Ohio Meat Loaf

I’ve never been to Ohio.

Our friends passed us this recipe. They got it from their friends who live in Ohio. So we call it Ohio Meatloaf.

Do you live in Ohio? Are you called Clare? Have you been known to feed meatloaf to the Rantzen family? Then this may be your recipe. I am eternally grateful.

I serve it with a ketchup glaze.

I like to keep you on your toes with my fancy-schmanzy styling.

Actually it looks pretty good straight out of the oven, really. But just a little ‘brown’. Traditionally a meatloaf would probably get smothered in a rich tomato sauce and then put back in the oven for a while, but a little chilli ketchup is enough for me.

Ed has been telling me for years that he loves meatloaf and that we should make some. But it always looked so uninviting and heavy. It just wasn’t doing it for me. Then our friends cooked us this and suddenly I got it.

It ain’t heavy

It’s my meatloaf.

The grated potato and the Ritz crackers give it a surprisingly light texture and the long slowish cooking makes it tender and tasty…plus you can eat the leftover Ritz crackers whilst it cooks.

Ritz crackers are so retro.

In all the excitement I almost forgot. I took an ingredients shot:

Simple, no?

But wait – There’s a Super Bonus Round!

You can eat it as a burger the next day…

Cut a thick leftover slice, fry it in a little butter and oil and slap it in a bun. This is better than any burger I have tasted. None of that tight, chewy texture that some ‘handmade’ burgers can have.

Ohio Meatloaf – Ingredients

2.2 lb/1kg Minced beef (or use 1/2 minced pork)
1 medium potato – peeled and grated
2 eggs – lightly beaten
2 fl oz (60ml) melted butter
2 fl oz (60ml) milk
5 tbsp chilli ketchup
¼ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp ‘Season All’ or Aromat*
130g crushed Ritz crackers – 2/3 of a box

*Alternative to ‘Season All’ or Aromat:
½ tsp celery salt
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp smoked sweet paprika

Mix it all together in a large bowl in the order above. It really is best to get your hands in there and squidge it all together, it’s messy but it works.

Press firmly into a 2lb loaf tin, lined with a double strip of foil or foil lined parchment.
It seems like it won’t all fit…but it does, with some persuading.
Press it down well with a palette knife…squash it into the corners and smooth the top.
Place the tin on a roasting tray for any butter leakage.
Bake at 175°c/350°f/Gas Mark 4 for 90 minutes.
Brush with a little ketchup whilst still hot.
Allow it to cool a little before slicing.

Serves 6.

Notes:
I have amended quantities slightly so they can be measured in metric.
‘Season All’ and ‘Aromat’ contain MSG and give me a raging thirst and headache, so we have developed our own seasoning mix which is eminently variable to taste.
If you haven’t got chilli ketchup just use ketchup and some sweet chilli sauce.
It sticks to the ends of my loaf pan so I must remember to add parchment there next time.

Fry any slices leftover for a most excellent sandwich another day.