Cheryl wrote:

>>> Meatloaf is great but you can't just make a meatloaf by dumping stuff
>>> into the hamburger. It's important that you have clear in your mind
>>> what you want it to turn out like. I like my meatloaf to be tender and
>>> a little juicy so I'll add breadcrumbs and liquids to the mix. By
>>> varying these two components, you'll come up with a dish that has
>>> whatever texture you want. Then you can worry about all the other
>>> stuff. I like to add a can of corn to mine but that's just whacky to
>>> most folks. I always add MSG but some folks would find this
>>> unacceptable.
>>
>> Noted with thanks
>>
> (sorry if this shows up twice - Usenet-news is dropping a lot of my
> posts lately)
>
> There's a variation on the breadcrumbs where you just soak bread in milk
> and then mix that in with your meat, veggies, egg and seasoning. I noted
> Bob T's recipe with the cooked veggies, but I've never done it that way.
> I might try it sometime. I've posted before that I like to add fresh raw
> chopped spinach in mine, too. Shredded carrots, too, along with the
> onions and whatever else you like. I like to use meatloaf for the
> opportunity to use more veggies in a meal than I usually do. Might as
> well make it healthful!

I think it makes sense to pre-cook the vegetables because otherwise
they'll shrink inside the meat loaf and you'll get more of a spongy
texture. Of course every coin has two sides, and a spongy meat loaf is
better at soaking up gravy!

Bob