Meat loaf

Apparently, we're starting this week with an arrangement of Mom's greatest hits. Perhaps it's being faraway in Chicago that makes me miss a bit of comfort food, something familiar (familiarly delicious!). David was bogged down with work, so I thought I'd try my hand at her meat loaf. Apparently, this recipe has seen a bit of mileage, as my mom originally got it in Ottawa back in 1976 when my parents were making their way across the country from the daughter of a volunteer who had worked with them in Thailand. Fast forward 35 years, and it's still as tasty as ever. I particularly love the procedure: "Thoroughly mix all ingredients together". And....done!

Recipe

Serves 2-1/2

1 egg
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
3 tbsp chopped onion
1 tbsp relish
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp milk
1/8 cup ketchup
1 tbsp ketchup for topping

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together. Ball up and form in a greased tray. Smear ketchup evenly on the surface of the loaf. Bake at 375 F for 40 minutes.

Musings

A few notes on the preparation: A typo had me almost putting in 1/8 tbsp of ketchup, which seemed odd to me (a quick call to my mother confirmed that it should be 1/8 cup). We don't have dry mustard, so I put in about the same amount of Dijon mustard.

Paired with some delicious mashed potatoes (made with our very own homemade creme fraiche) and corn, it certainly did bring me back to my mother's kitchen table. Though D noted that, while not too dry, it did feel drier than my mom's, so I will likely add a touch more ketchup when mixing the ground beef. All in all, a lovely meal, and well worth making again.