First and foremost, Happy Veteran’s Day!!!! I am so grateful to our troops that have and are currently serving our country. Freedom isn’t free. Thank you! And I am especially proud of and thankful for my hero, my boyfriend J.
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pittsburgh!!
WE MADE IT! After 13 hours of driving we made it back to Pittsburgh, and of course had to straight to the bar that both J and I worked at instead of on to the house. It was so great seeing everyone again! It’s been way too long. Then again I am already missing my Missouri gang. Ugh, always one or the other, right? Oh well that’s growing up!
Now it’s time that I go and be an adult. I need a big girl job. I have sent in my resume to the Pittsburgh Zoo and to the PA Game Commission, *fingers crossed* either one of those would be ideal! So in the meantime I think I am going to go back to my old early college job and try to find a veterinarian clinic that is hiring vet techs, its decent money and at least I will still be working with animals. No, I have not given up on grad school, just thinking about getting a few years’ experience first then go back and compete with the fresh-from-college kids.
Well I got all excited about sharing a recipe last time that I wanted to share another – and this time I remembered to take photos!! Be proud! *takes bow* This is a favorite among the boys and is a good ole American comfort food – meat loaf! But I am going to take a moment here to brag and say that I personally think it is one of the best meat loafs that I have had. Although, I might be slightly biased * ahem* It is modified from an old family recipe that I believe my grandma passed down to my mom.
World’s Greatest Meatloaf
Mix:
1 – 1 ½ lbs ground beef (the leaner, the better)
½ ground sausage
1 cup bread crumbs (½ plain, ½ Italian)
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped celery stick
½ diced green pepper
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 egg (beaten first)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 tbs olive oil
In a skillet, heat up olive oil and sauté onions and green pepper with half of the garlic until onions are slightly clear. Combine with celery and remaining garlic. Fold into ground beer and sausage. Gradually add the tomato sauce, egg, and bread crumbs. I personally mix this all up with my hands, I find it easier to mix everything more easily throughout.
Pack into a greased loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees while you make the sauce.
Sauce:
1/2 can (remainder) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar (or molasses)
2 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Topper:
Bacon (!!) – cause bacon makes everything better, right?
To make the sauce, just combine all the ingredients and mix well.
Pour most of the sauce over top of cooking meatloaf, soaking it in a nice sauce bath. This sauce is a lot more liquid-y than you would expect, that’s how it should be. Cover the top of the loaf with strips of bacon. You can also try and be healthier and use turkey bacon, which is still pretty good. Or be a lame-o and use no bacon at all. I think the bacon helps seal in some of the juices and flavors though.
Place meatloaf pan into oven and cook for about 1 ½ hours. Throughout cooking use the remainder sauce and baste the loaf.
Just wanted to share, this is all we had to work with since we didn’t have a real oven in our apartment in Missouri. (Another reason I am glad to be home in Pittsburgh)
Remove from oven, slice, and enjoy!
Pictured cooked with turkey bacon. This tends to cook faster then regular bacon, so about halfway through cooking time, I covered the top with foil to help reduce burning of the turkey bacon.
Shown served with roasted potatoes (with garlic, green pepper, onion, basil, and creole seasoning), and creamed spinach. Pour a little of the extra cooked sauce over top for some extra juicy deliciousness! PS – Leftovers are amazing!! Just think – hot meatloaf sammiches mmmmmm! 😉
Well that’s all for now! I got my Big Ben jersey on, made some Spinach Artichoke Dip (hmmm, maybe I’ll share that recipe later on if you remind me), got a case of beer and am ready to head over to Josh and Meg’s house to watch the Stillers!
World’s Greatest Meatloaf
Mix:
1 – 1 ½ lbs ground beef (the leaner, the better)
½ ground sausage
1 cup bread crumbs (½ plain, ½ Italian)
1 small chopped onion
1 chopped celery stick
½ diced green pepper
1/2 can tomato sauce
1 egg (beaten first)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2-3 cloves of garlic
3 tbs olive oil
Sauce:
1/2 can (remainder) tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tbsp brown sugar (or molasses)
2 tbsp vinegar
½ tsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Topper:
Bacon
In a skillet, heat up olive oil and sauté onions and green pepper with half of the garlic until onions are slightly clear. Combine with celery and remaining garlic. Fold into ground beer and sausage. Gradually add the tomato sauce, egg, and bread crumbs.
Pack into a greased loaf pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, just combine all the ingredients and mix well. Pour most of the sauce over top of cooking meatloaf, soaking it in a nice sauce bath. This sauce is a lot more liquid-y than you would expect, that’s how it should be. Cover the top of the loaf with strips of bacon, turkey bacon or no bacon can be used.
Place meatloaf pan into oven and cook for about 1 ½ hours. Throughout cooking use the remainder sauce and baste the loaf.
Remove from oven, let cool, slice, and enjoy!
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