Showing posts with label meat loaf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label meat loaf. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Mom's Meat Loaf



My mother's meat loaf is always something I have enjoyed. When I was little my mom thought this was my favorite meal, so for my birthday each year, she made it. I honestly don't know what my favorite meal was, so this was a good choice.
I still use this recipe myself, and add different veggies to it. I like celery, green or red or yellow bell peppers in it. One time when I was out of oatmeal, I added some Special K cereal. I liked that so much that I have also tried All-Bran and my all time favorite Bran Buds. As you can see, you can add what you like. I will say that I do enjoy the tomato sauce the best over gravy or ketchup. But of course it is what you prefer.
This recipe my mom gave me years and years ago was just a list of the ingredients, not how much of each. So I was surprise to find on this recipe in her box that she does list how much of each spice goes to one pound of hamburger. Now-a-days I don't measure, I just add the spices until it smells right.

Ingredients:
one pound ground hamburger
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 grated carrot, if small do two
1 small onion, diced and chopped
1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Put all of this in a bowl and mix it well. Make into a loaf and put on a special meat loaf pan with holes, or can put in a loaf pan. Bake at 400 degrees, although I do 350 degrees for about an hour.
(Note: if you do the little loaves, takes about 40-45 minutes.)




As I was making the meat loaf this evening, I decided to bake it in a little toaster/convection type oven, as not to overheat the house.

Here is a picture before putting in the oven, minus the sauce.
The first picture on top is of course with the tomato sauce poured on and then I put it in the oven. I usually make a big loaf and put it in a loaf pan and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour. So as I found out today, it was nice to make smaller loaves, tasted just as good! That is a 9" round cake pan and yep that is the whole one pound, fits nicely.
Here is the final dish and I am ready to eat my dinner! I love the leftovers to make sandwiches, yum!