Grandmama

I challenge you to find a better meatloaf recipe. Grandmama’s meatloaf was my favorite dinner growing up. She always made it for me when I came to visit her and Grandfather at St. Clair (their farm), and Aunt Jaymie did the same whenever I came to Richmond during my school breaks in college. Even after Aunt Jaymie started working at Merill Lynch, she was never too busy to make sure there was meatloaf waiting for me in the fridge. Mom usually substituted ground turkey for ground beef, so this can also be a turkey loaf depending on your dietary preferences. Perfect comfort food for a cold winter evening.

Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 ½ hours

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. sage
• 1 stack saltine crackers (in the big box of individually wrapped stacks of square crackers)
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 cups milk to moisten

Instructions:

• Mix all ingredients with spoon or fork.
• As you add the milk, work it with your hands. It should be quite moist, but not dripping.
• Press into greased loaf pan or casserole dish and bake for 1 ½ hours at 350.
• Makes 6-8 servings.

Serving Suggestion:
Serve with mashed potatoes (I prefer sweet potatoes) and a steamed vegetable or green salad. If you aren’t in the mood for potatoes, try risotto or brown rice.

Chef’s Tip:
If you are cooking this for a family dinner (at least 3-4 people), I suggest doubling the recipe as Grandmama usually did. If you are making it for one person, follow the recipe as is and you will have dinner to last you for the week!