This week was challenging. That is an understatement without going into the details of why. First, I had no time to grocery shop and chose a recipe quickly that actually had a few extra steps. Then if that was not enough, I had no time to write the details down Monday evening, Tuesday or even Wednesday. I was not home, and Terry did not give me much to go on. He said it was good, and he liked it. I thought maybe this was all starting to bore him a bit. I was not home when he ate this week’s dish so it’s harder to get details from the man that never sits down. I like to listen as he eats and ask questions. I might have him video when I am not home. (Right, like he would do that. I would give up after he asked me how he could do that on his phone.)
As I finally started to type this, I realized I had lost the recipe. I know it was Melodie’s. I know it had Chile Sauce, which I have never bought or used before. To make matters worse I had no time to hunt for the recipe because I forgot we had a trip to Michigan planned to see friends and do some year-end Board of DD work as Esther turns over a project to me (the newest retiree). She has kept this project in the last 9 years she has been retired. When Esther asked about ‘dinner’ for Thursday night when we were scheduled to arrive, I said “Well, you could make your own meatloaf recipe”. Then we take out that one variable in all the recipes- ME. When we arrived, Terry got a mid-week meatloaf prepared by someone else. Esther said she gave me two recipes, hers and her son-in-law’s, who she claimed makes the better meatloaf. Because she said that before we ate, it might not have helped her with the judge. However, I told her that I did not think I had her recipes in my pack of 42. She said she mailed them to me in a card so here is something else lost I need to find. You are going to see a theme throughout my entries. I lose things. Often. But I always find them. Even months and years later sometimes. I could tell story on story about lost rings, glasses, air pods, etc. And the miraculous findings of them all. I will have to hunt for these two more recipes lost in my retirement cards and make both of these in future weeks. Maybe back-to-back to pit family against family.
I realized on this trip, and so far in this blog, that many people in my life are great cooks. Esther is no exception. She prepared a wonderful Blueberry Sour Cream Pie for dessert and then Friday, she made a Green Chile Cheese Puff for breakfast. I asked for both recipes.
Going back to the lost recipe from Melodie. I found it! And here it is:
The Best Meatloaf Recipe
Meatloaf
½ medium onion diced
1 t. butter
2 eggs
¾ c. milk
¾ c. Italian Breadcrumbs
2 lbs. ground beef (80/20)
1 T. Chili Sauce or Ketchup
1 t. Italian Seasoning
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. Kosher Salt
½ t. black pepper
Meatloaf Sauce:
½ c. chili sauce
½ c. ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a small pan, cook onions in butter over medium low heat until tender. Cool completely.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk & breadcrumbs. Let mixture set for 5-10 minutes.
Add ground beef, cooked onions, chili sauce or ketchup, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix.
Form an 8 x 4 loaf on a prepared baking pan and bake 40 minutes.
Combine chili sauce, ketchup and brown sugar. Spread over meatloaf and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Let meatloaf set for 10 minutes before slicing. Serves 8.
Here are the directions I left for Mr. Schnipke to bake his own dinner that was prepared. As I noted earlier, this recipe had an extra step with sauteed onions in butter. Terry loves chili sauce so I knew he would like that new ingredient. I am not sure if it was the busy week, I was not home for discussion, two meatloaf dinners in one week or that this one followed the infamous 9.9, but Week #6 garnered a 7.5. He liked it. He ate the leftovers as he does each week. 😊
Leave a Reply