Meatloaf... its what's for dinner!

Though I grew up a vegetarian, my mom always cooked meat things for my dad, and meatloaf was one of the dishes I loved. It’s tasty, filling and approachable, especially for someone who isn’t used to a lot of meat, because there is no clue as to what animal it was. It’s just a loaf. Of goodness. It’s fun to mix up with your hands, it’s delicious right out of the oven, and also nice cold on a sandwich. It is an all-purpose food and modelling material!

today's fridge finds = tonight's dinner!

Carrie wrote this, age 10

I have indeed sampled and experimented with other loaves, like the Super Hippie mushroom-lentil loaf so popular in Berkeley and other communal living hot spots, and if nicely spiced (and if there is some fat content), some are actually not bad. I’ve also made the quintessential mid-century style meatloaf (see 1959 General Foods Cookbook) which derives its flavor from a packet of dry soup or dressing mix, and might be topped with freeze-dried onions! My mom’s recipe (see my hand-copied notes, written at age 10, above) was a somewhat gourmet mix of several meats and traditional Italian spices. If done thoughtfully, one can create a loaf out of just about anything, meat or otherwise. I’ve begun, lately, to treat meatloaf a bit the way I treat quiche: I believe I can throw just about anything in, and it will be good. That thinking has given rise to my general weekday meal-planning strategy: my favorite formats being 1) quiche 2) salad 3) soup and 4) meatloaf. I pretty much rotate those 4 and use whatever is fresh, leftover, given to me by neighbors or otherwise discovered  in my fridge, to create one-dish suppers that I will also enjoy the day after for lunch.

Love this cookbook, thank you GKG!

A very traditional version from the 50s

Carrie’s Theory of Meatloaf: Basically, mix up some ground meat, chopped veg, some kind of binding agent (bread crumbs or oatmeal are typical), and a liquid like egg, cottage cheese or milk. Add a member of the Allium family (onion, leek, scallion, garlic), add a little spice (oregano, basil, Worcestershire sauce), form into a loaf, and bake. This can be topped with tomato paste, basted with wine or chicken stock, or can be left plain to firm into shape in a medium oven (350-375) for somewhere between 45-60 min and then fill er up! For serving, you can try something fancy like a drizzle of tomato sauce (aka catsup) or a sprig of mint, but don’t try too hard – it’s meatloaf : not pretty, but pretty darn tasty.

meatloaf version 2.0

mix it up!

Loaf + tomato paste = yum

Going in

Today’s loaf is a turkey and veg creation, based loosely on a modern recipe:

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1 cup sliced mushrooms

½ chopped green bell pepper

½ chopped onion

Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper

Tomato paste to top; Red wine to baste

Bake as suggested above (350-375 for 45-60 min)

and enjoy with a glass of the red wine you used to baste. #nom

Have a slice!

Best Oven Hash

Despite the fact that I grew up in Berkeley, to me the term “hash” still means a hearty meal, not something to put in a pipe. And happily, my Very Best Friend in the World, Miss Karen Finlay, not only agrees with me, but recently invited me to her adorable home to cook up some hash together. (see us LIVE in action here!) And not just any old hash, friends, we cooked up the Best Oven Hash from Karen’s 1963 copy of Better Homes & Gardens’ “So-Good Meals”. So, how was it, you ask? So-Good!

Not only is Karen my Very Best Friend in the World, but she is also totally Fabulous AND sells Tupperware. (click here to buy some now!) Also, we are Sin Twisters. That, for anyone who doesn’t know, is like Twin Sisters, but much more exciting. It means, in our case, that we were born at the same hospital in southern CA, (though we both grew up in different Bay Area towns), and somehow, all these years later, we’re still often confused for each-other…. Something I consider a high honor, indeed.

Anyhow, back to the hash. This is a dish that Karen has been making for years, and its always a hit. We swapped ground turkey for beef (in our efforts to “reduce”) and used frozen potatoes, just as our mid-century predecessors would have done. We also made use of some fine Tupperware products that you can purchase for your very own here!

Karen and I baked up the hash, threw together a salad, and enjoyed it all with a delicious cocktail made by videographer extraordinaire, Jon. Try this at home and we’re sure you’ll agree – this is the BEST oven hash EVER! (Note: photos are from a second batch that Ivy and I made at home, using Tupperware's predecessor, the Slap n Chop!)



Best Oven Hash

Better Homes & Gardens “So-Good Meals” 1963



1 ½ cups coarsely ground cooked beef (*we used turkey)

1 cup coarsely ground cooked potatoes (*we used frozen)

½ cup coarsely ground onion

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

Dash pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 6-ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk

***

1/3 cup slightly crushed corn flakes

1 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted



Lightly mix beef, potatoes, onion, parsley, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and milk. Turn into greased 1-quart casserole. Mix corn flakes and butter, sprinkle over top. Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) 30 minutes or till heated through. Pass catsup and mustard. (note: Ewwwww!!! No catsup or mustard needed!) Makes 4 servings.