Not a recipe (I don't use one), but an important tip:

Use a mixture of at least two meats, beef and pork. Three meats, including veal is even better. Adding turkey is a possibility. I wouldn't make turkey a major element though. I've done that and it was disappointing.

Onion is important for flavor. Don't skimp on bread crumbs to get a nice firm consistency.

Jim

First of all, you crack me up, John! You really should write! :-)

Who gets to judge the meatloaf? Kids? So they love BBQ sauce?? Try mixing in some in the meat mixture (I agree with Jim on beef and pork).
I never use a recipe either, but basic ingredients are:
Beef
Pork
Oatmeal
Egg
Onion
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
BBQ sauce

For an interesting presentation, try putting slightly less than half the meat mix in a loaf pan, make a trough end to end. Beat up a couple of eggs and pour into the trough. Put the rest of the meat on top and bake.
Slice and serve with a yellow "bullseye" in the middle!

Never over mix or it'll end up tough.

Be sure to serve with creamy homemade mac 'n' cheese or mashed potatoes (whichever the kids like best) and a favorite green veggie!

It'll be the whole meal they judge, not just the meatloaf!

Have fun.

Be nice.

:-)

Deanna

If we had her recipe it would help to know your competition. So, going without it, my first recommendation is:
Bacon!

Better if you put it on the grill. Occasionally I'll cube some mozarella and poke in there for some cheesy goodness.

I don't like globs of ketchup on top like some culinary terrorists insist upon. I like a nice crust on my meatloaf but have trouble getting it.

I like to mix meats too. Sausage and ground beef, occasionally ground turkey if I want variation. But I haven't used turkey for decades. Ground beef and a couple types of sausage, some pepperoni, and some bacon usually is best.

Mix bacon and cheese in it. Bacon cheeseburger rollup.

The BBQ Pitboys Bacon Bomb can be varied easily for how your kids tastes go.

BBQ Pitboys Fireball Meatballs sound like a winner too.

The guy is dorky but ya gotta like Gato. The secret to "Dave's Meatloaf" is chicken soup.

Here's the info on the last meatloaf I made and enjoyed it so much I made it again a couple days later.
Meat:
• 2"+ stack of pepperoni (I used Turkey pepperoni since it's what I had) sliced julienne
• 1 # Ground Chuck (It was 80/20 FWIW)
• 1 # tube Breakfast Sausage
• (If'n I had some bacon, I'd have cooked some up and tossed it in or possibly wrapped it)

Additions (Mixed these together then added the meats):
• Chopped up some celery, 1/2 lg red onion and 1/2 of a large green pepper
• 2 eggs
• Lots of Italian seasoning
• 1-2 T Lemon Pepper
• 1-2T FGP
• Smoked Paprika
• A good sized blob of jar garlic (probably could have used more)
• Probably a total of 3/4 c - 1 c of breadcrumbs canned seasoned (Normally I use fresh bread diced but didn't have any)
• 1/2c+ Dean's bacon sour cream dip (maybe could use more?)
• Bacon Salt
• 1-2 T BBQ sauce (Used Cub Hickory since that's what I had)
• 2 T or so Jane's Crazy Mixed Up Salt
• Some Dry Mustard
• Parsley flakes
• Some Cumin
• Poultry seasoning (Quite a bit?)
• 4 plastic spoons worth of LHS (Could use more)

Topping: Just a drizzle down the middle of BBQ sauce and spread with spoon (THIN LAYER - NOT GOBBED ON!), topped with some BBQ seasoning, a dash of bacon salt & a dash of Janes. This gave a nice bit of crust and tremendous flavor.

When you're mixing meatloaf, it should form a ball and hold together. It should be a bit tacky but not too wet. If there's too much moisture, add more breadcrumbs. Stuffing mix is an option as is crackers (I used to use Club crackers all the time), oatmeal, crushed saltines, pretzels, cheese crackers, Ritz, etc.

A good side dish is (Ricco DiSpirito's) Mama's Mozzarella Potatoes. Otherwise, mashed with gravy, baked, roasted or rice will go well too.

If you're just looking for a recipe to credit to her, ground beef, saltines and some salt & pepper should work. If the kids don't like ketchup, bury it in ketchup. Tell them it's ground liver.

One caveat: If the kids are judging, the last one I made might be for a more mature palette? They might be into the brown sugar/ketchup glop and heavy sweetness. However, a lot of bacon, sausage and BBQ sauce, even mild will usually turn them on to your way of thinking. Promise 'em ice cream if they vote right. Most kids like cheese too so the bacon cheeseburger roll could be good for them.

Here it is. The ultimate meatloaf recipe with a few of my personal minor changes for additional flavor.

NICK'S AND MARGE'S (Roosevelt) MEATLOAF
From: "Recipes for Living in Big Sur"

In large mixing bowl:
1 and 1/2 lb. of ground beef

In 2 qt. saucepan:
1 cup stock (I use chicken broth)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion

Add: 1/2 tsp. each of the following:
sweet basil, marjoram, parsley, thyme, powdered ginger, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. (Note: When available fresh in the garden I substitute 1/8 cup of any of the above herbs, except powdered ginger, diced very fine. Don't be afraid to be generous with fresh herbs just use some restraint with fresh rosemary.)

1 clove garlic, minced
Juice from 1 slice lemon (Note: I finely dice and add 1 slice of lemon with skin instead. Really 'pops' the flavor.)
1 Tb. brandy

2 eggs

Simmer all of the above together, except for the meat and eggs, until onions and celery are clear. Remove from fire.

Add 2 to 3 cups finely cubed white bread (enough to absorb the liquid but mixture still soft and moist). Mix well with meat. Add 2 eggs and mix again. Bake in loaf pan 1 1/4 hours at 325 degrees. Drain off excess liquid.

Note: This meatloaf is also delicious served cold with potato salad during the warm months.

I make a meat loaf rolade sometimes. Make my usual meat loaf, beef and pork, more beef than pork, egg, one per pound of meat, onion, chopped very very fine, garlic ( I use granulated as I want it to be evenly mixed in) bread crumbs and reduced beef broth....just 1 cup of broth boiled to make 1/2 a cup....and a dash of worchestershire.
Mix well....spread out onto a piece of foil and spread on filling and roll up and bake.
What to fill it with? One thing is spinach, mushrooms and blue cheese....another might be asparagus spears, or oven roasted tomatoes.
For the spinach filling I thaw a package of chopped frozen spinach, squeeze dry and chop again,,,meanwhile saute half a pound of chopped mushrooms in a very little oil,w ith garlic, until they lose most of their moisture. Mis mushroom mix with the spinach and add strong flavored cheese to taste...about 2 oz blue cheese crumbled or same amount of fresh grated parm or manchego....add a little bread crumbs to bind it and spread down the center of the meat. Use the foil to roll it up and bake as usual.
Linda c

I asked this question years ago and the hands down favorite was Paul Pruhomme's. I agree it's pretty darn good "typical" meatloaf.

Paul Prudhommes Louisiana Kitchen Cajun Meat Loaf

2 Whole bay leaves
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 tablespoons Unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup catsup
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup very fine dry bread crumbs

Very Hot Cajun Sauce for Beef (see below)

Combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Melt the butter in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery,bell peppers, green onions, garlic, tabasco, Worcestershire and seasoning
mix. Saute until mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well. Stir in the milk and catsup. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove
from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place the ground beef and pork in an ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan. Add the eggs, the cooked vegetable mixture and the bread crumbs, remove the bay leaves. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. In the center of the pan, shape the mixture into a loaf that is about 1-1/2 inches high, 6 inches wide and 12 inches long. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 25 minutes, then raise heat to 400°F and continue cooking until done, about 35 minutes longer.

Serve immediately as is or with Very Hot Cajun Sauce for Beef.

This is best using both ground pork and ground beef, as the pork gives more flavor diversity. However, you can make it with ground beef only.

Serves 6

Very Hot Cajun Sauce For Beef

This sauce is excellent with Cajun Meat Loaf (page 112), roast beef, sandwiches hamburgers, post roast and Cajun Shepard's Pie (page 119).

3/4 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/4 chop chopped celery
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup minced jalepeno peppers (see NOTE)
1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 cups Basic Beef Stock

NOTE: Fresh Jalapenos are preferred; if you have to use pickled ones, rinse as much vinegar from them as possible.

Combine the onions, bell peppers and celery in a small bowl and set aside while you start the roux. (NOTE: Unlike the roux in most other recipes in this book, the roux we use here is light brown. Therefore, instead of heating the oil to the smoking stage, we heat it to only 250°F; this
prevents the roux from getting too brown.

In a heavy 2-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium-low heat to about 250°F. With a metal whisk, whisk in the flour a little at a time until smooth. Continue cooking, whisking constantly until roux is light brown,about 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to let the roux scorch or splash on your skin. Remove from heat and with a spoon immediately stir in the vegetable mixture and the red, white and black peppers'; return pan to high
heat and cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the bay leave, jalepeno peppers and garlic, stirring well. Continue cooking about 2 minutes, stirring c constantly. (We're cooking the seasonings and vegetables in the light roux and the mixture should, therefore, be pasty). Remove from heat.

In a separate 2-quart saucepan, bring the stock to a boil. Add the roux mixture by spoonfuls to the boiling stock, stirring until dissolved between each addition. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and
cook until the sauce reduces to 3 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Skim any oil from the top and serve immediately.

Source: Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen Cookbook JC

Here is a link that might be useful: Meatloaf thread with some other recipes

I do have a great recipe for a cheddar stuffed meatloaf at home so I can post that tonight. But I did want to comment that regardless of how utterly delicious and delectible your "A" loaf is, it might still lose. Your kids have been "raised on" Mommy's Meatloaf and THAT is their idea of what meatloaf should be. Other dishes might be delicious but if they're too different, they ain't the real thing.

It is true that she has the unfair advantage, what with possessing the womb and all that, but I still intend to win, regardless of the cost to domestic harmony. [Insert evil cackle] Please post that cheddar-stuffed meat bomb recipe, and any other lethal weapons I can use.

Oh, feel free to post some sad, thin, dry, bland meatloaf "B" recipes that I will pass on to SWMBO . . .

lowspark may be right. So, maybe instead of meatloaf, use the same mixture (maybe a little more bread crumbs) and make really giant meatloaf balls, about 6, browned in a skillet then baked in the oven until thermometer tested to 160F. And, do have bacon crisped on top like an X, or even a D for Dad! LOL

Nancy

I don't follow a particular recipe but certain things I find add to the success.

I always use a combination of beef and pork.
Fresh thyme makes a wonderful addition
I puree the onions with a bit of chicken broth and garlic so it adds moisture but keeps the texture soft.
Don't over mix the meat.

Sometimes I stuff the meatloaf with a mixture of caramelized onions and mushrooms or caramelized onions and cheddar or the stuffing I use in my turkey. The family loves it!

To stuff it I form a "boat" out of about 2/3rds the meat mixture, making sure there is a wall of meat all the way around. Then I add the stuffing mixture and place the remainder of the meat on top and seal well with the bottom.

Just be careful John, winning can feel like losing ;)

You can also bake individual meatloaves in a cupcake pan. Fun presentation counts with kids! They will of course bake more quickly - not sure how much.

And I have a question. I've always mixed all of my other ingredients in the mixing bowl, then added the meat and mixed it in. This is to insure that everything is well-mixed, and the meat isn't over-mixed. But I notice that no recipe calls for this. Would I have better results if I only pre-mixed some ingredients, or didn't premix at all?

What kind of meatloaf does your wife make that your kids love?

I'm picky about meatloaves and only like them if they DO NOT contain ketcup or tomato sauce.

This is my favourite, but it won't work for you if your kids love the ketchupy or tomato sauced based meatloaf.

This meatloaf is a recreation of one that I had in the Magnolia restaurant in Charleston, SC. It is baked and then the slices are grilled and served with a light sauce/ gravy.

Magnolia Meatloaf

==================
1 1/2 pounds ground veal or mixture of beef and veal

1 small onion finely chopped
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
2 slices Italian/French Bread soaked in milk
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoons of dried herbs,
(sage and Thyme, a small amount of rosemary
olive oil

Sauce

Green peppercorns
mushrooms
1 to 2 cups chicken broth

Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Do not brown garlic

Soak bread in milk

In a large bowl add meat, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, herbs, onions and garlic and mix with hands. Squeeze bread to break up and add milk and bread to mixture. Mix well and season with salt and pepper. Saute a small piece to check for seasoning. Adjust to taste.

Shape meatloaf into a rectangle about 8 X 4 x 3 inches high and place in a small roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes and then add a small amount of broth to the pan to prevent the bottom from becoming to brown. Bake another 30 minutes and baste with the pan juices. Add more broth if necessary. Cook another 10 minutes or until the meatloaf
is nicely browned.

Let cool and wrap in foil and refrigerate. Reserve pan juices.

Make a sauce by adding some green peppercorns and sauted mushrooms to the pan juices.

Heat grill

Slice meatloaf into 1/2 inch thick slices and grill on both sides until nicely marked and hot.

Serve with mashed potatoes

chase: Just be careful John, winning can feel like losing ;)

And just whose side are you on here?

How about my MIL's meat loaf? (God rest her soul)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef,
1 egg
1 can Campbell's Chicken gumbo soup
3/4 cup oatmeal
Mix well.
Press into a loaf pan (so the grease doesn't drain away and the sides don't get browned)
Bake at 350 for an hour.

Slice and serve.

This might be a "B" recipe, but I'll bet your kids would love it!

For your "A" recipe....the one that will make the kids yell out "We want Daddy's meat loaf!!"
How about Meatloaf McNuggets?
Make any easy recipe.... form into meat balls about the size of a walnut, coat well with crushed Cap'n Crunch and deep fry?

Or how about Meatloaf Hut?...make any of the meat,s easonings, egg mixture....season well with garlic powder and dry oregano, moisten with tomato sauce....flatten, layer with mozzerella, roll up, bake at 350 for 35 minutes, layer slices of mozerella on top, sprinkle with grated parm, and return to oven for 10 minutes.

Just trying....

Just sayin'......: )

Cheddar Mushroom Meatloaf

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, finely-diced
1 cup red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
1 1/4 cups Italian-style bread crumbs
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 cups (8 ounces) Cheddar Cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In non-stick skillet, melt butter and cook mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and garlic over medium heat until softened, 5-6 minutes.

In large bowl, combine mushroom mixture with the remaining ingredients; mix thoroughly. Place in 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake 50-60 minutes. Drain fat. Let meatloaf stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Forget the meatloaf. Take them out to dinner. They will love you the most.

Jo

This is an absolute WINNER with kids..... at least all the kids I know LOL!

Meatloaf Patties, Smashed Potatoes, and Pan Gravy
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Recipe Summary
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

1 1/3 pounds ground sirloin, 90 percent lean ground beef
1 slice white bread, spread with softened butter, then cut into small cubes
1/8 cup (a splash) milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons grill seasoning blend, or coarse salt and black pepper combined (Montreal Steak Seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 rounded tablespoon tomato paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped, reserve 1/4 amount

2 pounds small red potatoes
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 scallions, chopped, whites and greens
1/2 cup milk

3-Condiment Pan Gravy:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped, reserved from meatloaf mixture
2 tablespoons (a handful) all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 rounded teaspoon spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon steak sauce

Serving Suggestions:
Baby Carrots, recipe follows
Dressed Tossed Salad

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat. Fill the well with the bread cubes and dampen them with a splash of milk. Pour 1 beaten egg over bread and add seasoning or salt and pepper, allspice, tomato paste and onion to the bowl.
Combine the meat, bread and grill seasoning or salt and pepper and form mixture into 4 large oval patties 3/4-inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side under a loose tin foil tent. The tent will reflect heat and allow the steam to escape the pan.
Cover the quartered, red-skinned potatoes in water in a medium saucepan. Bring water to a boil and cook potatoes 10 minutes or until fork tender. Turn heat under pan off; drain potatoes and return to hot pan and warm stovetop to dry potatoes out. Add butter, sour cream, scallions, and milk to potatoes and smash to your desired consistency. Season potatoes with salt, to taste.
Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to heat. Reduce heat to medium and add butter and onion to your skillet. Cook the onion 2 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour. Cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock. Bring broth to a bubble. If gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock. Stir in condiments and remove gravy from heat.
Slice meatloaf patties and drizzle with gravy. Pile smashed potatoes along side and make a well in the center for sour cream or gravy. Serve meatloaf and smashed potatoes with baby carrots, or with a tossed salad dressed with oil and vinegar.
Episode#: TM1A28
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

Love the competition. I would suggest you make two meatloaves. You want to win, after all. For one of them, take mommy's meatloaf, put mozzarella in the middle and crispy bacon all over the outside (you need to halfway pre-cook it. Soggy bacon will not win you this thing). Serve barbecue or pizza sauce on the side. Make sure you call it "daddy's meatloaf" not "doctored-up mommy's meatloaf". For the other, pull out all the stops. Start with a panade. Saute the onions and garlic before they go in. Mix in your kids' favorite ingredients. Pan fry the meatloaf slices so they're brown and crispy on the outside. You can do this!!

(rubs your shoulders, squirts water in your mouth).

Some missives from SWMBO.

"Bring it on! We'll let the kids be the judge."
"Cheater! [Referring to my consulting all of you.] I'll still cream you."
"With my luscious whipped potatoes served as a side dish."
"Meatloaf has to be that of my youth to win with me."

What does this intel tell me?
- She is going for the jugular. Knowing that I've never made a meatloaf before, she's seizing on this opportunity to deliver me a beat-down.
- Exploiting her ''Momminess'', she's going to pander to the kids' innocent tastes.
- Her plan is to use their favorite side dish for unfair advantage.
- A traditional 1960s, small-town America meatloaf will be her chief weapon.

We have to assume that, for every weapon she's showing, there is another one hidden. I wouldn't be surprised if the kids' allowances get magically increased right before the showdown.

I will have to augment my firepower with a side dish. I'm thinking something sweet. This may call for (shudder) baking. Or maybe homemade ice cream, or a root beer float.

I can't make a purely traditional meatloaf. Don't want to try engaging her in her own territory. That's like starting a land war in Russia. It will have to be something sneaky and different.

Bacon, in some form, is probably going to be needed.

" - but only slightly less well-known is this: 'Never go against a Sicilian [insert your own personal nationality] when death is on the line'"

Non-traditional? I'd go with Ann T's Magnolia version every time.

rob333, did you know that ROUS's are real?? I'm trying really hard to think of a way to relate this comment to cooking. . . .

Here we go: Capybaras are considered to be fish for the purposes of Lent.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rodents of Unusual Size

But he started it, Bwaahaa! Jessica, that is the movie I have committed to memory line-by-line.

Ok, maybe he said landwar in Russia, but I heard never get involved in a land war in Asia. Close enough.

You are right, it was ''never get involved in a land war in Asia''.

Here is my favorite passage from The Princess Bride

Grandpa: [voiceover] Nothing gave Buttercup as much pleasure as ordering Westley around.
Buttercup: Farm boy, polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.
Westley: As you wish.
Grandpa: [voiceover] "As you wish" was all he ever said to her.
Buttercup: Farm boy, fill these with water - please.
Westley: As you wish.
Grandpa: [voiceover] That day, she was amazed to discover that when he was saying "As you wish", what he meant was, "I love you." And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.

Hopefully SWMBO will remember this when I spank her meatloaf.

Here is a link that might be useful: More Quotes From The Princess Bride

I will second Caliloo's suggestion. Everyone I've made this for loves it.

Hopefully SWMBO will remember this when I spank her meatloaf.
LOL! Regardless of the fact that I contributed a recipe here, I find myself rooting for, well, the other guy. Sorry John! Can't help it but I find my self naturally on her side.

I love that movie too, by the way. One of my favorite parts is when Princess Buttercup is in the water and she and the others in the boat are sort of doing nothing, waiting for Grandpa to find his place in the book. Great movie!

Hmm. Steamed pork hash with lup cheong and eggs?
While watching Princess Bride?

Or, if the spawn are ketchup lovers, the Cook's Illustrated turkey meatloaf. It's covered in a sweet/tangy ketchup based glaze that my kids lick off their plates.

We still don't really know what the kids like. Don't feed me mushrooms if you want my vote. Give me crispy bacon and increase my allowance, you'll get my vote. Melted cheese popular? Gravy? If so, you need to work on your gravy skills more than meatloaf recipe. Good gravy covers a myriad of bad meals. Fresh dinner rolls/biscuits? Corn on the cob is sometimes popular, especially grilled with bacon of course.

Also, very important: Use a meat thermometer. 160° should be a good temp for the "loaf".

First effort at meatloaf. I guess it is actually a bacon wrapped roudale.

Aluminum foil, then half-cooked bacon, meat (beef, pork, turkey, and panchetta, with bread crumbs, egg, Italian herbs, and cayenne), then spinach, more meat, finally a core of aromatic (garlic, scallions, shallots, toasted almonds). Rolled tightly in the foil, baked at 400F to 140F internal, then unwrap the foil to crisp the bacon at 475F.

Served with a topping of fresh pesto and more toasted almonds.

The kids thought it was ehhh. I guess I was so worried about the physical structure, that I didn't include enough spice, flavour, or juiciness. So, this would definitely have lost to SWMBO's Mommy Meatloaf. But it is a start. I need to up my game. I think I will add some cheese, a gravy/sauce, and something unexpected - I've lately been partial to roasted and chopped red seedless grapes. Must - do - better!

Great looking loaf/roudale.

You need better lighting (Daylight bulbs). It's not doing justice to such nice craftsmanship.

dcarch

Those are the so-called ''cold white'' light? All my bulbs are CFL, so I am maybe a bit limited in my light choice.

Something like this:

dcarch

Here is a link that might be useful: photo cfl bulb

Thanks. If the base will fit my fixture, I'll try it.

I need to add moisture/juiciness to the cooked meat, but it still needs to mechanically hold together during the rolling, so I can't use the very soft texture that is being discussed on the other meatloaf thread. The bacon wrapping helps a little, and the foil does too, but the rather thin meat layers still have to be the opposite of ''soupy''.

Is there a (preferably edible) substance that is firm/glue-y when cold but moist/soft/liquid-y when hot? I could incorporate a bunch of fat/lard into the meat, I guess, but I'm hoping for a healthier alternative. Especially since the kids requested less spinach next time. ''Daddy, is this vegetable meatloaf? Ewww.'' My little carnivores!

My vegetarian friend suggested a layer of collard greens or some other leaf, that would add support when raw but become soft when cooked. I'm not sure if she is just trying to insinuate her subversive veggie-eater ways on our household.

Cripes, why am I spelling it ''roudale'' and not ''roulade''? I guess I'm getting prematurely senile.

How about this? :-P

Here is a link that might be useful: Sea cucumber

John, please don't take this in a bad way , BUT are you trying to LOSE? I can't imagine any child that likes traditional meatloaf looking favourably at a rolled meatloaf with those particular ingredients.

If you really want to win, and out do your wife, I think you need to make something closer to the meatloaf that your wife makes. Just make it better.

Ann

I agree, Ann, if the kids like the meatloaf a specific way, making something different isn't going to win them over. It has to be the same, but better.

My girls love a topping that I learned from Nancy/Wizardnm, just a mixture of about half a cup of catsup, a tablespoon of cider vinegar and a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar. They always want extra glaze, and they can have all of mine. heck, I don't even like meatloaf. I do make meatloaf with the recipe I use for Mam's Meatballs, the kids and grandkids all like it. I sometimes use venison in place of beef, Elery likes that better and the kids still ilke it.

Sorry, that's all the meatloaf help you'll get from me, as I don't care much for ground meat. All I can do is echo cynic. MORE BACON!

Oh, and I love the Princess Bride.

Annie

Sea cucumber - wow, we used to eat those when I was a kid. Whole ones. Horrified my previous fiancee, as her ultimately-not-to-be-future-in-laws plied her with choice morsels - sea cucumber? Chicken feet? How about a tasty fried fish head?

ann_t are you trying to LOSE? Ha ha. I can't win by copying her. If I'm to win, I have to do it my way. And, plan B, is that if I lose, SWMBO will have to . . . console me . . .

OK, I have to agree with Ann, even though I guess you're not convinced. The roulade you made does look good (and probably will be really good once you perfect it) BUT I wouldn't call it meatloaf. The question is, are you competing on best dish or best meatloaf? Best dish, you can make anything and say, what tastes best? Best meatloaf and like I said before, you have to stay at least somewhat within the confines of what the kids' perception of meatloaf is.

Example, I've been to some chili cookoffs where they made some DELICIOUS stews, soups, etc. But ya know, they weren't chili and therefore couldn't win. A chili cookoff requires chili entries and no matter how good your stew or soup is, if it's not really chili, it won't win.

John, I've been following your thread with curiousity & amusement. I'm still not sure why you'd want to spoil something special between your wife & kids to satisfy a "need to win" but if that's your goal, OK.

Anyway, about the roulade (it's NOT a meatloaf)...

Have you considered using cooked rice in the meat mixture? Seems that might add some moisture & stickiness allowing you to roll it thinner before stuffing. Oh, BTW, I agree with the spawn...less spinach would be good & I like spinach.

For flavor, try using pre-sauteed baby spinach with EVOO, shallots, garlic, S&P instead of raw. Some parm cheese in there would be good also.

You'll end up with something good I'm sure but it still won't be "meatLOAF". :)

Good luck.

/tricia

Hehe. I agree, leave out the vegetables. Roll up some more bacon in there, or something!

John, this is not going to work and if you lose, we lose so.....make a meatloaf basically like SWMBO, stuff it with cheese and sauted onion for the change up and dump a jar of chile sauce over the top. Serve it with mashed potatoes and cream corn!

If there was enough time I'd mail you a jar of my homemade chile sauce but there are some very good commercial products available .....one called Willie something maybe? Just don't do the plain Heinz chile sauce.

Looking through this old thread because I need a good meatloaf recipe that will hold its shape well and taste good. Got me to wonderin'... who won???

good question. I'm assuming it was SWMBO because John didn't come on-line and celebrate. Therefore his wife must be.....consoling him.....yeah, that's it.

Annie

We haven't actually had the competition yet.

Life has been crazy.

SWMBO had all these deaths in her family. I've been traveling on business a lot. Our refrigerator died and it took almost a month to get the new one. Somewhere in there, I stepped on the scale and was - alarmed.

As a result, there's not been much cooking going on around here, until just very lately. And no dinner parties in, feels like forever.

Fear not, I do intend to wipe the floor with SWMBO. She can run but she can't hide. Not that I'm competitive or anything.

Aw, this thread had me cracking up right up until the deaths in the family. I'm sorry, John! Reality crashes down yet again.

However, if you're still auditioning meatloaf recipes, this one might not touch the cheesy bacon versions, but it's the only meatloaf this non-meatloaf-eater has ever liked...and my meatloaf-loving, late FIL said it was the best he'd ever had (of course, he was probably just happy to have someone cooking for him). ;)

I had to find this online since my DH packed up my cookbooks. My preference is for the mustard topping. Great flavor, good way to hide veggies (but not strongly flavored veggies like spinach), and still recognizable as meatloaf. Doesn't hold it's shape as well as some (possibly because I tend to over-process the veggies).

S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d Meatloaf from "Cheap, Fast, Good" Cookbook

2 large eggs
1/2 cup tomato juice (or tomato-vegetable juice such as V8)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup dry bread crumbs (packaged or homemade)
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant)
6 cloves fresh garlic (or 2 tablespoons bottled minced garlic)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, optional (or 2 tablespoons dried parsley)
1 medium-size carrot
2 ribs celery
1/2 medium-size green bell pepper
1 large onion
1 pound lean ground beef, defrosted if frozen (85 percent lean is recommended)
Cooking oil spray
Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping or Ketchup Topping

Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup prepared mustard

Ketchup Topping
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Cooking Directions

Preheat the oven to 350�F.

Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato juice, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Stir well. Stir in the bread crumbs and oats. Set aside.

Peel the garlic cloves, if using fresh. Turn on a food processor and drop the garlic cloves, one at a time, through the feed tube. Process until finely minced. Then drop the fresh parsley leaves (if using) through the feed tube and finely mince.

Peel the carrot and cut it into roughly two-inch pieces. Cut the celery into roughly two-inch pieces. Core and seed the bell pepper half and cut it into roughly two-inch pieces. Add the carrot, celery, and bell pepper pieces to the processor bowl and pulse until the vegetables are cut into very small pieces (but not soupy). Transfer the vegetable mixture to the mixing bowl, along with the bottled minced garlic and dried parsley (if using).

Peel and quarter the onion and place the quarters in the processor bowl. Pulse until the onion is cut into very small pieces (but not soupy). Add the onions to the mixing bowl and stir to mix well.

Add the beef to the bowl and, using your hands, thoroughly combine the meat with the vegetable mixture.

Spray a large loaf pan (about 10 x 6 x 3 inches) with cooking oil spray. Spread the meat mixture evenly in the pan. Use the back of a spoon to spread the topping of choice evenly over the meat. Bake, uncovered, until cooked through, about one hour and 10 minutes. Let rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Mustard-Brown Sugar Topping

Stir the brown sugar and mustard together in a small bowl until smooth.

Ketchup Topping

Pour the ketchup in a small bowl and add the vinegar. Stir until well blended.