Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It's what's on sale this week.

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food, written by a bunch of friends.  Cathy is taking her turn blogging today, because Kirk and ed (from Yuma) have lives...

HI.  Back again with another easy meal for two for $5 or less...buying ingredients which are on sale this week. 

Let's just get this out in the open- I have *never* made the same meatloaf twice in my life.  Never.  I don't expect you to, either.  Instead, I am giving you some general instructions so you can make meatloaf in your own way, to your own taste.  The one I am showing you is *very* basic and tasty, without any added spices...

Start out with meat.  You don't have to, but I mix 3/4 ground beef with 1/4 something else- in this case, ground pork.  The 80/20 ground beef is $1.69/lb at Vons this week, the ground pork is always $1.69/lb at 99Ranch.  I ask for one of my size handfuls of pork when I go to the butcher counter.

Then you need fillers and binders.  Today, I used an egg, raw mushrooms,  stewed tomatoes and panko breadcrumbs.

Take the juice from the stewed tomatoes and soak the breadcrumbs in it. Stewed tomatoes have garlic, onion , celery and green pepper in it.  No need to add any more flavor.

Mix all the ingredients together-lightly. I mix the meat, with my hands, first, then incorporate the wet breadcrumbs, the stewed tomatoes and sliced mushrooms.  Form into loaf shapes and place on a cookie sheet with edges (a jelly roll pan). Bake at 350° until internal temp is 170° if you are cooking ground pork, 160° if you are using ground beef only.  About 45 minutes for 1 pound total meat.edit: You don't really have to hit 170° these days, but I cook until the thermometer hits 155° and then let it rest and it continues cooking and it should be fine.  Well, I'm not dead yet anyhow...

Get an instant read thermometer.  That, along with good knives are the kitchen tools you will need and use regularly.  The rest of the things for your kitchen should all be multi-use items.

While the meatloaf is baking, assemble the following: potatoes-red skinned, Yukon golds and new potatoes have thin skins that don't have to be peeled.  Unsalted butter, salt and white pepper are all else you will need.  Nothing fancy.  Potatoes are good.

Cut the eyes from the potatoes, then chop into relatively small similar sized chinks, so they will cook at the same time.

Immerse potatoes into cold water-they were grown underground. (You put vegetables grown above ground into already boiling water).     

Turn heat on low, let potatoes boil until fork tender. Turn off water and drain-Do Not Rinse!

Put the potatoes back into the pot, add the stick of butter, some white pepper and some salt (you can add more after you have a taste).  Mash.

Taste and see if you need more salt or pepper. 

I use white pepper so you don't see black specks, plus it tastes kind of nutmeg-gy...you can buy white pepper in any Asian grocery store.

When the meatloaf is done, take it out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.  The juices will stay in that way and the cold leftovers will be wonderful in a sandwich tomorrow.

If you want to splurge and really enjoy your meal, (the regular price of this is about $1.49), get this can of Dawn Fresh by Giorgio mushroom steak sauce.  SO worth it...just open and heat.

Slice the meatloaf, cover with potatoes and gravy.  A meal.

OK, that was a very general recipe.  You can fancy up the meatloaf with all sorts of things, you can fancy up the mashed potatoes, or you can do it this way and not have to think about anything. All the flavors work and you don't even have to add salt.

Cathy's Meatloaf

Meat: 3 parts ground beef to one part ground pork or ground turkey

Binder: breadcrumbs, soaked in some sort of liquid; egg

Flavor: stewed tomatoes, spices, garlic, sauteed mushrooms, chili sauce, Worcestershire, capers, olives-open up that pantry

Stretchers: fresh vegetables, including shredded potatoes and/or carrots, ground nuts, dry cereal, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, bulgur

Cook at 350° until internal temperature of 160°is reached.  Take out of oven to rest, it will continue cooking.

Cathy's mashed potatoes

One handful of raw potatoes per person,  one stick of butter, salt and white pepper. If for some reason there is not enough butter, add some milk sparingly to help mash.

This is how I cook.  Really.

Comments

[ed (from Yuma)]

Doggone, you made me hungry. Now I want to do a meatloaf. I really like "process" recipes because that's how I cook. But these days, no need to cook pork to 170. It is safe in the US to eat pork medium rare (or even rare). No trichinosis.

[Dennis]

Hi Cathy, I just love the label on that can of Mushroom Steak Sauce. Gotta try it one day.

[jeff c]

Cathy, mmmmmmmm. Rumble rumble. slobber.,slobber.
That was my stomach and salivary glands giving your cooking a standing O.
I bet you always get repeat guests at your dinner parties.

[Cathy]

Hi, ed- I did change the post a bit. I just don't want anyone to die, get sick, have a lawsuit...you know how much I hate paperwork... :)
I looked at the can and have no idea why a rooster is on a can of mushroom steak sauce, Dennis, except to indicate dawn I guess. (it is the Chinese symbol for the birth year of The Mister and myself though...maybe that is why I bought it the first time)
I heard strange noises, jeff! I make things very simply and less can go wrong, or bad. You can always add salt or other flavorings, but you can't take any away...Look up my Holiday Bowl posts= we make the rib roast...100+ people attend that tailgate, as we have for the last 14 years or so, and they all know we bring the garlic beef...most do not know our names, though...

[Carol]

Yum, meatloaf and mashed garlic potatoes is one of our favorites. Now that you've mentioned it, you're right that the Mister has never made the same loaf twice. We've never added mushrooms before but will certainly try that next time!

[cathy]

I used to do garlic mashed all the time, Carol, but my mom didn't like them, so I started being more simple and 'spicing up' the other things...and that worked out better for both of us...The raw mushrooms stretch, but sauteed mushrooms give it a flavor...your choice. I once even put in sprouts and that added a crunch...

[ed (from Yuma)]

I thought about your recipe
all day and ended up making a variation of it for dinner last night. Best meatloaf I've made in . . . (well can't remember when).

About the temperature. I have suffered through so many overcooked pork roasts that I try to spread the word that medium rare pork is perfectly safe these days. I think people overcooking the "other white meat" is why so much pork in supermarkets these days is pumped up with sodium gunk and water - so often 12-15% of what you pay for the product is really money spent on this "enhancement" (?)

Sorry for the mini-rant. Thanks again for the recipe.

[Carol]

I'm with you, Ed. I believe pork is safe with an internal temperature at 140 degrees, no trichinosis. But with the variance of thermometers, some recommend 150 degrees. I usually pull the pork off the heat or oven at about 135-140 and then let it rest. That should take care of any nasties.

[Cathy]

Pork roast is different than ground pork and ground beef in a loaf shape which is different than hamburger shape is all I was trying to stress, ed and Carol...I love rare to medium rare in roasts, steaks and burgers...but not meatloaf. Probably because it is also going to be a leftover/cold meal.

I just have cravings for mashed potatoes and make the meatloaf as the 'rounding out' of the meal...

[Sandy]

Is this mushroom steak sauce available at your ordinary grocery store?

[Cathy]

Hi Sandy! Vons. Used to have it at Albertsons. Probably still do at Ralphs, (but I haven't been there in a while)... Bottom shelf. Always look at the bottom shelf...or the top shelf- companies pay to have stuff at eye level and the great stuff doesn't have to advertise. Hence my Biscos cookies...sorry not focused...There are wonderful things not at eye level.

[nhbilly]

YUMMY!!!!!

[Cathy]

You know, this particular meatloaf turned out so well, even cold for sandwiches, Bill. There, of course, were no leftover potatoes...

[nhbilly]

I like a left over meatloaf sandwich please. Slather some mash potatoes btw some bread with a nice thick meatloaf and I am set ;-)

[Cathy]

Gosh that sounds perfect, Bill. I think I need to invite a bunch of people over for some simple foods...

[Sandy]

Cathy - name the date and time!

You weren't kidding about the mushroom steak sauce being on the bottom shelf. I found it at a Vons, but it was almost hidden behind one of those wire display baskets in the aisle. I'm thinking of adding fresh mushrooms to this sauce.

[tina marie]

Cathy, I've never made meatloaf ever, and this post has inspired me to finally do so! Also drool. lol I wonder if I can get that mushroom steak sauce here in Yuma. :)

[Cathy]

I just started the deep cleaning for the holidays inside and outside my house, Sandy...perhaps you can be a "test meal"...I would also have sauteed mushrooms (sauteed in butter of course)on the side..but the gravy really can stand on its own.
AH-Tina Marie...glad I could be an inspiration for you. Main thing is not to overwork the meat before cooking. Gently blend the ingredients together and let the flavors meld together when they cook. Also, remember you can add spices later...salt, pepper, garlic powder, catsup, chili sauce... But you can't delete thos flavors if you have put in too much...Look on bottom shelves for interesting gravies. Sometimes some cost more and aren't on sale or have a coupon...that is because it doesn't need that incentive. If you ever see "BnB Mushrooms" (in a small blue can)(BnB=Broiled in Butter) get it.

[teejay]

hi cathy-- I've begun to make a duxelles of mushrooms after remembering seeing La Julia make it for a dish. So for binders/moisture in meatloaf, I whiz raw mushrooms, some chopped onion, garlic, bell pepper, parsley, pinch of 'Italian Herbs', S&P and a bread crust or two till it's a fine mince. Then I sprinkle this over the meat in a large bowl and mix by hand. The veggies give off their moisture and flavor to the breadcrumbs which also soak up the meat juices. Results in a moist meatloaf.

Really like your $5 Fridays. Just great.

[Cathy]

Hi Teejay (and welcome to the commenting side of the blog). What a great idea. The Mister and I love mushrooms and I had never put them *in*to a meatloaf, just on top. I'll try this (more veggies) next time. I need to get back to the $5 Friday stuff, I suppose I have just been cooking whatever and going wherever because of the holidays.