Monday, July 26, 2010

Pure Comfort!

You know when you eat one of those meals and it just warms you from the inside out? Not the Louisiana spicy warmth, or the Louisiana summer warmth for that matter, but the warmth of comfort and home and all things warm and fuzzy. Well despite most people's aversion to the horribly named for the goodness it is capable of meatloaf, it truly does deliver that warmth, if made correctly of course. If you are a lover of the loaf-o-meat, you will of course like this recipe. If you turn your nose up at the unworthy of such treatment meatloaf, give it another try! This recipe is straight out of my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. It really is the best meatloaf I've ever had! And all the spices and ingredients are probably stuff you always have on hand!

Meatloaf of Awesome! 
(The recipe calls for 1 1/2 lbs of meat, but the package from Wal-mart came with 2 1/4, which is about what most bigger packages come with. The amount still fits nicely in a loaf pan. Due to using more meat I increased the amount of other things. I will note my changes like this.)

2 egg, beaten (Used 3)
3/4 cup milk (Used about 1 c)
2/3 cup bread crumbs (Used a little less than1 c) 
1/4 cup chopped onion (Used 1/2 cup)
(I also added 3 green onions chopped, save a pinch of the tops out to sprinkle on top)
2 tablespoons fresh parsley (Used 2 tbsp of dry plus 1 more teaspoon probably)
1 teaspoon salt (Used 1 1/2 - 2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, oregano, or basil (Used 1/2 teaspoon of each, definitely use sage though, really adds to the comfort flavor)
1 1/2 lbs of lean ground beef, ground lamb, or ground pork (Used 2 1/4 of ground chuck)
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350. Mix milk and eggs together. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, sage, basil, oregano (or whatever combination you use), salt, pepper, and onion. Mix in meat. Pat mixture into a loaf pan (or mold into loaf form in a baking dish). Bake 1 - 1 1/4 hours (I cooked mine for about 1 1/45 because of the additional meat, it was perfect). Internal temp should be 160 on an instant read thermometer. (I don't have a thermometer, need to get one, but mine came out perfect. If you are worried about it losing moisture put a pan of water in the oven under it. This can also catch any drippings you might have, which I did.) Spoon or pour off fat. In a small bowl combine ketchup, brown sugar, and dry mustard. Spread over meat. (Sprinkle with green onions tops if desired.) Bake for another 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

So yum! Pure comfort in your mouth and tummy. I made homemade mashed potatoes and asparagus with mine. (Target has the best asparagus! It's steam in the bag and is so yummy and cooks perfect.) Now, let's come up with another name for meatloaf so that so many people don't have an aversion to it!  

No comments: