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Meatloaf Plain And Simple

Meatloaf the ultimate comfort food

Ahh… Meatloaf, in my humble opinion just about the ultimate comfort food. So simple to make and so delicious and leftovers make a truly wonderful sandwich. This is my take on my Mom’s meatloaf, it was always tender and juicy and so delicious. I used ground pork and beef, freshly ground bread crumbs, vegetables (carrot, celery, onion and parsley) ground in the food processor and sauteed green pepper and mushrooms. I also add worcestershire sauce, heavy cream, and eggs. How easy is it to mix it up, plop it in the pan, shape and bake. No muss no fuss. I had to top it with ketchup, I am a huge fan of the stuff, you can make home made ketchup but I used plain old Heinz. I love serving this with creamy mashed potatoes and a vegetable side, and  I am flooded with memories every time I take a bite. Gotta love meatloaf!!

  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 pound ground beef (85%)
  • 1 large stalk celery
  • 1 small onion or 1/2 medium
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley with the tender part of the stems
  • 1 small size carrot peeled
  • 1 small ripe tomato pureed in blender
  • 1 pepper I used cubanelle but a small green pepper is fine chopped into small pieces
  • 6 white stuffer mushrooms gently cleaned and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ketchup to glaze

  • Break up bread and pulse in processor until they are crumbs, set aside. Add celery, onion, carrot and parsley to processor and pulse until ground (not pulverized), set aside. Chop green peppers and mushrooms, place small saute pan on med high heat, add a little olive oil, first put the peppers in and saute until they begin to soften, add the mushrooms and saute both until they are softened and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Chop a ripe tomato into chunks and puree in the blender.

  • In large mixing bowl add the meat, ground vegetables, sauteed green peppers and mushrooms, tomato puree, worcestershire, eggs, cream, bread crumbs and salt and pepper. NOTE: to test for seasoning I microwave a spoonful to make sure that it is seasoned correctly. Mix well. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees

  • Lightly oil a baking pan, plop the meatloaf into the pan and shape into loaf. Pour some ketchup on top and spread on the loaf Bake for 60-70 minutes until done. Let rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
25 Comments Post a comment
  1. dev #

    yummy!

    September 27, 2012
  2. Yup, meatloaf is comfort! We slather on the ketchup, too. Love all the veggies you include here.

    September 27, 2012
  3. The best way to go sometimes, looks wonderful 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

    September 27, 2012
    • Thank you so much, I know you are vegetarian so commenting on a meat dish is a stretch for you. I thank you!

      September 27, 2012
  4. sometime the simplest meals are the best meals. and i completely agree with you… meatloaf will always be the greatest comfort food ever 🙂

    September 27, 2012
    • Thank you so very much, I am a big fan of yours. I totally agree, simple is sometimes best and when it comes to basic comfort food I don’t veer too far from the original. Thank you again.

      September 27, 2012
  5. Yum, comfort food is the best! My husband uses about a gallon of ketchup on his…lol! 😉

    September 27, 2012
    • LOL, gotta love the ketchup. It just goes with meatloaf so well imho, I always put a little xtra on mine too!

      September 27, 2012
  6. Ali #

    Yum! We don’t eat a lot of meatloaf here, but mum actually made one a couple of weeks ago that was very tasty. Great for left overs, too!

    September 27, 2012
    • Thank you, must say the leftovers were my favorite part. Loved meatloaf sandwiches!!

      September 27, 2012
  7. petit4chocolatier #

    Your meatloaf is gorgeous and definitely not plain at all. I love the mixture of ingredients and your addition of carrots. I haven’t prepared meatloaf in such a long time, and this recipe is wonderful!

    September 27, 2012
    • Thank you so much, I have seen meatloaf with fancy glazes and with all sorts of fancy stuff, truffles etc… this is just plain ole meatloaf (with ketchup) the carrots are great and grinding the veggies in the processor makes for a very moist loaf, along with the pureed tomato.

      September 27, 2012
      • petit4chocolatier #

        Sounds wonderful!

        September 27, 2012
  8. Meatloaf is not common here in Singapore, but yours look interesting and delicious and a great way to make ahead for last-minute meals!

    September 28, 2012
    • I don’t imagine there is much meatloaf in Singapore, it is delicious and makes wonderful sandwiches, Thanks so much.

      September 28, 2012
  9. Looks like the ultimate comfort food. This is what I missed out on when growing up! We assimilated but sadly meatloaf never made it to the table. Can I skip the heavy cream or is it essential to make this?

    September 28, 2012
    • Absolutely skip the heavy cream. It really is optional. My Mom used to soak bread in milk for meatballs so I opted for the milk/cream for meatloaf. I really don’t think it’s essential. I think Kebob made from the ground meat with onion is so similar to meatloaf. I guess it would be a Persian version, Thanks so much Azita.

      September 28, 2012
  10. That looks awesome. I grew up with my mom always cooking meatloaf with ketchup so this brings back memories. I’m now vegan, but honestly this got me salivating a bit and I can imagine tasting it, lol! 🙂

    September 29, 2012
    • Thank you, it brought back memories for me also, I so rarely make meatloaf but when I do I can’t help but think about my childhood.

      September 29, 2012
  11. Such a delicious memory! I am making meatloaf for dinner tonight! Thank you for the memory!

    July 13, 2013
    • Thank you so much, yes, every time I eat meatloaf I think of home and when I was a child. It brings back great memories and this recipe is really delicious. Thank you again.

      July 13, 2013
  12. You can find wonderful things by clicking “Random Post.” Cheers!

    July 13, 2014

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