Meatloaf on the menu

[Gary]

Well, after probably 3 years, I finally made one last Friday. Oh
so yum. It's always been one of my favorite meals. So good, I
finished it all up by Sunday.

So, Monday I bought 3lbs again while still on sale and made a 2nd
one.

Here's what I did:

- 3 lbs 73% ground beef (Sheldon's mystery meat)
- 2 large eggs
- 2.5 hamburger buns, torn into small pieces
- 5-6 yellow onions, chopped up. (I do love onions)
- generous amount of worcestershire sauce
- little bit of ketchup (inside, not on top)
- salt and pepper

Mixed all that together by hand then formed into a large loaf in
a 9X13 foil-lined pyrex baking dish. Topped it with all the
ketchup it could hold. That ketchup browns and carmelizes and is
good topping.

Baked at 350F for about 75 minutes.

Complain all yoose want to but I'm quite happy with this. It's so
delicious.

Serve with potato and some gramma applesauce. A green veggie side
is good too. Or corn.

[Ed Pawlowski]

When I make meatloaf I cut up the potatoes and put them around the meat
and cook it all together.

I like onion too but would have used less than you did. Otherwise,
nothing wrong with you choice.

[jmcquown]

On 5/23/2019 8:42 AM, Gary wrote:

I like meatloaf but 5-6 onions seems excessive for the amount of beef.

I use bottled cocktail sauce in my meatloaf. Never did like the stuff
that had tomato sauce spooned on the top.

Jill

[Dave Smith]

Yeah, that sounds like a lot of onion. I usually use only 1-1/2 pounds
of ground beef and one good sized onion.

> I use bottled cocktail sauce in my meatloaf.  Never did like the stuff
> that had tomato sauce spooned on the top.

Cocktail sauce could work, but that could get pricey. I used horse
radish in the meat loaf and ketchup, plus ketchup on top. I also
usually have some ketchup as a condiment. It is one of the few things
that I use ketchup for or with. Since I rarely have the others, like
toasted western sandwiches or macaroni and cheese, meat loaf accounts
for about 95% of my ketchup use.

[jmcquown]

On 5/23/2019 12:13 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2019-05-23 11:28 a.m., jmcquown wrote:
>> On 5/23/2019 8:42 AM, Gary wrote:
>
>>> Serve with potato and some gramma applesauce. A green veggie side
>>> is good too. Or corn.
>>>
>>
>> I like meatloaf but 5-6 onions seems excessive for the amount of beef.
>
> Yeah, that sounds like a lot of onion. I usually use only 1-1/2 pounds
> of ground beef and one good sized onion.
>
>
>> I use bottled cocktail sauce in my meatloaf.  Never did like the stuff
>> that had tomato sauce spooned on the top.
>
> Cocktail sauce could work, but that could get pricey.

Cocktail sauce is pricey?

>I used horse
> radish in the meat loaf and  ketchup, plus ketchup on top

It's the ketchup on top that skeeves me. Of course cocktail sauce
contains a bit of horseradish.

> I also
> usually have some ketchup as a condiment.  It is one of the few things
> that I use ketchup for or with. Since I rarely have the others, like
> toasted western sandwiches or macaroni and cheese, meat loaf accounts
> for about 95% of my ketchup use.
>

Okey doke. I don't use much ketchup for anything. Certainly not in mac
& cheese. Definitely not on top of meatloaf. I do sometimes add diced
slightly melted (so as easy to mix in) cheddar cheese to the meat
mixture. Surprise! :)

Jill

[itsjoan...@webtv.net]

On Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10:28:34 AM UTC-5, jmcquown wrote:
>
> On 5/23/2019 8:42 AM, Gary wrote:
> >
> > - 5-6 yellow onions, chopped up. (I do love onions)
> >

> I like meatloaf but 5-6 onions seems excessive for the amount of beef.
>

> Jill
>
That does seem to be a LOT of onions. Maybe they were tiny onions as I
don't see how he could incorporate that many in and have the thing hold
together to cook.

[Sqwertz]

5-6 onions would make that almost half onions, would make it as
soggy mess (along with 73% lean), and would fall apart.

No picture?

-sw

[Sqwertz]

On Thu, 23 May 2019 11:28:27 -0400, jmcquown wrote:

> I use bottled cocktail sauce in my meatloaf. Never did like the stuff
> that had tomato sauce spooned on the top.

Are you sure you don't mean chili sauce? Yes, cocktail sauce is
expensive in those little 6oz jars. You should buy fresh [or
bottled] horseradish and make your own cocktail sauce for less than
half the price.

-sw

[Gary]

You pretty much nailed it, Joan. I really should have been more
specific there. They were smaller than usual onions. I measured
3 of them this morning and all are only about 2" diameter.

So....for the 3lbs of meat, probably about 2.5 - 3 cups of
chopped
onions. That is still way more than most people will use.
I just happen to really love onions. Any recipe I follow,
I'll always double the amount of onions.

That amount did keep the meatloaf loose but it did hold
together fine. Worked out quite well. I love the mix.

[Gary]

I always throw together my own cocktail sauce too. Much cheaper
to make and adjustable to specific taste. It might work but I
don't think I'd want that with meatloaf. I used to make up a
small batch for shrimp but then never used any. I like the shrimp
(with salted old bay seasoning) so good, no cocktail sauce
necessary. If you eat shrimp with cocktail sauce, you don't
taste the shrimp, only the mouthfeel of it.

[Gary]

Sqwertz wrote:
> No picture?
>
> -sw

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--Xb2_uZimSM/TchJ9QYSSGI/AAAAAAAABh8/IMwcL37brSA/s1600/b1310.jpg

[penm...@aol.com]

On Fri, 24 May 2019 09:00:54 -0400, Gary <g.ma...@att.net> wrote:

>"itsjoan...@webtv.net" wrote:
>>
>> On Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10:28:34 AM UTC-5, jmcquown wrote:
>> >
>> > On 5/23/2019 8:42 AM, Gary wrote:
>> > >
>> > > - 5-6 yellow onions, chopped up. (I do love onions)
>> > >
>> > I like meatloaf but 5-6 onions seems excessive for the amount of beef.
>> >
>> > Jill
>> >
>> That does seem to be a LOT of onions. Maybe they were tiny onions as I
>> don't see how he could incorporate that many in and have the thing hold
>> together to cook.
>
>You pretty much nailed it, Joan. I really should have been more
>specific there. They were smaller than usual onions. I measured
>3 of them this morning and all are only about 2" diameter.

A 2" diam onion is not a small onion, that's a medium.

[Sqwertz]

I've never liked cocktail sauce. But I use a lot of horseradish
(fresh root lasts forever in the fridge). Cocktail sauce on
meatloaf is pretty strange. Even stranger than.... steaming
vegetables <gasp> :-)

From what I recall, cocktail sauce comes in a bottle that looks like
chili sauce. Or rather, the exact same bottle:

https://www.target.com/p/heinz-original-cocktail-sauce-12oz/-/A-13651989

https://www.target.com/p/heinz-chili-sauce-12oz/-/A-13651988

Both are $2.69, so not as expensive as I remember.

I think maybe she got the bottles confused :-) (I'll take the
chewing out this time, Gary, you can be a spectator).

-sw

[tert in seattle]

it's like a big sloppy joe with the bun mixed in!

[Thomas]

On Friday, May 24, 2019 at 12:40:05 PM UTC-4, tert in seattle wroteg

>
>
> it's like a big sloppy joe with the bun mixed in!

Tert. FNNI.

[Gary]

penmart01 of the Sheldar variety wrote:

>
> Gary wrote:
> >They were smaller than usual onions. I measured
> >3 of them this morning and all are only about 2" diameter.
>
> A 2" diam onion is not a small onion, that's a medium.

Compare (oddly) to a medium rare steak.
Not rare but not medium either. In-between the two.

Same with onions. This 3lb bag had smaller than usual onions.
They are smaller than medium, at least in my area. ;)
Draw a 2" diameter circle and you'll see that it's
not quite medium size for an onion.

[Gary]

Thomas wrote:

>
> tert in seattle wrote:
> > it's like a big sloppy joe with the bun mixed in!
>
> Tert. FNNI.

heh heh ;-D

[jmcquown]

What you're describing are onions slightly larger than a golf ball. :)

Jill

[jmcquown]

On 5/24/2019 10:35 AM, penm...@aol.com wrote:
> On Fri, 24 May 2019 09:00:54 -0400, Gary <g.ma...@att.net> wrote:
>
>> "itsjoan...@webtv.net" wrote:
>>>
>>> On Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 10:28:34 AM UTC-5, jmcquown wrote:
>>>>
>>>> On 5/23/2019 8:42 AM, Gary wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> - 5-6 yellow onions, chopped up. (I do love onions)
>>>>>
>>>> I like meatloaf but 5-6 onions seems excessive for the amount of beef.
>>>>
>>>> Jill
>>>>
>>> That does seem to be a LOT of onions. Maybe they were tiny onions as I
>>> don't see how he could incorporate that many in and have the thing hold
>>> together to cook.
>>
>> You pretty much nailed it, Joan. I really should have been more
>> specific there. They were smaller than usual onions. I measured
>> 3 of them this morning and all are only about 2" diameter.
>
> A 2" diam onion is not a small onion, that's a medium.
>

Maybe to you. The medium onions I find are about 4" diameter.

>> So....for the 3lbs of meat, probably about 2.5 - 3 cups of
>> chopped
>> onions. That is still way more than most people will use.
>> I just happen to really love onions. Any recipe I follow,
>> I'll always double the amount of onions.
>>
>> That amount did keep the meatloaf loose but it did hold
>> together fine. Worked out quite well. I love the mix.

Glad you like it!

Jill

[Ed Pawlowski]

On 5/25/2019 6:17 AM, Gary wrote:

The onion guys should know
https://www.onions-usa.org/retail/sizes-and-packaging-options

Large/Jumbo
3" and Up Yellow, Red, and White
Medium
2" to 3-1/4" Yellow, Red, and White
Pre-Pack
1-3/4" to 3" Yellow and White
Small
1" to 2-1/4" Yellow, Red, and White

Looks like the 2" overlaps when in a package. It is a large small and a
small medium.

[jmcquown]

LOL Ed! At some point I'm expecting someone to equate the size of onions
with bra sizes. Heh.

Jill

[penm...@aol.com]

On Sat, 25 May 2019 10:45:52 -0400, jmcquown <j_mc...@comcast.net>
wrote:

I just measured with a vernier caliper... a golf ball measures 1.685"
diam., well under 2". I consider a golfball size onion small. i try
to buy onions of various sizes so that I can choose an appropriate
size for the dish, I don't save part of an onion. Sometimes I don't
have a small enough onion for a cooked dish, then I'll use dehy. There
are charts on line that tell about onion sizes but since many onions
are not round, most are oblate, many are flatened, the more accurate
charts are by weight. There's a chart here:
https://www.onions-usa.org/all-about-onions/colors-flavor-availability-and-sizes-of-onions

[Dave Smith]

Let me guess.....

[Gary]

jmcquown wrote:

>
> Gary wrote:
> > This 3lb bag had smaller than usual onions.
> > They are smaller than medium, at least in my area. ;)
> > Draw a 2" diameter circle and you'll see that it's
> > not quite medium size for an onion.
> >
> What you're describing are onions slightly larger than a golf ball. :)

Not much larger, for sure.
These onions are approx. 2" in diameter
I just measured a golf ball = 1.5" diameter

[penm...@aol.com]

What did you use to measure?
All golf balls are the same diameter: 1.685".
Keep in mind that as the diameter of a sphere increases its volume
increases exponentially... a 2" diam. onion will contain better than
three times the volume of a 1" diam. onion. For most cooking it makes
more sense to weigh a diced onion than to eyeball its size or to use a
measuring cup. That's why onions are sold by weight. Most times for
soups/stews I peel onions but leave them whole, this cook's treat.
Onions being an allium, same as daffodils, they are somewhat toxic to
mammals, which is why deer won't eat onions, garlic and daffodils.
onions make my wife sick, so that I braise them whole as a compromise,
they impart flavor but very little of the toxin. However most times I
leave the onions out, or I'll include one whole onion to a large pot
of soup and fish it out early. I like braised onions, onions don't
affect me, I can eat lots of raw onion with no ill affect but I eat
them when my wife isn't home, the smell of onion makes her ill... yet
she can eat lots of garlic cooked in a sauce.

[S Viemeister]

On 5/26/2019 2:26 PM, penm...@aol.com wrote:

> Onions being an allium, same as daffodils, they are somewhat toxic to
> mammals, which is why deer won't eat onions, garlic and daffodils.

Daffodils and onions are both Amaryllidaceae.
Onions are alliums, but daffodils are not alliums.

Perhaps you were thinking of Daffodil Garlic (which IS garlic, but ISN'T
a daffodil), which can, in large amounts, be toxic to dogs?

[Gary]

penm...@aol.com wrote:

> onions make my wife sick, so that I braise them whole as a compromise,
> they impart flavor but very little of the toxin. However most times I
> leave the onions out, or I'll include one whole onion to a large pot
> of soup and fish it out early. I like braised onions, onions don't
> affect me, I can eat lots of raw onion with no ill affect but I eat
> them when my wife isn't home, the smell of onion makes her ill... yet
> she can eat lots of garlic cooked in a sauce.

I'd probably ditch the wife* rather than give up onions. ;)
*and replace her with a couple of friendly ferrets. :-D

Actually, Hell yeah, I would do that.