During the entire Election 2016, this admitted Political Junkie made every night of both conventions and each of the 3 debates, plus a few other random “big political news” nights, events for a special meal to eat in front of the television.
So, when my husband asked me what gourmet meal I’d be preparing I was surprised to find myself unprepared with a ready-to-answer menu. Uh Oh! He suggested meatloaf which I immediately shook off as not fancy enough for a night I anticipated would involve a lot of anticipatory butterflies for the historic, ultimate glass ceiling shattering moment in history I hoped would be happening for women while we’d be eating our dinner on the west coast.
As the day wore on I started to change my mind about the simple, unassuming meatloaf.
What screams Americana more than the steady weeknight fare of everyone’s youth more than meatloaf, mashed potatoes and peas? Nothing I could come up with. Throw in an apple pie and the perfect Tuesday Election Night 2016 meal vote was cast! 😉
Simple Weeknight Meatloaf
- 2 1/2 – 3 Pounds 85% Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Sleeve Saltine Crackers Crushed
- 1 Can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Ketchup or Jarred Spaghetti/Marinara Sauce
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In bowl of stand mixer (or large mixing bowl if combining ingredients by hand) put (in this order) crackers, eggs, can of tomatoes (undrained), meat, and ketchup.
- Using bread hook attachment, turn stand mixer to lowest setting and mix until ingredients start to combine and form a loaf shape.
- Remove hook and using a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula, finish combining until no dry crackers show through the meat.
- Mound into a loaf pan but don’t pack too firmly.
- Put loaf pan into preheated oven and set timer for 1 hour and 20 minutes. At about 30 minutes use a turkey baster and suction off any fat that has begun to accumulate along the edges of the loaf pan. Also, use your ketchup or spaghetti/marinara sauce to top the meatloaf.
- At 60 minutes again suction the fat from the edges of the pan with a turkey baster. I do this to avoid spillage into my oven and also to avoid having my meatloaf sit in fat during the entire baking time.
- At an hour and a twenty minutes, slide your meatloaf out of the oven and insert a meat thermometer into the middle, making sure not to let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan. Your meatloaf should read 160°F for medium in the center.
- If you want your center to be more medium well, put your meatloaf back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so and check the temperature again. For medium-well it should read 165°F and the rest of your meatloaf will be more well done at or above 170°F.
If you want mashed potatoes to be ready when your meatloaf comes out you can throw some small red potatoes (skin on or off) into a pot of boiling water and cook them for 15 minutes. Turn them off, drain the water and throw them into the bowl of your stand mixer with some milk, salt & pepper and butter. Using the paddle attachment mix until well combined but don’t over mix. Throw some foil over the top of the bowl and they’ll stay hot until you’re ready to eat.
If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too: https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood
This Girl Loves to Eat! 