Tasty Tuesday: The Food Whose Name I Detest

I have issues. Food issues.

I do not like my food to touch. I eat in the same order everytime. I do not like any kind of vegetable juice to be on my plate. I would probably die if somebody told me I had to eat all of one thing on my plate before I could move to something else.

Yes, I will be in therapy later when the kids leave home and maybe we have money.

But one of the things I hated the most was meatloaf. I like all of the ingredients, but it was just the name: a loaf of meat. That just sounds disgusting! Plus hot ketchup...yuck.

Then I gave birth to Chipette, who sampled some of my mom's meatloaf. And she began to beg, and beg, and beg for me to get Gran's recipe and make some at our house. So being the good, self-sacrificing mom that I am, I got the recipe and it wasn't half bad. In fact it was really good! But I still don't make it in a loaf.

Here's what you need to make Gran's Meatloaf:

1 pound ground beef (I use half turkey/half ground beef.)
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg
8 oz. canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup quick cooking oats

Topping:
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. mustard

Yeah, I know, the dreaded "hot ketchup" topping. I just rake it off, but there are alternatives such as cheddar cheese sprinkled on top (my favorite!) or tomato sauce instead of ketchup.

Put all meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl.

Now, it's time to get your hands dirty and mix all of the ingredients up.

Next, so I don't have to think about it being a "loaf", I put mine in a baking dish and pat it out flat. I learned this trick from my aunt!

Next mix up the topping.

Spread over the meat loaf. If you want to do the cheddar cheese, sprinkle it on the top when there is about 15 minutes left to bake. If you want to do the tomato sauce, use 1 can of tomato sauce mixed with 1 tsp of sugar (to cut the acidity), then pour over the top before you bake the meat loaf.

Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. When it comes out of the oven, tilt the pan so that the grease can drain out of the meat loaf. Just don't tilt it too high or your dinner will be in the sink!

And that, my friends, is some fabulous meat loaf?...meat dish?...meat meal?...meat casserole? I'll figure out a new name eventually.

By the way, I doubled this recipe to make it for my family (Chipette will eat on it all week!), but if you make it without doubling it, use an 8x8 pan instead of a 9x13.

Pondering the elusive replacement name for meat loaf in the treehouse,

Chelli