Juicy and easy meat loaf

As fall weather turns cooler, and kids return to school, there’s nothing like the comfort food of a meat loaf that’s also easy to make.

This recipe is easy to make in the morning, and then cover and put in the fridge to bake for supper.

As an aside, why is it called meat loaf? I guess because it’s baked in a loaf pan. I prefer casserole as it just sounds better!

This experiment was a success, as I used milk-soaked white bread instead of crackers or bread crumbs. The meat was very juicy and tender, although it didn’t stick together into slices like some people may prefer their loaf. I preferred the juiciness.

First, what you’ll need: two pounds of ground beef; two slices of a big white bread like Texas Toast (I actually used two hot dog buns as we had them on hand); one egg; one cup of whole milk; garlic; pepper; seasoning salt; parmesan cheese; fresh herbs – I used parsley and oregano, but you can season with whatever you prefer.

First, break the bread into small chunks, place in a bowl, and pour the milk over the bread to allow the bread to soak it up.

In a separate bowl, season the ground beef with garlic, fresh ground pepper, herbs, spices and some parmesan cheese.

Then add the milk-soaked bread to the beef, along with an egg. PLEASE NOTE: chopped onions are also yummy in a meatloaf, but I decided to experiment with the bread and no onions…and instead fried onions and served them over the meat once cooked.

Mix everything together, but just like hamburgers, don’t over-work the meat. It makes it tough.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and put the meat in, spreading it flat. I added some parmesan on top.

Bake at 350F for an hour. We served ours with fried onions and gravy….decadent but delicious. Comfort food!