Mom's Meatloaf

I've revived an old recipe that my mother always made. The leftovers, should you have any, make for excellent sandwiches.


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1 1/2 lbs hamburger (I find that 80% lean is a good choice)
2 - 3 slices bread, torn into pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
garlic pwd
onion pwd
splash Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
about 1/4 cup milk
about 1/4 cup ketchup
chpd green pepper, maybe 1/2 to 1 whole - if desired
American cheese, cut into small bits, as much as you want - if desired

If desired, additional ketchup and a few slices bacon for the top

Combine the meatloaf ingredients. Spray a 9 x 13" pan with PAM and put 3 slices bread, side by side, to place the meatloaf on top. This will absorb the grease, and when you're done with them, is a tasty treat for your dog; if he can handle it. Pat the mixture into a large loaf, on top of the bread. Spread some ketchup on top of the loaf, and lay a few slices bacon on top, if you'd like.

Bake 350 degrees for about 1 hour, 15 minutes, or until no longer pink.

How do YOU make your bacon?

I decided that I've been making bacon the wrong way my whole life. I've always pan-fried my bacon, not liking how long it took or the mess it made with the spattered grease, not to mention how unevenly it cooks. I started reading about how well it turns out in the oven, and then started cooking it in the oven a few months ago. I'm telling you, it is so easy, and turns out evenly crisp. I don't think I will go back to cooking it in a skillet again, at least not on a regular basis. Furthermore, it cooks flat in the oven, whereas in a skillet, it usually does not cook flat. I believe there is a big difference in taste between the two methods, with the oven-fried method tasting so much better. Then there is the big advantage in that you don’t have to babysit oven-fried bacon as you do with the pan-fried version. Try it out and see for yourself.

Here are the pan-fried results. These pictures may not reveal how unevenly cooked the pan-fried method is, but it was unevenly cooked.


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Skillet Method:

I don't think I need to tell you how to fry it up in a skillet:

Oven Method:

To make it in the oven is very simple. 

1. You just lay the bacon slices on a large baking sheet with sides. This is a good time to add brown sugar and some spices if you would like it candied.

2. You can line the pan with foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup, but it is not necessary. 

3. You can use a baking rack, or not. Either way, it will turn out great.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, to desired doneness. 

5. It is not necessary to turn the bacon over halfway through the baking time, but I have found that if you don't use a rack, you might want to turn the bacon over halfway through the baking time so it cooks evenly on both sides.

6. After cooking, lay the bacon on paper towel-lined plate to absorb the grease.  

Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes

For some reason, I've never been all that successful at making pancakes. But recently, I've had a craving for homemade pancakes; and since I happened to have both buttermilk and blueberries on hand, I decided to make some for breakfast this morning. I did a short search for buttermilk pancakes, and found this one from Tiffany at the Creme de la Crumb cooking blog. They were very easy to make and turned out great, and tasted fantastic, and I highly recommend trying them out. You can find the recipe here: Buttermilk Blueberry Pancakes Creme de la Crumb. You can make these without any fruit, or with chocolate chips, whatever your preference might be.

Below is for a single recipe, but I doubled the it because I wanted extras for leftovers. See my notes at the end of the recipe for tips on making these.

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1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter, melted (I used butter)
1 cup fresh blueberries

oil for frying
extra butter and maple syrup for serving


1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. Add the buttermilk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and vegetable oil (or butter) and whisk to combine. DO NOT OVER MIX - SOME LUMPS ARE PERFECTLY FINE. Gently stir in the blueberries.

3. Heat a griddle to 350, or a large skillet over medium heat. Add a dab of vegetable oil (or butter) and spread over the surface.

4. Using a 1/3 or 1/2 cup measuring cup, scoop and then pour the batter onto the prepared pan. Do not touch the pancakes and cook for about 2-3 minutes, or until small bubbles appear on the surface of the batter. Flip the pancakes and cook another 2-3 minutes, or until browned on the other side.
5. Top with butter and syrup and serve hot.

NOTES:

• Make sure you are not over mixing the batter, and that there are lumps in it. Over mixing could cause the pancakes to turn out tough. 

• Do not overcrowd that pancakes in your skillet. Just make two, perhaps three at the very most, in your skillet at a time. I don't have an electric griddle (but I told my son that if we end up really liking these and make them often, I might consider purchasing one because making pancakes on a griddle is easier than in a skillet). 

• These will puff up as they cook. Initially, I thought I had done something wrong, or that there was something wrong with the recipe because they started out flatter than I expected. However, they did puff up as they cooked, and turned out nice and thick. As long as your baking powder and baking soda are fresh, these should turn out just fine. 

• For some reason, I did not notice the step for adding the blueberries to the batter (step 2), so I just added the blueberries to the tops of the pancake batter as they were frying up. I waited maybe a minute before adding them to the tops of the individual pancakes so they would start to cook through. I'm sure that either way, adding it to the batter itself, or to the tops of the pancakes as they are cooking will work out just fine.