Meatloaf

As a newlywed, meatloaf was one of my default cooking-for-company recipes. I think I had three at that time - spaghetti, lasagna....or the meatloaf. I could rest in the knowledge that any one of these was going to come out great every time I whipped them up. (Even as I prayed no guest would stay beyond my three dish repertoire of dinners.) Then came a visit from my Uncle Al. I couldn't wait to cook up one of my fabulous meat loaves and impress him with down-home cooking skills to rival any of my West Virginia Everything From Scratch relatives.

Don't ask me what happened, but there has never been a more miserable meat loaf made in the history of the Universe. It looked goopily non-formed and tasted like semi-raw meat. Tasteless semi-raw meat. Oh the infamy of cooking such a wretched meal and knowing that the story of that horrible hunk of meat would go forth to all my kin and kith. 

That one night was enough to turn me off to baking meat loaf for many years afterwards. If I'd been able to say..."oh yea, that turned out awful because I forgot to do this important step or left out that necessary ingredient", maybe I wouldn't have developed meatloaf making phobia. But, truth was, it seemed as though I'd followed all the same steps that, in the past, had led to a marvelous meatloaf. With no idea of where I'd gone wrong, it wasn't like I was eager to cook up a new loaf anytime soon.

Last night, I decided to venture into the scary world of mixing up meatloaf once again. As I worked on the meal, I did have this fleeting thought of wondering if Dad would remember the long-ago meatloaf disaster. I could almost picture him pushing his plate away, rather than risk another ever so poorly cooked dinner offering from his one and only daughter.

Here's what I remembered about making meat loaf - I love the whole hands-on mixing up of the meat with the eggs and whatever else. I know it should feel sticky, icky and wet...but there's something very satisfying about getting into that mixture and scrunching and crunching everything together. And, just as satisfying, is cleaning up afterwards!

This is the first time I've used oatmeal as an additive. I liked the results. Meatloaf certainly isn't gourmet and it's not fancy - but there's something very homey about serving up meatloaf and mashed potatoes for the evening meal. And just as good is the next day bonus of a meatloaf sandwich!!! Yummm.