March 28, 2023

My grandmother was a great cook. Whether it was a meal when we’d visit or a holiday family gathering, the food was always delicious. One of my favorites she made was meatloaf and, when I grew up and got married, it was one of the first ones I learned to make. I’ve made it so much, I can often make it without the recipe or measuring anything, and can adapt it for a small meal or large.

My grandmother is no longer with us, but this meal makes me think of her everytime. Now I will share with you to keep her legacy alive, and add another flavor to your dinner table this week.

INGREDIENTS

(feeds 6-8)

• 2 lbs ground beef (90-95% lean) *can supplement half beef, half turkey, but it will be dryer, so extra moisture, less bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
  • beat egg and milk together before adding to mixture
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon accent
• 1/2 teaspoon Lawry’s seasoned salt
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder or dried minced onion
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon A-1 sauce
• cracker crumbs or Italian bread crumbs

THE PROCESS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

I prefer to mix all the dry and wet ingredients well before I add the beef in, then mix them by hand.

Start with beating the egg and milk, then add in your sauces, dry ingredients, but wait to mix in the bread crumbs/cracker crumbs until after you have mixed these in with the ground beef to make sure it won’t be too dry. If you want to use the drippings to make gravy, you’ll want less bread crumbs. If you get it too dry, just add a splash of more milk.

Once the mixture is well blended, form into your baking shape. We use a variety of options. You can use a traditional loaf pan, a round or rectangle baking pan, or even a muffin tin for portion control, serving sizes or just a faster cooking time.

For a traditional loaf pan, bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hour

For a round or rectangle baking pan, bake for about an hour

For muffins, bake for about 45 minutes

You’ll know they are done because the outer edge will have a dark brown beef look and a slight crisping on the top surface, the inside will be cooked all the way through. And it will smell amazing!

We like to serve ours with homemade mashed potatoes and either corn or green beans, as well as some homemade biscuits. If you want to make gravy, use the drippings from your pan and add flour into the hot grease on a pan, then add salt and beef stock or beef bullion to the consistency you’d like.

Whether you are in a house or an RV, this meal mixes easily and can freeze mixed. We have made this in our RV oven with no issues. I hope you enjoy this traditional dish. I know my grandmother is smiling down on you as you enjoy it with your family!

Like or comment below, and share with others to support the blog. I post weekly about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Tik Tok @sonya.BOMSquadleader or our adventures at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook & TikTok at @BarnesOnMove