Multi - Generational Meatloaf

When I got married, my paternal grandmother gifted me a cute little recipe book. When I first saw it, I honestly didn’t think much of it. One day, Brodie, my husband, was looking over it and exclaimed, “Caroline! Did you see this?” My sweet grandmother, who my youngest daughter is named after, started this little book when I was just 11 months old. She hand wrote each and every recipe, sometimes making little notes on them — recipes that my dad loved growing up, desserts that I begged for when we visited, little anecdotes here and there. It’s one of my favorite possessions (plus I think she has beautiful penmanship)!

This specific recipe is her recipe for meatloaf — plus some twists since I can’t obviously get all of the ingredients in South Asia. And what’s even more special? The recipe came from her mother — my great grandmother. I was blessed to have known her while she was alive — the same great grandmother who would hide full sized Reeses for us in the quilt by her bed. I hope you enjoy making this 3 generations old recipe!

Mammaw Faye's Recipe Book

My sweet paternal grandmother purchased this book in September 1990, when I was 11 months old.

Recipe Book Inscription

In the inscription, you can see the date she started collecting and writing down recipes.

Mammaw Faye's Meatloaf Recipe

Each page is filled with these little cards of recipes she used.

Great Grandmother's Meatloaf

In this photo, you can see that this recipe was actually Mammaw Faye’s mother’s recipe.

Meatloaf Recipe Card

Depression era cooking often lended itself to simple ingredients and seasonings, and this meatloaf recipe was no different.

Back of Recipe Card

On the back of the recipe card, she tells you exactly what she would serve it with (and we did the same thing)!

Chicken Meatloaf Mixture

With few substitutions, here is the meatloaf mixture minus the ground chicken.

Chicken Meatloaf in Muffin Tins

Instead of making the meatloaf in a pan, I make mine in muffin tins so they cook faster.

Cooked Chicken Meatloaf

I served my chicken meatloaf with mashed cauliflower and sauteed green beans.

Great Grandma chicken meatloaf

These chicken meatloafs come together in less than 30 minutes total. Like most depression era recipes, the ingredients and seasonings are super simple — things that would have been cheap and easily accessible.

Multi - Generational Meatloaf

serves 4-5 — 40 minutes

MEATLOAF

500g ground chicken

1 onion, diced

2 slices of stale bread, crumbled (i used gluten free sourdough bread)

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1 tbs beef concentrate (or 1 cube beef boullion)

2 tbs tomato paste

5 garlic cloves, minced

SAUCE

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbs vinegar

2 tbs brown sugar (or honey)

2 tbs mustard

1 tbs onion powder

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius on convection (top and bottom burners).

2. In a bowl, mix together the meatloaf ingredients, making sure the ingredients are well incorporated. To a greased muffin tin, add 1/4 cup of the mixture to each tin (should make 12).

3. In the empty meatloaf bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and top each meatloaf muffin with 1 tbs.

4. Bake on the middle rack for 20 minutes or until cooked through.

5. Serve with mashed cauliflower, green beans, and Mammaw Faye’s Best Rolls!

**If making in the states, you can totally just use ground beef and omit the beef concentrate. To check out which beef concentrate I use, check out how I Stock My Expat Kitchen!