As a child growing up my mother never made meatloaf. When I asked why it was because she thought my older brothers and sister would not like it! How many delicious things did I miss-out-on because they were so dam picky? The answer to this question I will never know. She did finely make it for both my brother and myself. It was served with mashed potatoes, gravy and canned shoestring green beans from DelMonte that I added tabasco too try and spice it up. My brother liked his with just plain tomato sauce over the top.

I don’t know how old I was when I had my first ever meatloaf sandwich. I am not even sure it was at home or at a local deli.

I have now spent my entire adulthood making it at least once a year but the irony is that my own son dislikes it. He dislikes anything beef in general.

Since he is away at college, this is what we had for dinner Sunday.  

To me the best thing about meatloaf is the hot meatloaf sandwich the next day. It must include extra gravy on the sandwich, a large dill pickle on the side and a bag of plain old-fashioned potato chips.

I know this dish is not for everyone but I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Especially for lunch!

The Druncken Chef (Russ)

Classic Meat Loaf

Serves 8

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

Metal Baking dish 9 x 13 or shallow roasting pan

Measuring cup

Vegetable Chopper (Zillus) or chef’s knife

Large bowl

INGREDIENTS

3 lbs. 80% lean beef chop meat – some people perfect meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, pork and veal)

3 large eggs

1 small onion diced

½ cup of milk or water

1 clove crushed garlic

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 ½ cups seasoned breadcrumbs

1 tbls Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Ketchup (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, add: 3 lbs. ground beef, 3 eggs, 1 small onion that has been diced, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1 ½ cups of seasoned breadcrumbs, ½ cup milk or water, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional), a dash of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until all the ingredients are even distributed.   

Place in a baking dish. I prefer a metal pan to a glass Pyrex dish. I think the meatloaf just browns better. Shape ground beef mixture into a loaf. Cover with a layer of Heinz ketchup.

Spread sliced onions around the edges or just outside the loaf (not on top). Sprinkle onions with olive oil. Season onions with salt and pepper.  Bake in a preheated oven for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 150 – 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest for ten minutes.

NOTES: Serve with mashed potatoes, beef gravy and zesty shoestring string beans.  

The Drunken Chef (Russ)