I need a meatloaf recipe! - Page 4

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 10/22/2014 Sooner said:
On the other hand, you don't really need any fillers at all. And I never use eggs in it either. I have never had one fall apart and I take it in a loaf pan with the drip rack. I don't want the fillers to soak up grease during baking, so I just omit them.

Sooner, my dear, what you have there is seasoned ground meat pressed into a loaf pan and baked......so I guess it's legit to call it a "meatloaf". Every traditional meat loaf recipe I've ever seen involves a filler to stretch the meat and eggs to hold the mix together. The point was to save money by stretching the meat with inexpensive fillers, and the eggs and filler gave the meatloaf a characteristic texture. I can understand your concern about the fillers soaking up grease; they certainly do. I always try to use very lean ground meat in a meatloaf so there isn't much fat to be soaked up.

It's amusing that you've adapted your meatloaf back to all meat to cut down on fat. Different concerns in different eras. Cooking is an endless evolution with endless variations, isn't it? Smile

Sammijo10 · ‎05-14-2011

On 10/21/2014 GoodStuff said:
Chickenbutt cooks like I do! Measure? What for? If you know the basic components of a recipe, you put in what you need, flavor it to your taste and it turns out every time! The basic components of a meatloaf are ground beef, chopped onions, bread crumbs (or some people use oatmeal of cracker crumbs, which is fine too), tomato sauce or catsup, eggs, and herbs/seasonings. I season meatloaf with worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs (either a prepared herb mix or oregano and/or basil. Mix it up, press it into a loaf pan, and top it with a mix of catsup, worcestershire, and brown sugar. That's about it! Same recipe makes meatballs.

Also, if you have two pounds of ground beef in your refrigerator and can't think of anything to do with it, where's your imagination? How about:

Meatloaf, Meatballs, Meat sauce for spaghetti, hamburgers, hamburger steak with mushroom gravy, chili, beef/veggie soup, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, taco salad, chili mac, sloppy joes, hamburger pie........and the list could go on........

Hey, GoodStuff, don't forget Shepherd's Pie! Two pounds is a lot of beef to make a Shepherd's Pie, but I love it as it's got the whole meal - veggies and potatoes - all in the one dish. Is that what you meant by hamburger pie?

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 10/22/2014 Sammijo said:
On 10/21/2014 GoodStuff said:
Chickenbutt cooks like I do! Measure? What for? If you know the basic components of a recipe, you put in what you need, flavor it to your taste and it turns out every time! The basic components of a meatloaf are ground beef, chopped onions, bread crumbs (or some people use oatmeal of cracker crumbs, which is fine too), tomato sauce or catsup, eggs, and herbs/seasonings. I season meatloaf with worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian herbs (either a prepared herb mix or oregano and/or basil. Mix it up, press it into a loaf pan, and top it with a mix of catsup, worcestershire, and brown sugar. That's about it! Same recipe makes meatballs.

Also, if you have two pounds of ground beef in your refrigerator and can't think of anything to do with it, where's your imagination? How about:

Meatloaf, Meatballs, Meat sauce for spaghetti, hamburgers, hamburger steak with mushroom gravy, chili, beef/veggie soup, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, taco salad, chili mac, sloppy joes, hamburger pie........and the list could go on........

Hey, GoodStuff, don't forget Shepherd's Pie! Two pounds is a lot of beef to make a Shepherd's Pie, but I love it as it's got the whole meal - veggies and potatoes - all in the one dish. Is that what you meant by hamburger pie?

Mmmmmmm! I've never made a shepherd's pie at home, but I've eaten some delicious versions in restaurants. There's a pub called The Brick Store in Decatur, GA that is famous for its shepherd's pie. (Also for its massive craft beer selection.) Yum! There are various versions of "hamburger pie". One has mashed potatoes or hash browns pressed into a greased pie plate to form the "crust" and then is filled with a seasoned ground beef/onion/tomato/cheese mixture with more cheese on top. I think I've also seen them with crescent rolls spread into the pie plate to form the crust. I'm sure if you Google it you'll find lots of burger pie recipes. I haven't made one in a long time, but they're good, hearty family fare.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

On 10/22/2014 GoodStuff said:
On 10/22/2014 Sooner said:
On the other hand, you don't really need any fillers at all. And I never use eggs in it either. I have never had one fall apart and I take it in a loaf pan with the drip rack. I don't want the fillers to soak up grease during baking, so I just omit them.

Sooner, my dear, what you have there is seasoned ground meat pressed into a loaf pan and baked......so I guess it's legit to call it a "meatloaf". Every traditional meat loaf recipe I've ever seen involves a filler to stretch the meat and eggs to hold the mix together. The point was to save money by stretching the meat with inexpensive fillers, and the eggs and filler gave the meatloaf a characteristic texture. I can understand your concern about the fillers soaking up grease; they certainly do. I always try to use very lean ground meat in a meatloaf so there isn't much fat to be soaked up.

It's amusing that you've adapted your meatloaf back to all meat to cut down on fat. Different concerns in different eras. Cooking is an endless evolution with endless variations, isn't it?

Yes and I think this is the more modern meatloaf. We have very high quality ground beef available today, unlike in the old days when fillers were the standard, and a lot of the remaining 5 or 10 percent of the remaining fat will cook out. Since our families are generally smaller, and often both people work, there is less need for filling and stretching the meat.

So what made sense for a family of 5 in the 1960s when mom was home all day and didn't work outside the home may not be the most healthy and efficient thing for today's smaller, two income families that are often more concerned about lowering fat intake and time saved.

You can use 90 or 95 percent lean and even ground turkey breast as all or mixed in together with the beef or add as many veggies as you want and have a health and quick loaf--the pre-shredded work well! So why add the carbs, keep in more fat, and include eggs if you don't have to?

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

On 10/22/2014 Sooner said:
On 10/22/2014 GoodStuff said:
On 10/22/2014 Sooner said:
On the other hand, you don't really need any fillers at all. And I never use eggs in it either. I have never had one fall apart and I take it in a loaf pan with the drip rack. I don't want the fillers to soak up grease during baking, so I just omit them.

Sooner, my dear, what you have there is seasoned ground meat pressed into a loaf pan and baked......so I guess it's legit to call it a "meatloaf". Every traditional meat loaf recipe I've ever seen involves a filler to stretch the meat and eggs to hold the mix together. The point was to save money by stretching the meat with inexpensive fillers, and the eggs and filler gave the meatloaf a characteristic texture. I can understand your concern about the fillers soaking up grease; they certainly do. I always try to use very lean ground meat in a meatloaf so there isn't much fat to be soaked up.

It's amusing that you've adapted your meatloaf back to all meat to cut down on fat. Different concerns in different eras. Cooking is an endless evolution with endless variations, isn't it?

Yes and I think this is the more modern meatloaf. We have very high quality ground beef available today, unlike in the old days when fillers were the standard, and a lot of the remaining 5 or 10 percent of the remaining fat will cook out. Since our families are generally smaller, and often both people work, there is less need for filling and stretching the meat.

So what made sense for a family of 5 in the 1960s when mom was home all day and didn't work outside the home may not be the most healthy and efficient thing for today's smaller, two income families that are often more concerned about lowering fat intake and time saved.

You can use 90 or 95 percent lean and even ground turkey breast as all or mixed in together with the beef or add as many veggies as you want and have a health and quick loaf--the pre-shredded work well! So why add the carbs, keep in more fat, and include eggs if you don't have to?

True enough. Of course, when I look at the price of beef these days -- even high quality ground beef -- I am more than ready to go back to those budget-stretching fillers and eggs! I saw an ordinary chuck roast today in my Kroger -- the kind I used to buy to make a hearty, affordable pot roast. The thing was $26!! I almost fainted in front of the meat case.........

Campion · ‎10-21-2011

Since we're branching out from meatloaf to meatloaf variations--how about "Bobotie"?

This is a South African meat loaf. My mom spent some time as a young woman in South Africa, and I found this recipe in her files. It's basically a round meatloaf with fruit and curry flavor--very typical of East African cuisine that is cross-fertilized with Indian food because people from India migrated to that part of Africa across the Arabian Sea.

You have to like curry and some sweet mixed with meat--not everybody likes fruit in main dishes. I happen to love that, but I know some people do not. Plan accordingly.

2 slices white bread
2 onions, chopped
1 oz butter for frying
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 lbs lean ground beef
2 tbsp madras curry paste or curry powder (I use Pataks Mild Paste)
3 tbsp golden or regular raisins
1 small apple, chopped, peeled

Topping: 1 cup whole milk

2 large eggs

Soak bread in some water or milk. Set aside. Saute chopped onions until they clear and start to color golden, add in chopped garlic and beef, saute. Brown lightly and then add curry paste and stir around. Then add other ingredients (apple, raisins.) You can use oil instead of butter (canola) Cover and cook about 10 min. When that is done, squeeze moisture from the bread, crumble it up and beat into the meat mixture.

Pat this meat mixture into a round baking dish like a pyrex pie dish. Pour the egg-milk topping over the meat loaf and bake 375 deg for 35-40 min until the egg topping is set. Cut wedges and serve (nice with fluffy Basmati or Jasmine rice.)

gkelly · ‎04-22-2010

On 10/22/2014 Madisson said:
On 10/21/2014 gkelly5744 said:
On 10/21/2014 beach-mom said:
Here's our favorite:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 onion , chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs, beaten

1/2-1 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

Mix and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.

This is almost exactly like I make mine! No fillers and it comes out great every time!

Wouldn't the cup of bread crumbs be considered a filler? I think some sort of filler is what makes meatloaf awesome. We use oatmeal as a filler when we make meatloaf...and we have several different versions of meatloaf that we make. We don't really have a recipe written down.

My daughter makes her meatloaf in cupcake pans. Her children love it and call them "meat chunks." They ask her to make them often.

Yes, I must have just "read over" the bread crumbs part. I usually don't add any fillers to my meatloaf, my family doesn't like it. and especially wouldn't come near one if it had oatmeal in it..lol. That's what is great, we are all different and what one family likes/dislikes another one wouldn't do without!

Barbarainnc · ‎03-11-2010

You don't even taste the oatmeal.

BigOrangeKitty · ‎04-24-2012

Every Halloween my friend makes Shepherds Pie with mashed potato ghosts! Both Pillsbury and Kraft have recipes for this. If you're interested, look up Krafts Scary Skillet Shepherds Pie, it's so cute!