Not all meatloaves are made equally. The one that follows was sent me by Sharon Frost in Calais who commented that it was the best thing for family gatherings, which we are likely to have in Maine summers, plus she wrote, “My mother made this many times for Legion suppers, etc. Good!”
I’ll say. If you like your meat loaf dry as a chip and flavorless, well then, pass this by.
It rests entirely on beef (while some high end meatloaves call for a mixture of beef, veal, and pork). The addition of onions, celery, tomato puree and a mix of spices that includes chili, sage, and mustard, boosts flavor but none predominate.
Nothing is more comforting, I think, for a meat-eater than a meat loaf. It is also a good friend to us in the kitchen because the leftovers can be warmed up in a jiffy on a frying pan, and makes such good sandwiches. Of course, you have to have mashed potatoes with it. Maybe peas.
Sharon’s mom called for five tablespoons of onions. Now, you can measure out five tablespoons of finely chopped onions if you want, but I am a round-up-to-the-nearest-whole-vegetable person, and I’d say five tablespoons is about one small onion or half a medium. Ditto on the celery: One–half cup is roughly one rib finely chopped.
You can also let this meatloaf be an inspiration for you: use your usual basic meatloaf (meat, eggs, bread crumbs) but season it as this one is seasoned. One time, I made this recipe with half moose meat, half beef and it was grand.
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 5 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon finely crumbled sage
- ½ cup tomato puree
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix all the ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl.
- Pack into a loaf pan.
- Bake for one and a half-hours or until well-done.