Happy St. Patrick's Day
Meat Loaf Recipes
When I was growing up, meat loaf was not something I relished. Back then, mothers did NOT prepare separate dinners for picky eaters, so I definitely ate the dish--with plenty of catsup to disguise the flavor. I am not sure why I did not like it, since it is pretty much like eating a hamburger. I suspect the name did not help matters. Any dish with the word "meat" in its title does little to elevate the appetite. To test my theory, I prepared meat loaf but let it remain nameless.
When my son asked, "What's for dinner?" I tried to sound casual and informative, "We are having something that is just like a hamburger, but you don't put it on a bun." My children took one look at the finished product and said, "Gross." My revised theory is that all children are on the same team, and they naturally discriminate against certain foods, meat loaf being one of them.
Though meat loaf sounds like the kind of main dish that has only one recipe, there are hundreds of variations. I confess to loving most of them, my favorite being the ones that are accompanied by a side of mashed potatoes. I also love an Italian meat loaf that is spiced with garlic, crushed tomatoes and shredded parmesan added. For a lower fat version, substitute ground turkey breast for some or all of the ground beef.
In the 1950's, the Campbell's Soup test kitchen developed this simple and delicious meat loaf recipe. My generation grew up on this version.
Adlen Robinson is a free lance food writer and columnist. Feel free to send her an email with your questions at [email protected].
http://accesswdun.com/article/2003/3/181482