Meat Loaf

I don't know about everyone else, but I certainly am doing more cooking as we do our part to control the coronavirus by staying home, including pulling out some recipes I haven't  made in a long time.  And when I made this meatloaf, I didn't think to take pictures of it going together.  I just got the one picture I used in my last post.  And I was going to take a picture of the sandwich, but remembered when I was just down to crumbs on the plate.  But it was a good looking plate. 

Meatloaf is one of those foods I don't make often... in part because we don't eat that much meat, and when we do, we tend to do something quick (like grill some steaks or fish), or something that is more soupy, like stew or beans with ham or sausage.  The meatloaf I grew up with was the one on the back of the Quaker Oatmeal box.   It uses oats to stretch the meat instead of breadcrumbs (which i think is more common), which gives a nice bit of fiber.  Milk is added for moisture (and any kind of milk or unsweet alternate milk would work, also guess plain yogurt would work just fine too).  Something to enhance the unami gives a better depth of flavor ... I usually use fish sauce, but Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce would do the same thing.  The egg helps bind everything together.  You can use any kind of ground meat, although my husband commented that the one I made was better than he remembered, it might have been because I used good hamburger from our local store rather than ground turkey which I was I had used in the (long) past.  I also used some nice spicy Italian sausage (and if you don't want any spice, a sweet Italian or breakfast sausage will work too).  Catsup is used as a glaze (some recipes actually call for catsup in the loaf, which I think would be just awful sweet), and a bit of bacon makes for a nice touch.

And while I am hoping for the best, I am also trying to boost the reserves soups and stews in my freezer.  It seems that we are starting to get past the shortages in the grocery store, and the farmers markets are currently open in California. Plus, as least here, we have many take-out options available.  So this is not from fear of not being able to get food.  Its more about being prepared to actually get the virus. While we read about the dire situations in Italy, Spain, and New York and shortages of ICU beds, the majority of people who get this are able to stay at home and get through it. Having some things that are easy cook (thaw and heat easy) and comforting to eat seems smart.   So when I made this meatloaf, I doubled the recipe.  I cooked half, I split the other half into 2 loaves and put those in the freezer.  I put into the smaller loaves so they would thaw a freeze and cook faster... but now wondering if that was a mistake, because there won't be enough leftovers for sandwiches, which might be the best way to eat meatloaf.    And since I have no idea how long it will take to cook the smaller loaves, I will just use my trusty Thermapen to tell me when it's done. 

Meat Loaf

About 4 servings

2/3 cups oats
½ cup milk
½ onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic salt (or a ½ teaspoon of salt and minced clove of garlic)
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce or Fish Sauce or Soy Sauce
1 egg, beaten
1 pound ground meat – hamburger,  turkey, venison
¼ to ½ lb spicy bulk sausage – use the higher amount if ground meat is lean

catsup
parsley
bacon (2 slices or so)

Heat oven to 350F.  Use convection if you have it.

Add the first group of ingredients in order to a medium bowl (it’s good for the oats to soak a bit in the milk).  Mix together (hands work best for this). Pat mixture so it is level in the bowl, then turn into a baking dish (like a 9x9 inch pan).  Put catsup on top and rub some on the sides, and garnish with parsley and bacon.

Bake for about an hour or so (a little less if using convection), center should be at 160F.   Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.