by Hazel Webb

Created on: September 13, 2008   Last Updated: September 23, 2008

Talk about quick and easy, this dish takes just ten minutes to prepare. Meat loaf has always been one of my favorite foods. It works well with most side dishes. My favorites are to add mash potatoes and something green (green beans, peas, salad) and you have a great simple meal.

This dish is always a favorite with all of us. I love being able to take ten minutes the night before and put it all together, put into a casserole dish and cover it. The next day, all I have to do is pop it into the oven.

Below is the meat loaf recipe used in our home.

Meat Loaf

2 lbs. Lean ground beef or turkey
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
2 cups Dry bread crumbs or 1 cup soft bread crumbs (2 slices bread)
1 cup Ketchup
1/2cup Diced green pepper (optional, added by yours truly)
1/2cup Diced onion (optional, added by yours truly)
1 pkg. McCormick seasoning mix

Tips for perking up meatloaf:
Instead of using ketchup, replace it with 1 1/2 cups of barbeque sauce spiked with a few drops of hot sauce.

After meatloaf has cooked for forty minutes, remove from oven and pour 1 cup of brown or mushroom gravy over it.

To create a cheesy meatloaf, after removing meatloaf from oven take a toothpick and poke a large number of small holes in it. Let a cheese sauce drip down into it. You can also pour a thin layer of cheese sauce on top.

If you want to give your meatloaf a bit of mexican flavor, take one package of taco seasoning and add 1/2 cup of water to it. Pour mixture over meatloaf twenty minutes before it is done. Serve you Mexican meatloaf with fatfree refried beans or spanish rice.

Before spicing up your meatloaf follow the standard recipe above.

Directions for making meatloaf:
1. Mix all ingredients except ketchup in large bowl until well blended.

2. Shape meat mixture into a loaf. Place in foil-lined baking pan or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Top with ketchup, if desired. You can also make individual servings of meatloaf by putting mixture into8 13 x 9-inch baking pans. These need to bake for 30 minutes.

3. Bake in 375 F oven one hour or until cooked through. Makes 10 servings.

The next day use any left over meatloaf to make sandwiches. On whole wheat bread or hamburger buns, add lettuce and a thick slice of meatloaf.

Another idea for lunch or even dinner is to place one thin slice of meatloaf inside a tortilla shell with fatfree refried beans, add a few mild chili peppers and top with taco taco sauce or salsa.

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