Crock Pot Meatloaf?!

Mr. Lawyer made this meatloaf in Law School and really liked it so I decided to give it a go when he requested meatloaf. The flavor was nothing special, regular meatloaf taste, but it was so moist! Definitely an interesting spin to cook it in the crock pot. Plus it made the apartment smell so good!

On the other hand the picture is horrible! Apologies. In order to get through the gross meatloaf picture (can you ever make meatloaf look pretty?!) I'll start with some yummy chinese food on Fiesta! I was finally able to eat real food yesterday (I had been sticking to cereal since Saturday) so we decided to celebrate by ordering out. Yum yum.

 Gross looking but yummy tasting!

Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

(from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker)

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds ground chuck or meatloaf mix
2/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot
3 tablespoons grated carrot
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup ketchup or tomato chili sauce for topping
Directions:
1. Place ground meat, oats, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper. Mix together gently but thoroughly. Shape the meat into a mounded oval or loaf.
2. Make a foil cradle to help remove the cooked meatloaf. Take a 14 inch strip of foil, fold it in half lengthwise, and fold again to form a 3 inch strip. Repeat with a second piece. Place both strips in the crock pot in the shape of an X.
3. Place the meat mound in the crock pot and slather on the 1/2 cup ketchup. Cover and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours.
4. To remove grasp the foil handles and lift the meatloaf up and out onto a platter.

Meatloaf Sauce!

"I really wanted a piece of meatloaf but this is so much better." What Mr. Lawyer says right after he takes a bite of dinner is usually the best compliment ever and this dish deserved it. I threw the leftover meatloaf, a jar of sauce, and a few dashes of garlic powder into a pot and simmered it for 30+ minutes. What made it amazing was when you'd get a bite that was all sweet from the bbq sauce. To die for. I will totally make another meatloaf just to make meatloaf sauce.

Plus my soup and sandwich plate looked super cool with spaghetti. 

Well, it's not like my dad's

I never really had meatloaf until high school. I suppose that's when my dad decided he should learn how to cook (So Ben and I weren't exclusive raised on chicken fingers and mac and cheese. Hi Dad! Just joking...mostly.) and he made a delicious meatloaf. I called him up to ask him his recipe but he couldn't find it/couldn't remember it. So not helpful. Getting forgetful in retirement dad. Tsk tsk. This one was okay (although it had rave reviews). I used a pre-packaged mix of beef, pork and veal (on sale!). Between the milk and the bread it was just a tad too soft for me plus there was a lot of extra liquid bubbling up. I poured it off when the time was up but luckily Mr. Lawyer wasn't home yet so I let it sit in the oven after I turned it off. This decreased the soupiness. I would decrease the milk and use some bread crumbs the next go around. For me the key is to use Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce in place of the ketchup. It's what dad always did so it tastes like my childhood and I love it. Half the loaf is gone so I guess it wasn't that bad! Also, meatloaf is a gross name.

Savory Meat Loaf

(Adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup milk

1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried sage leaves (omitted)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 garlic clove, finely chopped or 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 egg

3 slices bread, torn into small pieces

1small onion, chopped (1/4 cup)

1/2 cup ketchup, chili sauce or barbecue sauce
Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all ingredients except ketchup. Spread mixture in ungreased loaf pan, 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 or 9x5x3 inches, or shape into 9x5-inch loaf in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Spread ketchup over top.
3. Insert meat thermometer so tip is in center of loaf. Bake uncovered 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until thermometer reads 160°F.