Midwest Meatloaf

Sue and I have been friends since kindergarten (all the way through senior year in high school, educationally.) She reads me and recently wrote, "Was reading your blog regarding meatloaf ... have never used ketchup or salsa. Sig (late husband) had never eaten meatloaf like mine, but loved it cold for sandwiches on wheat bread with mayo. Think this is similar to what my Dad cooked when he was a chef on the railroad to earn grad school money."

Sue's Midwest Meatloaf
1/2 lb. ground chuck
1/2 lb. veal
1/2 lb. ground kosher or Italian sausage
1/4 cup onion flakes
1 teas. ground pepper
1 teas. celery salt (left over from the Bloody Marys while it cooks!)
1 teas. garlic salt
1 large egg

Mix all together then add 1/2 to 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (in a shaker jar, the cheap ones). Blend well and pat into an oval shape and put it into a coveed cooker. Surround it with peeled new potatoes, 1 small package baby carrots and 1 quartered Vidalia onion plus 1/2 to 1 cup water depending on depth of metal or ceramic covered cooker.

Bake at 350 for one hour and 15 minutes. Serve with brown gravy with an added small jar of drained mushrooms.

This is truly my kind of winter cooking - one meal in one pot! (Ed.)