(Not really) Spicy Meatloaf

There's nothing wrong with making comfort food on an 80 degree day in May, right?

The girls asked if Grandpa could have dinner with us tonight since he'll be headed back to Illinois this weekend.  I said sure, as long as they came up with the menu! ;)  Of course, the first words out of Alex's mouth were "Mac and Cheese!"  And what goes better with mac and cheese than meatloaf?

This is the first meatloaf recipe I made as an adult. Back in the days before the internet I used cookbooks.  Two, to be exact.  The New Basics Cookbook by Julie Russo and Shelia Lukins, and Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams.  The former I found on accident and the latter I picked up at Walden Books after watching the show on PBS.  So Spicy Meatloaf is comfort food from a comfort cookbook. :) 

And, for the record, it's not chili pepper spicy, it's just flavorful.  Even my kid who thinks mild salsa is too spicy will eat seconds of this meatloaf!

(Not really) Spicy Meatloaf
Adapted from Marcia Adam's Cooking from Quilt Country

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely minced carrot
• 2 finely minced cloves of garlic

Melt butter in a sauce pan.  Add all of the above ingredients and saute over medium heat until the vegetables begin to brown. 

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp black pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups fine bread crumbs
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together in a large bowl all of the above except the bread crumbs, ground beef, and ground pork.  Add bread crumbs and browned vegetables to the bowl and mix into the egg mixture.  Add ground beef and ground pork and combine well.  Transfer into an oiled casserole and form into a loaf.

Bake at 400F for 45 minutes then let stand 10 minutes before serving.  Optionally, you can cook this in the slow cooker for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low.

If you like, you can add strips of bacon to the top of the meatloaf.  Since I live in the hot, humid mid-south I like to use my slow cooker in the summer months.  Which is great for keeping the house cool, but no so great for crisping the bacon on top of the meatloaf. ;)

This has been a family favorite for the last 20 years.  It's a bit of work, but all worth it for this tasty meatloaf!

Enjoy!