Well, again I’ve strangely digressed - from dainty tea sandwiches, to meat loaf!
Enjoy!
(If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread, please send a private message.)
-JT
here’s a great meatloaf recipe, as best I can recall it:
two pounds of leanest ground beef, one box of Herbs and Spices Stove top stuffing, one medium sweet onion minced, one medium green pepper minced, one tablespoon of Dale’s steak sauce, one half teaspoon of black pepper, one teaspoon of salt (sea salt if available), one fourth cup of egg substitute or two whole large eggs, two tablespoons of V8 juice. Mix in stand mixer until thoroughly mingled and dump into an olive oil greased loaf pan. You can also make large meatballs with this recipe and cook them nearly done and freeze them. Bake meat loaf at 350 for forty minutes covered with foli, then twelve more minutes uncovered. I shap the loaf before baking, giving it a ‘channel’ in the middle for a tomato paste sauce family likes (ketchup, tomato paste small can, and a bit of Dale’s steak sauce)/
I learned to make meatloaf from Mom. Like a lot of dishes, there was no recipe per se. Mom often made what she called “garbage meatloaf. Whatever she had went into the mixture. I often add grated carrot. Adds a little color and some Vitamin A. And as Mom did, I use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs as many recipes call for. Makes the meatloaf softer plus it adds fiber and various nutrients.
Saved for later...
I’m embarrassed to actually post this but, I like them.
Let’s call them, Outofsalt’s mama’s poverty tea sammiches.
You see, I’m a first generation émigré from commie Cuba and though my dad was a law professor and my mom in radio we came here with nothing. The tea sandwich is something society folks enjoy but, Dad took a job at 7-11 and mom had three kids to rear, so here is what mom came up with.
Deviled ham and cream cheese on wonder bread triangles. Crusts trimmed of course. That’s it.
As humble as humble fare gets and I still love them.
Bon Appetite (and I’ll be reading all the meat loaf recipes)
“Does anyone have a ‘Grandma’ or ‘Great-Grandma’ meat loaf recipe that you think is really good?”
As with all of grandma’s ‘recipes’, they weren’t written down and she just knew how much to add without measuring. Made it hard to recreate anything.
I do love meatloaf and mustard, but never put them together - until now ;)
I just transplanted some of my tomato plants. I can’t wait till I have a few to try those tomato sandwiches.
I may have to open a can of deviled ham tomorrow. I’d go make a deviled ham sandwich right now if it weren’t so late :-)
I am in the middle of experiment number two for my half barley bread. The other half is whole wheat flour. So far so good. Delicious and filling. Both grains bought at Whole Foods and milled at home so they are fresh
Also for a different caffeine boost I grinding guarana berries and simmering. I like it better than coffee
Not my grandmothers.. I don’t remember them ever making a meatloaf. My husband and I came up with this one and it’s a keeper.
Trillian’s Whiskey Glazed Bacon Meatloaf
Meatloaf Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground venison, or extra lean ground beef
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups of fresh bread crumbs
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon of garlic salt
½ lb of bacon, cooked and minced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup sweet onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Whiskey glaze:
½ cup of dark brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
12 sliced of uncooked bacon
Heat oven to 400F.
Mix all of meatloaf ingredients together and form into a loaf in a large meatloaf pan.
Heat whiskey glaze ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a simmer.
Simmer for two minutes and pour over the meatloaf.
On a flat surface weave bacon slices and then place over meatloaf folding end pieces of bacon underneath.
Cover meatloaf with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour. Take off aluminum foil and continue baking for 15-20 minutes more until bacon looks crisp and thermometer measures about 165F.
Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and buttered corn.
I’ll check for the meat loaf recipe and post it later, if I can find it. If not, I’ll post one of our family chili recipes.
Tomorrow I’ll be trying a new bread recipe - 12 hour bread and using some of my home grown grain. Great for Blts or other sammies.
Too tired to post tonight.
I have finally figured out how to properly season a cast iron pan.
I inherited my son’s nasty pan about a week ago when he left town for a new job and it wasn’t well-seasoned, but kind of getting there.
I’ve fought with cast iron for decades and finally decided to try something different for my husband. A lard seasoned pan.
I’m Jewish. He’s not. He has his pork product pan and the rest is mine.
Over the years I’ve tried to season cast iron. I’ve used crisco, vegetable oil, peanut oil, coconut oil, olive oil... none of it worked.
This time I did two things different. I used lard and I didn’t wash it out with salt. After hubs was done with his breakfast, I’d heat up some lard in the pan, then wipe out whatever remained of his meal.
Within a week I *finally* had a non-stick, properly seasoned pan. It’s better than anything that my mother ever had.
So, the secret is pig fat. NOTHING works as well. Now that the pan has been used with bratwurst, sausage, bacon, and hash it’s finally good for eggs. No lie. The eggs slip right off.
Hubs is loving it. He’s finally got a good cast iron skillet and I’m happy because his pork is kept in one place.
OMG, best sandwich ever is fresh from the garden sliced tomatoes with mayo on cheap white bread but not toasted so that it’s all soft and gooey. Second best sandwich ever is cold meatloaf on cheap white bread with one side mayo and the other ketchup.
Another sandwich I like is along the lines of the deviled ham idea but using leftover steak or beef tips. Put the beef into a food processor, add onion, a bit of pickle or relish, mayo and mustard and maybe a dash of Worcestershire. On cheap white bread but maybe toasted since the beef is more hearty.
And cream cheese on toast topped with homemade salsa but store bought will do, yummmmmm.
We like the standard meatloaf - a couple lbs ground beef, crushed saltines, a couple eggs, onion, a can of diced tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper and whatever leftover veggies found in the fridge. Any shape or size of pan but make sure to leave a finger width moat between the meat and the edge of the pan so the grease can ooze out and be drained off later. Top with a good slathering of ketchup.
This is a “high end” meatloaf. I add 1/2 lb veal to the recipe when I have a dinner party.
I love the recipes posted here for meatloaf.
72 Market Street Meatloaf
Meatloaf:
3/4 c Onion, minced
3/4 c Green onion, minced
1/2 c Celery, minced
1/2 c Carrot, minced
1/4 c Green pepper, minced
1/4 c Red pepper, minced
2 ts Garlic, minced
3 T Butter
1 ts Salt
1/4 ts Cayenne or red pepper
1 ts Black pepper
1/2 ts White pepper
1/2 ts Cumin, ground
1/2 ts Nutmeg, ground
1/2 c Half-N-Half
1/2 c Catsup
1 1/2 lb Ground Chuck or Round
1/2 lb Ground pork, lean
3 Eggs, beaten
3/4 c Dry bread crumbs( I use Panko)
Sauce:
4 Shallots, chopped
2 T Butter
1 Sprig fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
Dash crushed red pepper
1 c dry white wine ( or apple juice)
1 c Veal or beef stock
1 c Chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Saute onion, green onion, celery, carrot, green and red peppers and garlic in butter until vegetables are soft and liquid is evaporated. Set aside to cool. Combine salt, cayenne, black and white pepper, cumin, and nutmeg and add to the vegetable mixture.
Stir in half-n-half, catsup, beef, pork, and bread crumbs. Mix well.
Form into a loaf and place on a greased baking sheet or in a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Bake at 350-degrees 45-50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Pour off excess fat. Slice and serve with sauce.
For sauce:
Saute shallots in 1 T. butter with thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper. Add wine (or slightly less/ apple juice if you prefer not to cook with wine), and stocks. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Simmer until reduced by half and sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the remaining butter until melted.
Years ago I found a way to make off season tomatoes worthy of a sandwich. I love these tomatoes and eat them on almost everything. I even make them with in season tomatoes. They are sweet and juicy and just amazingly delicious!
4 hothouse tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tbsp sugar
freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
fresh herbs I like thyme and rosemary
Preheat oven to 250F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spread out tomato slices in a single layer not touching.
Sprinkle each with sugar them salt and pepper. Put a few leaves of favorite herb on top of each slice.
Bake for 1 hour then reduce oven heat to 200F and bake 2 hours longer. They will be shriveled but still flexible, not dried or crisp. Remove from oven, let cool then put them into a plastic storage tub. Drizzle with a little good olive oil, seal and refrigerate ‘til serving time. These can be used in salads, sandwiches, appetizers, whatever you like. I like them on a toasted piece of good bread which is spread with goat cheese or alternated with sliced fresh mozzarella on a platter for an antipasto, just drizzle them with a little more olive oil and sprinkle them with a chiffonade of basil leaves.
I could not find Granny’s meatloaf recipe, but here’s couple from my recipe box. Don’t remember where I got them.
3/4 lb. ground beef
3/8 cup quick raw oats
1 egg slighty beaten
1/8 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. Salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
Reserve half of the tomato sauce. Combine all the rest of the ingredients. Put in loaf pan and bake @ 350 degree for approximately 40 min. maybe more. Put the rest of the tomato sauce on after 30 minutes. I like to add a little raw sugar or brown sugar to the sauce.
Recipe 2 is crockpot meat loaf.
1 lb meat ground beef
6 or more club crackers (each cracker has 4 of the little wafers.
1 Egg
1/3 c milk (maybe less this is approximate)
Handful of minced onions
1 tsp onion/mushroom soup mix
1/4 tsp Garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBLS. Worchester (or more)
Combine ingredients, shape loaf and place into greased crock. Cook on low 6 hrs. then cook on high for 1 hr.
Optional glaze: Worchestershire sauce and grape jelly for the last hr.
CAST IRON SKILLETS - here waxed paper is used often when cooking on cast iron. Waxed paper does have its uses :)
http://theprairieprincess.com/wax-paper/
Late arrival, trying to get caught up.
As a child, road trips meant Mom using a cutting board on her lap, slicing and making tomato & onion sandwiches to pass out to us. Sometimes she used a small jar of mayo; other times, ‘sandwich spread’ to make them. No stopping, except for gas, when Iron Bladder Dad was driving!
OTOH, when hunting or fishing with Dad, it was onion, limburger spread, and the small sized canned sardines.
Favorites now are Monte Cristo, Reuben, or (since I don’t care for lettuce) a BAT sandwich: bacon-avocado-tomato.