Meatloaf Shmeatloaf

Photo by Len Villano.

Do you remember the holiday movie A Christmas Story? Toward the beginning, there was a family gathering around the dinner table. Randy looked at his plate with grotesque disappointment, “Meatloaf, shmeatloaf, double-beatloaf. I hate meatloaf,” he said. Followed up with Dad saying, “All right, I’ll get that kid to eat. Where’s my screwdriver and my plumber’s helper? I’ll open up his mouth and I’ll shove it in.”

In my youth I absolutely related to Randy’s opinion of meatloaf – it was an unwelcome part of my childhood. I did not love meatloaf and I did not pretend to. I don’t remember if it was the taste, the look, texture or some other neurosis I attached to that particular home-cooked meal.

I do remember bunching up my little fists and getting angry when I discovered Mom’s dinner plans included the dreaded loaf of meat. I remember meatloaf always being accompanied by a pool of ketchup, which helped to choke it down. Growing up in the Midwest during the ’70s and ’80s, you were expected to eat all the food on your plate.

As an adult and a mother, my opinion of meatloaf has flipped 180 degrees. Now I know meatloaf is a super hardy, stick-to-your-bones meal – the king of comfort food! I look forward to making this for my son in the cooler months and oddly enough he loves it.

Believe it or not, meatloaf is actually a great way to sneak vegetables into the diet of a five-year-old who currently proclaims, “vegetables are gross.” Meatloaf goes great with mashed potatoes and gravy. I am glad I haven’t given up on the meatloaf.

Predictions are for another cold, snowy winter here in the Door. Meatloaf may just be the ticket for warming us all from the inside out. Ketchup optional!

You Can’t Beet this Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

1 cup of panko or oatmeal

2 medium carrots, diced fine

1 medium beet, diced fine

1 medium bell pepper, diced fine

1 onion, diced fine

1 garlic clove, diced fine

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup fresh parsley, diced fine

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Cayenne to sprinkle over meatloaf before baking

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl using your hands. Shape the meat into a loaf shape, place on a sheet pan. Bake for approximately one hour. Slice into the middle to check if it is cooked thoroughly. Remember, there are beets here, so expect it to be a bit red.

Olive, Mushroom and Blue Cheesy Stuffed Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef

1 lb. ground pork

1 cup of panko or oatmeal

¾ cup of green olives diced fine

1 8-ounce container of mushrooms, diced fine

1 medium onion, diced fine

1 garlic clove, diced fine

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

¼ lb. blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375˚F. Mix all the ingredients together (except the blue cheese) in a bowl using your hands. Shape the meat into a loaf shape, create a space in the middle for the cheese. Build the meatloaf around the cheese (best left in big chunks) and make sure it is buried in the middle. Bake for approximately one hour. Slice into the middle to check if it is cooked thoroughly. Bon appétit!

Side Tips

I prefer to mix pork and beef together in a meatloaf. I believe when incorporating both, you find that your meatloaf is not too dry or too greasy, and it comes out just right.

Texture is the most important thing. Make sure all the ingredients are consistent in size; everything should be diced really small. I use my kitchen chopper for this step. This kitchen tool gets the job done and saves tons of prep time.

A shout out to Steep Creek Farm for supplying Door County Living with the beautiful heirloom vegetables used in all the 2014 recipes.

Photography by Len Villano.