Day 7: My Momma's Meatloaf

1:02 AM The Hydes 0 Comments

At my house as a child we had what was lovingly referred to as "clean out the fridge" meatloaf. When the fridge was over-run with leftovers my mother would blend them all up in the food processor, add a pound of ground beef and whatever spices she thought it could handle, say a prayer as she put it in the oven, and bake it. My mother is a genius in the kitchen and often her concoctions turned out to be fabulous. But, because it depended on the leftovers, her meatloaf was NEVER the same twice. I believe our favorite was leftover macaroni and cheese, onion soup, and homemade rolls as the breadcrumbs. Others were less then desirable (which might be a contributing factor to why I am now vegan....I'll have to explore that later) but being my mothers daughter, I do find myself in concoction mode on a regular basis - my husband may say a little too regular. This recipe is owed to my "creative" mother.



Meatloaf
leftover Hawaiian Chili
leftover rice
2 c plain lentils
1-2 c cooked barley
2 large cans mushrooms drained (fresh is always best)
1 pkg onion soup mix
oats
garlic powder (to taste)
salt (to taste)


In a blender or food processor blend up your leftover hawaiian chili till smooth. Now blend the rice, barley, lentils, and mushrooms. Add to the chili. Add onion soup mix, garlic powder and salt. Mix that together. Now mix in enough oats so you can form it into a small meatball and it holds together (tender but not falling apart). Fill a greased bread pan and bake on 350 for about 40 minutes or till you can insert a knife and it comes out clean. Let it sit out of the oven for a few minutes to firm up. Serve with chili sauce or gravy. If you have more "meat" left over they make great meatballs!