Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground turkey

1 green pepper

2 cloves garlic

1 small onion

1 can tomato sauce

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/2 c breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Basil, Parsley and Rosemary 2 tsp each

salt and pepper to taste

More ingredients, but approach this one with the Meatballs! frame of mind. Mix all ingredients in one very large bowl, smoosh together with your hands.

From here your possibilities are endless. Make one giant meat loaf, pan fry individual portions for a new taste of meat loaf…..freeze? Ok, your possibilities aren’t exactly endless. But it’s still an awesome recipe. My favorite use for this mix? Freeze individual portions for the easiest home cooked meal of your life. To do this, I line a muffin pan with cling wrap. Fill each muffin well with meat loaf mix. Freeze for 3-4 hours or until firm. To unearth these beauties, no scraping the nonstick coating off with a knife, Just lift up on the cling wrap and they fall out. Label a freezer bag, store with as little air as possible.

To serve, stick a few on a pan in a 350 oven for 30-40 minutes.

*This is the greatest recipe I’ve ever frozen. Individual portions make me feel like I’m batting 1000 in the mom of the year derby. What could be more comfort food than meat loaf? What’s better than mom’s meat loaf? Mom’s meat loaf with no mess, no fuss and available whenever you need a hug. You’re welcome.

**This also makes an amazing baby freezer food. Bake your meat loaf, or using leftovers from dinner, put in food processor or blender. If too thick, and it probably will be, add in some pre-mixed baby formula until you can blend easily. Once thinned to a rather thick, gross looking mixture, pour into a clean ice cube tray. Freeze until firm. Pop out each well of meat loaf, put in freezer bag and label. Remove as much air as possible from bag and store in the freezer until needed. To serve, take as many cubes as you need, I used to use 2 meat, 1 potato, 1 veggie and 1 fruit. Put in microwave on defrost, this usually makes it warm enough for a baby or toddler to eat, too. Uh-Maze-Ing. Warning, this method gives you the smug ‘I’m better than you are’ vibe, in the grocery store.