I don’t know where my mom got this recipe or if she just made it up, but it’s my favorite meatloaf recipe (from our family cookbook, “Cum, Vella Essa!“). I sometimes follow it exactly and some times I veer off course a bit, but it is a never-fail. At least, I’ve never been able to ruin it, which is truly saying something. I love pairing it with Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes; it’s a perfect meal.

This is what you need:

• 1 1/2 pounds hamburger (I use 1 pound of ground turkey instead)
• 3/4 cup quick oatmeal
• 1/4 cup chopping onions (if I don’t have fresh onions, I use 1/4 cup dried onions)
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 cup milk (I use skim)
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard

This is how you make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350. (If you’re making it with the potatoes, preheat oven to 400.)
2. Mix meat, oatmeal, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and milk.
3. Pack firmly into a baking dish.
4. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spread evenly over meat.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350 OR for 60 minutes at 400.
6. Allow meatloaf for set for 5 minutes before slicing.

Source: Cum, Vella Essa! cookbook