Christie's Corner

I often wonder how women back in the day were able to make dinner for their families every night of the week. I have found that it takes commitment and a lot of work to provide healthy meals just a few times a week.

As I was driving home from the grocery store this week it finally dawned on me why we now struggle so much to get dinner on the table. The recipes we follow now-a-days are a little more complicated! Let me show you an example. I found a meatloaf recipe from 1961 at the website http://oldrecipebook.com/. Listed are the ingredients and directions.

Meatloaf (Recipe from 1961)
1 pound ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2/3 cup soft or dry bread crumbs
2/3 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Press into a greased loaf pan. Bake in a moderate oven 350 for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce or mushroom sauce.

I like this recipe. It’s simple and there are no ingredients leave me saying “huh, wonder where I can find that?”

Now here is a meatloaf recipe that I found on the food network website. It is from Giada De Laurentiis who is a good cook but dang it, I got tired just reading this recipe.

Stuffed Meatloaf

Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta:
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
• 8 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 (7.4-ounce) jars roasted peeled whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 1 pound day-old ciabatta bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 15 by 10 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic. Saute until the onions are very tender, about 12 minutes. Gently stir in the chestnuts and parsley. Transfer the onion mixture to the large bowl with the pancetta. Add the bread and Parmesan and toss to coat. Add enough broth to the stuffing mixture to moisten. Season the stuffing, to taste, with salt and pepper. Mix in the eggs.
Transfer the stuffing to the prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until the stuffing is heated through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until the top is crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.
• Meatloaf
• 1 small onion, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 8 ounces ground beef
• 8 ounces ground pork
• 8 ounces ground veal
• 2 cups (packed) Ciabatta Stuffing with Chestnuts and Pancetta, recipe follows, or your favorite stuffing
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup grated provolone
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Whisk the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Mix in the beef, pork, and veal. Pack half of the meat mixture into a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. Spoon the stuffing over the meat in the pan, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Top with the remaining meat mixture, enclosing the stuffing completely and pressing firmly. Spoon the marinara sauce over the meatloaf, then sprinkle with the provolone cheese.
Bake, uncovered, until the meat loaf is firm to the touch in the center and has pulled away from the sides of the pan, about 45 minutes. Cut crosswise into slices and serve.

Wow! I think I'll stick with simple and quick from 1961...Unless someone offers to make Giada's recipe for me...