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The first time I made meatloaf for Tom, it was a great meal. Perfectly browned meatloaf, creamy mashed potatoes, and chocolate cake for dessert. As we sat down and I started plating food, I was feeling pretty proud of myself. Pretty proud of myself until I placed a piece of meatloaf on Tom’s plate, and he stared at it like I had just thrown down a handful of mud.

He poked it with his fork. “What is this?”

I was speechless for a moment. Then I choked out, “What do you mean, ‘What is this?’ It’s meatloaf!”

“Where’s the middle layer?”

“What middle layer?”

“The bread one. You know, the layer with the bread.”

“The layer…with the bread.”

“Yeah, the bread layer.”

“Meatloaf doesn’t have a bread layer. The bread gets mixed in to the loaf.”

“It does too have a bread layer! It sucks up all the good stuff and it’s, you know, delicious.”

“Delicious?”

“It’s the bread layer!”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Also, you’re crazy.”

“I’m not crazy and this isn’t meatloaf.”

“And now you don’t get any chocolate cake.”

Well, as it turns out, Tom isn’t crazy and his mom’s meatloaf DOES have a bread layer in it. And last time Tom’s parents came to visit, they brought proof. Not only did they bring the proof, but it turns out that the bread layer in Tom’s mom’s meatloaf comes from a classic mid-century cookbook!

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We have photographic proof. There IS a bread layer!

Layered Meatloaf
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • For Dressing:
  • 2 cups soft bread cubes
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbs minced onion
  • T Tbs minced parsley
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
  1. Combine meatloaf ingredients in a large mixing bowl and blend well. In a separate bowl, combine ingredients for dressing.
  2. In a 9×5 loaf pan, alternate layers of meat and dressing mixtures (2 layers meat, 1 layer dressing).
  3. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 mins.

 

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Tom TastingIMG_1957

“Yum.”

“Are you finally happy?”

“Now this is meatloaf. Isn’t it good?”

“Yeah well, you still don’t get any chocolate cake.”

The Verdict: Very Good

From the Tasting Notes:

Very good meatloaf! The actual “meat” part of it was really, really good and tasted exactly like what you would expect a good, classic meatloaf to taste like. But while Tom was in raptures over his beloved “bread layer”, I didn’t really care that much for it. However, I also don’t like bread stuffing in a turkey either, so I think it is just my general dislike for soggy bread. Tom gladly took my portion of the bread stuffing and ate it up while I ate the “meat” layer like crazy. This meatloaf was eaten all in one meal! Thanks, Ma!

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