Everyday Systems

Okay, so originally I posted this in my check-in, but I like listening to myself talk(watching myself write?), so here it is again.

I like meatloaf. You can do so many different things with it just by swaping out some of the basic ingredients.

Eggs, Meat, starchy something, spices. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Almost sounds boring. But if you use corn chips or corn tortillas instead of breadcrumbs and hot sauce as one of your flavoring tools you have something different. Last night I used raisin bran as my starch, cut up some dried apricots, and added cracked red pepper to get a fruity hot meatloaf. Sure it's meatloaf, but it's different and really good.

Think of all the things you can use: rice, oatmeal, tortillas, chips, breadcrumbs (how many different types of bread are there? how many types of breadcrumbs?), popcorn, cereal, croutons (okay so maybe that's a bread crumb). And you can throw anything in with the spices. Chopped fruit, hard boiled egg, nuts, veggies, hot sauce, cheese, seasonings and sauces (there are so many seasonings and sauces available! Creole, Italian, Mexican, Korean, Indian, etc.).

Ah, the unlimited possibilities of meatloaf.

You could even mix in some hash and make hash meatloaf!
LOL...

Deb

I have made a "chili" meatloaf by mixing in a can of chili with the meat, and corn tortilla chips instead of crackers..toward the end of the cooking time i put some salsa on top and cook for about another ten minutes...yummy!

I love meatloaf!

I LOVE meatloaf. No one else in my household does. I sometimes order it when we go out (rare) and hubby thinks I'm nuts to get MEATLOAF at a restaurant. If I could get my mom's I would, but no sense in making even my mom's recipe at home.

Comfort food at it's best.

You could always cook it and then slice it and freeze the slices, that way you would have individual portions and not have to worry about no one eating it and having it go to waste...just an idea!

tricia---DUH! Why didn't I think of that? And if I made a lot, I can always take some to my aging father, for whom I cook occasionally and take food over. He would eat it!

Hubby was on of 5 boys with a mom who hated cooking, so almost every meal was some form of ground beef concoction. He can't take anything almost made of ground beef. Chili and spaghetti sauce with gb, maybe.

yeah, my hubby practically hates spagetti since that was what they ate a lot of when he was a kid because it was cheap....but he loves meatloaf!

glad to be of some help.

You guys are sooo inspiring. I have ground pork, turkey and beef in the freezer currently and now I also have ideas. Thanks. I can freeze it for lunches too which is even better.

i just made a meatloaf this weekend with A-1 steak sauce, gave it a little kick. Here's a quick tip, and if you have kids, they'll LOVE it! Mix up the meatloaf and press it into a cupcake tin you have sprayed with PAM or something similar. It will cook in about 10-15 minutes and the little pre-portioned meatloafs are fun. It's also an easy way to control how much you eat. The only drawback is that there is no loaf to slice for cold sandwiches later. But, it's a fun and interesting twist on on old favorite. ~Mia

Muffin tins! That is a great idea. I have cooked it in a bundt pan before. I put mashed potatoes in the middle and it looked pretty.

I like the muffin pan thing. My favorite part of any meatloaf is the outside edge and this way I 'd get all outside edges. Yum. Thanks for the tip.

sooo, meatloaf... sounds good, but how does one go about making it?

Hi Pete

Usually, meatloaf involves a few main ingredients which hold it together, and spices or sauces you like..

I would try taking ground meat, and mixing breadcrumbs, eggs, and some tomato sauce, or if you want it a little spicy, maybe salsa, and then you just mix it up and bake it in a "Loaf" pan... you know..
And then you bake it in the oven till it's cooked through...

Then slice and eat, with gravy is good, but plain is good too, because you bake all the ingredients in with the meat..

Sorry I don't have exact cooking times or amounts of ingredients, but I'm sure you can google up some good recipes for meatloaf

Peace and Love,
Deb

I just saw this thread, and I thought it was gonna be about a different kind of meat loaf.

In the meantime, I'll just be praying for the end of time....