My Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

As mentioned in my stitching blog, I did quite a bit of cooking over the long holiday weekend.  Just seems the more time I have the more involved I get in my cooking.

I have to tell you that in all my 31 years of marriage I was never able to get a meatloaf recipe to turn out until this one (the original recipe was a Barefoot Contessa Recipes).  I have tweaked it a bit from the original to my taste but it turns out perfect every single time.

MEATLOAF

1/2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup onions (chopped)
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chicken brother
1 Tbsp tomato paste (I have substituted 1/8 cup tomato sauce at times)
1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place a pan of water on the lower rack (keeps the meatloaf moist).

Cook the onions, thyme, salt and pepper in the olive oil until onions are translucent (doesn't take but a few minutes).  Remove from heat and add the Worcestershire, chicken broth and tomato paste.  In a bowl combine ground beef, bread crumbs, egg.  Once combined add the cooked mixture and combine.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (don't skip this step - don't know why what it makes a difference in the end product).  Shape your meatloaf on the parchment paper.  

Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for 1 hour.

This recipe will cook up just fine with the recipe doubled if you need to feed more people just bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.  My recipe feeds my family of 3 with 1/2 leftover for another meal.

POTATO SALAD

10 or so Yukon Gold Potatoes (I've found these potatoes are the best flavored and textured for potato salad)
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sweet gherkin pickles (diced)
1/2 cup celery, diced
6 boiled eggs, diced
1 cup Hellman's mayo (Don't know why but other brand mayo doesn't taste as good)
1/4 cup yellow mustard

Peel and dice potatoes.  Boil until fork tender.  Rinse and let cool.  In a large bowl place cooled potatoes, onion, pickles, celery, eggs.  Mix with mayo and mustard.  Salt and pepper to taste.

That is it!  You are done.  I also will make this for a quick weeknight meal cutting down on the ingredients.  It really takes no time at all when you are doing reduced ingredients for just one meal.

Rule of thumb: 1 potato per person plus one for the pot.  I also do 1 egg per person and you can judge the other ingredients - about 1/8 to 1/4 cup chopped ingredients.  Probably 1/3 cup mayo and a couple of TBSP of mustard.