Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Food. I'm always thinking about it. Not that I'm hungry all the time. But with a family, a woman always has to have a plan for that nights dinner. Oh, to be single again and be able to plop a frozen dinner in the microwave and save that hour of kitchen work. But alas, I wouldn't give up married life for that free time in the evening.

Today, I was chatting with my most awesome friend Samantha.  What is the top topic of women? Well, yes it is men, but the second top topic is food. What are you cooking tonight?


I'm cooking meatloaf. Then I read my friends response. I've never had meatloaf before. ???? This has always been a popular meal here in the US. If you ask my husband, he wants it at least once a week. I like it, but not that often. Once a month would be fine for me.

So, for all my overseas friends, here is how you make a meatloaf. Oh, and I guesstimate amounts. I own measuring cups, but I don't actually measure anything.

1 pound hamburger meat. (I think those in UK call it minced beef)
1/2 chopped onion (hubby uses a whole onion and I call it onion loaf when he makes it)
1 egg
2 slices bread, cut in small pieces
steak sauce, or worstershire sauce, or ketchup
salt and pepper

Throw everything in a bowl. Well, except the egg. Crack it open and put the egg in and throw away the shell. It will be crunchy if you use the whole egg. I use about two tablespoons worstershire sauce in mixing it. Now, stick your hands in and get real messy. Yep, the best way is mix it with your hands real well. I then form it into a loaf and put it in a loaf pan and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes. You can use a 9x9 pan. It bakes faster that way and is not as thick. When it is done cooking, drain the fat, otherwise it will be real greasy.

I don't mix ketchup in my loaf. I put a thin layer on top before I bake it. Hubby mixes it in and puts it on top.

The great thing about meatloaf is there are thousands of ways of making meatloaf. My mom used to cut up bell pepper in it. The bread is really a filler. It is a way to make the meat stretch farther. When you eat it, it seems like you are eating all meat. The egg just helps keep it together and not fall apart. I've had friends that use barbeque sauce instead of ketchup or steak sauce.
I usually make mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it. Hubby likes acre peas with it.

Enjoy
Keep the Faith



2 comments:

  1. Ooh Faith, this looks and sounds yummy! I shall have to add it to my 'to do and to try' list! I think I agree with your husband, lots of onion, I pile onion into everything I make....could say I am a bit onion obsessed? I hope they are good for you....Infact I shall google and find out! :-) x

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  2. Oh, and another thing, the bread. It doesn't have to be fresh. As a matter of fact, I always use old, dried out bread. It will absorb the juices better.

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