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
- In a large bowl stir together all ingredients except for the ground beef.
- Add ground beef and mix well. I use my hands to mix it.
- Form meat mixture into 8 or 9 equal oval shaped meatloaves. Place in a 9x13 size glass pan.
- Stir together sauce. With the back of a spoon make a slight indent in the tops of each loaf. Top each loaf with sauce.
- 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.
**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!
