The Vegetarian Cooks Meat Loaf

I know it has been awhile since my mom and I posted a recipe-- we will spare you the details of the last three months -- and instead provide a recipe for some good "old fashioned" comfort food - meatloaf. Personally, I have not eaten meat - red or white-in about 35 years so why should I know anything about cooking meatloaf let alone know that this is a good recipe. But I've made this one - flawlessly - for many years and my mom has too albeit it for many more. So if you are in Washington, DC, Baltimore or Philly and you are snowed in or just don't want to go out to eat tomorrow evening - try my mom's meatloaf.

Ingredients:

I lb ground beef (80/20)

1 cup tomato sauce-reserve a tablespoon

1 cup "old fashioned" oats (NOT INSTANT)

1 egg

1/2 onion finely chopped

1 carrot grated

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven at 375 degrees

Grease 9" loaf pan with vegetable shortening or spray with cooking spray

Start with one pound of ground beef -- mom recommends NOT using extra lean or even lean - she's recommends 80%- 20%. (20% chuck) Her belief -- you need some fat. Mix into the ground beef the wet ingredients first: egg and the tomato sauce (Hunt's works well)- reserve a tablespoon. Then, work in the oats (Quaker), onion and carrot.

Put the mixture in a loaf pan - 9" Top with tablespoon of tomato sauce

Place in oven on the rack for one hour. (Insert tester which should remove clean if meatloaf is cooked)

Remove from oven and place on rack for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes turn loaf pan upside down and meatloaf should remove easily from the pan. If not, tap on bottom of loaf pan and you may need to use a butter knife to loosen meatloaf from pan edge.

Serve warm. Enjoy!