April 18, 2012

Mom's Meatloaf

Most of my posts have been about dessert baking. Well, not everything that goes into the oven is for dessert. One of my favorite things to bake is meatloaf. There are very few other things as easy and as quick as this recipe. Plus, I love the fact that it comes from the 1969 Betty Crocker cookbook. The flavors have stood the test of time in my family. I grew up with this recipe and it has now become a part of my dinner repertoire. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

All of the ingredients are things I normally stock in my pantry so I find this to be something that is really easy to whip up if I feel like it. I find it best to start with fresh ground beef. I often buy ground beef and freeze it but last night I bought some from the grocery store and it was just so much easier. I also use Panko breadcrumbs. I haven't experimented much with different breadcrumbs but Panko has treated me pretty well.

There are several different spices in this recipe. You can see the suggested measurements below. I prefer to add a 1/2 tsp instead of just a 1/4 tsp of each spice. I really want to play around with different measurements and maybe different spices at some point but I like this recipe so much I have yet to experiment with it.

My favorite side dishes to this meatloaf are mashed potatoes (made with light sour cream and butter. Yum!) and green beans. And of course, a nice tall glass of milk. I sure do love my comfort food! 







Mom's Meatloaf
1969 Betty Crocker Cookbook 
(with Kara's notes)

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I use Panko)
2/3 cup milk (skim milk offers a healthier option)
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp minced onion (something I always have in my pantry!)
1/2 tsp salt (I am tempted to try my smoked sea salt next time. Got it at Trader Joe's and it's amazing!)
1/2 to 1/2 tsp of each:
Black pepper
Dry mustard
Celery salt
Garlic salt (I love using a 1/2 tsp of each. You can always revise the measurements depending on what flavors you want to go for and even play around with adding other spices.)
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
ketchup for "glaze"

Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. (getting your hands dirty is so much fun! Be sure to wash well with soap afterwards. Raw beef - eww.)
Shape into loaf in shallow pan. (I also line my pan with tin foil. Makes for a super easy clean up. Spray with a cooking spray to keep the meatloaf from sticking to the foil.)
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread with ketchup. (I always eyeball this.)
Return loaf to oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes to an hour.

Happy Baking!

2 comments:

  1. :) I am coming over. I love meatloaf. You know you can also experiment with the meat too, I have made a lamb meatloaf that was yummy! We should make a Duvall Girls cookbook!

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  2. Jamis, it's funny you mention that because I was going to try venison sometime! A cookbook would be so much fun. One day...

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