Meat Loaf

 

To me, Meat Loaf is one of the ultimate comfort foods.  The smell and warmth of a slice of meat loaf just hits the spot. On this days search through the many recipe boxes, I found a stained, dirty blue, type written recipe card that seemed perfect to go with a Scalloped Potato recipe I was making.  My mom used to make what seems like a lot of meat loaf when we were growing up. Strangely enough, I don't remember either of my Grandmothers ever making it for us. Probably because their job as Grandma's was to spoil us and make us things our mom didn't.

This meat loaf recipe is different than anything I remember my mom making, in a good way.  I don't have a "recipe" for my mom's meat loaf - she basically used the same approach to her meat balls as well - you know - multi-purpose hamburger with bread, egg, milk, maybe some onion, maybe some rice, salt and pepper - topped with ketchup - shape, bake and done!

This meat loaf - juicy and moist, so the card says, was just that. The recipe calls for tomato juice and oats instead of bread and milk.  And the glaze/topping which includes mustard, brown sugar and horseradish, along with the usual ketchup really kicked the flavor up a notch. (I thought I heard Emeril say that once - haha!)

I can honestly say I would make this recipe again - it might even become my new "go to" meat loaf.  I hope my mom understands.  Bubba didn't say much about the Meat Loaf, but the fact that he ate it as a left over - twice - says mountains.  The dude doesn't typically eat leftovers.