Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Meatloaf

It's just butt ugly, isn't it?
It might have been prettier with a baked-on squiggle of ketchup, but I banned commercial ketchup from my kitchen a long time ago. Can't stand the flavorings.
I don't even crave meatloaf; probably haven't eaten any in 30 years.
But I had the makings. A lump of good ground beef, and a spicy Italian sausage. Peel the casing off the sausage and mingle the meats with breadcrumbs, an egg, some chopped onion and any seasonings that appeal to you. I didn't use a recipe. It just came together, and I was pleased with it.
A side of mashed potatoes, and we're in Cozy Comfort Cavern!
Best of all, there are leftovers, and I'm making meatloaf hash. I only heard of meatloaf hash for the first time a week or so ago, but if you Google it, it exists, in plenitude.
I'm really looking forward to meatloaf hash.
(Good thing I didn't put any ketchup on it.)

21 comments:

Nancy Ewart said...

Plus, you can make meatloaf sandwiches - chose your bread, add a slice of tomato, a red onion, relish, hot sauce, whatever else you want and chow down.

Anonymous said...

Still wearing heavy socks, I see.

My magic ingredient in meatloaf? Oats.

(and you should try making your own ketchup; it can be quite wonderful stuff)

Greg said...

A tad bit homely but I wouldn't go so far as ugly. I bet the inclusion of the sausage makes for a tasty morsel.

cookiecrumb said...

Nancy: Oh, of course meatloaf sandwiches! Goopy, goopy things.
But this meatloaf hash is new to me, and I can't wait to start seasoning it up.

Fast: Yeah, I'm in my Christmas socks! Aarg.
Oats. That sounds really good and nutritional. Don't have any oats in the house, bah.
I do make my own ketchup. Such a feeling of accomplishment (and it's so easy).

Greg: Yep, the sausage not only lends its wonderful porkiness to the beef, but it's seasoned up fantastically.

Zoomie said...

I loved the meatloaf hash I had last week and want to try it at home, too. Need to start gathering the meatloaf makings.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

We've been known to get a bit fancy with meatloaf, roll out the meat mix flat, fill it with cheese, greens & pine nuts, roll it up with like a swiss roll and then wrap it up with bacon. Only very occasionally as it's a lot of faffing about and mess, but it makes a pretty slice on the plate!
I wore spotted, long, pink socks last night, warm right up to my knees :)

Anonymous said...

I share your feelings about ketchup. But not about the meatloaf... it looks warm and happy!

Kevin said...

CC,

Meatloaf can also be a thing of beauty: http://www.seriouslygood.kdweeks.com/2005/09/meatloaf.html

cookiecrumb said...

Zoomie: It was YOUR meatloaf hash! I had an unreliable memory (and it wasn't even a week ago). Thanks for the inspiration.

Mouse: Egad, that's a special meatloaf for now and then. (See Kevin's photo, too.) Sounds like fun, actually.
Glad your tootsies were snug in little pink socks. Wow, that was a long time ago.

Zia: Thanks. I appreciate your good taste! :)
I just sort of wonder whether I'll ever make another meatloaf again.

Kevin: Well, you win, Mr. King of Beautiful Decadent Meatloaf! Thanks for the link. Stunning, really.

EB of SpiceDish said...

I absolutely cannot remember the last time I ate meatloaf. It really is an "ugly" food isn't it? I suppose most comfort food isn't necessarily beautiful. I wonder if I would like it now. Hmmm...

Heather said...

You haven't seen how ugly meatloaf can be until you bake it in a free-form mound on a baking sheet instead of in a loaf pan. Fugly! And I mean pug-face fugly.

I like to add gochujang to mine. Nice alternative to ketchup.

cookiecrumb said...

EB: I probably won't bother with it again. If that helps. :)

Heather: Gochujang. Yum. Now I gotta get some (Asian market a few miles away; no prob).
As for the ugly no-pan meatloaf? Well, at least the grease drips away from the meat, instead of the day-spa treatment mine got.

Nancy Ewart said...

Meatloaf is ugly? Well, I guess eye of the beholder, etc. I cover my with salsa, strips of bacon, sometimes strips of carrots or slices of tomato laid out in a pretty pattern and I think it's lovely. Delicious, delightful and de-lovely!

cookiecrumb said...

Nancy: Well. It never occurred to me to make a really pretty topping with ingredients like that. That would be so appealing, especially the carrots. Latticework?

Nancy Ewart said...

Yes - latticework or some of the patterns that Julia Child used when she made terrines or pate's - well, she used truffles but you can probably substitute something less expensive. Have you ever made pie with a lattice crust? Try doing that with bacon and in between the strips of bacon, put a small piece of smoked Jalapeno. It's real purdy.

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Ooo with mash! yum.

Chilebrown said...

Where is the bacon?

meathenge said...

MmMMmMm, meat loaf. I cooks mine on a cookie sheet, when done schmear mashed taters on the sucker, then brown. Oh yeah, meat loaf.

xo, Biggles

cookiecrumb said...

Mouse: Yes, mashed taters with ground Parmesan inside. Did I learn that from you? Eeee.

Chilebrown: Woulda made a nice, big difference. But I don't want all my food tasting like bacon every day. So we gave ourselves a break. :)

Biggles: That's just NICE. Like a meatloafuccino.

michael, claudia and sierra said...

ground meat is just never pretty. but i'll bet it tasted amazing.

nice to read you again. i've been gone a lot and now everything is all fucked up and so i'm trying to stay sane by reading my comfort blogs...

cookiecrumb said...

Claudia: Nice to see you. If America were Europe, I guess we could say you've been doing the Grand Tour.