But I don't even like meatloaf.....

Yes folks, I admit it. I'm that person who says I don't like meatloaf. The person who would never, ever order it in a restaurant. Never eat it on a buffet. Generally I wouldn't eat it at another person's house either. I don't want taco meatloaf or Reuben meatloaf or BBQ meatloaf. I'm just not into meatloaf. Except my mom's.

I'm not sure what it is about her meatloaf that I love so dearly. I made it myself for the first time sometime this past Spring when Buppy said he wanted a "classic" meatloaf. No fuss, no frills, no bells, no whistles. Just classic, traditional meatloaf. I thought of my mom's recipe immediately since that's really the only meatloaf I'd ever put in my mouth. I'm not saying that everyone out there makes terrible meatloaf, please don't misunderstand me! I just think it has something to do with the meat . . . being in a loaf. It sounds so unappetizing to me. Anyway, maybe it's that the grew up on my mom's and therefore that's all I trust. I don't know; I like to think of myself as a pretty experimental cook who makes lots of different dishes with different flavors and inspirations.

Well, whatever the case, my mom's recipe is the bestest of the best for a classic. It's pretty gosh darn simple (which surprised me, kind of, when she told me over the phone what went in it.) But I gave it a go and it was all Buppy and I'd hoped it would be. Yum!

Please keep in mind that, as with most of my recipes, measurements are approximate and half the time don't actually get measured out in my kitchen. Dump, sprinkle, shake---whatever. I realize that amount of ground beef in the recipe is a bit odd, but that's because it was the size of the package I happened to have on hand and therefore I approximated everything else around that particular size.

Mom’s Meatloaf

1.35 lbs. ground beef
2 slices bread, cut into small cubes
1 Tbsp. milk
2 ½ Tbsp. ketchup, plus some for the top
½ of a (medium) raw onion, finely chopped
Salt & pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix together with hands until well blended. Form into a loaf and place in loaf pan or roaster. Spread ketchup (as much as you wish) on top. Bake at 350F for approximately 50 minutes or until meat thermometer reads done. Yield: 3 servings. Does it get any simpler people? No. Any better tasting? Nuh-uh.

This recipe will be linked up to the URS (Ultimate Recipe Swap) on Life as Mom where beef is the menu item this week. I love her URSs!