fresh and dried bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, oatmeal and even matzo meal, all with relative success. (I prefer fresh breadcrumbs, but they all work.)
Meatloaf mix is usually up to the imagination of the butcher, but a good blend is 1/3rd ground chuck (or ground round), 1/3 veal, and 1/3 pork or fresh ham. You can assemble this easily yourself, so don't pay a premium for "meatloaf mix".
You can make a sort of version of this with dried beef boullion mix and dried onions, and some garlic & onion powder...but it will take 10 times longer to mix up and not taste half as good. I always keep this in my pantry; both Knorr and Lipton's make excellent mixes. It works miracles on meatballs too.
I haven't tried rice krispies but...why not? I've used fresh and dried bread crumbs, panko bread crumbs, oatmeal and even matzo meal, all with relative success. (I prefer fresh breadcrumbs, but they all work.)
Meatloaf mix is usually up to the imagination of the butcher, but a good blend is 1/3rd ground chuck (or ground round), 1/3 veal, and 1/3 pork or fresh ham. You can assemble this easily yourself, so don't pay a premium for "meatloaf mix".
I hope the cookbook answers a crucial question for each meatloaf: What does it taste like the next day?
12
No one w a bit of cooking experience needs a meat loaf recipe. Just do it!
3
I disagree; I've been served some ghastly meatloaf recipes. My ex mother in law made one so heinous and inedible, that it defies description.
Some people make meatloaf as a way to stretch a tiny bit of meat with a huge amount of fillers. That is excusable if you are very poor or lived through the Great Depression, but NOT TODAY.
My mom handed down her recipes (and my grandma's) as both a privilege and a responsibility to carry forward homecooking to the next generation and I took it very seriously. I've taught my kids and grandkids how to make mom's meatloaf (which was once Nana's meatloaf, and before that, Great-Nana's meatloaf).
It's great to experiment, and I plan to try the Moroccan lamb meatloaf -- but don't forget or neglect the BASICS.
Some people make meatloaf as a way to stretch a tiny bit of meat with a huge amount of fillers. That is excusable if you are very poor or lived through the Great Depression, but NOT TODAY.
My mom handed down her recipes (and my grandma's) as both a privilege and a responsibility to carry forward homecooking to the next generation and I took it very seriously. I've taught my kids and grandkids how to make mom's meatloaf (which was once Nana's meatloaf, and before that, Great-Nana's meatloaf).
It's great to experiment, and I plan to try the Moroccan lamb meatloaf -- but don't forget or neglect the BASICS.
4
ever try cockatoo meatloaf? yum!
My meatloaf pate... is mostly meat with -- beef tomato catsup, onion, some bread crumbs, finely chopped green pepper, with strips of ham down the middle. Even country pate is really a kind of meatloaf.
4
I have more meatloaf recipes than any other dish except chicken wings. The reason for that is simple: there are a LOT of great meatloaves out there
5
Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food. I made it years ago in California for a comfort food dinner for friends after 9/11 and many times in between and most recently on 11/10/16, the day after the current president was elected.
The meatloaf is a revolving recipe, but usually consists of ground beef, ground veal and ground pork, bread crumbs, milk, an egg, finely chopped onions, parsley, a dollop of ketchup and some dried oregano. It rests on a few bacon slices as well as being topped with a few slices of bacon.
It's always accompanied by my mother-in-law's potato casserole, Irish carrots and homemade sourdough rolls from the Sunset Bread Cookbook. The Irish carrots come from an old Gourmet Magazine recipe and the potato casserole from a long ago Life Magazine article although we have many years ago, discarded the pie crust it's supposed to be baked in.
Dessert in this menu, is a Nellie Starr cake, so christened, from a recipe from a friend whose father was a doctor (now retired) in St Micheals, Maryland. As the story was told to me, by one of the daughters, (and I'm not providing any names here) every time Nellie Starr had an appointment with the doctor, she brought this cake with her. It was so enjoyed by the doctor's family, that they started to fret and worry about the recipe being lost. So they asked Nellie for the recipe, which she provided, but she never again brought another cake.
It's our go to dinner when we are in dire need of comforting.
The meatloaf is a revolving recipe, but usually consists of ground beef, ground veal and ground pork, bread crumbs, milk, an egg, finely chopped onions, parsley, a dollop of ketchup and some dried oregano. It rests on a few bacon slices as well as being topped with a few slices of bacon.
It's always accompanied by my mother-in-law's potato casserole, Irish carrots and homemade sourdough rolls from the Sunset Bread Cookbook. The Irish carrots come from an old Gourmet Magazine recipe and the potato casserole from a long ago Life Magazine article although we have many years ago, discarded the pie crust it's supposed to be baked in.
Dessert in this menu, is a Nellie Starr cake, so christened, from a recipe from a friend whose father was a doctor (now retired) in St Micheals, Maryland. As the story was told to me, by one of the daughters, (and I'm not providing any names here) every time Nellie Starr had an appointment with the doctor, she brought this cake with her. It was so enjoyed by the doctor's family, that they started to fret and worry about the recipe being lost. So they asked Nellie for the recipe, which she provided, but she never again brought another cake.
It's our go to dinner when we are in dire need of comforting.
7
After that story, you've at least got to give us the Nellie Starr cake recipe.
7
Can you share the Irish carrot recipe?
7
Yes! The carrots and the Nellie Starr recipes! You can post them or ship them to me at [email protected] and we'll share them with our loyal NYT Cooking readers.
6
My quintessential "go-to" dish for guests, now that we are all in our 70's and have thrown pretension to the wind. Yes, it's my mothers, with a few tiny dashes of my own, but one should not veer too far off course, or else !!
It is always a success. It must have bacon slices on the top, slathered with chili sauce and sprinkled lightly with brown sugar. One of our British friends loves the "brown bits" in the roasting pan.
An elegant friend years ago called his version "country pate", served it at buffets sliced very thinly with buttered thin-sliced pieces of rustic bread. So good.
It is always a success. It must have bacon slices on the top, slathered with chili sauce and sprinkled lightly with brown sugar. One of our British friends loves the "brown bits" in the roasting pan.
An elegant friend years ago called his version "country pate", served it at buffets sliced very thinly with buttered thin-sliced pieces of rustic bread. So good.
28
Will you share!
7
To 1# good 80% ground beef, add 3 slices of white bread (soaked in water or milk and squeezed out), 1 small chopped onion, 1 small chopped carrot, some chopped fresh parsley, a dollop of ketchup and 1 egg. Mix with hands. Shape into oval loaf. Top with 3 slices bacon slathered with chili sauce and sprinkled with brown sugar. Bake @ 425 for about 45 mins-1 hr. A few potatoes, halved to maximize the use of the amazing pan fat, can be baked by its side in the pan or just whole on the oven rack.
If doubling, make 2 loaves instead of a big one. It browns wonderfully, but can get too crusty if left in the high degree oven for too long.
It produces the most delectable "bits" so that after the fat is poured off, a masterful gravy can be made by adding some water and a little flour.
Leftovers made into sandwiches MUST be topped with a delicious sweet red pepper relish. This technique came from the meatloaf sandwiches made for the lunchbox of my best high school friend by her grandmother.
I would beg for a bite and have never forgotten the joy.
If doubling, make 2 loaves instead of a big one. It browns wonderfully, but can get too crusty if left in the high degree oven for too long.
It produces the most delectable "bits" so that after the fat is poured off, a masterful gravy can be made by adding some water and a little flour.
Leftovers made into sandwiches MUST be topped with a delicious sweet red pepper relish. This technique came from the meatloaf sandwiches made for the lunchbox of my best high school friend by her grandmother.
I would beg for a bite and have never forgotten the joy.
9
This article sent me on a quest for a new meatloaf recipe. Tomorrow I will make the version attached to this lengthy dissertation on meatloaf:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/08/the-food-lab-excerpt-the-best-meatloa...
I like this web site because of all the experimentation and explanation that accompanies many concoctions that you may want to eat or drink. The author is also the inventor of the flaky (savory or sweet) pastry crust recipe that I use—the secret is to replace some of the water with vodka, since the 40% alcohol does not interact with the flour to promote gluten formation (and bakes away into nonexistence).
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/08/the-food-lab-excerpt-the-best-meatloa...
I like this web site because of all the experimentation and explanation that accompanies many concoctions that you may want to eat or drink. The author is also the inventor of the flaky (savory or sweet) pastry crust recipe that I use—the secret is to replace some of the water with vodka, since the 40% alcohol does not interact with the flour to promote gluten formation (and bakes away into nonexistence).
2
Try this one next:
1 1/3 lbs ground chuck
2/3 lb mild Italian sausage (preferably one with some fennel seed)
1/2 c. Italian panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients.
In the baking pan, lay down a layer of thinly sliced onions. Set the loaf on top of the onions. Lay two slices of bacon lengthwise along the loaf. Surround with parboiled gold potatoes.
Cook at 350-375 for 1 1/2 hours.
1 1/3 lbs ground chuck
2/3 lb mild Italian sausage (preferably one with some fennel seed)
1/2 c. Italian panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/4 c. milk
1/4 c. chopped onions
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients.
In the baking pan, lay down a layer of thinly sliced onions. Set the loaf on top of the onions. Lay two slices of bacon lengthwise along the loaf. Surround with parboiled gold potatoes.
Cook at 350-375 for 1 1/2 hours.
5
Making the Moroccan Meatloaf for Easter dinner. Thanks for recipe!
3
I had meatloaf once when eating at a friend's house during high school, decades ago. I hated it. Some of the options here sound intriguing, if time-consuming. I'd rather make a lasagna!
3
Elizabeth, some people just make god-awful meatloaf. My ex mother in law made a meatloaf so bad it was enough to put people off of FOOD, let alone meatloaf -- it was dry, crumbly, flavorless and had little meat taste to it. She also undercooked it. It was horrible.
As a result, my ex and his siblings HATED meatloaf. He was very reluctant to even try my meatloaf, but when he did....he was shocked. He had no idea it could actually taste GOOD....delicious! He thought meatloaf was a kind of culinary punishment.
A LOT of people think this, if their moms were bad cooks, or all they know is some heinous high school cafeteria meatloaf, made with inferior ingredients.
Our family ADORED meatloaf, and my mom took it seriously and it was made with the finest ingredients -- a special blend of chuck from her butcher, homemade fresh bread crumbs. fresh herbs and lots of "secret touches". It has a rich, clean, beef taste to it -- like the very finest hamburger you've ever eaten, only intensified about 3 times.
I love lasagna too, but meatloaf is delicious and you should not close your mind to it until you've tried a really good recipe.
As a result, my ex and his siblings HATED meatloaf. He was very reluctant to even try my meatloaf, but when he did....he was shocked. He had no idea it could actually taste GOOD....delicious! He thought meatloaf was a kind of culinary punishment.
A LOT of people think this, if their moms were bad cooks, or all they know is some heinous high school cafeteria meatloaf, made with inferior ingredients.
Our family ADORED meatloaf, and my mom took it seriously and it was made with the finest ingredients -- a special blend of chuck from her butcher, homemade fresh bread crumbs. fresh herbs and lots of "secret touches". It has a rich, clean, beef taste to it -- like the very finest hamburger you've ever eaten, only intensified about 3 times.
I love lasagna too, but meatloaf is delicious and you should not close your mind to it until you've tried a really good recipe.
5
I have used my mother's meatloaf recipe for many years, with one innovation of my own -- fresh salsa, which adds a nice bite and keeps it moist.
11
Animal agriculture is the greatest environmental disaster ever. Why aren't our leaders vegetarian?
9
well - are you a vegetarian leader?
3
Cue the vegans in 3, 2, 1....
48
good call
14
My black African American Georgia and South Carolina grandmothers made and bound their meatloaf recipes very differently. Bread heels and catsup against onions, celery and sweet red peppers. Translated from Atlanta and Greenville to the South Side of Chicago I loved and learned both recipes.
27
Waste of money and time...