Pretty Darn Good Meatloaf

Believe it or not, my mother didn't do meatloaf.  She didn't do a whole lot of foods other people's mothers made... no casseroles, no cool whip, no country time lemonade (sniff-sniff).  For dinner we had one of two things, pasta or some sort of roasted meat with veggies on the side.  That was it, A or B.  Nothing wrong with that, but I don't think I had my first bite of meatloaf until I was in my 20s.  I liked it, the hubby liked it, the kids liked it (except for the picky one), but I didn't think to make it very often because it just wasn't one of the food memories I grew up with.

So I was looking at a blog post the other day about a girl who's late father-in-law, Grandpa Mark, made a mean meatloaf.  It was such a sweet post that I decided to give the recipe a try.  I'm so glad I did because we really liked it, even the picky one (he had 3rds!).  I've made the recipe twice now, once as written, and once with modifications to suit my family (which is how I'll be sharing the recipe with you below).  It's already a new favorite!

Grandpa Mark's Meatloaf

makes two 8x4-inch loaves (or two free-form loaves)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Meatloaf:

• 2 1/2 pound ground beef

• 1 1/2 onion, minced

• 2 sleeves Saltine crackers (8 ounces by weight), processed into crumbs (see notes below)

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 3 tablespoons honey mustard (I used half honey; half mustard)

• 1/2 cup ketchup

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

• 1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a half sheet pan with foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the meatloaf ingredients.

3. Form into 2 equal size loaves and place on a foil-lined half sheet pan, leaving an inch or two between the loaves. Alternatively, you can bake the loaves in two 8x4-inch loaf pans.

4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and ketchup and brush half evenly over the loaves.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes before brushing the remaining ketchup mixture over the loaves.

6. Return to the oven and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 160F is reached.

7. Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

• If you prefer to bake your meatloaf in a loaf pan, use two 8x4-inch loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray..

• Meatloaves can be frozen before baking.  Shape loaves, wrap extremely well (I suggest vacuum sealing to prevent the smell of onions and garlic from getting into your freezer), and freeze for up to 6 months (brush glaze on just before cooking). 

• To cook, thaw in the fridge overnight, remove from vacuum sealed bag, place on prepared sheet pan, pat dry with paper towels, and resume recipe beginning at step #4.  

• For gluten-free meatloaf, simply substitute 8 ounces (by weight) of gluten-free breadcrumbs for the saltine cracker crumbs. If time permits, allow mixture to stand for 30-60 minutes before baking.

adapted from jamiecooksitup.net

Arborio Rice Pudding

Who needs a little comfort?  How about some creamy rice pudding?  How do you like yours, hot or cold?  With raisins or without?  Me, I like it cold without the raisins, but if you like it hot, so be it... you like raisins, no problem.  This recipe is easily adapted to suit your taste.  There are, however, a few things to keep in mind when making it.  Milk, rice, and sugar all burn easily, so be sure to use a good quality heavy-bottomed sauce pan, tri-ply stainless, enameled cast iron… something along those lines.  The next thing is to keep an eye on the mixture while it's cooking - stay in or near the kitchen and you should be good. Also, stir frequently to keep the mixture from boiling over.

(arborio rice, left; long grain rice, right)

Lastly, I like to use Arborio rice.  You can use long grain rice if that's all you have, but Arborio is the same rice used to make risotto, and we all know how creamy risotto is, right?  That's because Arborio has a higher starch content than long grain rice, so naturally it makes a creamier rice pudding. 

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• arborio rice https://amzn.to/3TPprqt

• heavy-bottom saucepan https://amzn.to/2UBquZR

• pure vanilla bean paste https://amzn.to/47peAGU

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3RO13Tv

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Arborio Rice Pudding

makes four 1-cup servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice

• 4 cups milk

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract

• 1 egg yolk (optional - over the years, I’ve decided it’s unnecessary)

• Sprinkling of cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium heavy-bottomed sauce pan, place rice, milk, sugar, and butter; stir.

2. Bring to a boil; stirring occasionally, being careful to not allow the mixture to boil over.

3. If using raisins, add them now; reduce heat to a gentle bubble and stir frequently for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is plump and creamy (see note below) - don't walk away during this step.

4. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and optional optional egg yolk.

5. Serve immediately or transfer to a storage container and cover; chill completely.

6. To speed the chilling process along, pour onto a large rimmed cookie sheet before covering with plastic wrap and placing it in the fridge.

7. Optional: sprinkle with a little cinnamon before serving.

Notes

• If you plan to serve the rice pudding hot, cook to desired serving consistency.

• If you plan to serve it cold, it will firm up when chilled so stop cooking when the consistency is a bit looser than you want.

• If you find your chilled rice pudding is too firm, stir in a little cream or half and half.