It is a hard and fast rule EVERY Monday I make meatloaf, but Terry was at the AD conference in Columbus on November 11, so we had to skip. I could not deprive him of an AD outing at an Easton restaurant and send along meatloaf to heat up. During this conference he was the victim of a break-in of his truck overnight at the hotel. Fifteen or so trucks were hit. This caused him some stress with the broken window and damage to the paint and door. It almost ruined his hunting trip down south after the conference. He said he would miss the conference for meatloaf next time. The hooligans took the Christmas gift he bought for me at Macys that night too. Boo to criminals.
For Week #3, “Rhonda Casady’s Favorite Meatloaf” was up to bat. I figured if Rhonda was willing to put her full name on the title of the recipe card, it must be something she is VERY sure about. This one called for a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage. I know Terry likes Italian sausage. I do not. I knew he might really like this one. It also contained two rarely used ingredients in meatloaf topping, maple syrup and nutmeg. Interesting. He said, “This was good.” He could not pick out the flavors, so I let him off the hook and shared it had Italian sausage. “Oh! I am a big fan of Italian sausage,” he said. “8.5!” Do I know my husband or what? Can I add this point? Cooks who do not use recipes, measure ingredients or give enough detail on a recipe card because it is obvious, drive me crazy. I had to text Rhonda about the garlic needed. I asked “powder, salt or fresh?” And how much pepper? I am sure she thought I was the problem. She likely was right! My ability to execute these recipes might be the real challenge for the next 40 weeks. Anyhow, I must have done fine to get the 8.5. Tonight, we decided we could not wait until next fall to talk about the ingredients and the person who gave us each recipe after he ate it. We would never remember all the details. It was fun chatting with him about the meatloaf project and the recipes to date. Bonding over meatloaf. Who would have guessed?
Rhonda Casady’s Favorite Meatloaf
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 beaten eggs
¼ c. grated onion
½ t. sage
1 t. garlic powder
1 t, Italian Seasoning
Mix well, Place in loaf pan, Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Drain grease.
Topping:
Mix ½ c. ketchup, 3 T. of maple syrup, ½ t, nutmeg and 1 t. dry mustard. Add to loaf and bake another 10-15 minutes.
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