How could I ever have forgotten to add meatloaf to this cookbook?

I was reminded that it was not included when I offered to let Jennifer see the draft copy, and she noticed immediately that it wasn’t included.

When I make meat loaf, I usually just add a little of this and a little of that so I had to go back to Betty Crocker to get the basic recipe.

Sometimes my meatloaf isn’t that great, so I intend to start using this basic recipe again.

Mix thoroughly:
1 ½ pounds hamburger OR 1 pound hamburger and ½ pound sausage
2 cups dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1 ½ cups milk
¼ cup minced onion
1 ½ teaspoons salt (1 teaspoon if you use pork sausage)
¼ teaspoon pepper
Pack into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan.
Combine: ¼ cup catsup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon mustard

Spread over the top of the meatloaf and bake at 350 for 1½ hours. I usually stick some potatoes in the oven to bake along with the meatloaf; add a salad or vegetable—and dinner is ready.

You can do a lot of things to the basic meatloaf recipe.

Grandma sometimes used oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, and Jim’s mom used saltine crackers.

The bread crumbs made for turkey stuffing work well.

You can add a can of mushrooms, or a couple of teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, some chili sauce, or a little horseradish for seasoning.

I have poked whole fresh mushrooms in a row down the middle.

Instead of the topping recipe I included above, I sometimes spread barbecue sauce or chili sauce on top.

One recipe I have says to add chopped pimentos and another calls for chopped green pepper—so there are a lot of options, and it just depends on what you like.

Cold meatloaf makes great sandwiches. The meatloaf recipe can also be used to stuff green peppers.