We moved to Iowa when I started second grade, and I remained there through high school.  For this reason, I consider that most of my formative years were as a midwestern girl.  I was not raised on a farm but grew up in a small Iowa town.  We were not a wealthy family, and my mom often had to stretch a dollar to feed a family of five.

Meatloaf was frequently on the menu for dinner.  Simple to put together and bake in the oven and relatively inexpensive. Her recipe was simple back then using dried onions and crackers in her recipe and the ground beef was probably 70/30.  I have taken mom’s original recipe and amped it up with extra ingredients, replaced the crackers with a combination of Panko and Italian breadcrumbs and used fresh rather than dried onion.

Mom made good meatloaf, and we always seemed to eat it all.  However, in my adult life I find that my palate is craving a more flavorful meatloaf than what I grew up.  So, I took her basic recipe and amped it up with ingredients that give the meatloaf an extra kick of flavor.

What to serve with meatloaf: Growing up mashed potatoes was a staple for side, which when it is cold out, I like the homey comfort that meatloaf and mashed potatoes provided.  Now that I am an adult, I usually make corn, peas or green beans.  Onion rings or fries would also work great for a side dish. 

Ground beef versus ground sirloin: Most people would argue that you should use ground beef or chuck which is usually 20-30% fat versus ground sirloin that is usually 10% fat.  I prefer ground sirloin to cut down on fat and to avoid giving a greasy layer to the meatloaf.

The onion: I usually use yellow onion as it tends to be milder for the meatloaf, but on one of my last iterations I only had a red onion and appreciated the spicey flavor it added to the meatloaf

All about the condiments: My mom always had ketchup and Worcestershire sauce that she added to her meatloaf.  I amped up her recipe by adding the tangy zip of yellow mustard.  My initial iteration had 1 teaspoon of mustard, but this past week I accidentally put a tablespoon of mustard in, and I was amazed at the flavor.  The blend of the ketchup, Worcestershire and mustard give the meatloaf that savory umami flavor that made it craveable.  My husband and I nearly ate all of it.  We had to force ourselves to stop.

The tender twist: I have revamped this recipe as I discovered an extra layer to develop a tender meatloaf.  I splash some milk into the breadcrumbs and let it for about 1 minute.  This added step will amaze you as it really creates a super tender meatloaf