On a recent rainy Friday morning I was planning my menu for the Shabbat meal. It was cold and dreary and the phrase “comfort food” immediately came to mind. And in that case, a well-crafted meatloaf is the ultimate. Why? Because it’s unpretentious, quick, economical and a taste Americans associate with good home cooking.
Meatloaf once fell from grace because of cholesterol jitters, but resurgence is going on. It is the part of a meal a family can sit down to together, enjoying a slice or two of this tasty main dish and dream of the wonderful cold meatloaf sandwich for Saturday’s lunch. Ground turkey and chicken are available everywhere, so health does not have to be an issue.
For a comfort food side dish, nothing beats this version of mashed potatoes.
Basic Meatloaf
Serves 4
1 large egg
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green or red bell pepper
3 Tbs. ketchup
1/3 cup breadcrumbs or matzah meal
1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. ground chuck, turkey or chicken (or a combination)
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a bowl whisk together the egg, the onion, the bell pepper, 2 Tbs. of the ketchup, the breadcrumbs, the Worcestershire sauce, the salt and pepper to taste. Add the meat and blend the mixture with your hands until it is just combined (do not over mix). Form the mixture into an 8- by 4-inch loaf in a shallow baking pan, spread the remaining tablespoon of ketchup over it. Bake the meatloaf in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Mustardy Meat Loaf
Serves 8
2/3 cup plus 2 Tbs. hot-sweet mustard
1 cup relish
1 1/2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef or turkey
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey breast
1 Tbs. packed brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine 2/3 cup mustard, relish, breadcrumbs, eggs, onions, garlic and salt. Mix until well blended. Add the ground beef and turkey and mix well to combine. Divide the mixture between two greased 8- by 4-inch loaf pans.
Bake about 40 minutes or until instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining mustard and brown sugar. Brush on top of loaves and bake until topping is glazed, about 5 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes before slicing.
Mashed Potato Cakes
Serves 6-8
4 lbs. baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
6 Tbs. margarine
6 green onions, trimmed and sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup flour
Cook potatoes until tender, about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small skillet heat 3 Tbs. of the margarine and cook green onions until brown. Drain potatoes and mash them. Return potatoes to pot and stir in the chicken broth and green onions. Cool and whisk in the eggs and flour.
In a large skillet melt the remaining margarine. Using a half-cup measure, portion the potato mixture, dropping each into the hot margarine. Flatten into 4-inch rounds with a fork. Fry, carefully turning each potato cake once until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve hot.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].