It’s been a long time, but my sister, Jennifer, is finally back and bringing the “momma love” with her recipes for meatloaf and mashed potatoes. – Rebecca
By Jennifer Rather.
My oldest son has not had an easy tween time lately.
Yesterday especially, very much like the Alexander
Short of a cruise to Rome to bolster his spirits – he’s all about Roman history lately – I knew of only one thing that would soothe his weary hormonal self: meatloaf.
At our house, meatloaf is a food for comfort or celebration. A great day or the world’s worst is the perfect excuse for meatloaf. But you must know up front that our meatloaf requires the entire comfort food trifecta: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and green beans. They are a package deal.
Everyone has a go-to meatloaf recipe. Mine was concocted through trial-and-error until I found something that made everyone’s eyes glaze over. It starts with ground beef and chopped onions. To that, I add tomato sauce (although I’ll use ketchup in a pinch), as well as eggs and ground oatmeal to bind it together. The oatmeal gives it a little more texture, and it’s a little healthier than the usual bread crumbs. Then I boost the flavor with Worcestershire and Dale’s steak sauce.
I cook my meatloaf considerably longer than most recipes call for. It makes no difference to the loaf itself, except that it’s much easier to slice, which makes for better sandwiches the next day. That’s assuming we have leftover meatloaf the next day, which is a big assumption in a house with a teenage boy.
Halfway through baking, I top the meatloaf with a combination of tomato sauce, Worcestershire, vinegar and brown sugar. It cooks to a dark red and has been known to negate the need for extra ketchup. At least once or twice.
Along with the meatloaf, I’m attaching my mashed potato recipe. I do not make these particular mashed potatoes every time we have meatloaf, as they contain cream cheese and Cheddar cheese, but for a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, you need a little extra momma love.
Family-Style Meatloaf
From Jennifer Rather (Ezra Pound Cake)
Sauce:
- 8 ounces tomato sauce or 1/2 cup ketchup (regular or gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (regular or gluten-free)
Meatloaf:
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal, ground in food processor (for celiacs, use certified pure oats)
- 8 ounces tomato sauce or 1/2 cup ketchup (regular or gluten-free)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (regular or gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon Dale’s steak sauce (optional)
- Salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the sauce ingredients, and set aside.
- Using your hands, mix the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
- Place the meat into a 9 x 13″ baking dish, and form it into a loaf shape. Bake for 40 minutes, pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf, and then bake for an additional 40 minutes.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Comforting Mashed Potatoes
From Jennifer Rather (EzraPoundCake.com)
Serves at least 6
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 5-6 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 to 1 cup Cheddar cheese
- Optional: chopped bacon, chives
- Place potato pieces in large pot, and add enough water to cover them by 2 to 3 inches. Add salt and garlic to the pot, and boil until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. (The smaller the chunks, the faster they’ll finish.)
- Drain, and return the potatoes to the pot.
- Add butter, and start mashing the potatoes.
- When the butter is about halfway melted, add cream cheese, and keep mashing until it’s combined.
- Add milk and Cheddar, and keep mashing until potatoes are creamy and lump-free. Add bacon and chives, if using. Serve immediately.
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