Mom’s Meatloaf

Ya’ll, I am blown away by your comments. I seriously thought that my mom and NaNa were the only two women on earth that topped canned pears with cheddar and mayo! I am loving your comments and our trip down memory lane. I think that very soon I will be coming to you asking you to share some of your family recipes. Us gals (and guys) love to share tried and true recipes. They are trusted recipes that we go to again and again. Family recipes, especially, are a great way to continue traditions for our own families.

OK – As promised, I went home and made my mom’s meatloaf. Nick walked into the kitchen and turned up his nose at the concoction in the mixing bowl. He asked what it was and when I told him that it was his grandmother’s meatloaf he replied, “why would anyone want to eat a loaf of meat?” Well… because my mommy made it for me when I was growing up, that’s why!

Here’s my mom’s meatloaf recipe. The secret to a good meatloaf is not to mix it too much. Gently mix the ingredients together just until blended and then gently form into a loaf. Overmixing and too much compacted shaping will result in a dense and tougher meatloaf.

Oh… and mom’s secret ingredient… Rice Krispies! Yup! It’s like food fun! The Rice Krispies are the last ingredient you add so your meatloaf mixture starts to snap, crackle and pop when the Krispies hit the ketchup, Worcestershire Sauce, and eggs. It’s so much fun! If I could have figured out how to get a sound bite on this post I would have. You must try it for yourself!

Mom’s Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup Rice Krispies
• Extra ketchup for the top
• 4 slices bacon, cooked but not too crispy

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl except the additional ketchup and bacon. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and gently shape into a loaf. Squirt some ketchup over the top of the loaf and then place bacon strips over ketchup.

Bake for one and a half hours or until it looks like this:

Don’t feel any pressure to try my mom’s meatloaf (but I’m telling you… it’s really yummy and the leftovers make a great sandwich!). I totally understand that this kind of meal is something near and dear to our individual hearts. My friend Samantha’s mom made something she called “tuna wiggle.” I don’t even want to know what that is and Samantha said that no one would want it. But… to Samantha, it’s a delicious memory from her childhood and her mom still makes it every time she visits

I have enjoyed our culinary trip down memory lane my friends. Let’s do this again real soon!

Sweetest Blessings,
LeAnn