Growing up with eight brothers and sisters and two parents that were school teachers, dinners were often pretty simple. OK, they were almost always simple. We basically had a set dinner routine with Sunday being an early afternoon roast, Monday chicken, followed by meatloaf, spaghetti, pork chops, fish and finishing up on Saturday with beans and hot dogs.
Yes, there was an occasional switch in the menu, such as once in a while Mom would make macaroni and cheese, which is still my favorite Mac and cheese recipe, instead of spaghetti, or bake the pork chops with rice and stewed tomatoes instead of plain, but those changes didn’t occur that often.
In a way, that simple routine worked pretty well for me. You see, knowing what we were having, also was a clear indicator of how big a portion we would get. For instance, the chicken was great; but try dividing a chicken into eight portions, and you know you’re not leaving the table full. That means, whenever I was over at friend’s house playing and their Mom asked if I wanted to stay for dinner, the answer would be a definite yes. I would call my Mom to be sure it was OK, but knowing we always ate much later than everyone else in the neighborhood, I would keep my finger on the button and only pretend to be talking to Mom. Then, once dinner was over, I would go home and proceed to eat again. Ah, to have that metabolism back again.
Tuesday was one day I never missed at home. My Mom’s meatloaf was the best, and since she had to make two loaves, there was always enough for me to have a little more.
This recipe makes one 8×8 pan, so if you want to make one single loaf, cut down the recipe to use only 1 lb. of ground beef. I keep it the same and have a weeks’ worth of dinner and sandwiches, which are also awesome. Mom would sometimes add mushrooms, which I also do, (Hipper, just leave these out and you will love this.) Also, she didn’t put the red sauce on it, which you often get at restaurants, but I added an easy glaze you can either use or leave off. It will add a little zip and I actually put it on half the loaf just for a little change.
Meatloaf
1¾ lbs. ground beef, 85 percent lean
1 egg
1 small onion, diced medium
6 large mushrooms, sliced medium thick
1 box Stove Top stuffing mix
9 oz. tomato sauce
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t thyme
Salt and pepper a dash
Topping
6 oz. tomato paste
1 T red vinegar
3 T ketchup
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté the onions and mushrooms until soft and mix with all the other ingredients. If you have a doubt as to whether you have it seasoned enough, simply take a spoonful; make a tiny patty and sauté it to try. Pack into an 8×8 pan and bake for about 1 to 1½ hours until browned on the top and cooked through. Add the topping after about 45 minutes if desired.
Smitty is a personal chef specializing in dinner parties, cooking classes and special events. Trained under Master Chef Anton Flory at Top Notch Resort in Stowe, Vt., Smitty is known for his creative use of fresh ingredients. To read archived copies of Smitty’s column, visit chefsmitty.com or TheTahoeWeekly.com. Contact him at tmmsmitty@gmail.com or (530) 412-3598.
