You may have seen the massive storm hitting the East coast on the news. We're getting hit with a NorEaster (No, I still don't know what that even means, something about a really big snow storm). With all of this snow and cold weather I decided it would be a good day to make up some meatloaf. Plus J had to go to the dentist yesterday so I knew he would be needing some soft food. There are so many ways to make meatloaf, you probably have a tried and true recipe you use at home. This is actually my first attempt at meatloaf and it turned out pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. Instead of baking it in a loaf pan, I formed it into a loaf and put it on a baking sheet. This allows some of the fat to drip off and you get a crustier edge, which I love. J's Mom uses a roasting pan and puts some water in the bottom to keep the loaf moist. But seeing as I live in a NY apartment (read: tiny kitchen) things like roasting pans get stored under the bed until Thanksgiving and I didn't feel like tackling the mess that lives under my bed. I saw a recipe online of a woman who uses a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet which is also a wonderful idea. If you're not really a crust kind of person, then the loaf pan will work great. I served it with mashed potatoes, corn and glazed carrots. The corn and carrots are optional but the mashed potatoes are completely obligatory when making meatloaf.
Ingredients
Mixed by hand
In a loaf before going in the oven
Just out of the oven
With mashed potatoes, corn and glazed carrots
Meatloaf
¼ cup diced onions
1 tsp olive oil
1 ½ lbs ground beef (I used 1 lb ground chuck and ½ lb ground round)
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp ground sage
2 eggs
1 TBS Worchester sauce
1 tsp dried oregano
black pepper
salt
1. Preheat oven at 350º
2. Heat olive oil in saucepan. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes, just until softened.
3. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl with your hands or a spatula. Salt and Pepper to taste.
4. Form into a loaf and place on a baking sheet. You can also use a loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350ºF for about an hour or until the loaf reads 160º on a meat thermometer.
