Teeny McMunn: My Recipe Box

First, and honestly, I don't know if I will make this as it calls for making it in a crockpot, which may be the reason you make it. For me, I make meatloaf much like a stir –fry. It's never the same and it depends on what I have at the time.

We grew up with Mom putting crushed soda crackers in, instead of bread crumbs (which I never measure). If I have a packaged meat loaf seasoning on hand, I use it, if not, a little of this, a little of that. I use the eggs, and most of the time, onions and, if I plan ahead, sausage.

I use about 1 ½ pounds of hamburger and ½ pound of sausage, sometimes Italian. I like my meatloaf dense so that it will make a good sandwich the next day. Also, when I make meatloaf I will pop baked potatoes and squash in the oven with it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ pounds ground beef

2 eggs

34 c. milk

2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs

½ c. sliced fresh mushrooms

2 tsp dried minced onion

1 tsp salt

½ tsp rubbed sage.**see note

¼ c. ketchup

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp ground mustard

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS:

Combine eggs, milk, bread crumbs, salt, sage, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Crumble ground beef over mixture and stir well to combine. Shape into a round loaf, place in a 5-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 5 to 6 hours.

Whisk ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Spoon sauce over meat loaf. Return to slow cooker and cook on low until heated through, about 25 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

MY NOTES:

I do like the topping suggested and I think I will try that the next time I make meatloaf, which will be soon.

**Here is what I found when I googled "rubbed sage." Ground sage is made by grinding the entire leaf into a fine powder like any powdered herb. Rubbed sage is made by rubbing dried whole sage leaves to create a light and fluffy mix. Rubbed sage is lighter and less concentrated so a teaspoon of rubbed sage will be less intense than a teaspoon of ground sage

So you might use less than a teaspoon of ground sage, if that is what you are going to use.

Also a thought - most of us have to drain the liquid off the meatloaf. I wonder if you are making it in a crockpot, if putting a metal rack under the meatloaf might be a good idea?

ENJOY. PERFECT DINNER FOR THESE CHILLY DAYS.