- Shortly after the Industrial Revolution, meat grinders became common machines in butcher's shops, and ground meat became readily available. Recipes for meatloaf started to appear in many American magazines in the early 1900's. Meatloaf has been a staple during times of scarcity, because expensive meat can be stretched into more servings when combined with other ingredients. Because America has been shaped by wave after wave of immigrants from around the world, meatloaf, along with many other foods, have been modified to meet various tastes. In the Southwest, you may find chilis and cumin in meatloaf. In the Northwest, apples find their way into meatloaf, and in the South, meatloaf may be topped with cream gravy.
- The trouble with kids and meatloaf is the kids often like foods in their simplest forms, and meatloaf looks complicated. Kids don't like their peas touching their potatoes on their plates, and yet meatloaf is a conglomeration of all kinds of ingredients mashed into one item. The solution to this problem lies in making the meatloaf as homogeneous as possible by shredding vegetables into very small pieces, mixing the meatloaf well, and coaxing the meatloaf into a pleasing texture.
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The following basic meatloaf recipe can be adapted to kids' tastes by adding various ingredients (which will be discussed in Section 4).
In a medium bowl, combine 2 beaten eggs, 3/4 cup of milk, 2/3 cup of dried bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1/4 cup of ketchup. Use your clean hands to mix. Pat the mixture into an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. - The nutritional value of the above recipe is not great, except for its protein content. You can add many ingredients to boost the meat loaf's nutrition, however, and because the ingredients are all mashed together, kids generally don't notice the additions. Try adding one or all of the following ingredients: 1/4 cup of shredded carrot, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1/4 cup of chopped celery, 2 tablespoons of flax meal, 1/2 cup shredded zucchini, 1/4 cup of diced mushrooms, 1/2 cup of cooked bulgur wheat or brown rice, 1/3 cup of cooked pearled barley, and 1/4 cup of shredded cabbage. You can also replace white bread crumbs with whole wheat crumbs.
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When serving meatloaf to children, make sure you pass the gravy separately. Some kids don't like sauces and others do, so give them the option. Here's a good kid-friendly gravy recipe to serve with your meatloaf:
In a medium saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of flour and whisk until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 2 cups of beef broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat. Let the gravy simmer for about 20 minutes before serving.
