Meatloaf with Barbecue Sauce

 I haven't made meatloaf in a long time.

When I had it for dinner at our friend Sue's home, I had forgotten how much I like it and had to make some myself.

It turns out that my sister-in-law Nancy makes the same meatloaf Sue does--Lenny's Meat Loaf from Leonard Schwartz, the former chef at Maple Drive--and Sue got the recipe from our friend Pam. Pam is Brock's mother--Brock of Grandma's Best Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls fame here on FOODjimoto.com.

Meat Loaf
adapted from Lenny's Meat Loaf by Leonard Schwartz

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup each, finely chopped onion and scallion
1/2 cup finely ghopped carrots
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup diced mushrooms
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce
1/2 cup milk or chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
l pound lean ground beef chuck
1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground sausage
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1 cup rolled oats (or quick cooking oatmeal)

I didn't have any red bell pepper, so I used an orange one--but then thought about the red color--and chopped a few cherry tomatoes for color. I also chopped 1 cup of mushrooms.

 I love diced mushrooms in meatloaf.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and saute the vegetables until they're soft and wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Set aside to cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the vegetables are chilling, get the other ingredients ready to mix. We like the meatloaf less 'meaty' so I use a bag of stuffing moistened with milk or chicken broth until the bread becomes soft.

With the addition of the stuffing mix and the oatmeal, I made 2 meatloaves and also a pot of albondigas soup with the meat mixture.

Add the sauteed vegetables to the bowl and mix well, then shape into loaves.

Top with barbecue sauce--pour around the top and use a butter knife to spread it down the sides until the surface is covered.

Sue and Pam use a jar of "Homemade Red Chili Sauce" found near the cocktail sauce at the market. It's really good but more expensive than barbecue sauce.

Bake for 1 hour at 350ºF, let rest for 20 minutes before slicing.

We had it with oven roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes.

 

Itadakimasu!

Gary thought this meal was especially good.
I think it was because I gave our friend Robert a care package of meatloaf and mashed potatoes for dinner, and he talked about how he really likes meatloaf--his mom used to make it when he was growing up and it was one of his favorite meals--so he was happy and excited to be taking some home.

The power of suggestion.


***


Remember Vaughn?

He's one of our favorite relatives--the one that brought Emmy over to visit.

I think this may be the biggest smile I've ever seen on Vaughn's face!

He won it for the work he did on Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.

Everyone that comes over wants to have their picture taken with Emmy--even O-Baachan.
Vaughn is her sister's grandson.

 

That's Gary holding Vaughn--and that's O-Baachan in the second row on the left.

Vaughn and his family came to visit when Rick and Karen were born. Vaughn and his sister loved to draw, so I made sure I had poster board and markers for them to draw to their heart's delight. At that time, Vaughn was a Smurfs fan. He was also excited about a new cartoon--something called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Vaughn used to carry an array of Lego mini-figures in his pockets.

 This is college-age Vaughn and his then girlfriend, now wife, Goretti.
I was learning how to put a kimono on and Goretti was nice to let me practice on her.

This is Vaughn and me on his wedding day.

This morning, Vaughn called to say that he had just arrived at his new job, doing some free-lance work at Disney Studios--he's a storyboard artist. He wanted to call and say 'thank you'--he thinks it's because of us that he's working in animation. He does that often, calls to say 'thank you'.

I always tell Vaughn it's because of his talent that he gets the jobs he does. He is very talented--drawing and cartooning have been a passion for him as long as I've known him and I'm always an advocate for chasing one's dreams.

Vaughn sets such a good example for us--chasing his dreams, the success it can bring, and living life with such gratitude.

Best Wishes, Vaughn, on your new job!

Love you!

***

 

Meat Loaf 

adapted from Lenny's Meat Loaf by Leonard Schwartz

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup each, finely chopped onion and scallion

1/2 cup finely ghopped carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup diced mushrooms

2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup bottled barbecue sauce, plus extra for topping

1/2 cup milk or chicken broth

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

l pound lean ground beef chuck

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound ground sausage

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs

1 cup rolled oats (or quick cooking oatmeal)

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a frying pan and saute the onion, scallions, carrots, celery, bell peppers and garlic until they're soft and wilted, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside to cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Put the ground beef, turkey and sausage into a large bowl along with the eggs, barbecue sauce, milk spices, bread crumbs and oatmeal. Add the sauteed vegetables to the bowl and mix well with your hands, then shape into loaves. Top with barbecue sauce, spreading over meatloaf evenly.

Bake at 350ºF for about 1 hour. Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.