Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes for supper is a truly amazing meal. Finding the right meatloaf recipe is the hard part.

By Carolyn Roberson - Thursday 01 Sep 2011

Growing up, I was fortunate to have a stay-at-home Dad. Daddy was a firefighter with rotating shifts. He worked 24 on and 48 off. During his 48 off, he was a stay-at-home Dad. He did the cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and all of the other things that needed to be done.

Meatloaf was a rare thing in our house, and I am thankful for that. Our most familiar meal was Roast, Rice, and Gravy; the standard after-church-on-Sunday meal. And, on Saturday nights, we had homemade Chef Boyardee pizza with ground beef, followed by popcorn, and a 12-ounce bottle of Coca-Cola while watching Adam-12, and Emergency on television.

Mother, on the other hand, made meatloaf often. She would make a nice little loaf, bake it in the oven, and when it was almost done, pour a little ketchup on the top. Everyone fought over the end pieces, and there never seemed to be enough sauce for everyone. Also, even when using low fat hamburger meat, there still was some icky grease on the bottom, which ruined the flavor of the meatloaf. Needless to say, meatloaf wasn’t my favorite entrée, until….

Nanny Henry was an older woman when she moved into our neighborhood. She loved children, thus the title “Nanny” was almost demanded by her. The woman loved to cook, and share it with her neighbors. We were the next-door neighbors so we became fast friends. Nanny also happens to be my son’s great-grandmother. That is how close our families became.

She had some standard dishes that she cooked most frequently: chicken potpie, green beans and potatoes, spaghetti, cornbread, and meatloaf. Her meatloaf was the best I have ever eaten. I used to stand beside her and watch her cook, trying to remember everything she did. Then, I’d go home and try to recreate it. It took 10 pounds of cornmeal to finally get her cornbread right. Let me tell you, the birds didn’t even like the first few batches.

Nanny made her meatloaf, and rolled it in flour. Then, she would fry it in a little oil, drain off the oil, and cook it on top of the stove in a Dutch oven. She used a cast iron Dutch oven, but I am not a fan of the flavor left behind by cast iron, so I use a stainless steel Dutch oven. After she poured off the oil, she would add her sauce and let it cook for an hour on a medium-low heat. It was an amazing experience for your taste buds.

Here is Nanny’s meatloaf recipe. I’ve made it many times, and have always been told it is the best ever.

Meatloaf Recipe

 

To a pound of ground beef, add 2 eggs, 1 cup dry oatmeal, a dash of garlic powder, pepper, and finely grated onion. Roll in flour, and fry in about an inch of oil, turning the loaf, browning it on all sides.

When it is nice and brown all over, even on the ends, remove the loaf, and drain the oil. Return the loaf to the Dutch oven, and add the sauce.

Sauce: 1 small bottle Heinz ketchup, ½ cup Heinz 57, 3 Tbsp French’s Worcestershire sauce, and 1 Tbsp A-1 Steak Sauce. Mix well, and add to Dutch oven. Cook on medium-low heat until sauce thickens, about an hour.

Enjoy!