Meatloaf is my friend. If you parent a picky eater then you can surely relate. Meatloaf can disguise a multitude of ingredients that less than adventurous eaters wouldn’t typically touch with a 10-foot pole.
Personally, I look at meatloaf like a sponge. It happily absorbs just about any ingredient and dulls its flavors enough so that you know you are eating something other than meat, but you can’t always identify exactly what that “other” item might be. Which makes it the ideal vehicle to sneak in fruits and vegetables your kids might not normally eat without bribes of chocolate chip cookies or threats that they will be sitting on that chair until their plate is empty.
With the fall season in full force I thought it would be timely to share the following recipes. The first is an Apple Meatloaf that is as basic as they come. The second is for a delicious Cranberry Meatloaf that makes a perfect post-Thanksgiving meal. (Meaning it’s a great way to use up leftovers from the big day.)
SIMPLE APPLE MEATLOAF
Ingredients:
2 pounds ground beef
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs
2 granny smith apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Your favorite brand of ketchup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.
Mix all ingredients except ketchup in a large bowl.
Add meat mixture to pan.
Flatten the top of meatloaf and spread ketchup over the top.
Bake for about an hour.
Serves 6.
CRANBERRY MEATLOAF
Ingredients:
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup whole cranberry sauce
1 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound cooked ham, finely chopped
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup cracker crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped onion
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spread sugar on bottom of greased loaf pan.
Mash cranberry sauce; spread over sugar.
Combine remaining ingredients. Shape into loaf; place on cranberry sauce in pan.
Bake for about 1 hour.
Serves 6.
Michele Cheplic writes about red-hot celebrities in POP CULTURE, fiery topics in PARENTS, sizzling recipes in FOOD, calorie burning exercises in FITNESS, and hot new kid-friendly crafts in FUN. Check out all of her articles here.
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