Mom’s Meatloaf

for another family favorite…especially John’s!

It’s true…my mom is a great cook.

Oh, she says she has “lost her touch” but let me assure you of one thing.

She hasn’t.

My dad likes to talk about the days when she would fry chicken.

And pork chops.

And make meatloaf.

Just because she felt like it.

Now he says he could hide her Christmas present in the oven and she would never find it.

Cause she doesn’t cook.

But that’s not true at all…when my brother comes home to visit…she cooks everything he wants.

And she starts with this meatloaf.

I think for me, and I don’t know if I have ever thanked my mom, for making sure we always had a great meal on the table.

Every.Single.Night.

So, thank you Mom, for the way you loved us and took care of us and still do.

And cooked every meal for your family with love (cause we didn’t really have fast food back in the day).

Even I don’t do that, and I’m the Alphabet Mom.

Cooking…oh, and writing…are my life.

I can’t really remember when my love for cooking all started for me…I remember being in high school and just walking in the kitchen one day thinking I wanted to cook something.

And started with using a pressure cooker to cook some peas.

Yeah…about that.

I took the lid off before the pressure cooker whistle stopped blowing.

Yeah…about that, again.

Let’s just say, it sounded like a 747 jet landed on our roof.

And there were peas in every nook and cranny of our house.

For like 5 years, we were still finding peas.

And we had to repaint the ceiling.

I never used a pressure cooker again, because for one, I didn’t want to lose my eyebrows again…because they were singed off.

And for two, I wasn’t real keen on the clean-up/paint job after pressure cooker-gate.

But I did go on to become a pretty good cook.

Except, I have never made this meatloaf.

Until this blog post.

So, we are technically making this together readers.

And we will be the “Little Engine that Could” making meatloaf together.

Cause trust me, with mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, it’s going to take you back to your grandmother’s house or maybe Cracker Barrel and you will want to go back again and again.

So, get your mixing bowl out, wash your hands and get ready to mix “yo” meatloaf.

I like the way that sounds.

Right, so we are going to start with 3 pounds of ground chuck. Mom says it has less grease when it’s baking, so let’s take her word for it.

Check out these ingredients…including 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onions.

Please don’t put big onion boulders in your meatloaf…I use my hand chopper and get them real finely chopped.

So now we are ready to mix and make…add 3 slightly beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, 1 1/2 cup of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons finely chopped onions, 1/2 cup ketchup, 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Okay, time to get our hands dirty and there is no easy way to do this, just dive in.

Mix it all together really well and shape into two loaves, about 1 inch thick.

Now, here’s the secret no one tells you unless they’ve made in as much as my mom, but the meatloaves are going to cook off some grease.

They just are. And no one wants greasy meatloaf.

So, to circumvent (big word Wednesday) we are going to line our jelly roll pan with one of these really cool parchment papers that I use for cookies and baking.

We are going to line another one, which we will use in a few minutes.

Place your loaves on the parchment paper and bake at a 350 degree oven for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

Use this time while they are baking to make your mashed potatoes.

And peas.

Or macaroni and cheese.

Or maybe you just want to slice your meatloaf up and have sandwiches.

But after they have baked and are cooked through, we are going to mix 1 cup Karo syrup and 1 cup ketchup and whisk together.

Move your two loaves to the clean jelly roll pan prior to basting them with our ketchup/Karo mixture and then baste away!

Put the 2 loaves back in the oven for 15 minutes.

And then plate it up!

And yes, it’s John’s favorite meal!

And it will be yours, too!

Cracker Barrel may even be calling for the recipe…I wouldn’t be surprised.