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Meatloaf - Individual Size



It was common in years gone by for people to host another family around their table for a noon meal Sunday after church, often the big meal of day. My parents practiced Sunday hospitality and us children would especially enjoy when the guests were a family who had kids for us to play with in the afternoon. In our earlier years of marriage we too made this a fairly regular practice and it was always such a great time. So, we've decided to re adopt this 'old fashioned' idea once again in our home. We've already started this and here is the last meal I had cooking in the oven while we went to church. With a bit of pre planning and prep you can be seating at the table soon after arriving home from church.

Meat loaf is an old time favourite. Simple ingredients that can be made into one large loaf, or into these cute little individual loaves. 
**see note below for tips on baking**

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
  • 1 small onion grated fine
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
Sauce:
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  1. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients except for the ground beef.
  2. Add ground beef and mix well. I use my hands to mix it. 
  3. Form meat mixture into 8 or 9 equal oval shaped meatloaves. Place in a 9x13 size glass pan. 
  4. Stir together sauce. With the back of a spoon make a slight indent in the tops of each loaf. Top each loaf with sauce.
  5. Bake in 350º oven for 40 minutes if baking individual loaves, or for 60 minutes if making in one large loaf. Bake uncovered. 
BAKING TIP:
**If you want to be well prepared and to have them ready after being out of the house for a few hours, make these a day or two ahead and freeze them in the baking pan (see photo below) with the sauce. When you are ready to leave the house cover the pan with foil and place in oven pre heated to 275º.  They can bake for 2 hours this way. When you come home, remove foil and turn heat up to 325º for the 10-15 minutes. (this step may not be necessary but it helps to brown them up a bit more. The meat loaves will still be nicely coated with sauce and there will be some liquid from the meat in the pan....discard this when ready to serve)**

**If you are at home when baking these, follow step 5 in instructions.**


Frozen, ready to cover with foil and go in 275º oven. The house smells so good when you walk in.


Here's a prep suggestion if you want to have almost everything ready to go when you get home. Boil and mash potatoes in the morning or the day before. I like to add milk and some herbed cream cheese to them. Place hot mashed potatoes in a crock pot on warm. They will be fluffy and hot when you get home.
Cut up vegetables and have in pot ready to cook and pre make a cheese sauce if required that only needs to be reheated. Salad ready in fridge.
Don't forget dessert. On Sundays you'll most likely be served pie around my table! 

15 comments:

  1. Sounds yummy and the tip for baking while away is very helpful. I used to leave a row of crock pots going most Sunday mornings and it made life much easier when arriving home with starving children. You can peel and cube your potatoes and just cover with water and cook on high in the crock pot for 4-5 hours. When arriving home I would just drain them and mash right in the crockpot.

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  2. I made meatloaf last week - it's one of those useful things I seem to forget about, then suddenly remember how easy and good it is. Next time I'll try your make-and-freeze-in-pan method. What a great idea!
    I have also made a meatloaf in the crockpot, by setting a formed loaf on an overturned aluminum pie plate with holes punched in it. All the excess grease drained down, and I was left with a moist and tender loaf.

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  3. Meatloaf is one of my husband's favorite dishes. I love the individual portions. I host a family dinner on Wednesday nights. I will use this for one of my upcoming meals!

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    1. Miss Merry, I looked at your blog. Cute grandbabys. But what were those bars served at the library tea? They looked like stained glass...jello???

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  4. What a great meal plan! The individual meat loaves are such a great idea Kathy! Nothing is more welcoming and appetizing than walking into the house with delicious aromas from the kitchen! Sunday dinner traditions like this is what I grew up with as well. You have challenged me to do this more often.

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  5. Kathy, I think we grew up in the same home! Sunday lunch was a big roast beef/potatoes/vegetables/pie meal with plenty of guests! I have also been missing that tradition that my parents had. When my husband and I have guests for Sunday lunch now, I usually serve 2 homemade soups and have a salad bar prepared. (because often we don't know how many people will be around the table). I wonder what are some other make-ahead menus that other readers serve at Sunday lunch?

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  6. Thanks for your make ahead tip for the potatoes Kathy. I've done the individual meatloaves in the freezer before - so nice to just take two out for our supper on a busy day.

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    1. I'm just wondering if the potatoes could be left on the stove on the lowest setting (electric stove). My crockpot doesn't have a setting for warm; it only has only 2 settings, high and low. The "low" is probably too hot to leave the potatoes for a couple hours. But it might work on the stove.

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  7. Oh my goodness, that meal looks sooooooooo delicious. Love the fact that you can use the freezer too. Thank you for sharing this.

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  8. These are great ideas for preparing a whole meal beforehand so it's ready to go when you get home. Thanks, will try soon!

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  9. My family did the same thing...but somehow I don't remember knowing about your family way back...you must be way younger Kathy, but it's so much fun to hear our parents talk about their friendship with your parents years ago. Thank God for so many blessings and that we could meet years later in life. I love meatloaf.

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  10. My husband LOVES meatloaf and this recipe sounds just what he loves about it. I could even make this and let him heat it up if I have a meeting. Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Great ideas. You're changing the way we cook on Sundays. Love the part about the mashed taters! We're gone from 9 am til 2 pm on the Sabbath Day. Don't know how to do the meatloaf except to bake it the day before and reheat the little loaves. Love those little loaves! Thanks so much for sharing. Kathie in Odessa, WA

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  12. Kath I can almost smell this wonderful meatloaf meal! Yummy! I also have such great memories of Mom putting on an amazing Sunday lunch for our company. I love the preparation ahead thing too! Rhoda

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  13. just finished making these meat loafs and putting it in the oven as I type this --thanks Kathy

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