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! :)
