Autumn Perfect 1950s Baked Meatloaf Dumpling Recipe

Meatloaf often gets a bum rap and has been the butt of countless TV and movie jokes and zingers over the decades, yet I firmly maintain that a well made meatloaf is a thing of culinary beauty and immense deliciousness alike.

My mom made an excellent meatloaf when I was growing up (which I discussed back in this fun 2015 recipe post starring Crown 'o Gold Meatloaf) and instilled in me a love of this classic dish from a very early age.

Having already essentially covered a jazzed up traditional version in that post (as well as 2014's Vegetable Beef Loaf), instead today I thought it would be fun to take a peak at a lovely meatloaf iteration from 1950 that sees this hearty dish transformed into a dinnertime hand pie of sorts.

There's something both very classic (meat pies having been around for many centuries now) and very mid-twentieth century alike about this super easy, relatively quick recipe.

From the presentation to the near obligatory inclusion of shortening (which, as I always like to say, you can easily nix in favour of your preferred cooking fat, such as butter, margarine or coconut oil), this is straight up fifties, and yet, at the same time, it wouldn't be out of place served up at many modern restaurants today.

It might not be as common as the usual "in a pan" style of meatloaf, but chances are, it's every bit as tasty, while also being a superb dish to bring - wonderfully piping hot - to the table now that the a gentle hit of chill is returning to the air and the nights are drawing ever shorter.



{Elegant enough for a dinner party, but easy enough to serve up any night of the week, this delightful mid-century recipe for Baked Meat Loaf Dumplings is the kind of stick-to-your-ribs fare that’s always a welcome sight once the nippy days of fall roll into town again. 1950s recipe ad via Click America.}


Naturally, you can swap out the beef for any vegetarian/vegan ground meat or meat substitute of your choice. I've been unable to eat beef (or most red meats), due to medical reasons, for over fourteen years, but I haven't let that stop me one iota when it comes to enjoying meatloaf. Instead I simply reach for lean ground chicken or turkey instead.

If you're a fan of, and can eat such, you could also use ground pork, ham, veal, lamb or venison here instead, too, each of which would no doubt be delicious.

The filling here is meat and onion centered, which is of course a terrific combination, but you could easily jazz things up further by adding in diced, chopped or mashed veggies of your choice. Green peas and meatloaf go together beautifully, as to peppers and beef, and either would be a really pleasing combination here.

You could take things one step further still, come to think of it, and include classic mixed vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, carrots, etc) and some (premade) mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes for a really cool take on an the age old favourites that are cottage and shepherd's pies, respectively.

Toss in some cheese, with the fillings of your choice, and things might almost veer into calzone territory! As with many recipes, the sky is the limit when it comes to what could be done here and experimenting is certainly one of the great joys of cooking.

As this 1950s version sits now, it's relatively budget-friendly, and could easily be multiplied to feed larger groups if needed. I suspect, much like classic potpies themselves, that these charming Baked Meatloaf Dumplings would be thoroughly awesome served cold the next day, their flavours having mingled and deepened all the more by that point.

I'm thrilled that autumn is here once more and our ovens will soon be churning out dish after scrumptious dish of comfort food, holiday eats, and beautiful harvest season recipes, like this 1950s dinner table gem, that will always retain their timeless, comforting appeal.

The mere thought of such alone has me smiling as widely the jack-o-lanterns we'll soon be carving for Halloween! :)

A springtime perfect 1950s dinner recipe

There are few flavours more evocative and filled with the culinary spirit of spring then fresh peas just picked from the garden. Plucked while still so tender and fresh you could easily, joyfully eat them raw, peas are like little green globes that symbolize the fact that winter really and truly is behind us once more.

Whether you grow your own, pick them from the grocer's shelves, or opt - during the off-season in particular – to use the canned variety (as seen in today's charming 1950s recipe, where of course you can use the fresh variety anytime you like), peas are must on just about any well-rounded springtime menu.

On this fine morning on the first day of May, whether you're waking up to steaming rays of buttery sunshine or watching raindrops bounce of the window by the thousands, I think we can all agree that the end of the work week calls for a meal that's chocked full of flavour, but far from demanding on our time or energy.

Enter today's charmingly named Garden Patty-Go-Around dish of beef patties, green peas, and classic white rice. Meat, veggies, and grains, they're all there on one plate and are sure to prove a hit with all who gather around your springtime supper table.


{A handful of ingredients and less than a hour are all it takes to prepare this hearty, delicious dinner of green peas, beef patties, and rice. Vintage recipe via Salty Cotton on Flickr. Click here for a larger version.}


If you don't eat or would prefer not to use beef (and/or bacon) here, you can certainly swap in any other ground meat or vegetarian/vegan meat substitute that you desire (flaked tuna fish patties would be fun here as well). I've made this exact dish several times before myself and have used ground chicken or turkey on each occasion. I also added a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, which, interestingly, is missing from the original recipe.

Should peas not happen to be are not your favourite veggie (or if you know your kids are likely to protest about them), you can always swap in another beloved springtime green vegetable such as chopped string beans, asparagus, or wilted watercress instead. By the same token, feel free to trade the white rice for brown, wild, or any other variety, or forgo it entirely and use pasta, mashed potatoes, quinoa, or another starch (if desired) in its place.

I really like this dish because it's a whiz to toss together, can be multiplied to your heart's content, is relatively budget-friendly (the meat will likely be the most expensive ingredient), and can be made with ingredients that are generally on hand most of the time.

Those are the kind of hallmarks one looks for a busy weekday evening meal, and which have helped earn this quick, fun, and very tasty dish a permanent place in my seasonal dinnertime repertoire.

Happy cooking and May Day celebrating, my wonderful friends!

A thoroughly scrumptious 1950s pot roast recipe

It is not exactly a secret that sometimes when one spies a yesteryear recipe, it's apt to raise a few eyebrows (tuna, Jell-o, pimento, American cheese, and gobs of mayo in the same dish, why not?!) and make even the most ironclad stomachs amongst us do a double take.

Much as I do actually love a good, kooky vintage recipe (nothing ventured, right?), I know that not everyone who plonks themselves down at my dinner table is always going to share my gusto for the - how shall we say - more unique offerings that vintage recipe booklets, magazines, and cookbooks like to dish up.

With that thought planted firmly in mind, I always keep an eye open for old school recipes that could just as easily have come straight from the pages of the most contemporary of culinary sources, and I think that (assuming one doesn't mind a little ketchup with their beef) today's recipe for Highland Pot Roast hits that mark wonderfully.

With nary a drop of mayo or speck of pimento in sight, this recipe sets the tongue aflutter at first reading, and will likely have you making a beeline for the closest butcher's shop in the very near future.




{A handful of timelessly tasty ingredients partner up in this hearty, delicious pot roast recipe from the 1950s, that is sure to impress and thoroughly fill all your dinner guests. Image via Charm and Poise on Flickr.}



I've long been a fan of meat dishes that have a subtle hint of sweetness to them and this elegant pot roast delivers just that thanks to the use of dried apricots (if you had any to hand, dried peaches or plums would be excellent here as well) and good old-fashioned Heinz ketchup.

There's really very little I'd alter about this cold-weather-perfect beef recipe, save perhaps to toss in a few herbs (I'm thinking fresh thyme and parsley - a little dried sage would be lovely, too) and up the black pepper content a tad. You could play around with the veggies, adding or swapping in things such as parsnips, onions (yes, I think a bit of onion is in order), or sweet potatoes (which would harmonize really nicely with the apricots).

Serve this roast with a hefty helping of mashed potatoes, creamed spinach and some fluffy buttermilk biscuits during the nippier months, or a cucumber salad and French bread if you're getting treated to an Indian summer this year, for a vintage recipe that succeeds beautifully in being an appealing classic no matter what decade it is.