Mommy's Magic Meatloaf

Mom in 93 years young, soon to be 94. She was an elementary school teacher and put in long hours both at school and at home preparing for class. Mom would cook on weekends and freeze meals so that weekday dinners would be healthy but simple. One of her classic dishes I call Mommy's Magic Meatloaf. And it's one of the meals she still makes for us if we're really good.

Mommy's Magic Meatloaf

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup crumbled bread
• 1/2 cup ketchup

Leave several slices of bread out to get dry. Crumble them into small pieces in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Finely chop a small onion and mix with the bread. Add salt, pepper and poultry seasoning and mix well. Beat one egg with 1/2 cup milk. Pour over the bread to moisten. Add the hamburger to the bowl and mix well. This is the "magic" part. It's the loving touch of Mom's hands that makes it taste so good.

Place the meatloaf mixture in a baking dish and form it into a loaf. Leave a small space between the side of the meatloaf and the edge of the dish for juices to collect during cooking. Cover with a liberal amount of ketchup and bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. Let the meatloaf cool for about five minutes before cutting. Serve with mashed potatoes and peas and for a comfort meal just like mommy used to make. - Margy