Cheap and Easy Meat Loaf

Why do we like meat loaf? You ever ask yourself that question? There are a lot of good compelling reasons for fixing a nice big meaty meat loaf. My guess is that somebody's mom somewhere decided to try and stretch the last little dab of hamburger by adding bread crumbs and such. Little did she know that her desperate little experiment would become so popular. Now many of us make meat loaf just because it's delicious. But did you know that you can still, even today in these prosperous post depression modern times, save money by making a nice meat loaf?  We can spend as much money as you want on nice tender steaks and you've got your prime ribs and other high end type roasts but why should we spend all that money if we don't have to? When it comes right down to it there is nothing like a nice slab of money saving meat loaf.

Of course just like steaks and roasts not all meat loaves are created equal. I have had meat loaves as dry as the Mojave desert in the middle of summer (sorry mom). I have also had meat loaves that are so bland that after going to bed I dream of eating hospital food and liking it. There are lots of other meat loaf disasters. Some of which I can't talk about right now, at least not until the investigations have been completed.

Anyhow good meat loaf starts with good ground beef. You can use the "all ready to go hamburger" in the meat counter but chances are you are spending too much for too little. The prepackaged ground beef is generally made from old cows with questionable vitality and heritage. Even the ground beef made in the shop will have some of that mystery meat mixed in with their shop trim. You can however get outstanding quality and even save money.

Next time you want to make a nice meat loaf look for boneless chuck on sale. Usually you will find some somewhere. Boneless chuck roasts on sale can be as low as $1.69 a pound (sometimes more sometimes maybe even less). Grab a couple of nice ones from the counter and hand them to the butcher and ask him or her if they would grind them up for you. Ground chuck has the best flavor and it will be plenty lean. You now have in your possesion the best hamburger known to mankind, or at least to me. You can grind fillet mignon but it won't have the flavor of ground chuck. Now all you have to do is follow my cheap and easy meat loaf recipe and you will be the envy of all you're friends.
 

John's Cheap and Easy Meat Loaf

1 1/2 pounds fresh ground chuck
1 half pound pork breakfast sausage (fatter and cheaper the better)
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
2 cups dry bread crumbs or crushed crackers.
3 eggs
1 clove garlic smooshed through a garlic press
4 table spoons of the watered down type worcestershire sauce (whatever happened to the little dab will do ya worcestershire sauce?
1 level teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
mix all ingredients well and mold into a loaf. Place in a pan with plenty of room. bake at 325 degrees until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees or about an hour and a half . Some folks like to smother the meat loaf in ketchup about 15 minutes before pulling from the oven or serve with brown gravy whatever turns you on. It's still a free country.

There you have it cheap and easy and good meat loaf.

For more money saving ideas order one of my books Confessions of a Butcher. You'll be glad you did!