Originally published January 26, 2021. Not exactly the most blog-worthy photos but it is real life.

Yesterday was Marica Cooks Monday. We had Diner Old Fashioned Meat Loaf with Diner Candied Yams. An excellent and hearty meal. This is one of our favorite meat loaf recipes. For just the two of us, I made half the recipe.

“For the most tender, moist meat loaf, use meat with 20 percent fat. A meat loaf pan—a wonderful recent invention consisting of one pan with drainage holes set inside a second pan—allows excess fat to drain out during cooking. Serve with a generous helping of mashed potatoes.”—Diane Rossen Worthington, Diner: The Best of Causal American Cooking (1995)

DINER OLD FASHIONED MEAT LOAF

Makes 6 servings

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs lean ground beef
1 ½ C (3 oz) fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme leaves, crumbled
¼ C fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 C catsup or chili sauce (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)
½ C tomato sauce, more if desired (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics and Canning … sections)

Heat oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat, add onion and carrot, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until carrot begins to soften and onion is almost translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 350˚. Lightly oil a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Combine beef, bread crumbs, and cooked vegetable mixture. Whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and catsup or chili sauce, pour egg mixture over beef mixture, and mix ingredients together using your hands. “Do not overmix or the loaf will become too compact and dry.” Pat meat mixture gently into prepared loaf pan; “don’t press too firmly.” Pour ½ C tomato sauce evenly over top of loaf, and bake until loaf has begun to shrink from sides of pan and a meat thermometer inserted into center reads 150˚, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes. Cut meat loaf into thick slices to serve. Serve warm or cold, accompanied with more tomato sauce, if desired.