Meatloaf That Makes Me Rethink Meatloaf
The last time I ate meatloaf was when I was about 12. I never liked it. Pressed hamburger with ketchup on the side… where’s the bun? The mustard? The pickle?? Save me.
The other night, our dear friends Emily & Christian Berkey invited us over for dinner. Fall has set in, and Emily shared what was on the menu; meatloaf. Mmmmm… I put on my polite-but-hopeful face and thought, well, almost 20 years has gone by since my last meatloaf attempt and a lot has changed since then. Let’s go for it.
When I peeked at the dish cooling on the stove, it perked up my appetite. It smelled so good! It looked good. Hope was coming back to me. Emily laughed at me as I followed her around the kitchen, taking pictures of the potatoes, the green beans, the gorgeous butter dish I always covet when I’m over there. This girl did a great job at dinner, and I am so thankful to her and Christian for feeding us. And I loved the meatloaf so much, I begged for the recipe and am going to make it myself.
That is, as soon as we have guests over for dinner. That’s a lotta meat.
But ooooh, it’s so good! Moist, tender, full of flavor, so much more than just a loaf of pressed hamburger and egg.
Sorry Mom. It’s my turn to teach you to make meatloaf.
Emily’s Dad’s Recipe for Meatloaf
(She assured me I wouldn’t get her kicked out of the will by disclosing any family secrets and sharing this recipe. She even said that she thinks he may have gotten it out of a cookbook somewhere, but isn’t sure? So if any of you come across an identical recipe, let me know where you found it, I’d be happy to give credit where credit is due! Disclaimer over.)
Ingredients:
2 cups minced onions
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup lightly pressed down bread crumbs
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb ground pork or fresh sausage meat or ground raw turkey
1 cup cooked rice
2 large eggs
1/2 cup beef boulion
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 to 2 cloves of garlic, pureed optional
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp oregano
3 bay leaves
Directions:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and put into buttered loaf pan and form. Place 3 bay leaves on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. (When done , the juices will run clear with a pink tinge. Meat will be slightly springy and 155 degrees with a meat thermometer.) Cool for 30 minutes, pour off fat juices.
Tags: Comfort Food, Sausage
5. November 2009 at 00:17
That looks like a Darden family dinner to me!! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Ahhh, the pewter butter dish. I still can’t believe that Em ended up with it. I think she claimed it hers because she got married first! ha! (I covet it too.)
It is pretty darn good meatloaf.
:D
12. November 2009 at 14:29
Great looking spread! Glad you rediscovered meatloaf, good meatloaf. There’s a woman here in my church that makes a meatloaf that melts in your mouth. Hands down, the best I’ve ever had.
This looks like a great recipe too. I will have to give it a shot. Thanks for sharing it.
Photos rock, btw!
26. November 2009 at 11:26
@Rachael – I loved it! I also covet the wooden bread bowl you can almost see in the picture; she said you brought it back for her from a trip to Malawi? I think that might have been the country, I forget… :)
@Harold – If that lady ever wants to share her recipe, you know where to pass it along to, right?? ;) Thanks for the kind words on the photos! We are so in love with our new camera, it really breathed life into our little blog!