Mason-Dixon Recipes

Meat Loaf

It used to be a daily menu of meatloaf, meatloaf, meatloaf.

         — Donna Evans

Meatloaf is a classic American comfort food even though it didn’t begin in America. Most cultures have some form of ground meat concoction and there are probably more variations to meatloaf than any other recipe in the world. Some recipes call for just beef while others use a combination of beef, pork, and veal.

The first recorded recipe for meatloaf was mentioned in a Roman cookery collection of the 5th century. It was made of minced meat—finely chopped meat. Traditional American meatloaf has its roots in the 19th century, but it wasn’t until the 20th century that meatloaf truly made became a staple, due to the cost effectiveness of producing ground meat on a large scale and the need to stretch meat supplies during the war years.

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs ground chuck
¹/₂ medium onion, chopped (optional)
¹/₂ medium green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
2 whole eggs
1¹/₂ cups bread crumbs (Italian seasoning)
1 cup milk
1 cup ketchup*
1 tsp salt
¹/₄ tsp garlic powder
¹/₄ tsp black pepper

Sauce:
¹/₂ can tomato sauce
¹/₂ cup water
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp prepared mustard

DIRECTIONS

Mix milk and egg together in bottom of large mixing bowl. Add meat and begin to work the mixture together. Add ketchup and work ketchup into meat-egg-milk mixture. Add bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Thoroughly mix, kneading meat in hands, compacting and forming into a loaf shape.

Press into either a baking mold or place as loaf shape into a regular baking dish. Run finger down along midline of loaf pressing slightly downward so heat will get to the center better. Combine sauce ingredients and spoon over meat loaf.

Cook at 350°F for 1 hours until top is crispy brown while occasionally basting meat loaf. To make it even crispier, cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Return to Mason-Dixon Recipes