Meatloaf: The Ultimate Comfort Food

recognition it deserves.

It takes about 1 1/2 pounds of ground meat to make a meatloaf that serves six people. I've found that "marinating" the ground meat in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water, a tablespoon of mild to medium salsa, and a tablespoon each of Worcestershire sauce and steak sauce makes for a moister, more flavorful meatloaf.

I season my meatloaf with salt, pepper, minced bell pepper, garlic, onions and 1/2 of a shredded carrot, along with fresh herbs including parsley, thyme and basil or a tablespoon of dried Italian Seasoning.

Acup of a starch or binder is the next component in a classic meatloaf. I use seasoned breadcrumbs or crushed crackers, and an egg. Agentle touch when combining the mixture ensures that the meatloaf will be well-seasoned, but won't be tough.

The final step in making a traditional meatloaf is adding the "gravy." I combine ketchup with salt, pepper and medium salsa or barbecue sauce. I pour off any accumulated fat, and then slather the topping on the meatloaf halfway through the cooking process.

Meatloaf isn't a complex dish, nor does it make a visually stunning presentation. As a friend of mine once said, "It's a lot of meat in a loaf, and you don't have to chew it very much -what's not to like?" Meatloaf has provided a tasty way to stretch a dollar for generations of American families. In these uncertain economic times, we could all use a plate full of comfort.

MINI-MEATLOAVES

The great thing about this recipe from the Betty Crocker kitchens (www.bettycrocker.com/recipes) is that the meat loaves cook quickly, and provide individual servings. This would make a great main-course dish for children or a unique appetizer for a retro recipe party.

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1 pound lean (at least 80 percent) ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 cup Original Bisquick mix

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)

1 egg

1. Heat oven to 450 F. In small bowl, stir ketchup and brown sugar until mixed; reserve 1/4 cup for topping. In large bowl, stir remaining ingredients and remaining ketchup mixture until wellmixed.

2. Spray 13-by-9-inch pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan; pat into 12-by-4-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise down center and then crosswise into sixths to form 12 loaves. Separate loaves, using spatula, so no edges are touching. Brush loaves with reserved 1/4 cup ketchup mixture.

3. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until loaves are no longer pink in center and meat thermometer inserted in center of loaves reads 160 F.

Substitution: While the mixture of ground beef and pork gives these little loaves a unique flavor, you can also use 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef instead of the mixture.

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• “When I cook steaks on the grill,I use colored toothpicks to identify the ’doneness’of the meat. I like mine rare,my wife likes well-done and the kids are in between. So,mine has a blue toothpick,the kids’are green, etc. The steaks can go right to the table,and we know whose is whose.” — E.R. in New Mexico

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By Samantha Weaver

• It was French writer and film director Marguerite Duras who made the following observation:“I believe that always,or almost always,in all childhood,and in all the lives that follow them,the mother represents madness. Our mothers always remain the strangest,craziest people we’ve ever met.”

• In Colorado,it is illegal to mutilate a rock in a state park.

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• It was in Kitchener,Ontario,in 2006 that the world’s largest smoothie was made. Over the course of 3 1/2 hours and using seven blenders,the folks there made a whopping 195 gallons of the fruity beverage.

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Thought for the Day: “Infatuation is when you think that he’s as sexy as Robert Redford,as smart as Henry Kissinger,as noble as Ralph Nader,as funny as Woody Allen and as athletic as Jimmy Connors. Love is when you realize he’s as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors,as funny as Ralph Nader,as athletic as Henry Kissinger and nothing like Robert Redford — but you’ll take him anyway.”— Judith

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