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Meatloaf has been an all American meal since the 1950's. It became a popular dinner option during the 1970's as many people watched the TV family; the Cunningham's (Happy Days) pass it around the dinner table. The meatloaf dinner tradition lasted through the 1990's when Roseanne served it to her dysfunctional family.

Meatloaf is not only a filling, healthy meal but an affordable one and during difficult economical times many of us are searching for ways to feed our families on a much tighter budget than a year ago.

I have included two meatloaf recipes to add to your collection of budget friendly meals.

Traditional Meatloaf

~ Ingredients ~

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
1 medium sized onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 cup of bread crumbs or 1 sleeve of saltine crackers (crushed)
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup of tomato catsup OR 1 small (8 ounce) jar of spaghetti sauce (for extra flavor)

~ Other Options ~

1/2 cup of green peppers (diced)
1/2 cup of mushrooms (drained and chopped)
3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

~ Preparation ~

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Divide the mixture into two and add a few tablespoons of the catsup or the spaghetti sauce to the pans before placing the loaves in them.

Pour the reaming catsup or spaghetti sauce over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serves 4 to 6

Pork Meatloaf with Gravy

~ Ingredients ~

1 pound ground lean pork
1/2 half cup raisins
1 medium sized red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup onion (diced)
3 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 cup of grated cheese (your choice)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 whole eggs

~ Preparation ~

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Put all the ingredients except for the eggs in a bowl and mix well, (It is better if you use your hands and let the mixture pass through your fingers than using a big spoon or spatula.)

Beat the eggs in a smaller mixing bowl then add to the pork mixture.

Grease your loaf pan and place your pork meatloaf in the pan.

Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serves 4 to 6

Gravy

~ Ingredients ~

1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 cup of milk
1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

~ Preparation ~

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter/margarine in a small sauce pan; add the beef bouillon cubes, Add the1 cup of water, cup of milk, and a tsp of sugar; bring to boil. Slowly stir in the 1/ 4 cup of flour stir with a whisk until the clumps are gone and the gravy is the consistency you want.

Remove from heat and add the tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.

Pour the gravy over the meatloaf before or after it is cooked.

Serve your meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice for a delicious dinner!

Learn more about this author, Tammy L Mahan.
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