Picky Eaters, #127

Okay, so I haven't posted 126 ideas for how to deal with picky eaters, but I figure I will never be able to keep track of numbers (I am terrible about balancing the check book!), so I'm just going to start somewhere. heh. How's that for honesty?

Anyway, my thought today is on MEATLOAF.

Truly, I do not understand the general groan that this homely meal invokes. My family loves meatloaf! But, since I know a lot of people have a hard time offering it, I have been pondering this mystery, and I had an idea.

While there are a lot of people who turn their noses up at meatloaf, not many have objections to burgers. Make your meatloaf as you would, but instead of patting it into a loaf, pat it into personal patties. Bake on a cookie sheet (you'll have to figure out timing, but I usually do meatloaf at 350F) and serve up "bunless burgers"!

Serve it with some ketchup and/or steak sauce, maybe a slice of cheese on top, and presto! The kids are happy.

If you don't have a meatloaf recipe that you like, that is a different matter. I've tried a number of different ones, but the one that has converted the most doubters is based with cornbread.

Basic Meatloaf
     * 2lbs ground beef
     * 1 egg
     * 1 box of Jiffy Cornbread Mix
     * 1 onion, diced (I put mine through the food processor)
     * 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce (aka, BOB sauce!)
     * 1/2 teaspoon of ground or rubbed sage

Put all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix. Try not to OVER-mix, as the texture of the beef will be lost, but you do want it to all stick together. If it seems dry, add a little more "BOB" sauce. FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, DON'T ADD OTHER VEGGIES! It is called MEATLOAF!!!

I pat this into two loaf shapes and put in a 9X13 pan, but you can easily bake one and freeze the other one. Bake at 350F for about an hour (cut into the middle to make sure it is done...or do it properly with a meat thermometer - should read 160F).

Good luck!