Meatloaf with a Kick

My Aunt Pearl makes a great meatloaf and this is mostly her recipe. I added the horseradish and/or wasabi, and added a little more Worcestershire and more crackers than she calls for. Otherwise, this is her recipe and is found in our family cookbook.

Meatloaf is a great comfort food, and a great way to use some 'cheap' hamburger. OK, no hamburger is cheap, but I'm talking about the kind that has a higher fat content, therefore it is cheaper.

In order to keep the grease out of your meatloaf, put a couple slices of bread in the bottom of the loaf pan to soak it up. Just be sure not to plate any of the greasy bread when you serve up the meatloaf. Although, by the time it has finished baking, the bread takes on a bit of a crust, so it wouldn't be horrible if you accidentally dished it up too. I just don't recommend it.


Here is what you will need:

2 lbs of hamburger
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
1/4 of an onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 C milk
1 egg
About 6 shakes Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp horseradish or wasabi sauce

Place the slices of bread in the bottom of the loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 400.

Mix all other ingredients with your hands to get it all well mixed together. Pat down into loaf pan; it will completely fill the pan. If it overflows the pan a little, when you place it in the oven put a baking sheet under it to catch any possible dribbles. (You only need to crush the crackers, as if you're putting them into a bowl of soup. Coarse pieces, not tiny pieces.)



Ready to go into the oven. Bake at 400 for one hour.



Just out of the oven.