Meatloaf (with vegetarian & vegan suggestions)

I like to cook if there's someone else to help eat the food, but it's a bit of a chore to really "cook" when oneself is the only one that will be eating it. Most of the time, I "fix" something simple instead of really "cooking" in the traditional sense. A common meal for me might be a piece of chicken tossed into the oven directly from the freezer — let it thaw and cook at the same time. Partway thru the cooking time, I might toss a prepackaged, single-serve cup of rice into the microwave and let it go for the recommended 3.5 minutes. Then, I might open a can of sliced beets or carrots to go along with it. Easy-peasy, yet still a balanced meal (entrée with protein, a starchy side, and a veggie) with minimal time in the kitchen since it's only myself to enjoy it.

When I do cook, I like it to feed me for at least two or three meals, if not more. One of my favorites in that vein is Meatloaf. I am not vegetarian or vegan, but this recipe can easily be adapted for those who are! So, please read on, even if you are an exclusively plant-based diner!

This dish was mentioned in a conversation with @mondoshawan a few months ago, but I never posted the recipe because I kept forgetting to take photos until I was eating already. Another more recent conversation with @solominer & @hurtlocker in the Hive Discord finally reminded me to do it again and take those "before, during, and after" shots. This particular recipe was also never written anywhere until that conversation with Solominer & Hurtlocker; it was slowly developed in my head from years of making it. I daresay, though, that it probably resembles meatloaf recipes from many other cooks, I haven't checked any lately. To be honest, it's very likely the synthesis of several recipes I may have read forty or fifty years ago, coupled with conversations with my mother, grandmother, aunts, and other women, and all distilled into one, tidy meatloafy cluster in my brain.

This recipe — as are most recipes! — is a general guide to making a dish. There is a lot of room for tweaks due to personal taste or proclivities. So, I will not give exact measurements for most of the ingredients; add salt & pepper to suit your taste, omit the cayenne pepper if you don't like the heat it brings, and so forth. Just "wing it" with me and go with whatever flow speaks to you!

For the vegans and vegetarians, substitute to your heart's content! When I say "meat," I'm referring to the main ingredient of the dish. For you, that could be tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, crumbled veggie burgers, lentils, etc. And when say "eggs," feel free to use chia seeds soaked in water that you might normally use instead of eggs. The results should be the same, or close to it.

Measured Ingredients

• one pound (454 grams) of ground meat (beef, turkey, lamb, etc., or substitute)
• one package of Lipton^® Recipe Secrets™ dry soup mix
• two large eggs (or substitute)

Even with the "measured" ingredients, there's a lot of room for play. If you have a package of meat that is a little more, or a little less, than one pound, it's not a problem. With a half-pound of meat (225 grams), maybe only use one egg. Or if you have a big family to feed, use 1.5 or 2 pounds of meat and add another egg or two, whatever looks right.

The use of Lipton^® Recipe Secrets™ dry soup mix is something I learned from my mother as a child. She always made hamburger patties with that soup mix added, and it makes them sooooo good! I always think of her when I use it. There are different flavors of their product available nowadays: Onion, Onion Mushroom, Beefy Onion, Vegetable, etc., and any of them will be fine. OR... if you don't have (or don't want to use) that item, you can use your own seasonings. You could also use bouillon — even a vegetable bouillon! — if you prefer. Knorr^® makes a fabulous vegetable bouillon that I use sometimes in other dishes. If you live in Africa, consider Maggi^®, instead. There are similar products in other parts of the world, too, just check your local market.

I usually make my meatloaf in a Pyrex™ glass baking dish, the size of a 9"x5" (23cm x 15cm) loaf pan. The above photo shows the meat with the Lipton^® Recipe Secrets™ dry soup mix sprinkled on top, before adding the other ingredients. I do all the mixing in the dish which I use for baking, thus saving on the kitchen cleanup afterwards! 😁

Unmeasured Ingredients

• bread crumbs
• onion
• mushrooms, carrots or other veggies (optional)
• salt, pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper (all optional and "to taste")

The bread crumbs are to provide "body" to the dish. Use any kind you like, seasoned or not. I use plain, since I have my own seasoning palette. You can buy bread crumbs already prepared at your market, or you can make your own by toasting bread (this is an excellent use for old bread that you're about to throw out anyway) and crush it into crumbs. If you make your own bread crumbs, any type of bread will suffice!

The eggs are simply there to help the dish hold together without its being crumbly in texture. I would not recommend adding less than the equivalent of 2 large eggs for a pound of meat/substitute, but more than two is fine. You can always use more bread crumbs if the mixed ingredients seem too liquid to hold together. So, if you have eggs that are medium or jumbo size, just use however many "feels" right to you.

One ingredient that I forgot to photograph in the first shot is onion! I hope everyone knows what an onion looks like. I love onions, especially the "sweet" variety, which is almost always what I buy for most of my cooking. Any size onion is fine, and you can use as much, or as little as you like. I often add an entire onion in my meatloaf! Plus, I usually add some onion powder, too. 😋 You can dice the onion into large or small pieces, your choice. I have an electric chopper which I dearly love. A short pulse or two will leave the food in small pieces, but a long, sustained press of the switch will mince small, or even purée, the onion. Any cut is fine, as we're adding it for the flavor more than anything. Below is my chopper, one shot of the blades (left), the other the whole appliance (right, with the electrical cord hidden behind the unit).

At this point, you can add other ingredients that you might like. Chopped carrots, chopped mushrooms, chopped celery, chopped peppers (bell, jalapeño, poblano, whatever kind you might like). Use your imagination, or just leave the veggies out if you wanna be a "purist" about the meatloaf. I'm usually a purist, and serve the veggies on the side. HINT: If your kids don't wanna eat their veggies, sneak some in here, for their health's sake. 😉

I stir everything together with a spoon. Back in grandma's day, cooks just used their hands, but I think that's kinda gross. That is how I learned, though, by using my hands to mix the ingredients; it's how my mother taught me and her mother before her. I don't think it's as sanitary, both for the food's sake as well as one's own personal hygiene. If some of that ground meat gets under fingernails and not thoroughly removed afterwards, the cook is spreading germs to everything s/he touches. So, I have used a spoon to mix, for many, many years.

And, for gosh sakes, if you do use your hands, please wash them afterwards, thoroughly, with hot, soapy water! Raw meat — especially ground meat — has bacteria that can cause illness, or even be fatal, if consumed before cooking. Even some of the famous chefs on television make me cringe when they handle raw meat and then grab the handle of their skillet, their stirring spoon, then wipe their hands on a towel before draping it over their shoulder. Germ city! ☹️

Once all the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, I usually level the top of the meatloaf with the back of a spoon. Then, I squirt ketchup all over it. This is optional, and the amount of ketchup used is totally the cook's choice. When I buy ketchup, I always look for brands that have none of that High Fructose Corn Syrup crap in them. There is no sense in adding mega-doses of needless sugar into food. 😖

If you're not a fan of ketchup, don't use any. Or maybe just a drizzle or two. Or totally cover the meatloaf like I do! LOL! In lieu of ketchup, slices of fresh tomato would be good on top, or a can of diced tomatoes if you make it before the fresh ones come into the garden! Salsa would also be good on top, or a nice pico de gallo, or slices of peppers that would roast nicely as the meatloaf cooks. Or use barbecue sauce instead of ketchup. Or leave it naked. Yes, naked in the kitchen can be a fun thing sometimes. 😂

Now your masterpiece is ready to go into the oven. Hopefully, you turned your oven "ON" as you began prepping the dish so it is fully pre-heated. If not, remember to do that next time. Any temperature between 350°F and 400°F is good. I usually go with 375°F. For those in the metric world, set your oven between 180°C and 200°C, I'd go with 190°C right in the middle. Then bake it for one hour. After removing from oven, of course, let it "rest" on the stovetop for a couple minutes before digging into it.

During the conversation about meatloaf in the Hive Discord, Solominer reminded me that he makes his meatloaf with a cottage cheese stuffing. When I saw his recipe last year, I meant to try it but keep forgetting. Be sure to peek at his Cottage Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf recipe and let him know if you try it!

And the following photo shows a nice hunk of meatloaf, all plated and ready for your choice of side dish(es), perhaps Creamed Spinach, Pickled Beets, or Glazed Carrots. Maybe a smattering of Garlic Mashed Potatoes? I'm drooling already!

And the beauty of my technique is: You don't have gobs of stuff to wash afterwards if you mix it in the baking dish like I do. I wash the knife which I cut the onion with, the blades & basket of the chopper, and the spoon I stirred it all with. No other bowls or utensils are messed up. Cleanup is easy-peasy! ✨

If you make this meatloaf, please come back and report any substitutions or tweaks you made to it so others may be inspired! That goes especially to you who are vegetarian or vegan!