Comfort food: Meat Loaf

Most people think it’s called comfort food because it makes you feel warm and sleepy and comfortable when you eat it. That’s true. But I think comfort food is also food for which I have all of the ingredients at any given time and I can make easily on any day when I haven’t planned well. THAT is a comfort to me.
My husband got this recipe from his landlady when he was in college in Charleston, WV. I had always made meat loaf with the recipe on the Quaker Oats canister. Once I tried this recipe, I never made meat loaf with oats again. This serves four polite people or two hungry ones. If you want leftovers for cold sandwiches, better double the ingredients and make two. I usually do.

MISS BANKS'S MEAT LOAF
1 pound ground beef or venison
1 1 / 2 slices soft bread
1 / 2 cup milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 / 2 teaspoon salt
1 / 8 teaspoon dry mustard
1 / 8 teaspoon celery salt
1 / 8 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1 / 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Tear bread and mix with milk. Beat egg. Mix bread, beaten egg, meat, onion, spices and Worcestershire sauce. Form into loaf in pan. Bake one hour.

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