Marilyn's Meat Loaf

Ready to serve.

Meat loaf is high on my list of comfort foods; it was a staple in my home when I was growing up, and it was served once a week in the school lunch room.  Everyone has their own standards for flavor, texture, and appearance by which meat loaf should be judged.  It is a dish that lends itself to creativity and experimentation, and I will confess that I usually do not measure when making meat loaf.

The meat loaf that I grew up with was significantly different than the one I make today.  Lean ground beef wasn’t readily available; we just bought hamburger meat, which was reasonably fatty ground beef.  My mother didn’t like onions or tomato sauce, making our meat loaf quite bland.  She used saltine crackers as a binder; I prefer oatmeal.  My mother’s meat loaf had one tasty feature that doesn’t really go along with today’s emphasis on cutting fat in the diet:  she made a lattice of raw bacon strips on top of the meatloaf, securing the ends with toothpicks.  Talk about a moist meat loaf!  Of course, the bacon ended up nice and crispy and delicious when the meatloaf was done.

Must have whole kernel corn with meat loaf!

The school lunch room introduced me to a spicier meat loaf; it was always served with whole kernel corn.  I like to add extra veggies to meat loaf to boost the fiber content, flavor, and texture.

How do you know when a meat loaf is done?  Probe it!  The USDA recommends that ground meat mixtures be cooked to a minimum temperature of 160°F.

Marilyn’s Meat Loaf

1.75 to 2 pounds lean ground beef (90/10)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped

1 (8 oz.) package mushrooms, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 large eggs

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce, no salt added

1 cup oatmeal

1/3 cup tomato ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking pan with foil.

My mother's meat loaf pan - battered but trustworthy!

Thoroughly mix all ingredients except for ketchup.  Shape into a loaf and place on a rack in prepared pan.  Bake until the meat loaf reaches a minimum temperature of 160°F, approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Cool slightly, then brush with ketchup.  Serves 8 to 10.

Ready to bake.

Be sure to use a food thermometer to determine doneness.

Modifications for smaller meat loaf (1 to 1.5 lbs. ground beef):  use a little less of the vegetables and garlic; use 1 egg and 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce; use ½ cup oatmeal, or a little more.  Baking time will be about an hour; be sure to probe to determine doneness!